Last update: Nov 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Monterrey and Ajax, ON

For one person, living is cheaper in Monterrey: $1,641 a month against $2,560 in Ajax, ON, rent and utilities included – about $11,000 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

Monterrey, Mexico
Ajax, ON, Canada
Monterrey
🇲🇽 Mexico
$1,641
/mo nomad
Ajax, ON
🇨🇦 Canada
$2,560
/mo nomad
Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Monterrey and in Ajax, ON

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

A single person spends $1,641 per month in Monterrey vs $2,560 in Ajax, ON, rent included.

  • Monterrey $1,641
  • Ajax, ON $2,560

A couple spends around $2,573 per month in Monterrey vs $3,626 in Ajax, ON, rent included.

  • Monterrey $2,573
  • Ajax, ON $3,626

A family of three spends $3,504 per month in Monterrey vs $4,692 in Ajax, ON, rent included.

  • Monterrey $3,504
  • Ajax, ON $4,692

Monterrey is about 36% cheaper than Ajax, ON, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Both Monterrey and Ajax, ON sit above the global median – Monterrey by 21%, Ajax, ON by 89%.

Currency
🍽 Eating Out
Monterrey
Ajax, ON
Difference
Meal at Budget Restaurant
$13.37 MX$249
$17.74 CA$25.06
-24.63%
Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range
$47.95 MX$892
$52.9 CA$74.8
-9.37%
Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)
$10.79 MX$201
$10.92 CA$15.43
-1.19%
Cappuccino
$3.77 MX$70.0
$3.76 CA$5.31
0.27%
Coke/Pepsi/Fanta/Sprite (0.33 liter bottle)
$1.51 MX$28.09
$1.82 CA$2.57
-17.03%
Water (0.33 liter bottle)
$1.03 MX$19.14
$1.59 CA$2.25
-35.22%
Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)
$2.48 MX$46.14
$3.51 CA$4.96
-29.34%
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$4.36 MX$81.0
$5.86 CA$8.29
-25.60%
🛒 Groceries & Markets
Monterrey
Ajax, ON
Difference
Milk (1 liter)
$1.89 MX$35.23
$2.01 CA$2.84
-5.97%
White Bread (500g)
$2.85 MX$53.0
$3.02 CA$4.27
-5.63%
Rice (white) (1kg)
$1.86 MX$34.52
$3.40 CA$4.81
-45.29%
Eggs
$2.47 MX$45.86
$3.84 CA$5.42
-35.68%
Local Cheese (1kg)
$11.81 MX$220
$10.64 CA$15.03
11.00%
Chicken Fillets (1kg)
$8.97 MX$167
$11.61 CA$16.41
-22.74%
Beef Round Steak (1kg)
$12.57 MX$234
$17.22 CA$24.33
-27.00%
Apples (1kg)
$3.20 MX$59.4
$4.03 CA$5.69
-20.60%
Banana (1kg)
$1.50 MX$27.96
$1.67 CA$2.37
-10.18%
Oranges (1kg)
$2.12 MX$39.52
$3.31 CA$4.67
-35.95%
Tomato (1kg)
$2.33 MX$43.39
$3.35 CA$4.73
-30.45%
Potato (1kg)
$2.22 MX$41.34
$2.32 CA$3.28
-4.31%
Onion (1kg)
$2.58 MX$48.07
$2.37 CA$3.35
8.86%
Lettuce (1 head)
$1.45 MX$26.88
$2.25 CA$3.18
-35.56%
Water (1.5 liter bottle)
$1.22 MX$22.72
$1.93 CA$2.73
-36.79%
Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)
$4.80 MX$89.2
$14.26 CA$20.15
-66.34%
Wine (Bottle)
$13.30 MX$247
$13.39 CA$18.91
-0.67%
Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)
$1.93 MX$35.93
$2.13 CA$3.01
-9.39%
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$2.86 MX$53.1
$2.47 CA$3.48
15.79%
🚌 Getting Around
Monterrey
Ajax, ON
Difference
One-way Ticket (Public Transport)
$0.80 MX$14.85
$2.39 CA$3.37
-66.53%
Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)
$30.94 MX$575
$86.4 CA$122
-64.19%
Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)
$1.83 MX$34.08
$3.13 CA$4.43
-41.53%
Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)
$1.06 MX$19.66
$1.41 CA$1.99
-24.82%
Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)
$10.82 MX$201
$21.40 CA$30.24
-49.44%
Gasoline (1 liter)
$1.47 MX$27.39
$1.20 CA$1.70
22.50%
Midsize Hatchback 1.4l (Volkswagen Golf, Toyota Prius, Honda Civic, etc)
$24.1K MX$447.9K
$28.8K CA$40.7K
-16.50%
Compact Sedan 1.6l (Toyota Corolla, Mazda3, Kia K4, Hyundai Elantra, etc)
$23.5K MX$437.7K
$21.3K CA$30.1K
10.45%
🧾 Monthly Utilities & Internet
Monterrey
Ajax, ON
Difference
Utilities for 2 People in 2-bedroom Apartment (Heating, Electricity, Gas, Water, Garbage) (85m2)
$115 MX$2,132
$128 CA$181
-10.57%
SIM Card Monthly Plan (Calls and 10GB+ Data)
$26.37 MX$490
$29.21 CA$41.27
-9.72%
Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)
$25.70 MX$478
$59.0 CA$83.4
-56.47%
🎉 Sport & Entertainment
Monterrey
Ajax, ON
Difference
Gym Membership (Monthly)
$30.53 MX$568
$33.00 CA$46.62
-7.48%
Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)
$21.27 MX$396
$10.86 CA$15.34
95.86%
Cinema Ticket
$4.96 MX$92.2
$10.01 CA$14.14
-50.45%
🧸 Childcare & Education
Monterrey
Ajax, ON
Difference
Preschool or Kindergarten, Full Day, Private, 1 Child (Monthly)
$679 MX$12.6K
$514 CA$727
31.92%
International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)
$14.2K MX$263.8K
$23.3K CA$32.9K
-39.12%
👕👟 Clothing & Footwear
Monterrey
Ajax, ON
Difference
Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)
$72.2 MX$1,343
$51.0 CA$72.1
41.46%
Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)
$41.94 MX$780
$53.2 CA$75.2
-21.18%
Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)
$107 MX$1,999
$95.3 CA$135
12.77%
Men's Leather Business Shoes
$119 MX$2,207
$104 CA$147
13.94%
🏠 Accommodation & Living
Monterrey
Ajax, ON
Difference
1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$1,018 MX$18.9K
$1,526 CA$2,156
-33.31%
1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$722 MX$13.4K
$1,418 CA$2,003
-49.12%
3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$1,966 MX$36.6K
$2,271 CA$3,209
-13.42%
3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$1,416 MX$26.3K
$2,164 CA$3,057
-34.57%
Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)
$4,203 MX$78.2K
-
-
Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)
$2,782 MX$51.7K
-
-
💵 Salaries & Financials
Monterrey
Ajax, ON
Difference
Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)
$1,096 MX$20.4K
$3,065 CA$4,330
-64.25%
20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)
11.79
4.8
145.62%

