Cost of Living Comparison Between Zihuatanejo and Monterrey Cost of Living Comparison Between Zihuatanejo and Monterrey

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,109 in Zihuatanejo versus $1,596 in Monterrey.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $1,760 in Zihuatanejo versus $2,550 in Monterrey.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $2,412 in Zihuatanejo versus $3,504 in Monterrey.

Living in Zihuatanejo costs roughly 31% less than in Monterrey, driven mainly by Eating Out.

The two cities straddle the global median: Zihuatanejo is 17% below, Monterrey is 19% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$10.72 MX$186

$13.45 MX$233

-20.30%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$38.23 MX$663

$52.8 MX$915

-27.55%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$7.73 MX$134

$10.25 MX$178

-24.59%

Cappuccino

$3.22 MX$55.8

$3.74 MX$64.8

-13.90%

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

$1.23 MX$21.30

$1.40 MX$24.28

-12.14%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.95 MX$16.55

$1.04 MX$17.98

-8.65%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.31 MX$40.11

$2.66 MX$46.07

-13.16%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.79 MX$65.7

$4.33 MX$75.1

-12.47%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.44 MX$25.03

$1.59 MX$27.59

-9.43%

White Bread (500g)

$3.40 MX$59.0

$2.62 MX$45.41

29.77%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.56 MX$26.95

$1.94 MX$33.66

-19.59%

Eggs

$4.30 MX$74.5

$2.68 MX$46.39

60.45%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$8.11 MX$141

$10.37 MX$180

-21.79%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$7.67 MX$133

$9.24 MX$160

-16.99%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$10.77 MX$187

$13.47 MX$234

-20.04%

Apples (1kg)

$2.69 MX$46.69

$3.19 MX$55.3

-15.67%

Banana (1kg)

$1.38 MX$23.92

$1.45 MX$25.06

-4.83%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.72 MX$29.84

$2.07 MX$35.92

-16.91%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.66 MX$28.72

$2.07 MX$35.88

-19.81%

Potato (1kg)

$1.92 MX$33.19

$2.27 MX$39.37

-15.42%

Onion (1kg)

$2.01 MX$34.89

$2.57 MX$44.60

-21.79%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.20 MX$20.81

$1.50 MX$26.00

-20.00%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.02 MX$17.62

$1.08 MX$18.68

-5.56%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.30 MX$74.6

$4.29 MX$74.3

0.23%

Wine (Bottle)

$11.89 MX$206

$11.95 MX$207

-0.50%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.57 MX$27.12

$1.72 MX$29.85

-8.72%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.87 MX$49.66

$3.14 MX$54.4

-8.60%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.65 MX$11.20

$0.82 MX$14.27

-20.73%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$40.89 MX$709

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$2.66 MX$46.05

$1.68 MX$29.18

58.33%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.53 MX$26.60

$1.01 MX$17.45

51.49%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$8.08 MX$140

$10.41 MX$180

-22.38%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.32 MX$22.84

$1.35 MX$23.31

-2.22%

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

$21.1K MX$365.6K

$25.9K MX$449.3K

-18.64%

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

$22.2K MX$384.6K

$26.2K MX$454.0K

-15.28%

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

$56.2 MX$973

$121 MX$2,095

-53.55%

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

$10.51 MX$182

$27.83 MX$482

-62.23%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$28.40 MX$492

$30.04 MX$521

-5.46%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$35.91 MX$622

$37.56 MX$651

-4.39%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$15.58 MX$270

$21.96 MX$381

-29.05%

Cinema Ticket

$4.68 MX$81.1

$5.75 MX$99.7

-18.61%

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

$203 MX$3,521

$336 MX$5,820

-39.49%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$3,542 MX$61.4K

$9,005 MX$156.0K

-60.67%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$53.9 MX$934

$59.7 MX$1,034

-9.67%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$40.13 MX$695

$42.75 MX$741

-6.13%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$90.0 MX$1,560

$108 MX$1,875

-16.82%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$80.7 MX$1,398

$127 MX$2,199

-36.42%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$513 MX$8,890

$908 MX$15.7K

-43.51%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$390 MX$6,764

$663 MX$11.5K

-41.09%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$917 MX$15.9K

$1,572 MX$27.2K

-41.67%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$771 MX$13.4K

$1,424 MX$24.7K

-45.82%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$2,232 MX$38.7K

$4,254 MX$73.7K

-47.53%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,294 MX$22.4K

$2,862 MX$49.6K

-54.77%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,129 MX$19.6K

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

11.48

11.55

-0.61%

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

Last update for Zihuatanejo: April 20, 2026

Last update for Monterrey: April 21, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $513 in Zihuatanejo and $908 in Monterrey. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Dining out: $38 in Zihuatanejo vs $53 in Monterrey for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $268 vs $291 per month, with Zihuatanejo 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

Zihuatanejo vs Monterrey: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Zihuatanejo and Monterrey differ by about 44% in total monthly costs ($1,109 vs $1,596 including rent). Zihuatanejo is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

You'd need roughly $1,663 in Zihuatanejo and $2,393 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: $513 in Zihuatanejo versus $908 in Monterrey. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $203 in Zihuatanejo versus $336 in Monterrey. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Dining out is cheaper in Zihuatanejo – a meal for two runs $38.00 versus $53.0 in Monterrey. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

At $1,109 in Zihuatanejo versus $1,596 in Monterrey, a $1,500 budget is realistic in Zihuatanejo but tight or insufficient in Monterrey. The gap between the two cities makes Zihuatanejo 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.

Safety-wise, Zihuatanejo and Monterrey are on par. Petty crime is typical for cities this size, and most residents feel comfortable going about their daily routines in either place.

Expats usually find Zihuatanejo gentler on the wallet – expenses run 44% less than in Monterrey. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.