Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Montreal and Boca del Rio

For one person, living is cheaper in Boca del Rio: $1,202 a month against $2,018 in Montreal, rent and utilities included – about $9,800 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

Montreal
🇨🇦 Canada
$2,018
/mo nomad
Boca del Rio
🇲🇽 Mexico
$1,202
/mo nomad
Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Montreal and in Boca del Rio

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 Boca del Rio actually costs, broken down by who's living it.

A single person spends $2,018 per month in Montreal vs $1,202 in Boca del Rio, rent included.

  • Montreal $2,018
  • Boca del Rio $1,202

A couple spends around $3,085 per month in Montreal vs $1,891 in Boca del Rio, rent included.

  • Montreal $3,085
  • Boca del Rio $1,891

A family of three spends $4,152 per month in Montreal vs $2,581 in Boca del Rio, rent included.

  • Montreal $4,152
  • Boca del Rio $2,581

Montreal costs about 68% more than Boca del Rio, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

Montreal sits 49% above the global median, while Boca del Rio is 11% below – they fall on opposite sides of the world average.

Currency
🍽 Eating Out
Montreal
Boca del Rio
Difference
Meal at Budget Restaurant
$18.82 CA$26.61
$10.87 MX$201
73.14%
Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range
$70.3 CA$99.4
$44.56 MX$823
57.74%
Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)
$10.66 CA$15.06
$8.29 MX$153
28.59%
Cappuccino
$3.84 CA$5.43
$3.62 MX$66.9
6.08%
Coke/Pepsi/Fanta/Sprite (0.33 liter bottle)
$1.92 CA$2.71
$1.36 MX$25.20
41.18%
Water (0.33 liter bottle)
$1.54 CA$2.18
$1.00 MX$18.51
54.00%
Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)
$6.23 CA$8.81
$2.50 MX$46.27
149.20%
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$7.10 CA$10.03
$3.95 MX$73.0
79.75%
🛒 Groceries & Markets
Montreal
Boca del Rio
Difference
Milk (1 liter)
$2.31 CA$3.27
$1.42 MX$26.33
62.68%
White Bread (500g)
$3.14 CA$4.44
$2.60 MX$48.12
20.77%
Rice (white) (1kg)
$3.21 CA$4.54
$1.93 MX$35.61
66.32%
Eggs
$3.52 CA$4.97
$2.30 MX$42.58
53.04%
Local Cheese (1kg)
$12.81 CA$18.11
$8.14 MX$150
57.37%
Chicken Fillets (1kg)
$11.46 CA$16.20
$8.44 MX$156
35.78%
Beef Round Steak (1kg)
$13.39 CA$18.92
$13.02 MX$241
2.84%
Apples (1kg)
$3.14 CA$4.43
$3.11 MX$57.5
0.96%
Banana (1kg)
$1.44 CA$2.03
$1.78 MX$32.90
-19.10%
Oranges (1kg)
$3.47 CA$4.91
$1.90 MX$35.05
82.63%
Tomato (1kg)
$3.07 CA$4.34
$1.85 MX$34.19
65.95%
Potato (1kg)
$1.90 CA$2.69
$1.98 MX$36.63
-4.04%
Onion (1kg)
$1.77 CA$2.50
$1.78 MX$32.86
-0.56%
Lettuce (1 head)
$2.34 CA$3.31
$1.60 MX$29.63
46.25%
Water (1.5 liter bottle)
$1.55 CA$2.19
$1.00 MX$18.54
55.00%
Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)
$11.38 CA$16.09
$4.02 MX$74.4
183.08%
Wine (Bottle)
$10.63 CA$15.03
$9.71 MX$179
9.47%
Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)
$2.27 CA$3.21
$1.60 MX$29.60
41.87%
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$2.82 CA$3.99
$3.57 MX$65.9
-21.01%
🚌 Getting Around
Montreal
Boca del Rio
Difference
One-way Ticket (Public Transport)
$2.66 CA$3.76
$0.68 MX$12.49
291.18%
Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)
$77.3 CA$109
-
-
Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)
$3.20 CA$4.53
$2.90 MX$53.7
10.34%
Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)
$1.48 CA$2.09
$1.85 MX$34.13
-20.00%
Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)
$32.88 CA$46.48
$11.13 MX$206
195.42%
Gasoline (1 liter)
$1.34 CA$1.90
$1.44 MX$26.52
-6.94%
Midsize Hatchback 1.4l (Volkswagen Golf, Toyota Prius, Honda Civic, etc)
$28.2K CA$39.8K
$20.3K MX$374.6K
38.88%
Compact Sedan 1.6l (Toyota Corolla, Mazda3, Kia K4, Hyundai Elantra, etc)
$19.6K CA$27.8K
$23.6K MX$435.6K
-16.72%
🧾 Monthly Utilities & Internet
Montreal
Boca del Rio
Difference
Utilities for 2 People in 2-bedroom Apartment (Heating, Electricity, Gas, Water, Garbage) (85m2)
$76.0 CA$107
$63.9 MX$1,182
18.80%
SIM Card Monthly Plan (Calls and 10GB+ Data)
$33.95 CA$48.00
$24.30 MX$449
39.71%
Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)
$42.31 CA$59.8
$31.42 MX$581
34.66%
🎉 Sport & Entertainment
Montreal
Boca del Rio
Difference
Gym Membership (Monthly)
$29.76 CA$42.07
$37.07 MX$685
-19.72%
Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)
$20.28 CA$28.67
$19.02 MX$352
6.62%
Cinema Ticket
$11.15 CA$15.77
$4.91 MX$90.8
127.09%
🧸 Childcare & Education
Montreal
Boca del Rio
Difference
Preschool or Kindergarten, Full Day, Private, 1 Child (Monthly)
$507 CA$717
$197 MX$3,634
157.85%
International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)
$16.1K CA$22.7K
$4,060 MX$75.0K
295.29%
👕👟 Clothing & Footwear
Montreal
Boca del Rio
Difference
Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)
$57.6 CA$81.4
$55.2 MX$1,020
4.28%
Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)
$37.58 CA$53.1
$38.00 MX$702
-1.11%
Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)
$91.9 CA$130
$98.8 MX$1,825
-6.95%
Men's Leather Business Shoes
$110 CA$155
$82.5 MX$1,525
32.81%
🏠 Accommodation & Living
Montreal
Boca del Rio
Difference
1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$1,260 CA$1,782
$533 MX$9,843
136.64%
1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$948 CA$1,340
$443 MX$8,194
113.69%
3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$2,137 CA$3,021
$1,031 MX$19.0K
107.34%
3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$1,614 CA$2,281
$802 MX$14.8K
101.09%
Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)
$4,960 CA$7,011
$1,660 MX$30.7K
198.75%
Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)
$3,838 CA$5,425
$1,026 MX$19.0K
273.94%
💵 Salaries & Financials
Montreal
Boca del Rio
Difference
Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)
$2,827 CA$3,997
-
-
20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)
4.48
11.3
-60.35%