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

Last update for Monterrey: November 2, 2026

Last update for Ajax, ON: November 1, 2026

Monthly budget structure
Share of the monthly basket for one person, rent included.
Accommodation & Living
Monterrey
$722
Ajax, ON
$1.4K 96.5% $697
Groceries & Markets
Monterrey
$302
Ajax, ON
$367 21.6% $65
Eating Out
Monterrey
$216
Ajax, ON
$263 21.7% $47
Monthly Utilities & Internet
Monterrey
$167
Ajax, ON
$216 29.8% $50
Clothing & Footwear
Monterrey
$153
Ajax, ON
$137 10.7% $16
Getting Around
Monterrey
$41
Ajax, ON
$106 157% $65
Sport & Entertainment
Monterrey
$40
Ajax, ON
$53 31.1% $13

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $1,018 in Monterrey versus $1,526 in Ajax, ON. Rent is usually the largest line item in a monthly budget, so the gap here sets the tone for the overall comparison.

Salaries in Ajax, ON are about 2.8 times higher. Purchasing power depends on which expenses matter most to you.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $48 in Monterrey versus $53 in Ajax, ON. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $302 vs $367 – making Monterrey the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know
🇲🇽 Monterrey
🇨🇦 Ajax, ON
🕒 Local time
21:02 9:02 PM
22:02 10:02 PM
1 h ahead of Monterrey
🌤 Weather
👥 Population
1,142,994
119,677
💱 Currency
Exchange rates and currency converter

CAD, USD, EUR to MXN – Mexican Peso Converter

Mexican Peso exchange rates as of November 7, 2026: 1 USD = 18.6 MXN (100 MXN = 5.38 USD). 1 EUR = 20.78 MXN (100 MXN = 4.81 EUR).

Canadian Dollar exchange rates as of November 7, 2026: 1 USD = 1.41 CAD (1 CAD = 0.708 USD). 1 EUR = 1.58 CAD (1 CAD = 0.633 EUR).

On the map
Between locations
  • Monterrey Ajax, ON 2,790 km ≈ 4 h nonstop flight
From you
  • Monterrey
  • Ajax, ON

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
Monterrey vs Ajax, ON: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions
Is Monterrey cheaper than Ajax, ON?
Yes – Ajax, ON is pricier by about 56%, and outside of rent the gap shows up most in groceries.
What income do you need for each city?
For a comfortable life, plan on about $2,461 per month in Monterrey and $3,840 in Ajax, ON. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.
Which city has lower housing costs?
Rent is clearly cheaper in Monterrey, especially for central apartments: a one-bedroom in the center costs $1,018 there versus $1,526 in Ajax, ON.
What are total monthly expenses in Monterrey and in Ajax, ON?
Monthly expenses with rent come to $1,641 in Monterrey and $2,560 in Ajax, ON. That makes Monterrey about 36% cheaper.
Which city has cheaper public transport?
Public transport costs about 64% less in Monterrey. For daily commuters, that gap adds up to noticeable savings over a year.
Is $3,000 enough for either Monterrey or Ajax, ON?
$3,000 covers both cities comfortably – all-in costs are $1,641 in Monterrey and $2,560 in Ajax, ON, leaving budget for savings and extras in both cases.
Is it better to live in Monterrey or in Ajax, ON?
It depends on your priorities. Monterrey has an edge in some lifestyle areas, with costs from $1,641 in Monterrey to $2,560 in Ajax, ON. Climate, culture, job market, and personal taste all factor in.
Which city is the better choice to relocate to?
If budget matters most, go with Monterrey. If higher salaries or specific career opportunities are the priority, Ajax, ON makes more sense. Both are solid long-term options with distinct trade-offs.

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