Last update: Nov 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Laval and Monterrey

For one person, living is cheaper in Monterrey: $1,641 a month against $2,260 in Laval, rent and utilities included – about $7,400 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

Laval, Canada
Monterrey, Mexico
Laval
🇨🇦 Canada
$2,260
/mo nomad
Monterrey
🇲🇽 Mexico
$1,641
/mo nomad
Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Laval and in Monterrey

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

A single person spends $2,260 per month in Laval vs $1,641 in Monterrey, rent included.

  • Laval $2,260
  • Monterrey $1,641

A couple spends around $3,376 per month in Laval vs $2,573 in Monterrey, rent included.

  • Laval $3,376
  • Monterrey $2,573

A family of three spends $4,492 per month in Laval vs $3,504 in Monterrey, rent included.

  • Laval $4,492
  • Monterrey $3,504

Laval costs about 38% more than Monterrey, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

Both Laval and Monterrey sit above the global median – Laval by 67%, Monterrey by 21%.

Currency
🍽 Eating Out
Laval
Monterrey
Difference
Meal at Budget Restaurant
$18.12 CA$25.40
$13.37 MX$251
35.53%
Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range
$79.2 CA$111
$47.95 MX$900
65.26%
Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)
$10.79 CA$15.13
$10.79 MX$203
-
Cappuccino
$3.90 CA$5.46
$3.77 MX$70.7
3.45%
Coke/Pepsi/Fanta/Sprite (0.33 liter bottle)
$1.99 CA$2.79
$1.51 MX$28.37
31.79%
Water (0.33 liter bottle)
$1.64 CA$2.29
$1.03 MX$19.33
59.22%
Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)
$5.69 CA$7.97
$2.48 MX$46.60
129.44%
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$6.94 CA$9.72
$4.36 MX$81.8
59.17%
🛒 Groceries & Markets
Laval
Monterrey
Difference
Milk (1 liter)
$2.41 CA$3.37
$1.89 MX$35.58
27.51%
White Bread (500g)
$3.11 CA$4.36
$2.85 MX$53.5
9.12%
Rice (white) (1kg)
$3.03 CA$4.25
$1.86 MX$34.86
62.90%
Eggs
$3.33 CA$4.67
$2.47 MX$46.31
34.82%
Local Cheese (1kg)
$11.71 CA$16.42
$11.81 MX$222
-0.85%
Chicken Fillets (1kg)
$12.22 CA$17.12
$8.97 MX$168
36.23%
Beef Round Steak (1kg)
$14.29 CA$20.03
$12.57 MX$236
13.68%
Apples (1kg)
$3.73 CA$5.23
$3.20 MX$60.0
16.56%
Banana (1kg)
$1.50 CA$2.11
$1.50 MX$28.23
-
Oranges (1kg)
$3.85 CA$5.39
$2.12 MX$39.90
81.60%
Tomato (1kg)
$3.67 CA$5.14
$2.33 MX$43.82
57.51%
Potato (1kg)
$2.63 CA$3.69
$2.22 MX$41.75
18.47%
Onion (1kg)
$1.99 CA$2.80
$2.58 MX$48.54
-22.87%
Lettuce (1 head)
$2.57 CA$3.60
$1.45 MX$27.15
77.24%
Water (1.5 liter bottle)
$1.54 CA$2.16
$1.22 MX$22.94
26.23%
Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)
$11.43 CA$16.02
$4.80 MX$90.1
138.13%
Wine (Bottle)
$12.19 CA$17.09
$13.30 MX$250
-8.35%
Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)
$2.39 CA$3.36
$1.93 MX$36.28
23.83%
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$2.88 CA$4.04
$2.86 MX$53.6
0.70%
🚌 Getting Around
Laval
Monterrey
Difference
One-way Ticket (Public Transport)
$2.93 CA$4.11
$0.80 MX$15.00
266.25%
Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)
$81.4 CA$114
$30.94 MX$581
162.99%
Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)
$2.86 CA$4.01
$1.83 MX$34.42
56.28%
Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)
$1.51 CA$2.11
$1.06 MX$19.86
42.45%
Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)
$32.44 CA$45.48
$10.82 MX$203
199.82%
Gasoline (1 liter)
$1.30 CA$1.82
$1.47 MX$27.65
-11.56%
Midsize Hatchback 1.4l (Volkswagen Golf, Toyota Prius, Honda Civic, etc)
$28.3K CA$39.7K
$24.1K MX$452.3K
17.51%
Compact Sedan 1.6l (Toyota Corolla, Mazda3, Kia K4, Hyundai Elantra, etc)
$21.4K CA$30.1K
$23.5K MX$442.0K
-8.89%
🧾 Monthly Utilities & Internet
Laval
Monterrey
Difference
Utilities for 2 People in 2-bedroom Apartment (Heating, Electricity, Gas, Water, Garbage) (85m2)
$79.8 CA$112
$115 MX$2,152
-30.39%
SIM Card Monthly Plan (Calls and 10GB+ Data)
$36.51 CA$51.2
$26.37 MX$495
38.45%
Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)
$46.11 CA$64.6
$25.70 MX$483
79.42%
🎉 Sport & Entertainment
Laval
Monterrey
Difference
Gym Membership (Monthly)
$30.54 CA$42.80
$30.53 MX$573
0.03%
Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)
-
$21.27 MX$400
-
Cinema Ticket
$11.61 CA$16.28
$4.96 MX$93.1
134.07%
🧸 Childcare & Education
Laval
Monterrey
Difference
Preschool or Kindergarten, Full Day, Private, 1 Child (Monthly)
$816 CA$1,143
$679 MX$12.7K
20.20%
International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)
$19.0K CA$26.6K
$14.2K MX$266.4K
34.04%
👕👟 Clothing & Footwear
Laval
Monterrey
Difference
Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)
$60.5 CA$84.8
$72.2 MX$1,356
-16.18%
Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)
$38.84 CA$54.4
$41.94 MX$788
-7.39%
Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)
$98.1 CA$138
$107 MX$2,019
-8.74%
Men's Leather Business Shoes
$109 CA$153
$119 MX$2,228
-8.11%
🏠 Accommodation & Living
Laval
Monterrey
Difference
1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$1,323 CA$1,854
$1,018 MX$19.1K
30.01%
1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$1,157 CA$1,622
$722 MX$13.6K
60.41%
3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$1,961 CA$2,748
$1,966 MX$36.9K
-0.30%
3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$1,866 CA$2,616
$1,416 MX$26.6K
31.85%
Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)
$3,108 CA$4,356
$4,203 MX$78.9K
-26.06%
Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)
-
$2,782 MX$52.2K
-
💵 Salaries & Financials
Laval
Monterrey
Difference
Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)
$2,730 CA$3,827
$1,096 MX$20.6K
149.15%
20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)
4.51
11.79
-61.75%

