Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Montreal and Aguascalientes

For one person, living is cheaper in Aguascalientes: $1,113 a month against $2,003 in Montreal, rent and utilities included – about $10,700 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

Montreal
🇨🇦 Canada
$2,003
/mo nomad
Aguascalientes
🇲🇽 Mexico
$1,113
/mo nomad
Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Montreal and in Aguascalientes

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $2,003 in Montreal versus $1,113 in Aguascalientes.

  • Montreal $2,003
  • Aguascalientes $1,113

Estimated couple costs with rent: $3,048 in Montreal versus $1,744 in Aguascalientes.

  • Montreal $3,048
  • Aguascalientes $1,744

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $4,092 in Montreal versus $2,375 in Aguascalientes.

  • Montreal $4,092
  • Aguascalientes $2,375

Living in Montreal is roughly 80% more expensive than in Aguascalientes, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

The two cities straddle the global median: Montreal is 49% above, Aguascalientes is 17% below.

Currency
🍽 Eating Out
Montreal
Aguascalientes
Difference
Meal at Budget Restaurant
$19.31 CA$27.52
$12.50 MX$229
54.48%
Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range
$75.5 CA$108
$44.72 MX$821
68.83%
Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)
$10.63 CA$15.15
$7.00 MX$129
51.86%
Cappuccino
$3.93 CA$5.60
$3.86 MX$70.9
1.81%
Coke/Pepsi/Fanta/Sprite (0.33 liter bottle)
$1.92 CA$2.73
$1.64 MX$30.09
17.07%
Water (0.33 liter bottle)
$1.48 CA$2.11
$1.21 MX$22.21
22.31%
Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)
$6.30 CA$8.98
$2.18 MX$40.03
188.99%
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$7.19 CA$10.24
$3.26 MX$59.8
120.55%
🛒 Groceries & Markets
Montreal
Aguascalientes
Difference
Milk (1 liter)
$2.22 CA$3.17
$1.47 MX$26.98
51.02%
White Bread (500g)
$3.06 CA$4.36
$2.22 MX$40.72
37.84%
Rice (white) (1kg)
$2.94 CA$4.19
$1.56 MX$28.69
88.46%
Eggs
$3.53 CA$5.03
$2.45 MX$45.02
44.08%
Local Cheese (1kg)
$13.19 CA$18.79
$8.03 MX$147
64.26%
Chicken Fillets (1kg)
$11.24 CA$16.02
$8.61 MX$158
30.55%
Beef Round Steak (1kg)
$13.81 CA$19.69
$11.47 MX$211
20.40%
Apples (1kg)
$3.40 CA$4.85
$2.32 MX$42.51
46.55%
Banana (1kg)
$1.44 CA$2.06
$1.33 MX$24.38
8.27%
Oranges (1kg)
$3.26 CA$4.65
$1.54 MX$28.29
111.69%
Tomato (1kg)
$2.88 CA$4.10
$1.76 MX$32.37
63.64%
Potato (1kg)
$1.86 CA$2.65
$1.62 MX$29.66
14.81%
Onion (1kg)
$1.82 CA$2.60
$1.36 MX$25.03
33.82%
Lettuce (1 head)
$2.43 CA$3.46
$0.99 MX$18.21
145.45%
Water (1.5 liter bottle)
$1.52 CA$2.17
$0.83 MX$15.18
83.13%
Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)
$11.45 CA$16.32
$4.38 MX$80.4
161.42%
Wine (Bottle)
$10.36 CA$14.76
$8.88 MX$163
16.67%
Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)
$2.22 CA$3.16
$1.81 MX$33.32
22.65%
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$2.82 CA$4.02
$3.42 MX$62.8
-17.54%
🚌 Getting Around
Montreal
Aguascalientes
Difference
One-way Ticket (Public Transport)
$2.58 CA$3.67
$0.59 MX$10.78
337.29%
Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)
$76.9 CA$110
$24.33 MX$447
216.03%
Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)
$3.25 CA$4.64
$1.22 MX$22.36
166.39%
Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)
$1.48 CA$2.11
$1.16 MX$21.37
27.59%
Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)
$33.04 CA$47.09
$10.96 MX$201
201.46%
Gasoline (1 liter)
$1.36 CA$1.94
$1.54 MX$28.21
-11.69%
Midsize Hatchback 1.4l (Volkswagen Golf, Toyota Prius, Honda Civic, etc)
$27.4K CA$39.1K
$21.7K MX$397.6K
26.66%
Compact Sedan 1.6l (Toyota Corolla, Mazda3, Kia K4, Hyundai Elantra, etc)
$20.0K CA$28.5K
$23.9K MX$438.9K
-16.43%
🧾 Monthly Utilities & Internet
Montreal
Aguascalientes
Difference
Utilities for 2 People in 2-bedroom Apartment (Heating, Electricity, Gas, Water, Garbage) (85m2)
$76.1 CA$109
$55.6 MX$1,021
36.93%
SIM Card Monthly Plan (Calls and 10GB+ Data)
$34.68 CA$49.43
$24.71 MX$454
40.35%
Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)
$42.69 CA$60.9
$24.50 MX$450
74.24%
🎉 Sport & Entertainment
Montreal
Aguascalientes
Difference
Gym Membership (Monthly)
$28.94 CA$41.26
$31.42 MX$577
-7.89%
Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)
$20.33 CA$28.97
$22.39 MX$411
-9.20%
Cinema Ticket
$11.21 CA$15.98
$5.16 MX$94.7
117.25%
🧸 Childcare & Education
Montreal
Aguascalientes
Difference
Preschool or Kindergarten, Full Day, Private, 1 Child (Monthly)
$505 CA$720
$220 MX$4,039
129.62%
International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)
$16.0K CA$22.8K
$2,916 MX$53.5K
449.00%
👕👟 Clothing & Footwear
Montreal
Aguascalientes
Difference
Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)
$58.5 CA$83.4
$55.6 MX$1,021
5.18%
Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)
$38.00 CA$54.2
$37.98 MX$697
0.05%
Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)
$92.7 CA$132
$104 MX$1,916
-11.16%
Men's Leather Business Shoes
$106 CA$151
$69.9 MX$1,284
51.31%
🏠 Accommodation & Living
Montreal
Aguascalientes
Difference
1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$1,240 CA$1,768
$516 MX$9,475
140.29%
1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$986 CA$1,405
$361 MX$6,620
173.45%
3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$2,102 CA$2,996
$810 MX$14.9K
159.40%
3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$1,615 CA$2,302
$642 MX$11.8K
151.36%
Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)
$5,043 CA$7,188
$1,183 MX$21.7K
326.35%
Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)
$3,830 CA$5,459
$1,176 MX$21.6K
225.64%
💵 Salaries & Financials
Montreal
Aguascalientes
Difference
Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)
$2,920 CA$4,163
$884 MX$16.2K
230.25%
20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)
4.46
11.2
-60.18%

