Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Montreal and Chihuahua

For one person, living is cheaper in Chihuahua: $1,235 a month against $2,003 in Montreal, rent and utilities included – about $9,200 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
61

Cost of Living Index in Chihuahua
Learn more

Chihuahua Living Index

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Montreal

🇨🇦 Canada

$2,003

/mo nomad

Chihuahua

🇲🇽 Mexico

$1,235

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Montreal and in Chihuahua

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

A single person spends $2,003 per month in Montreal vs $1,235 in Chihuahua, rent included.

Montreal $2,003
Chihuahua $1,235

A couple spends around $3,048 per month in Montreal vs $1,838 in Chihuahua, rent included.

Montreal $3,048
Chihuahua $1,838

A family of three spends $4,092 per month in Montreal vs $2,441 in Chihuahua, rent included.

Montreal $4,092
Chihuahua $2,441

Montreal costs about 62% more than Chihuahua, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

Montreal sits 49% above the global median, while Chihuahua is 8% below – they fall on opposite sides of the world average.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$19.31 CA$27.52

$10.89 MX$200

77.32%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$75.5 CA$108

$33.13 MX$608

127.89%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$10.63 CA$15.15

$11.03 MX$202

-3.63%

Cappuccino

$3.93 CA$5.60

$2.43 MX$44.60

61.73%

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

$1.92 CA$2.73

$1.23 MX$22.55

56.10%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.48 CA$2.11

$0.76 MX$13.90

94.74%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$6.30 CA$8.98

$2.42 MX$44.37

160.33%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$7.19 CA$10.24

$4.12 MX$75.6

74.51%

Milk (1 liter)

$2.22 CA$3.17

$1.65 MX$30.23

34.55%

White Bread (500g)

$3.06 CA$4.36

$3.27 MX$60.0

-6.42%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.94 CA$4.19

$2.13 MX$39.08

38.03%

Eggs

$3.53 CA$5.03

$2.58 MX$47.33

36.82%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$13.19 CA$18.79

$9.32 MX$171

41.52%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$11.24 CA$16.02

$6.99 MX$128

60.80%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$13.81 CA$19.69

$12.49 MX$229

10.57%

Apples (1kg)

$3.40 CA$4.85

$2.53 MX$46.42

34.39%

Banana (1kg)

$1.44 CA$2.06

$1.63 MX$29.85

-11.66%

Oranges (1kg)

$3.26 CA$4.65

$2.05 MX$37.63

59.02%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.88 CA$4.10

$2.90 MX$53.3

-0.69%

Potato (1kg)

$1.86 CA$2.65

$2.42 MX$44.47

-23.14%

Onion (1kg)

$1.82 CA$2.60

$2.65 MX$48.64

-31.32%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.43 CA$3.46

$1.35 MX$24.85

80.00%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.52 CA$2.17

$1.16 MX$21.33

31.03%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$11.45 CA$16.32

$4.51 MX$82.8

153.88%

Wine (Bottle)