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

Last update for Laval: November 3, 2026

Last update for Monterrey: November 2, 2026

Monthly budget structure
Share of the monthly basket for one person, rent included.
Accommodation & Living
Laval
$1.2K
Monterrey
$722 37.7% $436
Groceries & Markets
Laval
$364
Monterrey
$302 17% $62
Eating Out
Laval
$281
Monterrey
$216 23.2% $65
Monthly Utilities & Internet
Laval
$162
Monterrey
$167 2.6% $4.3
Clothing & Footwear
Laval
$138
Monterrey
$153 11% $15
Getting Around
Laval
$104
Monterrey
$41 60.1% $62
Sport & Entertainment
Laval
$54
Monterrey
$40 24.8% $13

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $1,323 in Laval versus $1,018 in Monterrey. Rent is usually the largest line item in a monthly budget, so the gap here sets the tone for the overall comparison.

Salaries in Laval are about 2.5 times higher. Purchasing power depends on which expenses matter most to you.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $79 in Laval versus $48 in Monterrey. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $364 vs $302 – making Monterrey the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know
🇨🇦 Laval
🇲🇽 Monterrey
🕒 Local time
07:07 7:07 AM
06:07 6:07 AM
1 h behind Laval
🌤 Weather
👥 Population
438,366
1,142,994
💱 Currency
Exchange rates and currency converter

MXN, USD, EUR to CAD – Canadian Dollar Converter

Canadian Dollar exchange rates as of November 6, 2026: 1 USD = 1.4 CAD (1 CAD = 0.713 USD). 1 EUR = 1.57 CAD (1 CAD = 0.635 EUR).

Mexican Peso exchange rates as of November 6, 2026: 1 USD = 18.78 MXN (100 MXN = 5.32 USD). 1 EUR = 21.09 MXN (100 MXN = 4.74 EUR).

On the map
Between locations
  • Laval Monterrey 3,240 km ≈ 4 h 30 min nonstop flight
From you
  • Laval
  • Monterrey

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
Laval vs Monterrey: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions
Which city is more expensive, Laval or Monterrey?
Laval costs about 38% more than Monterrey, and outside of rent the gap comes mainly from eating out. That’s enough to noticeably affect everyday spending and lifestyle for anyone choosing between the two.
How much do you need to earn to live comfortably in Laval and in Monterrey?
For a comfortable life, plan on about $3,390 per month in Laval and $2,461 in Monterrey. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.
Where is rent cheaper, Laval or Monterrey?
Rent is clearly cheaper in Monterrey, especially for central apartments: a one-bedroom in the center costs $1,018 there versus $1,323 in Laval.
How do dining costs compare in Laval and in Monterrey?
A mid-range dinner for two costs $79 in Laval and $48 in Monterrey. That’s a good indicator of the overall restaurant and café pricing gap between the two cities.
How much does it cost to live in Laval compared to Monterrey?
Monthly expenses with rent come to $2,260 in Laval and $1,641 in Monterrey. That makes Monterrey about 27% cheaper.
Can you live on $3,000/month in Laval or in Monterrey?
$3,000 covers both cities comfortably – all-in costs are $2,260 in Laval and $1,641 in Monterrey, leaving budget for savings and extras in both cases.
Which city is better for families?
Families tend to lean toward Monterrey – lower housing and cheaper childcare make a real difference, especially on a single income or when paying for private education.
Should I move to Laval or to Monterrey?
If budget matters most, go with Monterrey. If higher salaries or specific career opportunities are the priority, Laval makes more sense. Both are solid long-term options with distinct trade-offs.

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