Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Montreal and Ciudad Lerdo

For one person, living is cheaper in Ciudad Lerdo: $831 a month against $2,059 in Montreal, rent and utilities included – about $14,700 less a year. Rent and utilities account for about half of the difference.

Montreal
🇨🇦 Canada
$2,059
/mo nomad
Ciudad Lerdo
🇲🇽 Mexico
$831
/mo nomad
Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Montreal and in Ciudad Lerdo

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $2,059 in Montreal versus $831 in Ciudad Lerdo.

  • Montreal $2,059
  • Ciudad Lerdo $831

Estimated couple costs with rent: $3,123 in Montreal versus $1,327 in Ciudad Lerdo.

  • Montreal $3,123
  • Ciudad Lerdo $1,327

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $4,187 in Montreal versus $1,823 in Ciudad Lerdo.

  • Montreal $4,187
  • Ciudad Lerdo $1,823

Living in Montreal is roughly 148% more expensive than in Ciudad Lerdo, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

The two cities straddle the global median: Montreal is 52% above, Ciudad Lerdo is 39% below.

Currency
🍽 Eating Out
Montreal
Ciudad Lerdo
Difference
Meal at Budget Restaurant
$18.84 CA$26.63
$5.54 MX$102
240.07%
Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range
$73.2 CA$104
$26.39 MX$488
177.45%
Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)
$10.54 CA$14.90
$6.67 MX$123
58.02%
Cappuccino
$3.97 CA$5.61
$1.61 MX$29.70
146.58%
Coke/Pepsi/Fanta/Sprite (0.33 liter bottle)
$1.94 CA$2.74
$0.79 MX$14.66
145.57%
Water (0.33 liter bottle)
$1.57 CA$2.22
$0.56 MX$10.43
180.36%
Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)
$6.42 CA$9.08
$1.41 MX$26.01
355.32%
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$7.20 CA$10.19
$2.76 MX$50.9
160.87%
🛒 Groceries & Markets
Montreal
Ciudad Lerdo
Difference
Milk (1 liter)
$2.32 CA$3.28
$1.08 MX$19.95
114.81%
White Bread (500g)
$3.19 CA$4.51
$1.33 MX$24.63
139.85%
Rice (white) (1kg)
$3.19 CA$4.50
$1.07 MX$19.82
198.13%
Eggs
$3.68 CA$5.20
$1.61 MX$29.73
128.57%
Local Cheese (1kg)
$13.24 CA$18.72
$3.80 MX$70.3
248.42%
Chicken Fillets (1kg)
$11.69 CA$16.53
$3.86 MX$71.2
202.85%
Beef Round Steak (1kg)
$13.98 CA$19.76
$6.71 MX$124
108.35%
Apples (1kg)
$3.14 CA$4.44
$1.34 MX$24.67
134.33%
Banana (1kg)
$1.45 CA$2.05
$0.78 MX$14.40
85.90%
Oranges (1kg)
$3.38 CA$4.78
$0.80 MX$14.84
322.50%
Tomato (1kg)
$3.11 CA$4.40
$0.80 MX$14.77
288.75%
Potato (1kg)
$1.93 CA$2.72
$0.85 MX$15.76
127.06%
Onion (1kg)
$1.83 CA$2.58
$0.85 MX$15.71
115.29%
Lettuce (1 head)
$2.36 CA$3.34
$0.52 MX$9.68
353.85%
Water (1.5 liter bottle)
$1.50 CA$2.12
$0.68 MX$12.60
120.59%
Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)
$11.12 CA$15.73
$3.74 MX$69.1
197.33%
Wine (Bottle)
$10.60 CA$14.98
$6.62 MX$122
60.12%
Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)
$2.22 CA$3.14
$1.09 MX$20.06
103.67%
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$2.84 CA$4.01
$1.34 MX$24.74
111.94%
🚌 Getting Around
Montreal
Ciudad Lerdo
Difference
One-way Ticket (Public Transport)
$2.62 CA$3.71
$0.68 MX$12.58
285.29%
Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)
$79.1 CA$112
$13.78 MX$255
474.31%
Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)
$3.23 CA$4.56
$1.18 MX$21.83
173.73%
Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)
$1.48 CA$2.10
$1.92 MX$35.52
-22.92%
Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)
$32.22 CA$45.55
$5.51 MX$102
484.75%
Gasoline (1 liter)
$1.36 CA$1.92
$1.24 MX$22.84
9.68%
Midsize Hatchback 1.4l (Volkswagen Golf, Toyota Prius, Honda Civic, etc)
$27.6K CA$39.1K
$18.2K MX$336.1K
52.02%
Compact Sedan 1.6l (Toyota Corolla, Mazda3, Kia K4, Hyundai Elantra, etc)
$21.2K CA$30.0K
$21.0K MX$388.4K
0.83%
🧾 Monthly Utilities & Internet
Montreal
Ciudad Lerdo
Difference
Utilities for 2 People in 2-bedroom Apartment (Heating, Electricity, Gas, Water, Garbage) (85m2)
$77.0 CA$109
$32.65 MX$603
135.96%
SIM Card Monthly Plan (Calls and 10GB+ Data)
$34.14 CA$48.26
$13.57 MX$251
151.58%
Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)
$42.19 CA$59.7
$21.84 MX$404
93.18%
🎉 Sport & Entertainment
Montreal
Ciudad Lerdo
Difference
Gym Membership (Monthly)
$30.81 CA$43.56
$33.57 MX$620
-8.22%
Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)
$19.66 CA$27.79
$20.34 MX$376
-3.34%
Cinema Ticket
$11.47 CA$16.22
$3.92 MX$72.4
192.60%
🧸 Childcare & Education
Montreal
Ciudad Lerdo
Difference
Preschool or Kindergarten, Full Day, Private, 1 Child (Monthly)
$506 CA$716
$140 MX$2,580
262.52%
International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)
$16.2K CA$23.0K
$2,745 MX$50.7K
491.49%
👕👟 Clothing & Footwear
Montreal
Ciudad Lerdo
Difference
Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)
$57.3 CA$81.0
$27.70 MX$512
106.71%
Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)
$38.10 CA$53.9
$21.70 MX$401
75.58%
Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)
$91.9 CA$130
$55.5 MX$1,026
65.62%
Men's Leather Business Shoes
$110 CA$155
$43.18 MX$798
154.17%
🏠 Accommodation & Living
Montreal
Ciudad Lerdo
Difference
1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$1,237 CA$1,748
$615 MX$11.4K
101.04%
1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$977 CA$1,381
$385 MX$7,123
153.37%
3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$2,180 CA$3,082
$1,054 MX$19.5K
106.81%
3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$1,608 CA$2,273
$781 MX$14.4K
105.91%
Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)
$5,113 CA$7,228
$1,880 MX$34.7K
172.05%
Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)
$3,744 CA$5,293
$1,158 MX$21.4K
223.28%
💵 Salaries & Financials
Montreal
Ciudad Lerdo
Difference
Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)
$2,957 CA$4,180
$218 MX$4,036
1253.88%
20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)
4.48
10.53
-57.45%

