Monterrey (MON-tə-RAY; Spanish: [monteˈrej] ) is the capital and largest city of the northeastern Mexican state of Nuevo León. The city anchors the Monterrey metropolitan area, the second-largest metropolitan area in Mexico, after Greater Mexico City with a population of 5,341,171 people as of 2020 and it is also the second-most productive metropolitan area in Mexico with a GDP (PPP) of US$140 billion in 2015. According to the 2020 census, Monterrey itself has a population of 1,142,194.Located at the foothills of the Sierra Madre Oriental, Monterrey is a major business and industrial hub in Mexico and Latin America.
Monterrey is considered one of the most livable cities in Mexico, and a 2018 study ranked the suburb of San Pedro Garza García as the city with the best quality of life in the country. It serves as a commercial center of northern Mexico and is the base of many significant international corporations. Its purchasing power parity-adjusted GDP per capita is considerably higher than the rest of Mexico's at around US$35,500, compared to the country's US$18,800. It is considered a Beta World City, cosmopolitan and competitive. Rich in history and culture, it is one of the most developed cities in Mexico.