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

Last update for Montreal: October 6, 2026

Last update for Aguascalientes: October 5, 2026

Monthly budget structure
Share of the monthly basket for one person, rent included.
Accommodation & Living
Montreal
$986
Aguascalientes
$361 63.4% $625
Groceries & Markets
Montreal
$344
Aguascalientes
$244 29% $99
Eating Out
Montreal
$293
Aguascalientes
$196 33% $97
Monthly Utilities & Internet
Montreal
$154
Aguascalientes
$105 31.7% $49
Clothing & Footwear
Montreal
$133
Aguascalientes
$121 9.2% $12
Getting Around
Montreal
$98
Aguascalientes
$34 65.5% $64
Sport & Entertainment
Montreal
$51
Aguascalientes
$42 18.7% $9.6

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,240 in Montreal and $516 in Aguascalientes. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Montreal pays 230% more on average. The extra income cushions the higher costs, though housing choices and lifestyle decide how much of the gap is truly closed.

Dining out: $75.0 in Montreal vs $45.00 in Aguascalientes for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $344 vs $244 per month, with Aguascalientes cheaper across the board.

Good to know
🇨🇦 Montreal
🇲🇽 Aguascalientes
🕒 Local time
04:18 4:18 AM
02:18 2:18 AM
2 h behind Montreal
🌤 Weather
👥 Population
1,762,949
863,893
💱 Currency
Exchange rates and currency converter

MXN, USD, EUR to CAD – Canadian Dollar Converter

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).

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).

On the map
Between locations
  • Montreal Aguascalientes 3,700 km ≈ 5 h nonstop flight
From you
  • Montreal
  • Aguascalientes

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
Montreal vs Aguascalientes: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions
Is Aguascalientes cheaper than Montreal?
Aguascalientes is cheaper overall, especially in groceries, eating out, and clothing. The 80% gap adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.
Where can you earn more: Montreal or Aguascalientes?
Average pay runs 230% higher in Montreal, which matters when comparing affordability. Whether that higher income actually nets you more depends on your spending habits and housing choices.
What is the rent difference between Montreal and Aguascalientes?
Rent for a central apartment: $1,240 in Montreal versus $516 in Aguascalientes. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.
Which city has cheaper public transport?
A monthly transit pass in Aguascalientes runs roughly 216% less than in Montreal. Both cities have functional networks, but the price difference matters if you're watching your budget.
Which city has cheaper kindergarten?
Childcare runs $505 in Montreal versus $220 in Aguascalientes. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.
Is $1,500 a realistic budget for living in Montreal or in Aguascalientes?
At $1,113 in Aguascalientes versus $2,003 in Montreal, a $1,500 budget is realistic in Aguascalientes but tight or insufficient in Montreal. The gap between the two cities makes Aguascalientes the clear choice for anyone on this budget.
Is Montreal or Aguascalientes more family-friendly?
For families, Aguascalientes is more practical. Housing and childcare are both notably cheaper than in Montreal, and the savings on those two alone free up budget for education, activities, and family trips.
Which city is safer, Montreal or Aguascalientes?
Safety-wise, Montreal and Aguascalientes are on par. Petty crime is typical for cities this size, and most residents feel comfortable going about their daily routines in either place.
Which city is easier to live in as a foreigner?
Expats usually find Aguascalientes gentler on the wallet – expenses run 80% less than in Montreal. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.

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