Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Guanajuato and Montreal

For one person, living is cheaper in Guanajuato: $1,054 a month against $2,018 in Montreal, rent and utilities included – about $11,600 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

Guanajuato
🇲🇽 Mexico
$1,054
/mo nomad
Montreal
🇨🇦 Canada
$2,018
/mo nomad
Monthly Cost of Living

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,054 in Guanajuato versus $2,018 in Montreal.

  • Guanajuato $1,054
  • Montreal $2,018

Estimated couple costs with rent: $1,619 in Guanajuato versus $3,085 in Montreal.

  • Guanajuato $1,619
  • Montreal $3,085

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $2,185 in Guanajuato versus $4,152 in Montreal.

  • Guanajuato $2,185
  • Montreal $4,152

Living in Guanajuato costs roughly 48% less than in Montreal, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

The two cities straddle the global median: Guanajuato is 22% below, Montreal is 49% above.

Currency
🍽 Eating Out
Guanajuato
Montreal
Difference
Meal at Budget Restaurant
$13.62 MX$252
$18.82 CA$26.61
-27.63%
Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range
$44.07 MX$814
$70.3 CA$99.4
-37.30%
Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)
$7.59 MX$140
$10.66 CA$15.06
-28.80%
Cappuccino
$3.86 MX$71.3
$3.84 CA$5.43
0.52%
Coke/Pepsi/Fanta/Sprite (0.33 liter bottle)
$1.67 MX$30.87
$1.92 CA$2.71
-13.02%
Water (0.33 liter bottle)
$0.99 MX$18.28
$1.54 CA$2.18
-35.71%
Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)
$2.67 MX$49.29
$6.23 CA$8.81
-57.14%
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$4.84 MX$89.4
$7.10 CA$10.03
-31.83%
🛒 Groceries & Markets
Guanajuato
Montreal
Difference
Milk (1 liter)
$1.59 MX$29.41
$2.31 CA$3.27
-31.17%
White Bread (500g)
$2.61 MX$48.21
$3.14 CA$4.44
-16.88%
Rice (white) (1kg)
$1.44 MX$26.68
$3.21 CA$4.54
-55.14%
Eggs
$2.38 MX$44.03
$3.52 CA$4.97
-32.39%
Local Cheese (1kg)
$4.84 MX$89.5
$12.81 CA$18.11
-62.22%
Chicken Fillets (1kg)
$9.57 MX$177
$11.46 CA$16.20
-16.49%
Beef Round Steak (1kg)
$11.88 MX$219
$13.39 CA$18.92
-11.28%
Apples (1kg)
$2.72 MX$50.2
$3.14 CA$4.43
-13.38%
Banana (1kg)
$1.64 MX$30.31
$1.44 CA$2.03
13.89%
Oranges (1kg)
$2.03 MX$37.59
$3.47 CA$4.91
-41.50%
Tomato (1kg)
$1.55 MX$28.73
$3.07 CA$4.34
-49.51%
Potato (1kg)
$1.98 MX$36.64
$1.90 CA$2.69
4.21%
Onion (1kg)
$1.83 MX$33.75
$1.77 CA$2.50
3.39%
Lettuce (1 head)
$1.52 MX$28.00
$2.34 CA$3.31
-35.04%
Water (1.5 liter bottle)
$1.06 MX$19.65
$1.55 CA$2.19
-31.61%
Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)
$4.83 MX$89.3
$11.38 CA$16.09
-57.56%
Wine (Bottle)
$10.74 MX$198
$10.63 CA$15.03
1.03%
Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)
$1.88 MX$34.77
$2.27 CA$3.21
-17.18%
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$3.46 MX$64.0
$2.82 CA$3.99
22.70%
🚌 Getting Around
Guanajuato
Montreal
Difference
One-way Ticket (Public Transport)
$0.58 MX$10.64
$2.66 CA$3.76
-78.20%
Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)
$27.18 MX$502
$77.3 CA$109
-64.83%
Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)
$2.17 MX$40.16
$3.20 CA$4.53
-32.19%
Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)
$1.38 MX$25.53
$1.48 CA$2.09
-6.76%
Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)
$8.94 MX$165
$32.88 CA$46.48
-72.81%
Gasoline (1 liter)
$1.48 MX$27.33
$1.34 CA$1.90
10.45%
Midsize Hatchback 1.4l (Volkswagen Golf, Toyota Prius, Honda Civic, etc)
$20.4K MX$376.1K
$28.2K CA$39.8K
-27.70%
Compact Sedan 1.6l (Toyota Corolla, Mazda3, Kia K4, Hyundai Elantra, etc)
$24.0K MX$443.1K
$19.6K CA$27.8K
22.15%
🧾 Monthly Utilities & Internet
Guanajuato
Montreal
Difference
Utilities for 2 People in 2-bedroom Apartment (Heating, Electricity, Gas, Water, Garbage) (85m2)
$50.7 MX$937
$76.0 CA$107
-33.24%
SIM Card Monthly Plan (Calls and 10GB+ Data)
$20.05 MX$371
$33.95 CA$48.00
-40.94%
Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)
$27.98 MX$517
$42.31 CA$59.8
-33.87%
🎉 Sport & Entertainment
Guanajuato
Montreal
Difference
Gym Membership (Monthly)
$31.52 MX$582
$29.76 CA$42.07
5.91%
Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)
$27.44 MX$507
$20.28 CA$28.67
35.31%
Cinema Ticket
$6.63 MX$122
$11.15 CA$15.77
-40.54%
🧸 Childcare & Education
Guanajuato
Montreal
Difference
Preschool or Kindergarten, Full Day, Private, 1 Child (Monthly)
$209 MX$3,862
$507 CA$717
-58.78%
International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)
$5,492 MX$101.5K
$16.1K CA$22.7K
-65.78%
👕👟 Clothing & Footwear
Guanajuato
Montreal
Difference
Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)
$59.3 MX$1,096
$57.6 CA$81.4
3.11%
Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)
$37.24 MX$688
$37.58 CA$53.1
-0.90%
Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)
$77.5 MX$1,432
$91.9 CA$130
-15.68%
Men's Leather Business Shoes
$57.3 MX$1,058
$110 CA$155
-47.76%
🏠 Accommodation & Living
Guanajuato
Montreal
Difference
1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$518 MX$9,579
$1,260 CA$1,782
-58.87%
1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$295 MX$5,460
$948 CA$1,340
-68.82%
3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$779 MX$14.4K
$2,137 CA$3,021
-63.55%
3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$388 MX$7,179
$1,614 CA$2,281
-75.93%
Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)
$1,346 MX$24.9K
$4,960 CA$7,011
-72.87%
Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)
$1,086 MX$20.1K
$3,838 CA$5,425
-71.69%
💵 Salaries & Financials
Guanajuato
Montreal
Difference
Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)
$712 MX$13.1K
$2,827 CA$3,997
-74.83%
20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)
11.3
4.48
152.23%

