Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Montreal and Ajijic

For one person, living is cheaper in Ajijic: $1,267 a month against $2,018 in Montreal, rent and utilities included – about $9,000 less a year. Other living expenses account for most of the difference.

99

Cost of Living Index in Montreal
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Montreal Living Index
62

Cost of Living Index in Ajijic
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Ajijic Living Index

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Montreal

🇨🇦 Canada

$2,018

/mo nomad

Ajijic

🇲🇽 Mexico

$1,267

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Montreal and in Ajijic

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

A single person spends $2,018 per month in Montreal vs $1,267 in Ajijic, rent included.

Montreal $2,018
Ajijic $1,267

A couple spends around $3,085 per month in Montreal vs $2,020 in Ajijic, rent included.

Montreal $3,085
Ajijic $2,020

A family of three spends $4,152 per month in Montreal vs $2,773 in Ajijic, rent included.

Montreal $4,152
Ajijic $2,773

Montreal costs about 59% more than Ajijic, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Montreal sits 49% above the global median, while Ajijic is 6% below – they fall on opposite sides of the world average.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$18.82 CA$26.61

$9.81 MX$181

91.85%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$70.3 CA$99.4

$43.69 MX$807

60.88%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$10.66 CA$15.06

$7.22 MX$133

47.65%

Cappuccino

$3.84 CA$5.43

$3.47 MX$64.1

10.66%

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

$1.92 CA$2.71

$1.60 MX$29.62

20.00%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.54 CA$2.18

$1.24 MX$22.92

24.19%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$6.23 CA$8.81

$2.24 MX$41.31

178.13%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$7.10 CA$10.03

$3.32 MX$61.4

113.86%

Milk (1 liter)

$2.31 CA$3.27

$1.49 MX$27.52

55.03%

White Bread (500g)

$3.14 CA$4.44

$2.24 MX$41.31

40.18%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$3.21 CA$4.54

$1.07 MX$19.78

200.00%

Eggs

$3.52 CA$4.97

$2.19 MX$40.54

60.73%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$12.81 CA$18.11

$7.84 MX$145

63.39%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$11.46 CA$16.20

$8.56 MX$158

33.88%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$13.39 CA$18.92

$7.21 MX$133

85.71%

Apples (1kg)

$3.14 CA$4.43

$2.30 MX$42.42

36.52%

Banana (1kg)

$1.44 CA$2.03

$1.32 MX$24.42

9.09%

Oranges (1kg)

$3.47 CA$4.91

$1.48 MX$27.42

134.46%

Tomato (1kg)

$3.07 CA$4.34

$1.71 MX$31.66

79.53%

Potato (1kg)

$1.90 CA$2.69

$1.60 MX$29.60

18.75%

Onion (1kg)

$1.77 CA$2.50

$1.38 MX$25.57

28.26%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.34 CA$3.31

$1.03 MX$19.03

127.18%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.55 CA$2.19

$0.84 MX$15.55

84.52%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$11.38 CA$16.09

$4.47 MX$82.7

154.59%

Wine (Bottle)

