Last update: Nov 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Monterrey and Laval

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.

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

How much you'll spend in Monterrey and in Laval

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

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

  • Monterrey $1,641
  • Laval $2,260

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

  • Monterrey $2,573
  • Laval $3,376

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

  • Monterrey $3,504
  • Laval $4,492

Monterrey is about 27% cheaper than Laval, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

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

Currency
🍽 Eating Out
Monterrey
Laval
Difference
Meal at Budget Restaurant
$13.37 MX$251
$18.12 CA$25.40
-26.21%
Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range
$47.95 MX$900
$79.2 CA$111
-39.49%
Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)
$10.79 MX$203
$10.79 CA$15.13
-
Cappuccino
$3.77 MX$70.7
$3.90 CA$5.46
-3.33%
Coke/Pepsi/Fanta/Sprite (0.33 liter bottle)
$1.51 MX$28.37
$1.99 CA$2.79
-24.12%
Water (0.33 liter bottle)
$1.03 MX$19.33
$1.64 CA$2.29
-37.20%
Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)
$2.48 MX$46.60
$5.69 CA$7.97
-56.41%
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$4.36 MX$81.8
$6.94 CA$9.72
-37.18%
🛒 Groceries & Markets
Monterrey
Laval
Difference
Milk (1 liter)
$1.89 MX$35.58
$2.41 CA$3.37
-21.58%
White Bread (500g)
$2.85 MX$53.5
$3.11 CA$4.36
-8.36%
Rice (white) (1kg)
$1.86 MX$34.86
$3.03 CA$4.25
-38.61%
Eggs
$2.47 MX$46.31
$3.33 CA$4.67
-25.83%
Local Cheese (1kg)
$11.81 MX$222
$11.71 CA$16.42
0.85%
Chicken Fillets (1kg)
$8.97 MX$168
$12.22 CA$17.12
-26.60%
Beef Round Steak (1kg)
$12.57 MX$236
$14.29 CA$20.03
-12.04%
Apples (1kg)
$3.20 MX$60.0
$3.73 CA$5.23
-14.21%
Banana (1kg)
$1.50 MX$28.23
$1.50 CA$2.11
-
Oranges (1kg)
$2.12 MX$39.90
$3.85 CA$5.39
-44.94%
Tomato (1kg)
$2.33 MX$43.82
$3.67 CA$5.14
-36.51%
Potato (1kg)
$2.22 MX$41.75
$2.63 CA$3.69
-15.59%
Onion (1kg)
$2.58 MX$48.54
$1.99 CA$2.80
29.65%
Lettuce (1 head)
$1.45 MX$27.15
$2.57 CA$3.60
-43.58%
Water (1.5 liter bottle)
$1.22 MX$22.94
$1.54 CA$2.16
-20.78%
Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)
$4.80 MX$90.1
$11.43 CA$16.02
-58.01%
Wine (Bottle)
$13.30 MX$250
$12.19 CA$17.09
9.11%
Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)
$1.93 MX$36.28
$2.39 CA$3.36
-19.25%
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$2.86 MX$53.6
$2.88 CA$4.04
-0.69%
🚌 Getting Around
Monterrey
Laval
Difference
One-way Ticket (Public Transport)
$0.80 MX$15.00
$2.93 CA$4.11
-72.70%
Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)
$30.94 MX$581
$81.4 CA$114
-61.98%
Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)
$1.83 MX$34.42
$2.86 CA$4.01
-36.01%
Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)
$1.06 MX$19.86
$1.51 CA$2.11
-29.80%
Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)
$10.82 MX$203
$32.44 CA$45.48
-66.65%
Gasoline (1 liter)
$1.47 MX$27.65
$1.30 CA$1.82
13.08%
Midsize Hatchback 1.4l (Volkswagen Golf, Toyota Prius, Honda Civic, etc)
$24.1K MX$452.3K
$28.3K CA$39.7K
-14.90%
Compact Sedan 1.6l (Toyota Corolla, Mazda3, Kia K4, Hyundai Elantra, etc)
$23.5K MX$442.0K
$21.4K CA$30.1K
9.76%
🧾 Monthly Utilities & Internet
Monterrey
Laval
Difference
Utilities for 2 People in 2-bedroom Apartment (Heating, Electricity, Gas, Water, Garbage) (85m2)
$115 MX$2,152
$79.8 CA$112
43.66%
SIM Card Monthly Plan (Calls and 10GB+ Data)
$26.37 MX$495
$36.51 CA$51.2
-27.77%
Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)
$25.70 MX$483
$46.11 CA$64.6
-44.26%
🎉 Sport & Entertainment
Monterrey
Laval
Difference
Gym Membership (Monthly)
$30.53 MX$573
$30.54 CA$42.80
-0.03%
Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)
$21.27 MX$400
-
-
Cinema Ticket
$4.96 MX$93.1
$11.61 CA$16.28
-57.28%
🧸 Childcare & Education
Monterrey
Laval
Difference
Preschool or Kindergarten, Full Day, Private, 1 Child (Monthly)
$679 MX$12.7K
$816 CA$1,143
-16.81%
International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)
$14.2K MX$266.4K
$19.0K CA$26.6K
-25.39%
👕👟 Clothing & Footwear
Monterrey
Laval
Difference
Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)
$72.2 MX$1,356
$60.5 CA$84.8
19.30%
Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)
$41.94 MX$788
$38.84 CA$54.4
7.98%
Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)
$107 MX$2,019
$98.1 CA$138
9.57%
Men's Leather Business Shoes
$119 MX$2,228
$109 CA$153
8.82%
🏠 Accommodation & Living
Monterrey
Laval
Difference
1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$1,018 MX$19.1K
$1,323 CA$1,854
-23.08%
1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$722 MX$13.6K
$1,157 CA$1,622
-37.66%
3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$1,966 MX$36.9K
$1,961 CA$2,748
0.30%
3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$1,416 MX$26.6K
$1,866 CA$2,616
-24.16%
Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)
$4,203 MX$78.9K
$3,108 CA$4,356
35.24%
Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)
$2,782 MX$52.2K
-
-
💵 Salaries & Financials
Monterrey
Laval
Difference
Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)
$1,096 MX$20.6K
$2,730 CA$3,827
-59.86%
20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)
11.79
4.51
161.42%

