Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Celaya and Montreal

For one person, living is cheaper in Celaya: $921 a month against $2,018 in Montreal, rent and utilities included – about $13,200 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

45

Cost of Living Index in Celaya
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Celaya Living Index
99

Cost of Living Index in Montreal
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Montreal Living Index

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Celaya

🇲🇽 Mexico

$921

/mo nomad

Montreal

🇨🇦 Canada

$2,018

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Celaya 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 Celaya and in Montreal actually costs, broken down by who's living it.

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $921 in Celaya versus $2,018 in Montreal.

Celaya $921
Montreal $2,018

Estimated couple costs with rent: $1,452 in Celaya versus $3,085 in Montreal.

Celaya $1,452
Montreal $3,085

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $1,982 in Celaya versus $4,152 in Montreal.

Celaya $1,982
Montreal $4,152

Living in Celaya costs roughly 54% less than in Montreal, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

The two cities straddle the global median: Celaya is 32% below, Montreal is 49% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$12.49 MX$231

$18.82 CA$26.61

-33.63%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$44.05 MX$814

$70.3 CA$99.4

-37.33%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$7.21 MX$133

$10.66 CA$15.06

-32.36%

Cappuccino

$3.37 MX$62.3

$3.84 CA$5.43

-12.24%

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

$1.23 MX$22.76

$1.92 CA$2.71

-35.94%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.07 MX$19.84

$1.54 CA$2.18

-30.52%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.14 MX$39.49

$6.23 CA$8.81

-65.65%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.36 MX$62.1

$7.10 CA$10.03

-52.68%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.44 MX$26.70

$2.31 CA$3.27

-37.66%

White Bread (500g)

$2.26 MX$41.83

$3.14 CA$4.44

-28.03%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.48 MX$27.29

$3.21 CA$4.54

-53.89%

Eggs

$2.15 MX$39.71

$3.52 CA$4.97

-38.92%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$7.93 MX$147

$12.81 CA$18.11

-38.10%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$8.40 MX$155

$11.46 CA$16.20

-26.70%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$11.30 MX$209

$13.39 CA$18.92

-15.61%

Apples (1kg)

$2.29 MX$42.37

$3.14 CA$4.43

-27.07%

Banana (1kg)

$1.12 MX$20.63

$1.44 CA$2.03

-22.22%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.54 MX$28.53

$3.47 CA$4.91

-55.62%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.08 MX$19.91

$3.07 CA$4.34

-64.82%

Potato (1kg)

$1.56 MX$28.74

$1.90 CA$2.69

-17.89%

Onion (1kg)

$1.39 MX$25.67

$1.77 CA$2.50

-21.47%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.98 MX$18.12

$2.34 CA$3.31

-58.12%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.80 MX$14.87

$1.55 CA$2.19

-48.39%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.33 MX$80.0

$11.38 CA$16.09

-61.95%

Wine (Bottle)

$8.72 MX$161

$10.63 CA$15.03

-17.97%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.83 MX$33.89

$2.27 CA$3.21

-19.38%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.40 MX$62.9

$2.82 CA$3.99

20.57%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.63 MX$11.61

$2.66 CA$3.76

-76.32%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$27.70 MX$512

$77.3 CA$109

-64.16%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.20 MX$22.14

$3.20 CA$4.53

-62.50%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.13 MX$20.95

$1.48 CA$2.09

-23.65%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$10.77 MX$199

$32.88 CA$46.48

-67.24%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.43 MX$26.33

$1.34 CA$1.90

6.72%

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

$21.5K MX$398.1K

$28.2K CA$39.8K

-23.47%

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

$24.0K MX$444.0K

$19.6K CA$27.8K

22.41%

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

$37.60 MX$695

$76.0 CA$107

-50.50%

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

$19.37 MX$358

$33.95 CA$48.00

-42.95%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$19.55 MX$361

$42.31 CA$59.8

-53.79%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$33.06 MX$611

$29.76 CA$42.07

11.09%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$27.48 MX$508

$20.28 CA$28.67

35.50%

Cinema Ticket

$5.13 MX$94.7

$11.15 CA$15.77

-53.99%

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

$210 MX$3,873

$507 CA$717

-58.67%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$2,882 MX$53.3K

$16.1K CA$22.7K

-82.04%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$55.2 MX$1,019

$57.6 CA$81.4

-4.15%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$38.02 MX$703

$37.58 CA$53.1

1.17%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$103 MX$1,897

$91.9 CA$130

11.70%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$70.9 MX$1,310

$110 CA$155

-35.33%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$248 MX$4,588

$1,260 CA$1,782

-80.30%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$220 MX$4,072

$948 CA$1,340

-76.74%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$390 MX$7,208

$2,137 CA$3,021

-81.75%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$283 MX$5,231

$1,614 CA$2,281

-82.46%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$4,960 CA$7,011

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$3,838 CA$5,425

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$817 MX$15.1K

$2,827 CA$3,997

-71.10%

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 Celaya: October 11, 2026

Last update for Montreal: October 12, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Groceries & Markets

Celaya

$235 25.6%

Montreal

$346 17.2% 47.1% $111

Accommodation & Living

Celaya

$220 23.9%

Montreal

$948 47% 330% $727

Eating Out

Celaya

$189 20.5%

Montreal

$288 14.3% 52.6% $99

Clothing & Footwear

Celaya

$120 13%

Montreal

$133 6.6% 11.2% $13

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Celaya

$77 8.3%

Montreal

$152 7.5% 98.9% $76

Sport & Entertainment

Celaya

$43 4.7%

Montreal

$52 2.6% 20.2% $8.8

Getting Around

Celaya

$37 4%

Montreal

$99 4.9% 166% $61

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $248 in Celaya and $1,260 in Montreal. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Montreal pays 246% more on average. The extra income cushions the higher costs, though housing choices and lifestyle decide how much of the gap is truly closed.

Dining out: $44.00 in Celaya vs $70.0 in Montreal for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $235 vs $346 per month, with Celaya cheaper across the board.

Good to know

🇲🇽 Celaya

🇨🇦 Montreal

🕒 Local time

01:30 1:30 AM

03:30 3:30 AM

2 h ahead of Celaya

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

378,143

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

Celaya Montreal 3,730 km ≈ 5 h nonstop flight

From you

Celaya
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

Celaya vs Montreal: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Celaya and Montreal differ by about 119% in total monthly costs ($921 vs $2,018 including rent). Celaya is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

On paper, salaries run 246% lower in Montreal. That's worth factoring in alongside costs, though remote workers earning in a stronger currency may not notice the difference at all.

Rent for a central apartment: $248 in Celaya versus $1,260 in Montreal. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Dining out is cheaper in Celaya – a meal for two runs $44.00 versus $70.0 in Montreal. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

All in, you'll spend $921 per month in Celaya versus $2,018 in Montreal – a 119% gap that adds up to real savings over time for anyone picking the cheaper option.

At $921 in Celaya versus $2,018 in Montreal, a $2,000 budget is realistic in Celaya but tight or insufficient in Montreal. The gap between the two cities makes Celaya the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

Both cities offer a good standard of living with different trade-offs. Neither is objectively better – the right pick depends on what matters most: affordability, career, cultural scene, or climate.

Safety-wise, Celaya and Montreal are on par. Petty crime is typical for cities this size, and most residents feel comfortable going about their daily routines in either place.

Expats usually find Celaya gentler on the wallet – expenses run 119% less than in Montreal. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.