Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Mexicali and Montreal

For one person, living is cheaper in Mexicali: $949 a month against $2,003 in Montreal, rent and utilities included – about $12,600 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

46

Cost of Living Index in Mexicali
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Mexicali Living Index
99

Cost of Living Index in Montreal
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Montreal Living Index

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Mexicali

🇲🇽 Mexico

$949

/mo nomad

Montreal

🇨🇦 Canada

$2,003

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

A single person spends $949 per month in Mexicali vs $2,003 in Montreal, rent included.

Mexicali $949
Montreal $2,003

A couple spends around $1,525 per month in Mexicali vs $3,048 in Montreal, rent included.

Mexicali $1,525
Montreal $3,048

A family of three spends $2,101 per month in Mexicali vs $4,092 in Montreal, rent included.

Mexicali $2,101
Montreal $4,092

Mexicali is about 53% cheaper than Montreal, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Mexicali sits 29% below the global median, while Montreal is 49% above – they fall on opposite sides of the world average.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$12.10 MX$222

$19.31 CA$27.52

-37.34%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$34.24 MX$629

$75.5 CA$108

-54.65%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$6.69 MX$123

$10.63 CA$15.15

-37.06%

Cappuccino

$3.43 MX$62.9

$3.93 CA$5.60

-12.72%

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

$1.34 MX$24.60

$1.92 CA$2.73

-30.21%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.12 MX$20.65

$1.48 CA$2.11

-24.32%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.23 MX$59.2

$6.30 CA$8.98

-48.73%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.26 MX$78.2

$7.19 CA$10.24

-40.75%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.20 MX$22.10

$2.22 CA$3.17

-45.95%

White Bread (500g)

$2.39 MX$43.96

$3.06 CA$4.36

-21.90%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.54 MX$28.33

$2.94 CA$4.19

-47.62%

Eggs

$2.76 MX$50.7

$3.53 CA$5.03

-21.81%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$2.42 MX$44.48

$13.19 CA$18.79

-81.65%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$6.00 MX$110

$11.24 CA$16.02

-46.62%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$6.66 MX$122

$13.81 CA$19.69

-51.77%

Apples (1kg)

$1.63 MX$29.85

$3.40 CA$4.85

-52.06%

Banana (1kg)

$1.40 MX$25.74

$1.44 CA$2.06

-2.78%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.40 MX$25.78

$3.26 CA$4.65

-57.06%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.63 MX$29.98

$2.88 CA$4.10

-43.40%

Potato (1kg)

$1.41 MX$25.91

$1.86 CA$2.65

-24.19%

Onion (1kg)

$1.42 MX$26.03

$1.82 CA$2.60

-21.98%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.35 MX$24.70

$2.43 CA$3.46

-44.44%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.85 MX$15.66

$1.52 CA$2.17

-44.08%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.01 MX$73.7

$11.45 CA$16.32

-64.98%

Wine (Bottle)