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

Last update for Montreal: October 12, 2026

Last update for Boca del Rio: October 11, 2026

Monthly budget structure
Share of the monthly basket for one person, rent included.
Accommodation & Living
Montreal
$948
Boca del Rio
$443 53.2% $504
Groceries & Markets
Montreal
$346
Boca del Rio
$268 22.5% $78
Eating Out
Montreal
$288
Boca del Rio
$185 35.7% $103
Monthly Utilities & Internet
Montreal
$152
Boca del Rio
$120 21.4% $33
Clothing & Footwear
Montreal
$133
Boca del Rio
$124 7.5% $10
Getting Around
Montreal
$99
Boca del Rio
$15 * 84.9% $84
Sport & Entertainment
Montreal
$52
Boca del Rio
$47 9.9% $5.2

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 $533 in Boca del Rio. Rent is usually the largest line item in a monthly budget, so the gap here sets the tone for the overall comparison.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $70.0 in Montreal versus $45.00 in Boca del Rio. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $346 vs $268 – making Boca del Rio the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know
🇨🇦 Montreal
🇲🇽 Boca del Rio
🕒 Local time
14:35 2:35 PM
12:35 12:35 PM
2 h behind Montreal
🌤 Weather
👥 Population
1,762,949
💱 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 Boca del Rio 3,590 km ≈ 5 h nonstop flight
From you
  • Montreal
  • Boca del Rio

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 Boca del Rio: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions
How do living costs in Montreal and in Boca del Rio compare overall?
Monthly costs with rent: $2,018 in Montreal, $1,202 in Boca del Rio – roughly 68% apart. Outside of rent, the biggest gap is in eating out.
What salary covers living expenses in Montreal compared to Boca del Rio?
For a comfortable life, plan on about $3,027 per month in Montreal and $1,803 in Boca del Rio. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.
How do rents compare between Montreal and Boca del Rio?
Rent is clearly cheaper in Boca del Rio, especially for central apartments. Housing is actually the single biggest factor behind the overall cost gap between these two cities.
Which city is more expensive overall: Montreal or Boca del Rio?
Monthly expenses with rent come to $2,018 in Montreal and $1,202 in Boca del Rio. That's a gap of about 68%.
What is the difference in childcare costs between Montreal and Boca del Rio?
Kindergarten costs $507 per month in Montreal and $197 in Boca del Rio. For families with young kids, this one expense can tip the scales when choosing between the two cities.
Which city is more doable on $2,000 per month?
A $2,000 monthly budget goes further in Boca del Rio, where all-in costs run around $1,202, than in Montreal at $2,018. In Boca del Rio it covers expenses comfortably, while in Montreal it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.
How does quality of life compare between Montreal and Boca del Rio?
It depends on your priorities. Montreal has an edge in some lifestyle areas, with costs from $1,202 in Boca del Rio to $2,018 in Montreal. Climate, culture, job market, and personal taste all factor in.
Is Montreal or Boca del Rio safer for residents?
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.
How do I decide between Montreal and Boca del Rio?
If budget matters most, go with Boca del Rio. 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.

Montreal vs other spots: cost of living compared

Similar cities

Show times on the 12-hour clock, temperatures in °F and distances in miles?