San Diego vs Monterrey Cost of Living
San Diego (United States) · Overall index 80.0 — Monterrey (Mexico) · Overall index 36.0
Summary
- Overall, Monterrey is 55% cheaper than San Diego.
- Rent in Monterrey is 63% cheaper than in San Diego.
- Transport in Monterrey is 61% cheaper than in San Diego.
| Item | San Diego | Monterrey | Diff |
|---|---|---|---|
| Rent | -63% | ||
| 1-bedroom apartment, city centre (monthly) | $2,906 | $996 | -66% |
| 1-bedroom apartment, outside centre (monthly) | $1,560 | $672 | -57% |
| 3-bedroom apartment, city centre (monthly) | $5,348 | $1,842 | -66% |
| 3-bedroom apartment, outside centre (monthly) | $3,541 | $1,271 | -64% |
| Groceries | -51% | ||
| Milk (1L) | $1.29 | $0.62 | -52% |
| White bread (500g) | $3.77 | $1.65 | -56% |
| Rice (1kg) | $4.26 | $2.43 | -43% |
| Eggs (12) | $4.41 | $2.16 | -51% |
| Local cheese (1kg) | $14.8 | $6.61 | -55% |
| Chicken fillets (1kg) | $12.7 | $6.5 | -49% |
| Beef round (1kg) | $19.1 | $8 | -58% |
| Apples (1kg) | $5.14 | $2.52 | -51% |
| Bananas (1kg) | $1.82 | $1.02 | -44% |
| Oranges (1kg) | $3.98 | $2.33 | -41% |
| Tomatoes (1kg) | $5.15 | $2.57 | -50% |
| Potatoes (1kg) | $3.07 | $1.48 | -52% |
| Onions (1kg) | $2.92 | $1.29 | -56% |
| Lettuce (1 head) | $2.36 | $1.09 | -54% |
| Water (1.5L bottle) | $2.61 | $1.07 | -59% |
| Bottle of wine (mid-range) | $15.1 | $7.82 | -48% |
| Transport | -61% | ||
| Public transport, one-way ticket | $2.68 | $0.93 | -65% |
| Public transport, monthly pass | $122 | $41.5 | -66% |
| Taxi, base fare | $3.68 | $1.61 | -56% |
| Taxi, per km | $1.86 | $0.79 | -58% |
| Gasoline (1L) | $0.87 | $0.33 | -62% |
| New compact car (e.g., VW Golf) | $26,442 | $11,395 | -57% |
| Dining out | -55% | ||
| Meal, inexpensive restaurant | $22.6 | $8.91 | -61% |
| Meal for 2, mid-range restaurant (3 courses) | $107 | $49.6 | -54% |
| Fast food combo meal | $11.9 | $4.73 | -60% |
| Cappuccino | $5.18 | $2.09 | -60% |
| Coke/Pepsi (0.33L, restaurant) | $2.16 | $1.07 | -50% |
| Domestic beer (0.5L, restaurant) | $5.99 | $3.14 | -48% |
| Imported beer (0.33L, restaurant) | $7.37 | $3.46 | -53% |
| Water (0.33L, restaurant) | $1.87 | $0.84 | -55% |
| Telecom | -41% | ||
| Mobile plan, calls + 10GB+ data (monthly) | $63.4 | $29.2 | -54% |
| Broadband internet 60Mbps+ (monthly) | $55.3 | $37.2 | -33% |
| Prepaid mobile tariff (1 min) | $0.31 | $0.19 | -39% |
| Video streaming subscription (monthly) | $13.3 | $8.31 | -38% |
| Utilities & household | -52% | ||
| Basic utilities, 85m² apartment (monthly) | $153 | $77.5 | -49% |
| Electricity (1 kWh) | $0.2 | $0.1 | -50% |
| Tap water (1m³) | $4.02 | $2.03 | -50% |
| Natural gas (1m³) | $1.46 | $0.72 | -51% |
| Waste collection (monthly) | $20.8 | $10.6 | -49% |
| Fitness club (monthly) | $79.6 | $33.4 | -58% |
| Cinema ticket (1 seat) | $15.3 | $6.95 | -55% |
| Men's haircut | $27.1 | $13.7 | -49% |
| Domestic cleaning (1 hour) | $26.6 | $11.2 | -58% |
| Private kindergarten (monthly) | $2,070 | $1,016 | -51% |
3,115 total data points · Price data as of 2026-07-01 · Exchange rates as of 2026-07-15
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Estimates for reference only — not official statistics.
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