Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Montreal and Cabo San Lucas, Baja California Sur

For one person, living is cheaper in Cabo San Lucas, Baja California Sur: $1,661 a month against $2,003 in Montreal, rent and utilities included – about $4,100 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
80

Cost of Living Index in Cabo San Lucas, Baja California Sur
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Cabo San Lucas, Baja California Sur Living Index

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Montreal

🇨🇦 Canada

$2,003

/mo nomad

Cabo San Lucas, Baja California Sur

🇲🇽 Mexico

$1,661

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Montreal and in Cabo San Lucas, Baja California Sur

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 Cabo San Lucas, Baja California Sur actually costs, broken down by who's living it.

A single person spends $2,003 per month in Montreal vs $1,661 in Cabo San Lucas, Baja California Sur, rent included.

Montreal $2,003
Cabo San Lucas, Baja California Sur $1,661

A couple spends around $3,048 per month in Montreal vs $2,454 in Cabo San Lucas, Baja California Sur, rent included.

Montreal $3,048
Cabo San Lucas, Baja California Sur $2,454

A family of three spends $4,092 per month in Montreal vs $3,248 in Cabo San Lucas, Baja California Sur, rent included.

Montreal $4,092
Cabo San Lucas, Baja California Sur $3,248

Montreal costs about 21% more than Cabo San Lucas, Baja California Sur, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

Both Montreal and Cabo San Lucas, Baja California Sur sit above the global median – Montreal by 49%, Cabo San Lucas, Baja California Sur by 24%.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$19.31 CA$27.46

$10.31 MX$188

87.29%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$75.5 CA$107

$50.6 MX$920

49.27%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$10.63 CA$15.11

$10.14 MX$185

4.83%

Cappuccino

$3.93 CA$5.58

$3.53 MX$64.2

11.33%

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

$1.92 CA$2.73

$1.49 MX$27.18

28.86%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.48 CA$2.11

$0.99 MX$17.99

49.49%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$6.30 CA$8.96

$2.51 MX$45.60

151.00%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$7.19 CA$10.22

$4.47 MX$81.3

60.85%

Milk (1 liter)

$2.22 CA$3.16

$1.77 MX$32.19

25.42%

White Bread (500g)

$3.06 CA$4.35

$3.18 MX$57.8

-3.77%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.94 CA$4.18

$2.56 MX$46.61

14.84%

Eggs

$3.53 CA$5.02

$2.35 MX$42.81

50.21%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$13.19 CA$18.76

$11.62 MX$211

13.51%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$11.24 CA$15.98

$10.11 MX$184

11.18%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$13.81 CA$19.65

$13.70 MX$249

0.80%

Apples (1kg)

$3.40 CA$4.84

$2.73 MX$49.60

24.54%

Banana (1kg)

$1.44 CA$2.05

$1.55 MX$28.14

-7.10%

Oranges (1kg)

$3.26 CA$4.64

$1.59 MX$28.97

105.03%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.88 CA$4.09

$1.73 MX$31.52

66.47%

Potato (1kg)

$1.86 CA$2.64

$1.26 MX$22.88

47.62%

Onion (1kg)

$1.82 CA$2.60

$1.85 MX$33.58

-1.62%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.43 CA$3.45

$2.77 MX$50.5

-12.27%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.52 CA$2.17

$1.27 MX$23.17

19.69%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$11.45 CA$16.29

$5.06 MX$92.1

126.28%

Wine (Bottle)

