Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Montreal and Atotonilco el Alto

For one person, living is cheaper in Atotonilco el Alto: $1,253 a month against $2,018 in Montreal, rent and utilities included – about $9,200 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

Montreal
🇨🇦 Canada
$2,018
/mo nomad
Atotonilco el Alto
🇲🇽 Mexico
$1,253
/mo nomad
Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Montreal and in Atotonilco el Alto

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 Atotonilco el Alto actually costs, broken down by who's living it.

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $2,018 in Montreal versus $1,253 in Atotonilco el Alto.

  • Montreal $2,018
  • Atotonilco el Alto $1,253

Estimated couple costs with rent: $3,085 in Montreal versus $2,011 in Atotonilco el Alto.

  • Montreal $3,085
  • Atotonilco el Alto $2,011

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $4,152 in Montreal versus $2,770 in Atotonilco el Alto.

  • Montreal $4,152
  • Atotonilco el Alto $2,770

Living in Montreal is roughly 61% more expensive than in Atotonilco el Alto, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

The two cities straddle the global median: Montreal is 49% above, Atotonilco el Alto is 7% below.

Currency
🍽 Eating Out
Montreal
Atotonilco el Alto
Difference
Meal at Budget Restaurant
$18.82 CA$26.61
$11.18 MX$207
68.34%
Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range
$70.3 CA$99.4
$63.0 MX$1,164
11.59%
Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)
$10.66 CA$15.06
$9.61 MX$178
10.93%
Cappuccino
$3.84 CA$5.43
$3.67 MX$67.9
4.63%
Coke/Pepsi/Fanta/Sprite (0.33 liter bottle)
$1.92 CA$2.71
$1.62 MX$29.99
18.52%
Water (0.33 liter bottle)
$1.54 CA$2.18
$1.04 MX$19.18
48.08%
Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)
$6.23 CA$8.81
$3.22 MX$59.5
93.48%
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$7.10 CA$10.03
$5.42 MX$100
31.00%
🛒 Groceries & Markets
Montreal
Atotonilco el Alto
Difference
Milk (1 liter)
$2.31 CA$3.27
$1.93 MX$35.71
19.69%
White Bread (500g)
$3.14 CA$4.44
$2.79 MX$51.6
12.54%
Rice (white) (1kg)
$3.21 CA$4.54
$2.00 MX$37.00
60.50%
Eggs
$3.52 CA$4.97
$2.64 MX$48.75
33.33%
Local Cheese (1kg)
$12.81 CA$18.11
$8.82 MX$163
45.24%
Chicken Fillets (1kg)
$11.46 CA$16.20
$8.89 MX$164
28.91%
Beef Round Steak (1kg)
$13.39 CA$18.92
$13.93 MX$257
-3.88%
Apples (1kg)
$3.14 CA$4.43
$3.37 MX$62.3
-6.82%
Banana (1kg)
$1.44 CA$2.03
$1.59 MX$29.31
-9.43%
Oranges (1kg)
$3.47 CA$4.91
$2.16 MX$39.90
60.65%
Tomato (1kg)
$3.07 CA$4.34
$1.95 MX$36.07
57.44%
Potato (1kg)
$1.90 CA$2.69
$1.77 MX$32.76
7.34%
Onion (1kg)
$1.77 CA$2.50
$1.76 MX$32.44
0.57%
Lettuce (1 head)
$2.34 CA$3.31
$1.48 MX$27.36
58.11%
Water (1.5 liter bottle)
$1.55 CA$2.19
$1.19 MX$21.94
30.25%
Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)
$11.38 CA$16.09
$4.69 MX$86.7
142.64%
Wine (Bottle)
$10.63 CA$15.03
$17.90 MX$331
-40.61%
Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)
$2.27 CA$3.21
$2.18 MX$40.27
4.13%
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$2.82 CA$3.99
$4.00 MX$73.8
-29.50%
🚌 Getting Around
Montreal
Atotonilco el Alto
Difference
One-way Ticket (Public Transport)
$2.66 CA$3.76
$0.64 MX$11.75
315.63%
Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)
$77.3 CA$109
-
-
Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)
$3.20 CA$4.53
$3.39 MX$62.6
-5.60%
Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)
$1.48 CA$2.09
$2.67 MX$49.41
-44.57%
Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)
$32.88 CA$46.48
$11.15 MX$206
194.89%
Gasoline (1 liter)
$1.34 CA$1.90
$1.58 MX$29.15
-15.19%
Midsize Hatchback 1.4l (Volkswagen Golf, Toyota Prius, Honda Civic, etc)
$28.2K CA$39.8K
$21.6K MX$398.3K
30.63%
Compact Sedan 1.6l (Toyota Corolla, Mazda3, Kia K4, Hyundai Elantra, etc)
$19.6K CA$27.8K
$24.0K MX$443.1K
-18.13%
🧾 Monthly Utilities & Internet
Montreal
Atotonilco el Alto
Difference
Utilities for 2 People in 2-bedroom Apartment (Heating, Electricity, Gas, Water, Garbage) (85m2)
$76.0 CA$107
$57.6 MX$1,065
31.83%
SIM Card Monthly Plan (Calls and 10GB+ Data)
$33.95 CA$48.00
$26.59 MX$491
27.68%
Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)
$42.31 CA$59.8
$24.26 MX$448
74.40%
🎉 Sport & Entertainment
Montreal
Atotonilco el Alto
Difference
Gym Membership (Monthly)
$29.76 CA$42.07
$31.31 MX$579
-4.95%
Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)
$20.28 CA$28.67
$21.29 MX$393
-4.74%
Cinema Ticket
$11.15 CA$15.77
$7.32 MX$135
52.32%
🧸 Childcare & Education
Montreal
Atotonilco el Alto
Difference
Preschool or Kindergarten, Full Day, Private, 1 Child (Monthly)
$507 CA$717
$270 MX$4,997
87.52%
International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)
$16.1K CA$22.7K
$4,971 MX$91.9K
222.86%
👕👟 Clothing & Footwear
Montreal
Atotonilco el Alto
Difference
Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)
$57.6 CA$81.4
$53.6 MX$990
7.41%
Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)
$37.58 CA$53.1
$44.97 MX$831
-16.43%
Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)
$91.9 CA$130
$100.0 MX$1,848
-8.08%
Men's Leather Business Shoes
$110 CA$155
$98.8 MX$1,826
10.88%
🏠 Accommodation & Living
Montreal
Atotonilco el Alto
Difference
1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$1,260 CA$1,782
$565 MX$10.4K
123.27%
1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$948 CA$1,340
$438 MX$8,100
116.17%
3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$2,137 CA$3,021
$923 MX$17.1K
131.49%
3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$1,614 CA$2,281
$775 MX$14.3K
108.23%
Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)
$4,960 CA$7,011
$1,790 MX$33.1K
177.07%
Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)
$3,838 CA$5,425
$1,018 MX$18.8K
276.96%
💵 Salaries & Financials
Montreal
Atotonilco el Alto
Difference
Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)
$2,827 CA$3,997
-
-
20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)
4.48
11.99
-62.64%

