Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Montreal and Cholula

For one person, living is cheaper in Cholula: $1,092 a month against $2,018 in Montreal, rent and utilities included – about $11,100 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

Montreal
🇨🇦 Canada
$2,018
/mo nomad
Cholula
🇲🇽 Mexico
$1,092
/mo nomad
Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Montreal and in Cholula

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

A single person spends $2,018 per month in Montreal vs $1,092 in Cholula, rent included.

  • Montreal $2,018
  • Cholula $1,092

A couple spends around $3,085 per month in Montreal vs $1,727 in Cholula, rent included.

  • Montreal $3,085
  • Cholula $1,727

A family of three spends $4,152 per month in Montreal vs $2,363 in Cholula, rent included.

  • Montreal $4,152
  • Cholula $2,363

Montreal costs about 85% more than Cholula, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

Montreal sits 49% above the global median, while Cholula is 19% below – they fall on opposite sides of the world average.

Currency
🍽 Eating Out
Montreal
Cholula
Difference
Meal at Budget Restaurant
$18.82 CA$26.61
$10.89 MX$201
72.82%
Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range
$70.3 CA$99.4
$48.62 MX$898
44.57%
Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)
$10.66 CA$15.06
$9.45 MX$175
12.80%
Cappuccino
$3.84 CA$5.43
$3.17 MX$58.7
21.14%
Coke/Pepsi/Fanta/Sprite (0.33 liter bottle)
$1.92 CA$2.71
$1.59 MX$29.38
20.75%
Water (0.33 liter bottle)
$1.54 CA$2.18
$1.19 MX$21.99
29.41%
Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)
$6.23 CA$8.81
$2.68 MX$49.45
132.46%
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$7.10 CA$10.03
$4.59 MX$84.8
54.68%
🛒 Groceries & Markets
Montreal
Cholula
Difference
Milk (1 liter)
$2.31 CA$3.27
$1.93 MX$35.73
19.69%
White Bread (500g)
$3.14 CA$4.44
$3.06 MX$56.6
2.61%
Rice (white) (1kg)
$3.21 CA$4.54
$1.84 MX$33.93
74.46%
Eggs
$3.52 CA$4.97
$2.77 MX$51.1
27.08%
Local Cheese (1kg)
$12.81 CA$18.11
$6.48 MX$120
97.69%
Chicken Fillets (1kg)
$11.46 CA$16.20
$5.46 MX$101
109.89%
Beef Round Steak (1kg)
$13.39 CA$18.92
$10.89 MX$201
22.96%
Apples (1kg)
$3.14 CA$4.43
$2.69 MX$49.74
16.73%
Banana (1kg)
$1.44 CA$2.03
$1.70 MX$31.44
-15.29%
Oranges (1kg)
$3.47 CA$4.91
$2.02 MX$37.37
71.78%
Tomato (1kg)
$3.07 CA$4.34
$1.89 MX$34.87
62.43%
Potato (1kg)
$1.90 CA$2.69
$1.85 MX$34.27
2.70%
Onion (1kg)
$1.77 CA$2.50
$1.81 MX$33.47
-2.21%
Lettuce (1 head)
$2.34 CA$3.31
$1.52 MX$28.04
53.95%
Water (1.5 liter bottle)
$1.55 CA$2.19
$1.18 MX$21.89
31.36%
Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)
$11.38 CA$16.09
$4.57 MX$84.5
149.02%
Wine (Bottle)
$10.63 CA$15.03
$13.43 MX$248
-20.85%
Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)
$2.27 CA$3.21
$1.46 MX$27.06
55.48%
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$2.82 CA$3.99
$2.56 MX$47.31
10.16%
🚌 Getting Around
Montreal
Cholula
Difference
One-way Ticket (Public Transport)
$2.66 CA$3.76
$0.49 MX$9.01
442.86%
Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)
$77.3 CA$109
$19.51 MX$361
296.16%
Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)
$3.20 CA$4.53
$3.49 MX$64.5
-8.31%
Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)
$1.48 CA$2.09
$2.66 MX$49.13
-44.36%
Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)
$32.88 CA$46.48
$15.63 MX$289
110.36%
Gasoline (1 liter)
$1.34 CA$1.90
$1.46 MX$26.92
-8.22%
Midsize Hatchback 1.4l (Volkswagen Golf, Toyota Prius, Honda Civic, etc)
$28.2K CA$39.8K
$21.3K MX$392.9K
32.39%
Compact Sedan 1.6l (Toyota Corolla, Mazda3, Kia K4, Hyundai Elantra, etc)
$19.6K CA$27.8K
$24.1K MX$445.6K
-18.59%
🧾 Monthly Utilities & Internet
Montreal
Cholula
Difference
Utilities for 2 People in 2-bedroom Apartment (Heating, Electricity, Gas, Water, Garbage) (85m2)
$76.0 CA$107
$58.7 MX$1,084
29.49%
SIM Card Monthly Plan (Calls and 10GB+ Data)
$33.95 CA$48.00
$19.03 MX$352
78.40%
Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)
$42.31 CA$59.8
$24.10 MX$445
75.56%
🎉 Sport & Entertainment
Montreal
Cholula
Difference
Gym Membership (Monthly)
$29.76 CA$42.07
$72.2 MX$1,335
-58.79%
Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)
$20.28 CA$28.67
$20.23 MX$374
0.25%
Cinema Ticket
$11.15 CA$15.77
$5.54 MX$102
101.26%
🧸 Childcare & Education
Montreal
Cholula
Difference
Preschool or Kindergarten, Full Day, Private, 1 Child (Monthly)
$507 CA$717
$270 MX$4,992
87.71%
International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)
$16.1K CA$22.7K
$4,569 MX$84.4K
251.28%
👕👟 Clothing & Footwear
Montreal
Cholula
Difference
Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)
$57.6 CA$81.4
$52.7 MX$973
9.24%
Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)
$37.58 CA$53.1
$44.40 MX$820
-15.36%
Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)
$91.9 CA$130
$104 MX$1,913
-11.24%
Men's Leather Business Shoes
$110 CA$155
$99.8 MX$1,845
9.76%
🏠 Accommodation & Living
Montreal
Cholula
Difference
1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$1,260 CA$1,782
$445 MX$8,227
183.12%
1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$948 CA$1,340
$288 MX$5,326
228.74%
3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$2,137 CA$3,021
$592 MX$10.9K
260.95%
3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$1,614 CA$2,281
$472 MX$8,723
241.82%
Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)
$4,960 CA$7,011
$1,907 MX$35.2K
160.09%
Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)
$3,838 CA$5,425
$1,132 MX$20.9K
239.15%
💵 Salaries & Financials
Montreal
Cholula
Difference
Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)
$2,827 CA$3,997
$832 MX$15.4K
240.02%
20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)
4.48
10.96
-59.12%

