Monocrystalline vs polycrystalline for small off-grid cabin - real world experience?

Hi folks, new here. Been lurking for a while reading the energy threads and finally getting serious about designing the solar setup for my small cabin build. I keep going back and forth between mono and poly.

I came across a nice selection of monocrystalline solar panel options while pricing things out and the efficiency numbers look great on paper, but I wanted to ask folks with actual boots-on-the-ground experience - is the extra cost over poly really worth it for a small cabin system (say 1-2 kW)?

The argument I keep seeing is that mono performs better in low light and has smaller footprint which matters on a small cabin roof. But some older threads here suggest poly is still plenty good for the money if you have roof space to spare.

Anyone switched from poly to mono (or vice versa) and noticed a real difference? Mostly running lights, small fridge, laptop, maybe a well pump eventually.

It's so dependent on location and climate, these absolute one or the other just aren't universal.

I found having small solar experiments about the home now has taught us a lot about which panels are right for our climate and use patterns,  and which not. That way, when we upgrade the roof, we can get the right panels on there for us and our needs at that time.