Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Montreal and Celaya

For one person, living is cheaper in Celaya: $921 a month against $2,018 in Montreal, rent and utilities included – about $13,200 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

99

Cost of Living Index in Montreal
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Montreal Living Index
45

Cost of Living Index in Celaya
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Celaya Living Index

Jump to prices

Montreal

🇨🇦 Canada

$2,018

/mo nomad

Celaya

🇲🇽 Mexico

$921

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Montreal and in Celaya

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $2,018 in Montreal versus $921 in Celaya.

Montreal $2,018
Celaya $921

Estimated couple costs with rent: $3,085 in Montreal versus $1,452 in Celaya.

Montreal $3,085
Celaya $1,452

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $4,152 in Montreal versus $1,982 in Celaya.

Montreal $4,152
Celaya $1,982

Living in Montreal is roughly 119% more expensive than in Celaya, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

The two cities straddle the global median: Montreal is 49% above, Celaya is 32% below.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$18.82 CA$26.61

$12.49 MX$231

50.68%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$70.3 CA$99.4

$44.05 MX$814

59.57%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$10.66 CA$15.06

$7.21 MX$133

47.85%

Cappuccino

$3.84 CA$5.43

$3.37 MX$62.3

13.95%

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

$1.92 CA$2.71

$1.23 MX$22.76

56.10%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.54 CA$2.18

$1.07 MX$19.84

43.93%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$6.23 CA$8.81

$2.14 MX$39.49

191.12%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$7.10 CA$10.03

$3.36 MX$62.1

111.31%

Milk (1 liter)

$2.31 CA$3.27

$1.44 MX$26.70

60.42%

White Bread (500g)

$3.14 CA$4.44

$2.26 MX$41.83

38.94%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$3.21 CA$4.54

$1.48 MX$27.29

116.89%

Eggs

$3.52 CA$4.97

$2.15 MX$39.71

63.72%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$12.81 CA$18.11

$7.93 MX$147

61.54%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$11.46 CA$16.20

$8.40 MX$155

36.43%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$13.39 CA$18.92

$11.30 MX$209

18.50%

Apples (1kg)

$3.14 CA$4.43

$2.29 MX$42.37

37.12%

Banana (1kg)

$1.44 CA$2.03

$1.12 MX$20.63

28.57%

Oranges (1kg)

$3.47 CA$4.91

$1.54 MX$28.53

125.32%

Tomato (1kg)

$3.07 CA$4.34

$1.08 MX$19.91

184.26%

Potato (1kg)

$1.90 CA$2.69

$1.56 MX$28.74

21.79%

Onion (1kg)

$1.77 CA$2.50

$1.39 MX$25.67

27.34%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.34 CA$3.31

$0.98 MX$18.12

138.78%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.55 CA$2.19

$0.80 MX$14.87

93.75%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$11.38 CA$16.09

$4.33 MX$80.0

162.82%

Wine (Bottle)

$10.63 CA$15.03

$8.72 MX$161

21.90%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.27 CA$3.21

$1.83 MX$33.89

24.04%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.82 CA$3.99

$3.40 MX$62.9

-17.06%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.66 CA$3.76

$0.63 MX$11.61

322.22%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$77.3 CA$109

$27.70 MX$512

179.03%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.20 CA$4.53

$1.20 MX$22.14

166.67%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.48 CA$2.09

$1.13 MX$20.95

30.97%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$32.88 CA$46.48

$10.77 MX$199

205.29%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.34 CA$1.90

$1.43 MX$26.33

-6.29%

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

$28.2K CA$39.8K

$21.5K MX$398.1K

30.66%

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

$19.6K CA$27.8K

$24.0K MX$444.0K

-18.31%

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

$76.0 CA$107

$37.60 MX$695

102.02%

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

$33.95 CA$48.00

$19.37 MX$358

75.27%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$42.31 CA$59.8

$19.55 MX$361

116.42%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$29.76 CA$42.07

$33.06 MX$611

-9.98%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$20.28 CA$28.67

$27.48 MX$508

-26.20%

Cinema Ticket

$11.15 CA$15.77

$5.13 MX$94.7

117.35%

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

$507 CA$717

$210 MX$3,873

141.96%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$16.1K CA$22.7K

$2,882 MX$53.3K

456.84%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$57.6 CA$81.4

$55.2 MX$1,019

4.33%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$37.58 CA$53.1

$38.02 MX$703

-1.16%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$91.9 CA$130

$103 MX$1,897

-10.47%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$110 CA$155

$70.9 MX$1,310

54.62%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,260 CA$1,782

$248 MX$4,588

407.72%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$948 CA$1,340

$220 MX$4,072

329.97%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,137 CA$3,021

$390 MX$7,208

447.85%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,614 CA$2,281

$283 MX$5,231

470.01%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$4,960 CA$7,011

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$3,838 CA$5,425

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$2,827 CA$3,997

$817 MX$15.1K

246.02%

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 Celaya: October 11, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Montreal

$948 47%

Celaya

$220 23.9% 76.7% $727

Groceries & Markets

Montreal

$346 17.2%

Celaya

$235 25.6% 32% $111

Eating Out

Montreal

$288 14.3%

Celaya

$189 20.5% 34.5% $99

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Montreal

$152 7.5%

Celaya

$77 8.3% 49.7% $76

Clothing & Footwear

Montreal

$133 6.6%

Celaya

$120 13% 10.1% $13

Getting Around

Montreal

$99 4.9%

Celaya

$37 4% 62.4% $61

Sport & Entertainment

Montreal

$52 2.6%

Celaya

$43 4.7% 16.8% $8.8

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,260 in Montreal and $248 in Celaya. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Montreal pays 246% 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: $70.0 in Montreal vs $44.00 in Celaya for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $346 vs $235 per month, with Celaya cheaper across the board.

Good to know

🇨🇦 Montreal

🇲🇽 Celaya

🕒 Local time

08:28 8:28 AM

06:28 6:28 AM

2 h behind Montreal

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

1,762,949

378,143

💱 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 →

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Between locations

Montreal Celaya 3,730 km ≈ 5 h nonstop flight

From you

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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 Celaya: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Montreal and Celaya differ by about 119% in total monthly costs ($2,018 vs $921 including rent). Celaya is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

Average pay runs 246% higher in Montreal, which matters when comparing affordability. Whether that higher income actually nets you more depends on your spending habits and housing choices.

Rent for a central apartment: $1,260 in Montreal versus $248 in Celaya. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Dining out is cheaper in Celaya – a meal for two runs $44.00 versus $70.0 in Montreal. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

All in, you'll spend $2,018 per month in Montreal versus $921 in Celaya – a 119% gap that adds up to real savings over time for anyone picking the cheaper option.

At $921 in Celaya versus $2,018 in Montreal, a $2,000 budget is realistic in Celaya but tight or insufficient in Montreal. The gap between the two cities makes Celaya the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

Both cities offer a good standard of living with different trade-offs. Neither is objectively better – the right pick depends on what matters most: affordability, career, cultural scene, or climate.

Safety-wise, Montreal and Celaya are on par. Petty crime is typical for cities this size, and most residents feel comfortable going about their daily routines in either place.

Expats usually find Celaya gentler on the wallet – expenses run 119% less than in Montreal. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.