$10.63 CA$15.03

$8.92 MX$165

19.17%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.27 CA$3.21

$1.55 MX$28.60

46.45%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.82 CA$3.99

$1.39 MX$25.61

102.88%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.66 CA$3.76

$0.64 MX$11.84

315.63%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$77.3 CA$109

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.20 CA$4.53

$1.25 MX$23.18

156.00%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.48 CA$2.09

$4.40 MX$81.3

-66.36%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$32.88 CA$46.48

$11.00 MX$203

198.91%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.34 CA$1.90

$1.49 MX$27.50

-10.07%

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

$28.2K CA$39.8K

$20.9K MX$386.5K

34.59%

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

$19.6K CA$27.8K

$24.2K MX$447.2K

-18.90%

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

$76.0 CA$107

$55.9 MX$1,033

35.89%

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

$33.95 CA$48.00

$14.30 MX$264

137.41%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$42.31 CA$59.8

$24.07 MX$445

75.78%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$29.76 CA$42.07

$24.24 MX$448

22.77%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$20.28 CA$28.67

$5.42 MX$100

274.17%

Cinema Ticket

$11.15 CA$15.77

$4.78 MX$88.3

133.26%

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

$507 CA$717

$212 MX$3,922

138.92%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$16.1K CA$22.7K

$2,953 MX$54.6K

443.56%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$57.6 CA$81.4

$44.03 MX$814

30.71%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$37.58 CA$53.1

$16.71 MX$309

124.90%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$91.9 CA$130

$68.7 MX$1,270

33.73%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$110 CA$155

$69.6 MX$1,286

57.47%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,260 CA$1,782

$841 MX$15.5K

49.91%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$948 CA$1,340

$630 MX$11.6K

50.44%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,137 CA$3,021

$1,506 MX$27.8K

41.85%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,614 CA$2,281

$1,267 MX$23.4K

27.35%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$4,960 CA$7,011

$3,332 MX$61.6K

48.83%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$3,838 CA$5,425

$1,734 MX$32.0K

121.33%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$2,827 CA$3,997

$562 MX$10.4K

403.47%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

4.48

11.2

-60.00%

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

Last update for Montreal: October 12, 2026

Last update for Ajijic: October 12, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Montreal

$948 47%

Ajijic

$630 49.7% 33.5% $318

Groceries & Markets

Montreal

$346 17.2%

Ajijic

$222 17.6% 35.8% $124

Eating Out

Montreal

$288 14.3%

Ajijic

$171 13.5% 40.6% $117

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Montreal

$152 7.5%

Ajijic

$94 7.4% 38.1% $58

Clothing & Footwear

Montreal

$133 6.6%

Ajijic

$90 7.1% 32.9% $44

Getting Around

Montreal

$99 4.9%

Ajijic

$26 * 2% 73.8% $73

Sport & Entertainment

Montreal

$52 2.6%

Ajijic

$34 2.7% 35.1% $18

Categories marked with * are only partly priced – their share counts the items that do have prices.

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $1,260 in Montreal versus $841 in Ajijic. 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 403% 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 $70.0 in Montreal versus $44.00 in Ajijic. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $346 vs $222 – making Ajijic the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇨🇦 Montreal

🇲🇽 Ajijic

🕒 Local time

03:26 3:26 AM

01:26 1:26 AM

2 h behind Montreal

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

1,762,949

11,439

💱 Currency

Canadian Dollar CAD $

Mexican Peso MXN $

📈 Exchange rate

1 CAD = 0.707 USD

1 CAD = 0.629 EUR

100 MXN = 5.41 USD

100 MXN = 4.81 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

MXN, USD, EUR to CAD – Canadian Dollar Converter

🇺🇸 United States Dollar ($)

🇨🇦 Canadian Dollar ($)

Canadian Dollar exchange rates as of October 18, 2026: 1 USD = 1.41 CAD (1 CAD = 0.707 USD). 1 EUR = 1.59 CAD (1 CAD = 0.629 EUR).

Mexican Peso exchange rates as of October 18, 2026: 1 USD = 18.48 MXN (100 MXN = 5.41 USD). 1 EUR = 20.77 MXN (100 MXN = 4.81 EUR).

USD to CAD in detail →

On the map

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Between locations

Montreal Ajijic 3,900 km ≈ 5 h nonstop flight

From you

Montreal
Ajijic

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 Ajijic: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Yes – Montreal is pricier by about 59%, and outside of rent the gap shows up most in groceries.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $3,027 per month in Montreal and $1,900 in Ajijic. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

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

Monthly expenses with rent come to $2,018 in Montreal and $1,267 in Ajijic. That's a gap of about 59%.

Kindergarten costs $507 per month in Montreal and $212 in Ajijic. For families with young kids, this one expense can tip the scales when choosing between the two cities.

A $1,500 monthly budget goes further in Ajijic, where all-in costs run around $1,267, than in Montreal at $2,018. In Ajijic it covers expenses comfortably, while in Montreal it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.

Families tend to lean toward Ajijic – lower housing and cheaper childcare make a real difference, especially on a single income or when paying for private education.

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 Ajijic. 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.