$10.36 CA$14.76

$10.53 MX$193

-1.61%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.22 CA$3.16

$1.48 MX$27.09

50.00%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.82 CA$4.02

$2.90 MX$53.3

-2.76%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.58 CA$3.67

$0.57 MX$10.48

352.63%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$76.9 CA$110

$33.79 MX$620

127.55%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.25 CA$4.64

$2.72 MX$50.0

19.49%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.48 CA$2.11

$0.79 MX$14.42

87.34%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$33.04 CA$47.09

$10.03 MX$184

229.41%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.36 CA$1.94

$1.51 MX$27.69

-9.93%

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

$27.4K CA$39.1K

$21.3K MX$391.7K

28.56%

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

$20.0K CA$28.5K

$24.2K MX$444.2K

-17.43%

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

$76.1 CA$109

$83.2 MX$1,527

-8.48%

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

$34.68 CA$49.43

$21.01 MX$386

65.06%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$42.69 CA$60.9

$24.02 MX$441

77.73%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$28.94 CA$41.26

$28.14 MX$517

2.84%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$20.33 CA$28.97

Cinema Ticket

$11.21 CA$15.98

$4.89 MX$89.7

129.24%

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

$505 CA$720

$269 MX$4,939

87.75%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$16.0K CA$22.8K

$3,353 MX$61.6K

377.57%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$58.5 CA$83.4

$48.73 MX$895

20.05%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$38.00 CA$54.2

$25.25 MX$464

50.50%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$92.7 CA$132

$103 MX$1,893

-10.10%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$106 CA$151

$90.3 MX$1,657

17.21%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,240 CA$1,768

$605 MX$11.1K

105.01%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$986 CA$1,405

$463 MX$8,506

112.82%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,102 CA$2,996

$1,119 MX$20.6K

87.77%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,615 CA$2,302

$718 MX$13.2K

124.74%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$5,043 CA$7,188

$3,385 MX$62.1K

49.00%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$3,830 CA$5,459

$1,112 MX$20.4K

244.27%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$2,920 CA$4,163

$863 MX$15.8K

238.58%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

4.46

10.84

-58.86%

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

Last update for Montreal: October 6, 2026

Last update for Chihuahua: October 6, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Montreal

$986 47.9%

Chihuahua

$463 37.1% 53% $523

Groceries & Markets

Montreal

$344 16.7%

Chihuahua

$280 22.4% 18.6% $64

Eating Out

Montreal

$293 14.2%

Chihuahua

$178 14.2% 39.4% $115

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Montreal

$154 7.5%

Chihuahua

$128 10.3% 16.5% $25

Clothing & Footwear

Montreal

$133 6.5%

Chihuahua

$120 9.6% 9.4% $12

Getting Around

Montreal

$98 4.8%

Chihuahua

$43 3.4% 56.3% $55

Sport & Entertainment

Montreal

$51 2.5%

Chihuahua

$38 3% 26.2% $13

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $1,240 in Montreal versus $605 in Chihuahua. 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 239% 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 $33.00 in Chihuahua. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $344 vs $280 – making Chihuahua the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇨🇦 Montreal

🇲🇽 Chihuahua

🕒 Local time

10:20 10:20 AM

08:20 8:20 AM

2 h behind Montreal

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

1,762,949

925,762

💱 Currency

Canadian Dollar CAD $

Mexican Peso MXN $

📈 Exchange rate

1 CAD = 0.702 USD

1 CAD = 0.626 EUR

100 MXN = 5.45 USD

100 MXN = 4.86 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 = 1.43 CAD (1 CAD = 0.702 USD). 1 EUR = 1.6 CAD (1 CAD = 0.626 EUR).

Mexican Peso exchange rates as of October 10, 2026: 1 USD = 18.36 MXN (100 MXN = 5.45 USD). 1 EUR = 20.57 MXN (100 MXN = 4.86 EUR).

USD to CAD in detail →

On the map

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Between locations

Montreal Chihuahua 3,400 km ≈ 4 h 45 min nonstop flight

From you

Montreal
Chihuahua

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 Chihuahua: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Montreal costs about 62% more than Chihuahua, and outside of rent the gap comes mainly from eating out. That's enough to noticeably affect everyday spending and lifestyle for anyone choosing between the two.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $3,005 per month in Montreal and $1,852 in Chihuahua. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

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

Kindergarten costs $505 per month in Montreal and $269 in Chihuahua. For families with young kids, this one expense can tip the scales when choosing between the two cities.

Groceries cost about 23% more in Montreal, though it depends on what you buy. Local produce may be comparable; imported and premium items show the biggest price gap.

A $1,000 monthly budget goes further in Chihuahua, where all-in costs run around $1,235, than in Montreal at $2,003. In Chihuahua it covers expenses comfortably, while in Montreal it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.

For digital nomads, it depends on budget. Chihuahua costs $1,235 versus $2,003 in Montreal. Both have workable remote work infrastructure, but the cost gap matters when income varies month to month.

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 Chihuahua. 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.