Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Cuernavaca and Montreal

For one person, living is cheaper in Cuernavaca: $1,011 a month against $2,018 in Montreal, rent and utilities included – about $12,100 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

49

Cost of Living Index in Cuernavaca
Learn more

Cuernavaca Living Index
99

Cost of Living Index in Montreal
Learn more

Montreal Living Index

Jump to prices

Cuernavaca

🇲🇽 Mexico

$1,011

/mo nomad

Montreal

🇨🇦 Canada

$2,018

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,011 in Cuernavaca versus $2,018 in Montreal.

Cuernavaca $1,011
Montreal $2,018

Estimated couple costs with rent: $1,692 in Cuernavaca versus $3,085 in Montreal.

Cuernavaca $1,692
Montreal $3,085

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $2,373 in Cuernavaca versus $4,152 in Montreal.

Cuernavaca $2,373
Montreal $4,152

Living in Cuernavaca costs roughly 50% less than in Montreal, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

The two cities straddle the global median: Cuernavaca is 25% below, Montreal is 49% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$8.05 MX$149

$18.82 CA$26.61

-57.23%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$38.27 MX$707

$70.3 CA$99.4

-45.55%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$7.24 MX$134

$10.66 CA$15.06

-32.08%

Cappuccino

$2.43 MX$44.98

$3.84 CA$5.43

-36.72%

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

$1.27 MX$23.43

$1.92 CA$2.71

-33.85%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.63 MX$11.60

$1.54 CA$2.18

-59.09%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.50 MX$46.29

$6.23 CA$8.81

-59.87%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.26 MX$60.3

$7.10 CA$10.03

-54.08%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.70 MX$31.33

$2.31 CA$3.27

-26.41%

White Bread (500g)

$2.21 MX$40.92

$3.14 CA$4.44

-29.62%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.44 MX$26.52

$3.21 CA$4.54

-55.14%

Eggs

$1.92 MX$35.49

$3.52 CA$4.97

-45.45%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$8.08 MX$149

$12.81 CA$18.11

-36.92%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$4.89 MX$90.4

$11.46 CA$16.20

-57.33%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$13.78 MX$255

$13.39 CA$18.92

2.91%

Apples (1kg)

$2.23 MX$41.24

$3.14 CA$4.43

-28.98%

Banana (1kg)

$1.35 MX$25.02

$1.44 CA$2.03

-6.25%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.17 MX$40.07

$3.47 CA$4.91

-37.46%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.67 MX$30.92

$3.07 CA$4.34

-45.60%

Potato (1kg)

$1.71 MX$31.62

$1.90 CA$2.69

-10.00%

Onion (1kg)

$1.74 MX$32.06

$1.77 CA$2.50

-1.69%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.53 MX$28.25

$2.34 CA$3.31

-34.62%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.91 MX$16.78

$1.55 CA$2.19

-41.29%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.39 MX$81.2

$11.38 CA$16.09

-61.42%

Wine (Bottle)

$8.15 MX$151

$10.63 CA$15.03

-23.33%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.22 MX$22.55

$2.27 CA$3.21

-46.26%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.32 MX$61.4

$2.82 CA$3.99

17.73%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.57 MX$10.51

$2.66 CA$3.76

-78.57%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$27.69 MX$512

$77.3 CA$109

-64.17%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.90 MX$35.20

$3.20 CA$4.53

-40.63%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.63 MX$48.52

$1.48 CA$2.09

77.70%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$10.93 MX$202

$32.88 CA$46.48

-66.76%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.42 MX$26.26

$1.34 CA$1.90

5.97%

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

$21.0K MX$387.9K

$28.2K CA$39.8K

-25.44%

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

$24.1K MX$444.6K

$19.6K CA$27.8K

22.58%

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

$57.3 MX$1,059

$76.0 CA$107

-24.59%

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

$18.78 MX$347

$33.95 CA$48.00

-44.68%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$25.19 MX$465

$42.31 CA$59.8

-40.46%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$25.75 MX$476

$29.76 CA$42.07

-13.47%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$20.28 CA$28.67

Cinema Ticket

$5.44 MX$100

$11.15 CA$15.77

-51.21%

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

$217 MX$4,018

$507 CA$717

-57.12%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$5,075 MX$93.8K

$16.1K CA$22.7K

-68.38%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$41.29 MX$763

$57.6 CA$81.4

-28.25%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$33.18 MX$613

$37.58 CA$53.1

-11.71%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$93.0 MX$1,719

$91.9 CA$130

1.22%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$99.1 MX$1,832

$110 CA$155

-9.55%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$385 MX$7,110

$1,260 CA$1,782

-69.48%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$332 MX$6,140

$948 CA$1,340

-64.93%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$957 MX$17.7K

$2,137 CA$3,021

-55.22%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$804 MX$14.9K

$1,614 CA$2,281

-50.16%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$870 MX$16.1K

$4,960 CA$7,011

-82.46%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$606 MX$11.2K

$3,838 CA$5,425

-84.21%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$649 MX$12.0K

$2,827 CA$3,997

-77.03%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

11.4

4.48

154.46%

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

Last update for Cuernavaca: 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

Cuernavaca

$332 32.9%

Montreal

$948 47% 185% $615

Groceries & Markets

Cuernavaca

$234 23.1%

Montreal

$346 17.2% 48.3% $113

Eating Out

Cuernavaca

$142 14.1%

Montreal

$288 14.3% 103% $146

Clothing & Footwear

Cuernavaca

$120 11.9%

Montreal

$133 6.6% 11.2% $13

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Cuernavaca

$101 10%

Montreal

$152 7.5% 50.3% $51

Getting Around

Cuernavaca

$45 4.5%

Montreal

$99 4.9% 119% $54

Sport & Entertainment

Cuernavaca

$37 3.6%

Montreal

$52 2.6% 42.2% $15

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $385 in Cuernavaca and $1,260 in Montreal. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Montreal pays 335% 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: $38.00 in Cuernavaca vs $70.0 in Montreal for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $234 vs $346 per month, with Cuernavaca cheaper across the board.

Good to know

🇲🇽 Cuernavaca

🇨🇦 Montreal

🕒 Local time

09:54 9:54 AM

11:54 11:54 AM

2 h ahead of Cuernavaca

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

341,029

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

Lowest

Highest

Between locations

Cuernavaca Montreal 3,780 km ≈ 5 h nonstop flight

From you

Cuernavaca
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

Cuernavaca vs Montreal: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Cuernavaca is cheaper overall, especially in groceries, eating out, and clothing. The 100% gap adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

On paper, salaries run 335% 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: $385 in Cuernavaca versus $1,260 in Montreal. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Supermarket bills run roughly 48% higher in Montreal. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

Dining out is cheaper in Cuernavaca – a meal for two runs $38.00 versus $70.0 in Montreal. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

At $1,011 in Cuernavaca versus $2,018 in Montreal, a $1,500 budget is realistic in Cuernavaca but tight or insufficient in Montreal. The gap between the two cities makes Cuernavaca the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

For families, Cuernavaca is more practical. Housing and childcare are both notably cheaper than in Montreal, and the savings on those two alone free up budget for education, activities, and family trips.

Safety-wise, Cuernavaca 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 Cuernavaca gentler on the wallet – expenses run 100% less than in Montreal. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.