How Much Does It Cost to Live In Monterrey?
Monterrey is a very expensive city in Mexico, and people say, the most hard working city in the country, too.
Monterrey is a rather big metropolitan city, meaning that you may live in a municipality, work in another on the other side and study in between both. Currently there are 8 municipalities in the metropolitan area, so choosing where you live is quite important.
If you’re the friendly type, you’ll soon find yourself taken in by lots of new friends who will gladly help you get your bearings at work and around the city.
Mexico : Cost of Living by City
Cost of Living in Mexico
RESTAURANTS
Eating out is much more expensive in Monterrey than in most other cities of Mexico! You can eat street food for less than a dollar, of course, and you can also have a meal in a decent restaurant for around 6$. There’s always the option of street food for a couple of dollars or a large pizza, home delivered, which will cost you about 6$. A dinner at a mid-range restaurant for two can cost anywhere from 226.50$ and up.
MARKETS
When it comes to buying food at supermarkets, it is definitely cheaper than eating out regularly. While Wal-Mart exists, in Monterrey and in Mexico in general, consider buying groceries in smaller private shops for lower prices. Plus, it saves you the trip to Wal-Mart because they’re usually on the outskirts of town.
TRANSPORTATION
Traffic is a huge problem in Monterrey, if not the biggest. It’s not as bad as in Mexico City but it’s still terrible, and it takes you hours to get to your destination. A monthly pass for public transportation will cost you around 20$, while driving your own car is not recommended because it’s expensive and you still can’t skip the traffic.
UTILITIES (MONTHLY)
Utilities are generally cheap in Mexico but in Monterrey they’re almost twice as much as in other cities! Of course, depending on the size of your apartment and the amount of electricity you spend, your bills could be higher or lower, but all in all – for an apartment of around 85m2, all basic utilities including electricity, gas, water, heating, cooling and garbage services, will cost you around 30$.
SPORTS & LEISURE
Fitness and practicing sports is expensive everywhere and this applies to every city and country, and not surprisingly – it applies to Monterrey, too. For example, a membership in a gym or a fitness club will cost you around 28$. Cinema tickets are much cheaper, however, costing only about 3.60$ each.
CLOTHING & SHOES
Shopping for clothes in Monterrey is not a bad idea – it’s got many shopping malls and the prices aren’t too high – they’re actually lower than in most Mexican cities. You can find quality jeans like Levi’s for only 40$, while a pair of quality running shoes of brands like Nike cost around 70$.
RENT PER MONTH
Rent isn’t really cheap in Mexico, but it all depends on where you want to live and how big you want your apartment to be. You can also choose between a furnished and unfurnished ones. If you’ve got your mind set on the center of one of the major cities, the average price will be around 300$. An apartment outside of the city center will be closer to 200$.
Cost of Living Averages Table for Monterrey
*Note: All prices are indicated in USD.| Average Restaurant Prices | |
|---|---|
| Meal (Inexpensive Restaurant) | $6.28 |
| Domestic Beer (0.5 Liter) | $1.83 |
| Water (0.33 Liter) | $0.56 | Average Market Prices |
| Milk (1 Liter) | $0.91 |
| Loaf Bread (500g) | $1.51 |
| Eggs (12) | $1.51 | Average Transport Prices |
| One Way Ticket | $0.63 |
| Monthly Pass | $20.94 |
| Gasoline | $1.01 | Average Utilities Prices |
| Basic (Water, Electricity, Garbage, Heating, Cooling) | $57.60 |
| 1 min. of Prepaid Mobile Tariff Local | $0.07 |
| Internet (Unlimited Data, Cable/ADSL) | $27.20 | Average Leisure Prices |
| Fitness Club, Monthly Fee for 1 Adult | $28.50 |
| Tennis Court Rent (1 Hour) | $10.80 |
| Cinema, 1 Seat, International Release | $3.66 | Average Clothing Prices |
| 1 Pair of Jeans (Levis 501 Or Comparable) | $44.93 |
| 1 Summer Dress in a Chain Store (Zara, etc...) | $30.10 |
| 1 Pair of Adidas Walking Shoes (Mid-Range) | $71.18 | Average Rent Prices |
| Apartment (1 bedroom) in City Center | $301.72 |
| Apartment (1 bedroom) Outside of Center | $210.84 |
| Apartment (3 bedrooms) in City Center | $744.71 |
How Does the Average Person Spend Their Money in Monterrey?
Food is definitely how the average person in Monterrey spends the biggest part of their salary.
An average person living in Mexico, and having to feed his/her family, spends the biggest amount of their money in supermarkets and open “mercados”.
The next thing that draws the biggest bulk of money from the people of Monterrey is definitely rent.
The fact that rent is second to food only means that though it isn’t the highest expense in this city it is definitely among the most expensive tolls on people’s salaries.
Restaurants and transportation are also significant expenses for an average person living in Monterrey.
Average Costs Breakdown
Monterrey: Average Salary, Minimum Wage & Mortgages
Minimum wage in Monterrey is around 140$ which is low and definitely not high enough to be able to cover all of your costs.
While the average monthly net salary is around 700$ which is probably the highest salary in the country, and allows for residents of Guadalajara to live without having to worry about their existence, there’s still a general feeling of dissatisfaction with the influx of money.
If you’re planning on going to Monterrey for a period of time, you can bring around 1000$ for a month and that should definitely suffice.
Monterrey Safety Overview
READ THE FULL REPORT: Monterrey Safety Review
Safety Index:
- OVERALL RISK: MEDIUM
- TRANSPORT & TAXIS RISK: MEDIUM
- PICKPOCKETS RISK: MEDIUM
- NATURAL DISASTERS RISK: LOW
- MUGGING RISK: MEDIUM
- TERRORISM RISK: LOW
- SCAMS RISK: MEDIUM
- WOMEN TRAVELERS RISK: MEDIUM
Cost of Living by City in Monterrey
| City | Cost of Living Index |
|---|---|
| Cancun | 31.35 |
| Guadalajara | 31.46 |
| Merida | 29.39 |
| Mexico City | 37.3 |
| Puebla | 28.89 |
| Puerto Vallarta | 29.82 |
| Queretaro | 31.01 |
| Tijuana | 37.3 |