$8.06 MX$148

$10.36 CA$14.76

-22.20%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.94 MX$35.61

$2.22 CA$3.16

-12.61%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.90 MX$71.6

$2.82 CA$4.02

38.30%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.05 MX$19.20

$2.58 CA$3.67

-59.30%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$35.15 MX$645

$76.9 CA$110

-54.29%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$2.84 MX$52.1

$3.25 CA$4.64

-12.62%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.26 MX$41.57

$1.48 CA$2.11

52.70%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$19.06 MX$350

$33.04 CA$47.09

-42.31%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.34 MX$24.60

$1.36 CA$1.94

-1.47%

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

$21.7K MX$399.3K

$27.4K CA$39.1K

-20.70%

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

$24.4K MX$447.3K

$20.0K CA$28.5K

21.95%

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

$47.14 MX$866

$76.1 CA$109

-38.07%

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

$22.65 MX$416

$34.68 CA$49.43

-34.69%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$30.19 MX$554

$42.69 CA$60.9

-29.28%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$39.21 MX$720

$28.94 CA$41.26

35.49%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$16.63 MX$305

$20.33 CA$28.97

-18.20%

Cinema Ticket

$4.08 MX$75.0

$11.21 CA$15.98

-63.60%

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

$210 MX$3,860

$505 CA$720

-58.37%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$4,724 MX$86.7K

$16.0K CA$22.8K

-70.50%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$34.95 MX$642

$58.5 CA$83.4

-40.26%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$32.98 MX$605

$38.00 CA$54.2

-13.21%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$77.4 MX$1,420

$92.7 CA$132

-16.54%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$38.03 MX$698

$106 CA$151

-64.05%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$998 MX$18.3K

$1,240 CA$1,768

-19.50%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$276 MX$5,059

$986 CA$1,405

-72.06%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,357 MX$24.9K

$2,102 CA$2,996

-35.46%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$556 MX$10.2K

$1,615 CA$2,302

-65.54%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$2,638 MX$48.4K

$5,043 CA$7,188

-47.69%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,474 MX$27.1K

$3,830 CA$5,459

-61.50%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$860 MX$15.8K

$2,920 CA$4,163

-70.54%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

12.07

4.46

170.63%

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

Last update for Mexicali: October 6, 2026

Last update for Montreal: October 6, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Mexicali

$276 29.1%

Montreal

$986 47.9% 258% $710

Groceries & Markets

Mexicali

$197 20.8%

Montreal

$344 16.7% 74.3% $147

Eating Out

Mexicali

$192 20.3%

Montreal

$293 14.2% 52.2% $100

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Mexicali

$100 10.5%

Montreal

$154 7.5% 53.5% $54

Clothing & Footwear

Mexicali

$83 8.7%

Montreal

$133 6.5% 60.9% $50

Getting Around

Mexicali

$53 5.6%

Montreal

$98 4.8% 82.9% $44

Sport & Entertainment

Mexicali

$47 5%

Montreal

$51 2.5% 8.4% $4

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $998 in Mexicali versus $1,240 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 239% 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 $34.00 in Mexicali versus $75.0 in Montreal. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $197 vs $344 – making Mexicali the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇲🇽 Mexicali

🇨🇦 Montreal

🕒 Local time

00:25 12:25 AM

03:25 3:25 AM

3 h ahead of Mexicali

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

854,186

1,762,949

💱 Currency

Mexican Peso MXN $

Canadian Dollar CAD $

📈 Exchange rate

100 MXN = 5.45 USD

100 MXN = 4.86 EUR

1 CAD = 0.702 USD

1 CAD = 0.626 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 10, 2026: 1 USD = 18.36 MXN (100 MXN = 5.45 USD). 1 EUR = 20.59 MXN (100 MXN = 4.86 EUR).

Canadian Dollar exchange rates as of October 10, 2026: 1 USD = 1.43 CAD (1 CAD = 0.702 USD). 1 EUR = 1.6 CAD (1 CAD = 0.626 EUR).

USD to MXN in detail →

On the map

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Between locations

Mexicali Montreal 3,840 km ≈ 5 h nonstop flight

From you

Mexicali
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

Mexicali vs Montreal: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Monthly costs with rent: $949 in Mexicali, $2,003 in Montreal – roughly 111% apart. Outside of rent, the biggest gap is in groceries.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $1,423 per month in Mexicali and $3,005 in Montreal. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

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

Groceries cost about 74% more in Montreal, though it depends on what you buy. Local produce may be comparable; imported and premium items show the biggest price gap.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $34.00 in Mexicali and $75.0 in Montreal. That's a good indicator of the overall restaurant and café pricing gap between the two cities.

A $2,000 monthly budget goes further in Mexicali, where all-in costs run around $949, than in Montreal at $2,003. In Mexicali it covers expenses comfortably, while in Montreal it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.

It depends on your priorities. Montreal has an edge in some lifestyle areas, with costs from $949 in Mexicali to $2,003 in Montreal. Climate, culture, job market, and personal taste all factor in.

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 Mexicali. 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.