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

Last update for Montreal: October 20, 2026

Last update for Ciudad Lerdo: October 20, 2026

Monthly budget structure
Share of the monthly basket for one person, rent included.
Accommodation & Living
Montreal
$977
Ciudad Lerdo
$385 60.5% $591
Groceries & Markets
Montreal
$351
Ciudad Lerdo
$140 60.1% $211
Eating Out
Montreal
$290
Ciudad Lerdo
$102 65% $189
Monthly Utilities & Internet
Montreal
$153
Ciudad Lerdo
$68 55.6% $85
Clothing & Footwear
Montreal
$134
Ciudad Lerdo
$67 50.1% $67
Getting Around
Montreal
$100
Ciudad Lerdo
$27 72.8% $73
Sport & Entertainment
Montreal
$54
Ciudad Lerdo
$41 23% $12

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,237 in Montreal and $615 in Ciudad Lerdo. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Montreal pays 1254% 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: $73.0 in Montreal vs $26.00 in Ciudad Lerdo for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $351 vs $140 per month, with Ciudad Lerdo cheaper across the board.

Good to know
🇨🇦 Montreal
🇲🇽 Ciudad Lerdo
🕒 Local time
10:46 10:46 AM
08:46 8:46 AM
2 h behind Montreal
🌤 Weather
👥 Population
1,762,949
96,243
💱 Currency
Exchange rates and currency converter

MXN, USD, EUR to CAD – Canadian Dollar Converter

Canadian Dollar exchange rates as of October 22, 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 22, 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 Ciudad Lerdo 3,470 km ≈ 4 h 45 min nonstop flight
From you
  • Montreal
  • Ciudad Lerdo

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 Ciudad Lerdo: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions
Which city is more expensive, Montreal or Ciudad Lerdo?
Ciudad Lerdo wins on cost – living expenses run 148% lower than in Montreal. Housing and daily spending are where you'll feel the difference most, making Ciudad Lerdo the obvious pick if budget is a priority.
Are salaries higher in Montreal or in Ciudad Lerdo?
Average pay runs 1254% higher in Montreal, which matters when comparing affordability. Whether that higher income actually nets you more depends on your spending habits and housing choices.
How much does a 1-bedroom apartment cost in Montreal compared to Ciudad Lerdo?
Rent for a central apartment: $1,237 in Montreal versus $615 in Ciudad Lerdo. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.
How expensive is transport in Montreal compared to Ciudad Lerdo?
A monthly transit pass in Ciudad Lerdo runs roughly 474% less than in Montreal. Both cities have functional networks, but the price difference matters if you're watching your budget.
How do childcare costs compare in Montreal and in Ciudad Lerdo?
Childcare runs $506 in Montreal versus $140 in Ciudad Lerdo. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.
Can you live on $1,000/month in Montreal or in Ciudad Lerdo?
At $831 in Ciudad Lerdo versus $2,059 in Montreal, a $1,000 budget is realistic in Ciudad Lerdo but tight or insufficient in Montreal. The gap between the two cities makes Ciudad Lerdo the clear choice for anyone on this budget.
Which city is better for digital nomads, Montreal or Ciudad Lerdo?
Both work as nomad bases, but Ciudad Lerdo delivers better value – similar infrastructure at $831 monthly. If stretching your runway or maximizing savings is the goal, the price difference makes Ciudad Lerdo hard to pass up.
How safe is Montreal compared to Ciudad Lerdo?
Safety-wise, Montreal and Ciudad Lerdo are on par. Petty crime is typical for cities this size, and most residents feel comfortable going about their daily routines in either place.
Which city is more affordable for expats?
Expats usually find Ciudad Lerdo gentler on the wallet – expenses run 148% less than in Montreal. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.

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