Last update: Nov 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Monterrey and Joliette

For one person, living is cheaper in Monterrey: $1,641 a month against $1,717 in Joliette, rent and utilities included – about $910 less a year. The total is higher in Joliette despite lower rent and utilities.

Monterrey, Mexico
Joliette, Canada
Monterrey
🇲🇽 Mexico
$1,641
/mo nomad
Joliette
🇨🇦 Canada
$1,717
/mo nomad
Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Monterrey and in Joliette

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 Joliette actually costs, broken down by who's living it.

A single person spends $1,641 per month in Monterrey vs $1,717 in Joliette, rent included.

  • Monterrey $1,641
  • Joliette $1,717

A couple spends around $2,573 per month in Monterrey vs $2,629 in Joliette, rent included.

  • Monterrey $2,573
  • Joliette $2,629

A family of three spends $3,504 per month in Monterrey vs $3,542 in Joliette, rent included.

  • Monterrey $3,504
  • Joliette $3,542

Monterrey is about 4% cheaper than Joliette, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Both Monterrey and Joliette sit above the global median – Monterrey by 21%, Joliette by 27%.

Currency
🍽 Eating Out
Monterrey
Joliette
Difference
Meal at Budget Restaurant
$13.37 MX$250
$17.60 CA$24.75
-24.03%
Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range
$47.95 MX$897
$53.8 CA$75.7
-10.87%
Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)
$10.79 MX$202
$10.50 CA$14.76
2.76%
Cappuccino
$3.77 MX$70.4
$2.43 CA$3.42
55.14%
Coke/Pepsi/Fanta/Sprite (0.33 liter bottle)
$1.51 MX$28.26
$2.03 CA$2.85
-25.62%
Water (0.33 liter bottle)
$1.03 MX$19.25
$1.82 CA$2.56
-43.41%
Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)
$2.48 MX$46.41
$4.35 CA$6.11
-42.99%
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$4.36 MX$81.5
$6.35 CA$8.93
-31.34%
🛒 Groceries & Markets
Monterrey
Joliette
Difference
Milk (1 liter)
$1.89 MX$35.43
$2.38 CA$3.35
-20.59%
White Bread (500g)
$2.85 MX$53.3
$2.55 CA$3.59
11.76%
Rice (white) (1kg)
$1.86 MX$34.71
$3.01 CA$4.24
-38.21%
Eggs
$2.47 MX$46.12
$2.43 CA$3.42
1.65%
Local Cheese (1kg)
$11.81 MX$221
$11.71 CA$16.46
0.85%
Chicken Fillets (1kg)
$8.97 MX$168
$11.90 CA$16.73
-24.62%
Beef Round Steak (1kg)
$12.57 MX$235
$18.48 CA$25.99
-31.98%
Apples (1kg)
$3.20 MX$59.8
$3.67 CA$5.15
-12.81%
Banana (1kg)
$1.50 MX$28.12
$1.31 CA$1.85
14.50%
Oranges (1kg)
$2.12 MX$39.74
$3.78 CA$5.31
-43.92%
Tomato (1kg)
$2.33 MX$43.64
$3.51 CA$4.93
-33.62%
Potato (1kg)
$2.22 MX$41.58
$2.63 CA$3.70
-15.59%
Onion (1kg)
$2.58 MX$48.34
$2.29 CA$3.22
12.66%
Lettuce (1 head)
$1.45 MX$27.04
$1.59 CA$2.24
-8.81%
Water (1.5 liter bottle)
$1.22 MX$22.85
$1.54 CA$2.16
-20.78%
Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)
$4.80 MX$89.7
$14.45 CA$20.32
-66.78%
Wine (Bottle)
$13.30 MX$249
$12.40 CA$17.43
7.26%
Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)
$1.93 MX$36.14
$2.58 CA$3.63
-25.19%
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$2.86 MX$53.4
$3.19 CA$4.48
-10.34%
🚌 Getting Around
Monterrey
Joliette
Difference
One-way Ticket (Public Transport)
$0.80 MX$14.94
$2.26 CA$3.17
-64.60%
Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)
$30.94 MX$579
$61.9 CA$87.1
-50.02%
Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)
$1.83 MX$34.28
$2.79 CA$3.92
-34.41%
Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)
$1.06 MX$19.78
$1.49 CA$2.10
-28.86%
Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)
$10.82 MX$202
$18.92 CA$26.61
-42.81%
Gasoline (1 liter)
$1.47 MX$27.54
$0.99 CA$1.39
48.48%
Midsize Hatchback 1.4l (Volkswagen Golf, Toyota Prius, Honda Civic, etc)
$24.1K MX$450.4K
$27.1K CA$38.1K
-11.20%
Compact Sedan 1.6l (Toyota Corolla, Mazda3, Kia K4, Hyundai Elantra, etc)
$23.5K MX$440.2K
$22.5K CA$31.6K
4.80%
🧾 Monthly Utilities & Internet
Monterrey
Joliette
Difference
Utilities for 2 People in 2-bedroom Apartment (Heating, Electricity, Gas, Water, Garbage) (85m2)
$115 MX$2,144
$136 CA$192
-15.96%
SIM Card Monthly Plan (Calls and 10GB+ Data)
$26.37 MX$493
$37.62 CA$52.9
-29.90%
Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)
$25.70 MX$481
$51.4 CA$72.2
-49.96%
🎉 Sport & Entertainment
Monterrey
Joliette
Difference
Gym Membership (Monthly)
$30.53 MX$571
$37.77 CA$53.1
-19.17%
Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)
$21.27 MX$398
$18.01 CA$25.32
18.10%
Cinema Ticket
$4.96 MX$92.8
$13.01 CA$18.30
-61.88%
🧸 Childcare & Education
Monterrey
Joliette
Difference
Preschool or Kindergarten, Full Day, Private, 1 Child (Monthly)
$679 MX$12.7K
$838 CA$1,179
-19.03%
International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)
$14.2K MX$265.3K
$16.0K CA$22.6K
-11.61%
👕👟 Clothing & Footwear
Monterrey
Joliette
Difference
Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)
$72.2 MX$1,350
$50.3 CA$70.7
43.54%
Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)
$41.94 MX$784
$37.63 CA$52.9
11.45%
Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)
$107 MX$2,011
$86.3 CA$121
24.61%
Men's Leather Business Shoes
$119 MX$2,219
$97.9 CA$138
21.25%
🏠 Accommodation & Living
Monterrey
Joliette
Difference
1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$1,018 MX$19.0K
$653 CA$919
55.77%
1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$722 MX$13.5K
$611 CA$859
18.06%
3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$1,966 MX$36.8K
$1,274 CA$1,792
54.32%
3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$1,416 MX$26.5K
$1,083 CA$1,523
30.74%
Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)
$4,203 MX$78.6K
$4,419 CA$6,215
-4.90%
Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)
$2,782 MX$52.0K
$3,567 CA$5,017
-22.02%
💵 Salaries & Financials
Monterrey
Joliette
Difference
Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)
$1,096 MX$20.5K
$2,735 CA$3,846
-59.93%
20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)
11.79
4.16
183.41%