$10.36 CA$14.73

$11.19 MX$204

-7.42%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.22 CA$3.15

$1.49 MX$27.11

48.99%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.82 CA$4.01

$3.53 MX$64.2

-20.11%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.58 CA$3.66

$0.87 MX$15.83

196.55%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$76.9 CA$109

$53.2 MX$967

44.64%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.25 CA$4.63

$4.37 MX$79.4

-25.63%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.48 CA$2.11

$3.06 MX$55.6

-51.63%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$33.04 CA$46.99

$10.59 MX$193

211.99%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.36 CA$1.93

$1.46 MX$26.53

-6.85%

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

$27.4K CA$39.0K

$21.5K MX$390.4K

27.79%

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

$20.0K CA$28.4K

$24.4K MX$443.9K

-18.14%

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

$76.1 CA$108

$86.9 MX$1,580

-12.35%

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

$34.68 CA$49.32

$25.56 MX$465

35.68%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$42.69 CA$60.7

$32.06 MX$583

33.16%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$28.94 CA$41.17

$45.89 MX$835

-36.94%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$20.33 CA$28.91

$30.59 MX$557

-33.54%

Cinema Ticket

$11.21 CA$15.94

$4.24 MX$77.1

164.39%

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

$505 CA$718

$231 MX$4,207

118.39%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$16.0K CA$22.8K

$8,373 MX$152.3K

91.23%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$58.5 CA$83.2

$72.7 MX$1,323

-19.54%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$38.00 CA$54.1

$53.3 MX$970

-28.75%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$92.7 CA$132

$97.2 MX$1,768

-4.64%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$106 CA$150

$67.5 MX$1,229

56.62%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,240 CA$1,764

$1,197 MX$21.8K

3.63%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$986 CA$1,402

$758 MX$13.8K

30.01%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,102 CA$2,990

$2,543 MX$46.3K

-17.33%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,615 CA$2,297

$1,215 MX$22.1K

32.94%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$5,043 CA$7,173

$3,814 MX$69.4K

32.21%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$3,830 CA$5,447

$2,196 MX$39.9K

74.39%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$2,920 CA$4,154

$756 MX$13.8K

286.17%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

4.46

11.6

-61.55%

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

Last update for Montreal: October 6, 2026

Last update for Cabo San Lucas, Baja California Sur: October 5, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Montreal

$986 47.9%

Cabo San Lucas, Baja California Sur

$758 45.8% 23.1% $228

Groceries & Markets

Montreal

$344 16.7%

Cabo San Lucas, Baja California Sur

$304 18.4% 11.4% $39

Eating Out

Montreal

$293 14.2%

Cabo San Lucas, Baja California Sur

$187 11.3% 36.3% $106

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Montreal

$154 7.5%

Cabo San Lucas, Baja California Sur

$144 8.7% 5.9% $9

Clothing & Footwear

Montreal

$133 6.5%

Cabo San Lucas, Baja California Sur

$131 7.9% 1.4% $1.9

Getting Around

Montreal

$98 4.8%

Cabo San Lucas, Baja California Sur

$76 4.6% 22% $22

Sport & Entertainment

Montreal

$51 2.5%

Cabo San Lucas, Baja California Sur

$54 3.3% 5.9% $3

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $1,240 in Montreal versus $1,197 in Cabo San Lucas, Baja California Sur. 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 286% 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 $75.0 in Montreal versus $51.0 in Cabo San Lucas, Baja California Sur. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $344 vs $304 – making Cabo San Lucas, Baja California Sur the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇨🇦 Montreal

🇲🇽 Cabo San Lucas, Baja California Sur

🕒 Local time

05:59 5:59 AM

02:59 2:59 AM

3 h behind Montreal

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

1,762,949

202,694

💱 Currency

Canadian Dollar CAD $

Mexican Peso MXN $

📈 Exchange rate

1 CAD = 0.703 USD

1 CAD = 0.627 EUR

100 MXN = 5.5 USD

100 MXN = 4.91 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 10, 2026: 1 USD = 1.42 CAD (1 CAD = 0.703 USD). 1 EUR = 1.59 CAD (1 CAD = 0.627 EUR).

Mexican Peso exchange rates as of October 10, 2026: 1 USD = 18.19 MXN (100 MXN = 5.5 USD). 1 EUR = 20.38 MXN (100 MXN = 4.91 EUR).

USD to CAD in detail →

On the map

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Between locations

Montreal Cabo San Lucas, Baja California Sur 4,130 km ≈ 6 h nonstop flight

From you

Montreal
Cabo San Lucas, Baja California Sur

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 Cabo San Lucas, Baja California Sur: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Yes – Montreal is pricier by about 21%, and outside of rent the gap shows up most in eating out.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $3,005 per month in Montreal and $2,491 in Cabo San Lucas, Baja California Sur. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

Rent is clearly cheaper in Cabo San Lucas, Baja California Sur, especially for central apartments. Housing is actually the single biggest factor behind the overall cost gap between these two cities.

Public transport costs about 45% less in Cabo San Lucas, Baja California Sur. For daily commuters, that gap adds up to noticeable savings over a year.

Kindergarten costs $505 per month in Montreal and $231 in Cabo San Lucas, Baja California Sur. For families with young kids, this one expense can tip the scales when choosing between the two cities.

A $2,500 monthly budget goes further in Cabo San Lucas, Baja California Sur, where all-in costs run around $1,661, than in Montreal at $2,003. In Cabo San Lucas, Baja California Sur it covers expenses comfortably, while in Montreal it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.

Families tend to lean toward Cabo San Lucas, Baja California Sur – 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 Cabo San Lucas, Baja California Sur. 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.