Cost of Living Comparison Between Zamora de Hidalgo and Monterrey Cost of Living Comparison Between Zamora de Hidalgo and Monterrey

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,202 in Zamora de Hidalgo versus $1,607 in Monterrey.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $1,844 in Zamora de Hidalgo versus $2,512 in Monterrey.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $2,486 in Zamora de Hidalgo versus $3,417 in Monterrey.

Living in Zamora de Hidalgo costs roughly 25% less than in Monterrey, driven mainly by Eating Out.

The two cities straddle the global median: Zamora de Hidalgo is 10% below, Monterrey is 20% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$8.31 MX$150

$13.75 MX$249

-39.56%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$19.74 MX$357

$50.2 MX$907

-60.66%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$9.12 MX$165

$11.13 MX$201

-18.06%

Cappuccino

$3.68 MX$66.6

$4.04 MX$73.1

-8.91%

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

$1.76 MX$31.82

$1.70 MX$30.80

3.53%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.04 MX$18.86

$0.99 MX$17.88

5.05%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$1.69 MX$30.55

$2.41 MX$43.52

-29.88%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.75 MX$49.75

$4.48 MX$81.1

-38.62%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.88 MX$34.01

$1.92 MX$34.76

-2.08%

White Bread (500g)

$2.70 MX$48.77

$2.89 MX$52.3

-6.57%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.03 MX$36.73

$1.94 MX$35.12

4.64%

Eggs

$2.85 MX$51.5

$2.50 MX$45.19

14.00%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$8.85 MX$160

$12.30 MX$222

-28.05%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$9.03 MX$163

$9.33 MX$169

-3.22%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$13.92 MX$252

$13.07 MX$236

6.50%

Apples (1kg)

$3.51 MX$63.5

$3.38 MX$61.1

3.85%

Banana (1kg)

$1.69 MX$30.55

$1.58 MX$28.57

6.96%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.22 MX$40.04

$2.20 MX$39.82

0.91%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.91 MX$34.54

$2.45 MX$44.20

-22.04%

Potato (1kg)

$1.89 MX$34.13

$2.26 MX$40.83

-16.37%

Onion (1kg)

$1.86 MX$33.53

$2.74 MX$49.57

-32.12%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.55 MX$27.95

$1.53 MX$27.66

1.31%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.24 MX$22.38

$1.26 MX$22.80

-1.59%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.48 MX$81.0

$4.84 MX$87.5

-7.44%

Wine (Bottle)

$17.96 MX$325

$13.59 MX$246

32.16%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.37 MX$42.92

$1.91 MX$34.47

24.08%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.14 MX$74.8

$3.06 MX$55.4

35.29%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.70 MX$12.58

$0.80 MX$14.38

-12.50%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$31.77 MX$574

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.32 MX$60.0

$1.62 MX$29.32

104.94%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.62 MX$47.42

$1.10 MX$19.86

138.18%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$10.93 MX$198

$10.97 MX$198

-0.36%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.50 MX$27.20

$1.52 MX$27.50

-1.32%

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

$21.2K MX$383.6K

$21.4K MX$386.3K

-0.71%

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

$24.3K MX$438.3K

$25.5K MX$460.4K

-4.78%

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

$61.9 MX$1,119

$120 MX$2,164

-48.29%

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

$28.01 MX$506

$27.08 MX$490

3.43%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$25.48 MX$461

$26.70 MX$483

-4.57%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$34.15 MX$617

$31.15 MX$563

9.63%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$20.75 MX$375

$21.95 MX$397

-5.47%

Cinema Ticket

$7.60 MX$137

$5.14 MX$92.9

47.86%

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

$268 MX$4,844

$688 MX$12.4K

-61.04%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$5,019 MX$90.7K

$11.4K MX$206.5K

-56.08%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$54.5 MX$986

$71.9 MX$1,300

-24.19%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$44.92 MX$812

$43.30 MX$783

3.74%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$102 MX$1,845

$112 MX$2,027

-8.96%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$100 MX$1,812

$122 MX$2,202

-17.72%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$608 MX$11.0K

$957 MX$17.3K

-36.48%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$401 MX$7,250

$670 MX$12.1K

-40.16%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,037 MX$18.7K

$1,887 MX$34.1K

-45.05%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$789 MX$14.3K

$1,305 MX$23.6K

-39.51%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$1,871 MX$33.8K

$4,159 MX$75.2K

-55.02%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,150 MX$20.8K

$2,437 MX$44.1K

-52.80%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,133 MX$20.5K

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

11.99

11.79

1.70%

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

Last update for Zamora de Hidalgo: October 3, 2026

Last update for Monterrey: October 4, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $608 in Zamora de Hidalgo and $957 in Monterrey. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Dining out: $20.00 in Zamora de Hidalgo vs $50.0 in Monterrey for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $311 vs $312 per month, with Zamora de Hidalgo 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

Zamora de Hidalgo vs Monterrey: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Zamora de Hidalgo and Monterrey differ by about 34% in total monthly costs ($1,202 vs $1,607 including rent). Zamora de Hidalgo is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

You'd need roughly $1,803 in Zamora de Hidalgo and $2,411 in Monterrey to live well. The gap comes down to housing and overall price levels. Both cities are liveable on less, but these numbers represent actual comfort.

Rent for a central apartment: $608 in Zamora de Hidalgo versus $957 in Monterrey. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $268 in Zamora de Hidalgo versus $688 in Monterrey. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Dining out is cheaper in Zamora de Hidalgo – a meal for two runs $20.00 versus $50.0 in Monterrey. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

At $1,202 in Zamora de Hidalgo versus $1,607 in Monterrey, a $1,000 budget is realistic in Zamora de Hidalgo but tight or insufficient in Monterrey. The gap between the two cities makes Zamora de Hidalgo 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 Zamora de Hidalgo gentler on the wallet – expenses run 34% less than in Monterrey. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.