Cost of Living Comparison Between Zacapoaxtla and Monterrey Cost of Living Comparison Between Zacapoaxtla and Monterrey

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $764 in Zacapoaxtla versus $1,574 in Monterrey.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $1,231 in Zacapoaxtla versus $2,529 in Monterrey.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $1,698 in Zacapoaxtla versus $3,484 in Monterrey.

Living in Zacapoaxtla costs roughly 51% less than in Monterrey, driven mainly by Groceries & Markets.

The two cities straddle the global median: Zacapoaxtla is 43% below, Monterrey is 17% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$4.38 MX$76.4

$13.42 MX$234

-67.36%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$21.46 MX$375

$53.9 MX$941

-60.15%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$5.36 MX$93.6

$10.32 MX$180

-48.06%

Cappuccino

$2.49 MX$43.52

$3.58 MX$62.5

-30.45%

Coke/Pepsi/Fanta/Sprite (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.99 MX$17.32

$1.43 MX$25.04

-30.77%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.07 MX$18.77

$0.99 MX$17.30

8.08%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$1.26 MX$21.93

$2.59 MX$45.20

-51.35%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.93 MX$33.71

$4.27 MX$74.7

-54.80%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.24 MX$21.71

$1.67 MX$29.20

-25.75%

White Bread (500g)

$1.39 MX$24.23

$2.64 MX$46.11

-47.35%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.48 MX$25.89

$1.87 MX$32.72

-20.86%

Eggs

$2.28 MX$39.87

$2.67 MX$46.71

-14.61%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$3.20 MX$55.8

$10.49 MX$183

-69.49%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$4.67 MX$81.5

$9.13 MX$159

-48.85%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$4.61 MX$80.6

$13.85 MX$242

-66.71%

Apples (1kg)

$1.26 MX$21.95

$3.04 MX$53.2

-58.55%

Banana (1kg)

$1.03 MX$18.04

$1.40 MX$24.52

-26.43%

Oranges (1kg)

$0.56 MX$9.79

$2.12 MX$37.06

-73.58%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.01 MX$17.62

$2.06 MX$35.96

-50.97%

Potato (1kg)

$0.80 MX$14.01

$2.23 MX$38.93

-64.13%

Onion (1kg)

$1.04 MX$18.24

$2.56 MX$44.78

-59.38%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.11 MX$19.45

$1.53 MX$26.69

-27.45%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.92 MX$16.10

$1.07 MX$18.77

-14.02%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.17 MX$72.8

$4.13 MX$72.1

0.97%

Wine (Bottle)

$13.59 MX$237

$14.34 MX$250

-5.23%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.12 MX$19.62

$1.79 MX$31.23

-37.43%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.57 MX$27.49

$3.18 MX$55.5

-50.63%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.68 MX$11.93

$0.77 MX$13.39

-11.69%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$42.11 MX$736

$40.85 MX$714

3.08%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.33 MX$23.28

$1.73 MX$30.30

-23.12%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.28 MX$4.87

$0.96 MX$16.74

-70.83%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$5.29 MX$92.4

$10.72 MX$187

-50.65%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.28 MX$22.39

$1.36 MX$23.78

-5.88%

Midsize Hatchback 1.4l (Volkswagen Golf, Toyota Prius, Honda Civic, etc)

$13.5K MX$236.7K

$26.5K MX$463.0K

-48.88%

Compact Sedan 1.6l (Toyota Corolla, Mazda3, Kia K4, Hyundai Elantra, etc)

$23.7K MX$414.8K

$25.9K MX$451.6K

-8.17%

Utilities for 2 People in 2-bedroom Apartment (Heating, Electricity, Gas, Water, Garbage) (85m2)

$40.25 MX$703

$123 MX$2,151

-67.31%

SIM Card Monthly Plan (Calls and 10GB+ Data)

$26.22 MX$458

$27.98 MX$489

-6.29%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$30.10 MX$526

$29.71 MX$519

1.31%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$35.37 MX$618

$37.13 MX$649

-4.74%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$16.01 MX$280

$21.88 MX$382

-26.83%

Cinema Ticket

$2.61 MX$45.63

$5.71 MX$99.7

-54.29%

Preschool or Kindergarten, Full Day, Private, 1 Child (Monthly)

$209 MX$3,654

$348 MX$6,078

-39.88%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$3,626 MX$63.3K

$8,997 MX$157.2K

-59.70%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$18.20 MX$318

$59.9 MX$1,047

-69.63%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$23.46 MX$410

$43.22 MX$755

-45.72%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$42.14 MX$736

$109 MX$1,911

-61.48%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$34.82 MX$608

$130 MX$2,268

-73.18%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$497 MX$8,681

$894 MX$15.6K

-44.40%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$247 MX$4,309

$656 MX$11.5K

-62.37%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$987 MX$17.2K

$1,578 MX$27.6K

-37.44%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$588 MX$10.3K

$1,422 MX$24.8K

-58.66%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$1,928 MX$33.7K

$4,316 MX$75.4K

-55.34%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,288 MX$22.5K

$2,873 MX$50.2K

-55.19%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$630 MX$11.0K

$1,101 MX$19.2K

-42.75%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

11.34

11.55

-1.82%

CityCost data is based on AI and user input – minor inaccuracies may occur.

Last update for Zacapoaxtla: June 6, 2026

Last update for Monterrey: June 8, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $497 in Zacapoaxtla and $894 in Monterrey. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Monterrey pays 75% more on average. The extra income cushions the higher costs, though housing choices and lifestyle decide how much of the gap is truly closed.

Dining out: $21.00 in Zacapoaxtla vs $54.0 in Monterrey for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $164 vs $297 per month, with Zacapoaxtla cheaper across the board.

City Median Internet Speeds Comparison (Updated April 2026)

The chart highlights the Precision Threshold for mobile and fixed broadband internet speeds, updated quarterly.

Digital Nomad Cost of Living Index

Zacapoaxtla vs Monterrey: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Zacapoaxtla and Monterrey differ by about 106% in total monthly costs ($764 vs $1,574 including rent). Zacapoaxtla is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

On paper, Monterrey earns 75% less. That's worth factoring in alongside costs, though remote workers earning in a stronger currency may not notice the difference at all.

Rent for a central apartment: $497 in Zacapoaxtla versus $894 in Monterrey. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Dining out is cheaper in Zacapoaxtla – a meal for two runs $21.00 versus $54.0 in Monterrey. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

All in, you'll spend $764 per month in Zacapoaxtla versus $1,574 in Monterrey – a 106% gap that adds up to real savings over time for anyone picking the cheaper option.

At $764 in Zacapoaxtla versus $1,574 in Monterrey, a $1,000 budget is realistic in Zacapoaxtla but tight or insufficient in Monterrey. The gap between the two cities makes Zacapoaxtla the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

Both cities offer a good standard of living with different trade-offs. Neither is objectively better – the right pick depends on what matters most: affordability, career, cultural scene, or climate.

Expats usually find Zacapoaxtla gentler on the wallet – expenses run 106% less than in Monterrey. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.