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

Last update for Monterrey: November 2, 2026

Last update for Joliette: November 2, 2026

Monthly budget structure
Share of the monthly basket for one person, rent included.
Accommodation & Living
Monterrey
$722
Joliette
$611 15.3% $110
Groceries & Markets
Monterrey
$302
Joliette
$361 19.6% $59
Eating Out
Monterrey
$216
Joliette
$251 16.4% $35
Monthly Utilities & Internet
Monterrey
$167
Joliette
$225 35.2% $59
Clothing & Footwear
Monterrey
$153
Joliette
$122 20.1% $31
Getting Around
Monterrey
$41
Joliette
$81 96.8% $40
Sport & Entertainment
Monterrey
$40
Joliette
$64 57.7% $23

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $1,018 in Monterrey versus $653 in Joliette. Rent is usually the largest line item in a monthly budget, so the gap here sets the tone for the overall comparison.

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

A mid-range dinner for two costs $48 in Monterrey versus $54 in Joliette. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $302 vs $361 – making Monterrey the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know
🇲🇽 Monterrey
🇨🇦 Joliette
🕒 Local time
10:13 10:13 AM
11:13 11:13 AM
1 h ahead of Monterrey
🌤 Weather
👥 Population
1,142,994
20,484
💱 Currency
Exchange rates and currency converter

CAD, USD, EUR to MXN – Mexican Peso Converter

Mexican Peso exchange rates as of November 6, 2026: 1 USD = 18.7 MXN (100 MXN = 5.35 USD). 1 EUR = 21.01 MXN (100 MXN = 4.76 EUR).

Canadian Dollar exchange rates as of November 6, 2026: 1 USD = 1.41 CAD (1 CAD = 0.711 USD). 1 EUR = 1.58 CAD (1 CAD = 0.633 EUR).

On the map
Between locations
  • Monterrey Joliette 3,280 km ≈ 4 h 30 min nonstop flight
From you
  • Monterrey
  • Joliette

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 Joliette: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions
Is Monterrey cheaper than Joliette?
Yes – Joliette is pricier by about 5%, 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 $2,575 in Joliette. 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 Joliette, especially for central apartments: a one-bedroom in the center costs $653 there versus $1,018 in Monterrey.
Which city has cheaper kindergarten?
Kindergarten costs $679 per month in Monterrey and $838 in Joliette. For families with young kids, this one expense can tip the scales when choosing between the two cities.
How do food prices compare in Monterrey and in Joliette?
Groceries cost about 20% more in Joliette, though the gap depends on what you buy.
Is $3,000 enough for either Monterrey or Joliette?
$3,000 covers both cities comfortably – all-in costs are $1,641 in Monterrey and $1,717 in Joliette, leaving budget for savings and extras in both cases.
Is it better to live in Monterrey or in Joliette?
It depends on your priorities. Monterrey has an edge in some lifestyle areas, with costs from $1,641 in Monterrey to $1,717 in Joliette. 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, Joliette makes more sense. Both are solid long-term options with distinct trade-offs.

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