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

Last update for Montreal: October 12, 2026

Last update for Atotonilco el Alto: October 10, 2026

Monthly budget structure
Share of the monthly basket for one person, rent included.
Accommodation & Living
Montreal
$948
Atotonilco el Alto
$438 53.7% $509
Groceries & Markets
Montreal
$346
Atotonilco el Alto
$307 11.4% $40
Eating Out
Montreal
$288
Atotonilco el Alto
$200 30.5% $88
Monthly Utilities & Internet
Montreal
$152
Atotonilco el Alto
$108 28.7% $44
Clothing & Footwear
Montreal
$133
Atotonilco el Alto
$134 0.3% $0.3
Getting Around
Montreal
$99
Atotonilco el Alto
$19 * 80.4% $79
Sport & Entertainment
Montreal
$52
Atotonilco el Alto
$46 11.7% $6.1

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

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,260 in Montreal and $565 in Atotonilco el Alto. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Dining out: $70.0 in Montreal vs $63.0 in Atotonilco el Alto for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $346 vs $307 per month, with Atotonilco el Alto cheaper across the board.

Good to know
🇨🇦 Montreal
🇲🇽 Atotonilco el Alto
🕒 Local time
22:05 10:05 PM
20:05 8:05 PM
2 h behind Montreal
🌤 Weather
👥 Population
1,762,949
26,874
💱 Currency
Exchange rates and currency converter

MXN, USD, EUR to CAD – Canadian Dollar Converter

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).

On the map
Between locations
  • Montreal Atotonilco el Alto 3,830 km ≈ 5 h nonstop flight
From you
  • Montreal
  • Atotonilco el Alto

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 Atotonilco el Alto: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions
Is Atotonilco el Alto cheaper than Montreal?
Atotonilco el Alto is cheaper overall, especially in groceries, eating out, and transport. The 61% gap adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.
What income do you need for each city?
You'd need roughly $3,027 in Montreal and $1,879 in Atotonilco el Alto to live well. The gap comes down to housing and overall price levels. Both cities are liveable on less, but these numbers represent actual comfort.
What is the rent difference between Montreal and Atotonilco el Alto?
Rent for a central apartment: $1,260 in Montreal versus $565 in Atotonilco el Alto. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.
Which city has cheaper kindergarten?
Childcare runs $507 in Montreal versus $270 in Atotonilco el Alto. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.
Is eating out cheaper in Montreal or in Atotonilco el Alto?
Dining out is cheaper in Atotonilco el Alto – a meal for two runs $63.0 versus $70.0 in Montreal. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.
Is $1,500 a realistic budget for living in Montreal or in Atotonilco el Alto?
At $1,253 in Atotonilco el Alto versus $2,018 in Montreal, a $1,500 budget is realistic in Atotonilco el Alto but tight or insufficient in Montreal. The gap between the two cities makes Atotonilco el Alto the clear choice for anyone on this budget.
Is Montreal or Atotonilco el Alto more family-friendly?
For families, Atotonilco el Alto 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 Atotonilco el Alto?
Safety-wise, Montreal and Atotonilco el Alto 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 Atotonilco el Alto gentler on the wallet – expenses run 61% less than in Montreal. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.

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