Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Ajijic and Montreal

For one person, living is cheaper in Ajijic: $1,267 a month against $2,018 in Montreal, rent and utilities included – about $9,000 less a year. Other living expenses account for most of the difference.

62

Cost of Living Index in Ajijic
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Ajijic Living Index
99

Cost of Living Index in Montreal
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Montreal Living Index

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Ajijic

🇲🇽 Mexico

$1,267

/mo nomad

Montreal

🇨🇦 Canada

$2,018

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Ajijic and in Montreal

Real prices from locals and on-the-ground checks – rent, groceries, transit and the daily extras. Here's what a month in Ajijic and in Montreal actually costs, broken down by who's living it.

A single person spends $1,267 per month in Ajijic vs $2,018 in Montreal, rent included.

Ajijic $1,267
Montreal $2,018

A couple spends around $2,020 per month in Ajijic vs $3,085 in Montreal, rent included.

Ajijic $2,020
Montreal $3,085

A family of three spends $2,773 per month in Ajijic vs $4,152 in Montreal, rent included.

Ajijic $2,773
Montreal $4,152

Ajijic is about 37% cheaper than Montreal, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Ajijic sits 6% below the global median, while Montreal is 49% above – they fall on opposite sides of the world average.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$9.81 MX$181

$18.82 CA$26.61

-47.87%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$43.69 MX$807

$70.3 CA$99.4

-37.84%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$7.22 MX$133

$10.66 CA$15.06

-32.27%

Cappuccino

$3.47 MX$64.1

$3.84 CA$5.43

-9.64%

Coke/Pepsi/Fanta/Sprite (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.60 MX$29.62

$1.92 CA$2.71

-16.67%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.24 MX$22.92

$1.54 CA$2.18

-19.48%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.24 MX$41.31

$6.23 CA$8.81

-64.04%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.32 MX$61.4

$7.10 CA$10.03

-53.24%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.49 MX$27.52

$2.31 CA$3.27

-35.50%

White Bread (500g)

$2.24 MX$41.31

$3.14 CA$4.44

-28.66%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.07 MX$19.78

$3.21 CA$4.54

-66.67%

Eggs

$2.19 MX$40.54

$3.52 CA$4.97

-37.78%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$7.84 MX$145

$12.81 CA$18.11

-38.80%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$8.56 MX$158

$11.46 CA$16.20

-25.31%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$7.21 MX$133

$13.39 CA$18.92

-46.15%

Apples (1kg)

$2.30 MX$42.42

$3.14 CA$4.43

-26.75%

Banana (1kg)

$1.32 MX$24.42

$1.44 CA$2.03

-8.33%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.48 MX$27.42

$3.47 CA$4.91

-57.35%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.71 MX$31.66

$3.07 CA$4.34

-44.30%

Potato (1kg)

$1.60 MX$29.60

$1.90 CA$2.69

-15.79%

Onion (1kg)

$1.38 MX$25.57

$1.77 CA$2.50

-22.03%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.03 MX$19.03

$2.34 CA$3.31

-55.98%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.84 MX$15.55

$1.55 CA$2.19

-45.81%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.47 MX$82.7

$11.38 CA$16.09

-60.72%

Wine (Bottle)

$8.92 MX$165

$10.63 CA$15.03

-16.09%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.55 MX$28.60

$2.27 CA$3.21

-31.72%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.39 MX$25.61

$2.82 CA$3.99

-50.71%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.64 MX$11.84

$2.66 CA$3.76

-75.94%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$77.3 CA$109

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.25 MX$23.18

$3.20 CA$4.53

-60.94%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$4.40 MX$81.3

$1.48 CA$2.09

197.30%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$11.00 MX$203

$32.88 CA$46.48

-66.55%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.49 MX$27.50

$1.34 CA$1.90

11.19%

Midsize Hatchback 1.4l (Volkswagen Golf, Toyota Prius, Honda Civic, etc)

$20.9K MX$386.5K

$28.2K CA$39.8K

-25.70%

Compact Sedan 1.6l (Toyota Corolla, Mazda3, Kia K4, Hyundai Elantra, etc)

$24.2K MX$447.2K

$19.6K CA$27.8K

23.30%

Utilities for 2 People in 2-bedroom Apartment (Heating, Electricity, Gas, Water, Garbage) (85m2)

$55.9 MX$1,033

$76.0 CA$107

-26.41%

SIM Card Monthly Plan (Calls and 10GB+ Data)

$14.30 MX$264

$33.95 CA$48.00

-57.88%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$24.07 MX$445

$42.31 CA$59.8

-43.11%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$24.24 MX$448

$29.76 CA$42.07

-18.55%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$5.42 MX$100

$20.28 CA$28.67

-73.27%

Cinema Ticket

$4.78 MX$88.3

$11.15 CA$15.77

-57.13%

Preschool or Kindergarten, Full Day, Private, 1 Child (Monthly)

