An important business and industrial city in Mexico.
Probably the richest city in the country (Mexico City would be a close second) It’s very much an American-style city with a lot of fast food joints and hotel chains. Very modern, and many people are well-off and sexy.
POPULATION: 1,131,000
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Table of Contents
DIGITAL NOMAD & EXPAT COMMUNITY IN MONTERREY
Most digital nomads will never visit Monterrey. The city, however, is quite well adapted to digital nomads. There are coffee shops, amazing hikes, nightlife, and lots of Airbnb options. The expats living in Monterrey are typically there for career and business reasons. Probably the most common type of expat in Monterrey is a Mexican-American who was born in the States but living in Monterrey.
RENT AN APARTMENT IN MONTERREY, MEXICO
You might be able to pay $500 for a basic apartment near the city centre. Note that the city centre apparently is now undesirable to live. Look to rent a place near the neighborhood of San Pedro Garza Garcia.
WHERE TO STAY IN MONTERREY, MEXICO
The best area of Monterrey is San Pedro Garza Garcia, coluiqually known as San Pedro. This neighborhood is the only highly walkable part of Monterrey. This area is home to high-end restaurants, nightclubs, and everything else you’ll need.
Map of San Pedro, Monterrey
BEST BARS & NIGHTLIFE IN MONTERREY, MEXICO
8.5/10
A smashing good time, but not as good as Guadalajara. Most of the nightlife in Monterrey used to be around Barrio Antiguo but it has since moved to San Pedro, an affluent suburb of the city, but it hasn’t missed a beat.
Bars that My Latin Life recommends:
Strana: Major nightclub in San Pedro.
MAVERICK MTY: Cool cocktail bar close to all the other bars.
TOPAZdeluxe: Quirky electronic dance club.
Almacén 42: Popular modern spot that works for dates or groups of friends.
Batbox Monterrey: Cool sports bar with baseball batting cages.
BEST CAFES WITH WIFI IN MONTERREY
Monterrey is a large, upscale city, so it makes sense that there’d be some good coffee shops!
Cafes that My Latin Life recommends:
Guayoyo Café: Awesome cafe in San Pedro.
Café Chac: Another great cafe in San Pedro, walking distance from Guayoyo.
Madcoffee: Clean, modern cafe close to centro.
Kali Coffee Roasters: Nice cafe in a mall in the southern part of San Pedro.
IS MONTERREY, MEXICO SAFE?
Not that bad. Based on the news reports, you’d expect that bodies hanging from bridges are a part of daily life in Monterrey, but it’s simply not true. Yes, there are murders here and some businesses are getting extorted, but unless you plan on skullin’ yeyo with the cartel’s closest confidants, you’re not going to notice anything out of the ordinary. If I were you, I’d be more concerned over impregnating an 18 year old.
THINGS TO DO IN MONTERREY
Go for a hike! One of the most popular (and easiest) hikes is Mirador del Obispado.
Go to Chipinque A.B.P. Ecological Park for more hiking and nature.
Visit Parque Fundidora, an important public park in the center of city.
Visit the Museo del Noreste, a huge modern museum downtown.
Visit the Esplanade of Heroes, the Macroplaza and other historic sites downtown.
COST OF LIVING IN MONTERREY, MEXICO
Monterrey is pretty expensive by Mexican standards. It’s a rich city and located close to the American border with Texas. You should expect that restaurants and rent will cost more here.
The following data is from Expatistan, a crowdsourced database of prices and cost of living around the world. In our experience, the data tends to underestimate cost of living, so take the following as the minimum you might need to live here.
*Figures are listed in USD
You’ll need a minimum of $1305 USD/month to live in Monterrey, Mexico
FINAL THOUGHTS ON MONTERREY
Monterrey offers phenomenal nightlife, stunningly beautiful girls and not much culture shock. It’s worth noting, though, that it is not cheap to live here. The GDP per capita here is above $40,000, so things like restaurants and accommodation are going to run you a bit more.
I’d say Monterrey is an ideal city for either a weekend or weeklong stay. Digital nomads can easily find Airbnbs, fast wifi, and taco stands. That being said, I’m not sure I could hack living here for too long…reminds me too much of where I came from. So, if you’re looking to go to Latin America to escape the lifestyle and culture from whence you came, there are better cities.
OVERALL RATING: 8/10
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