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

Last update for Guanajuato: October 11, 2026

Last update for Montreal: October 12, 2026

Monthly budget structure
Share of the monthly basket for one person, rent included.
Accommodation & Living
Guanajuato
$295
Montreal
$948 221% $652
Groceries & Markets
Guanajuato
$261
Montreal
$346 32.8% $86
Eating Out
Guanajuato
$212
Montreal
$288 36% $76
Clothing & Footwear
Guanajuato
$104
Montreal
$133 28.2% $29
Monthly Utilities & Internet
Guanajuato
$99
Montreal
$152 54.2% $53
Sport & Entertainment
Guanajuato
$45
Montreal
$52 16.3% $7.3
Getting Around
Guanajuato
$39
Montreal
$99 156% $60

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $518 in Guanajuato and $1,260 in Montreal. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Montreal pays 297% 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 Guanajuato vs $70.0 in Montreal for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $261 vs $346 per month, with Guanajuato cheaper across the board.

Good to know
🇲🇽 Guanajuato
🇨🇦 Montreal
🕒 Local time
23:11 11:11 PM
01:11 1:11 AM
2 h ahead of Guanajuato
🌤 Weather
👥 Population
70,068
1,762,949
💱 Currency
Exchange rates and currency converter

CAD, USD, EUR to MXN – Mexican Peso Converter

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).

On the map
Between locations
  • Guanajuato Montreal 3,710 km ≈ 5 h nonstop flight
From you
  • Guanajuato
  • 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
Guanajuato vs Montreal: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions
Which city is more expensive, Guanajuato or Montreal?
Guanajuato wins on cost – living expenses run 91% lower than in Montreal. Housing and daily spending are where you'll feel the difference most, making Guanajuato the obvious pick if budget is a priority.
Are salaries higher in Guanajuato or in Montreal?
On paper, salaries run 297% 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.
How much does a 1-bedroom apartment cost in Guanajuato compared to Montreal?
Rent for a central apartment: $518 in Guanajuato versus $1,260 in Montreal. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.
Are groceries more expensive in Guanajuato or in Montreal?
Supermarket bills run roughly 33% higher in Montreal. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.
How do dining costs compare in Guanajuato and in Montreal?
Dining out is cheaper in Guanajuato – 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.
Can you live on $1,000/month in Guanajuato or in Montreal?
At $1,054 in Guanajuato versus $2,018 in Montreal, a $1,000 budget is realistic in Guanajuato but tight or insufficient in Montreal. The gap between the two cities makes Guanajuato the clear choice for anyone on this budget.
Which city is better for digital nomads, Guanajuato or Montreal?
Both work as nomad bases, but Guanajuato delivers better value – similar infrastructure at $1,054 monthly. If stretching your runway or maximizing savings is the goal, the price difference makes Guanajuato hard to pass up.
How safe is Guanajuato compared to Montreal?
Safety-wise, Guanajuato 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.
Which city is more affordable for expats?
Expats usually find Guanajuato gentler on the wallet – expenses run 91% less than in Montreal. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.

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