$212 MX$3,922

$507 CA$717

-58.15%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$2,953 MX$54.6K

$16.1K CA$22.7K

-81.60%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$44.03 MX$814

$57.6 CA$81.4

-23.49%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$16.71 MX$309

$37.58 CA$53.1

-55.53%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$68.7 MX$1,270

$91.9 CA$130

-25.22%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$69.6 MX$1,286

$110 CA$155

-36.49%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$841 MX$15.5K

$1,260 CA$1,782

-33.30%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$630 MX$11.6K

$948 CA$1,340

-33.53%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,506 MX$27.8K

$2,137 CA$3,021

-29.50%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,267 MX$23.4K

$1,614 CA$2,281

-21.48%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,332 MX$61.6K

$4,960 CA$7,011

-32.81%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,734 MX$32.0K

$3,838 CA$5,425

-54.82%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$562 MX$10.4K

$2,827 CA$3,997

-80.14%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

11.2

4.48

150.00%

CityCost data is based on AI and user input – minor inaccuracies may occur.

Last update for Ajijic: October 12, 2026

Last update for Montreal: October 12, 2026

Monthly budget structure

Share of the monthly basket for one person, rent included.

Accommodation & Living

Ajijic

$630 49.7%

Montreal

$948 47% 50.4% $318

Groceries & Markets

Ajijic

$222 17.6%

Montreal

$346 17.2% 55.9% $124

Eating Out

Ajijic

$171 13.5%

Montreal

$288 14.3% 68.3% $117

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Ajijic

$94 7.4%

Montreal

$152 7.5% 61.4% $58

Clothing & Footwear

Ajijic

$90 7.1%

Montreal

$133 6.6% 49% $44

Sport & Entertainment

Ajijic

$34 2.7%

Montreal

$52 2.6% 54% $18

Getting Around

Ajijic

$26 * 2%

Montreal

$99 4.9% 281% $73

Categories marked with * are only partly priced – their share counts the items that do have prices.

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $841 in Ajijic versus $1,260 in Montreal. Rent is usually the largest line item in a monthly budget, so the gap here sets the tone for the overall comparison.

Salaries run about 403% higher in Montreal, which partly offsets the higher cost of living there. Purchasing power depends on which expenses matter most to you.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $44.00 in Ajijic versus $70.0 in Montreal. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $222 vs $346 – making Ajijic the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇲🇽 Ajijic

🇨🇦 Montreal

🕒 Local time

23:57 11:57 PM

01:57 1:57 AM

2 h ahead of Ajijic

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

11,439

1,762,949

💱 Currency

Mexican Peso MXN $

Canadian Dollar CAD $

📈 Exchange rate

100 MXN = 5.41 USD

100 MXN = 4.81 EUR

1 CAD = 0.707 USD

1 CAD = 0.629 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

CAD, USD, EUR to MXN – Mexican Peso Converter

🇺🇸 United States Dollar ($)

🇲🇽 Mexican Peso ($)

Mexican Peso exchange rates as of October 18, 2026: 1 USD = 18.48 MXN (100 MXN = 5.41 USD). 1 EUR = 20.77 MXN (100 MXN = 4.81 EUR).

Canadian Dollar exchange rates as of October 18, 2026: 1 USD = 1.41 CAD (1 CAD = 0.707 USD). 1 EUR = 1.59 CAD (1 CAD = 0.629 EUR).

USD to MXN in detail →

On the map

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Between locations

Ajijic Montreal 3,900 km ≈ 5 h nonstop flight

From you

Ajijic
Montreal

Distances are measured in a straight line. Your location is detected approximately.

City Median Internet Speeds Comparison (Updated April 2026)

The chart highlights the Precision Threshold for mobile and fixed broadband internet speeds, updated quarterly.

Digital Nomad Cost of Living Index

Ajijic vs Montreal: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Yes – Montreal is pricier by about 59%, and outside of rent the gap shows up most in groceries.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $1,900 per month in Ajijic and $3,027 in Montreal. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

Rent is clearly cheaper in Ajijic, especially for central apartments. Housing is actually the single biggest factor behind the overall cost gap between these two cities.

Monthly expenses with rent come to $1,267 in Ajijic and $2,018 in Montreal. That's a gap of about 59%.

Kindergarten costs $212 per month in Ajijic and $507 in Montreal. For families with young kids, this one expense can tip the scales when choosing between the two cities.

A $1,500 monthly budget goes further in Ajijic, where all-in costs run around $1,267, than in Montreal at $2,018. In Ajijic it covers expenses comfortably, while in Montreal it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.

Families tend to lean toward Ajijic – lower housing and cheaper childcare make a real difference, especially on a single income or when paying for private education.

Both have safer and rougher neighborhoods, but overall safety is comparable to other large cities. Neighborhood choice matters more than the city-level comparison – central, well-trafficked areas feel secure in both.

If budget matters most, go with Ajijic. If higher salaries, better infrastructure, or specific career opportunities are the priority, Montreal makes more sense. Both are solid long-term options with distinct trade-offs.