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

Last update for Montreal: October 12, 2026

Last update for Cholula: October 13, 2026

Monthly budget structure
Share of the monthly basket for one person, rent included.
Accommodation & Living
Montreal
$948
Cholula
$288 69.6% $659
Groceries & Markets
Montreal
$346
Cholula
$258 25.6% $89
Eating Out
Montreal
$288
Cholula
$187 35% $101
Monthly Utilities & Internet
Montreal
$152
Cholula
$102 33.1% $50
Clothing & Footwear
Montreal
$133
Cholula
$135 1.3% $1.7
Getting Around
Montreal
$99
Cholula
$38 61.2% $60
Sport & Entertainment
Montreal
$52
Cholula
$83 60% $31

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $1,260 in Montreal versus $445 in Cholula. 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 240% 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 $70.0 in Montreal versus $49.00 in Cholula. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $346 vs $258 – making Cholula the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know
🇨🇦 Montreal
🇲🇽 Cholula
🕒 Local time
08:26 8:26 AM
06:26 6:26 AM
2 h behind Montreal
🌤 Weather
👥 Population
1,762,949
908
💱 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 Cholula 3,720 km ≈ 5 h nonstop flight
From you
  • Montreal
  • Cholula

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 Cholula: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions
Which city is more expensive, Montreal or Cholula?
Montreal costs about 85% more than Cholula, 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.
How much do you need to earn to live comfortably in Montreal and in Cholula?
For a comfortable life, plan on about $3,027 per month in Montreal and $1,638 in Cholula. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.
Where is rent cheaper, Montreal or Cholula?
Rent is clearly cheaper in Cholula, especially for central apartments. Housing is actually the single biggest factor behind the overall cost gap between these two cities.
How do dining costs compare in Montreal and in Cholula?
A mid-range dinner for two costs $70.0 in Montreal and $49.00 in Cholula. That's a good indicator of the overall restaurant and café pricing gap between the two cities.
How much does it cost to live in Montreal compared to Cholula?
Monthly expenses with rent come to $2,018 in Montreal and $1,092 in Cholula. That's a gap of about 85%.
Can you live on $1,000/month in Montreal or in Cholula?
A $1,000 monthly budget goes further in Cholula, where all-in costs run around $1,092, than in Montreal at $2,018. In Cholula it covers expenses comfortably, while in Montreal it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.
Which city is better for digital nomads, Montreal or Cholula?
For digital nomads, it depends on budget. Cholula costs $1,092 versus $2,018 in Montreal. Both have workable remote work infrastructure, but the cost gap matters when income varies month to month.
How safe is Montreal compared to Cholula?
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.
Should I move to Montreal or to Cholula?
If budget matters most, go with Cholula. 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.

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