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

Last update for Monterrey: November 2, 2026

Last update for Laval: November 3, 2026

Monthly budget structure
Share of the monthly basket for one person, rent included.
Accommodation & Living
Monterrey
$722
Laval
$1.2K 60.4% $436
Groceries & Markets
Monterrey
$302
Laval
$364 20.5% $62
Eating Out
Monterrey
$216
Laval
$281 30.2% $65
Monthly Utilities & Internet
Monterrey
$167
Laval
$162 2.6% $4.3
Clothing & Footwear
Monterrey
$153
Laval
$138 9.9% $15
Getting Around
Monterrey
$41
Laval
$104 151% $62
Sport & Entertainment
Monterrey
$40
Laval
$54 32.9% $13

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $1,018 in Monterrey versus $1,323 in Laval. 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 $48 in Monterrey versus $79 in Laval. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $302 vs $364 – making Monterrey the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know
🇲🇽 Monterrey
🇨🇦 Laval
🕒 Local time
06:15 6:15 AM
07:15 7:15 AM
1 h ahead of Monterrey
🌤 Weather
👥 Population
1,142,994
438,366
💱 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 = 18.78 MXN (100 MXN = 5.32 USD). 1 EUR = 21.09 MXN (100 MXN = 4.74 EUR).

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).

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

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 Laval: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions
Which city is more expensive, Monterrey or Laval?
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 Monterrey and in Laval?
For a comfortable life, plan on about $2,461 per month in Monterrey and $3,390 in Laval. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.
Where is rent cheaper, Monterrey or Laval?
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 Monterrey and in Laval?
A mid-range dinner for two costs $48 in Monterrey and $79 in Laval. 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 Monterrey compared to Laval?
Monthly expenses with rent come to $1,641 in Monterrey and $2,260 in Laval. That makes Monterrey about 27% cheaper.
Can you live on $3,000/month in Monterrey or in Laval?
$3,000 covers both cities comfortably – all-in costs are $1,641 in Monterrey and $2,260 in Laval, 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 Monterrey or to Laval?
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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