Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Montreal and Cozumel

For one person, living is cheaper in Cozumel: $1,167 a month against $2,003 in Montreal, rent and utilities included – about $10,000 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
57

Cost of Living Index in Cozumel
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Cozumel Living Index

Jump to prices

Montreal

🇨🇦 Canada

$2,003

/mo nomad

Cozumel

🇲🇽 Mexico

$1,167

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Montreal and in Cozumel

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $2,003 in Montreal versus $1,167 in Cozumel.

Montreal $2,003
Cozumel $1,167

Estimated couple costs with rent: $3,048 in Montreal versus $1,884 in Cozumel.

Montreal $3,048
Cozumel $1,884

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $4,092 in Montreal versus $2,602 in Cozumel.

Montreal $4,092
Cozumel $2,602

Living in Montreal is roughly 72% more expensive than in Cozumel, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

The two cities straddle the global median: Montreal is 49% above, Cozumel is 13% below.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$19.31 CA$27.46

$8.71 MX$158

121.70%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$75.5 CA$107

$45.03 MX$819

67.67%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$10.63 CA$15.11

$8.23 MX$150

29.16%

Cappuccino

$3.93 CA$5.58

$2.79 MX$50.7

40.86%

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

$1.92 CA$2.73

$1.11 MX$20.20

72.97%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.48 CA$2.11

$1.02 MX$18.62

45.10%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$6.30 CA$8.96

$1.69 MX$30.74

272.78%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$7.19 CA$10.22

$3.17 MX$57.7

126.81%

Milk (1 liter)

$2.22 CA$3.16

$1.43 MX$26.05

55.24%

White Bread (500g)

$3.06 CA$4.35

$1.64 MX$29.92

86.59%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.94 CA$4.18

$1.76 MX$32.02

67.05%

Eggs

$3.53 CA$5.02

$1.89 MX$34.40

86.77%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$13.19 CA$18.76

$10.33 MX$188

27.69%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$11.24 CA$15.98

$8.06 MX$147

39.45%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$13.81 CA$19.65

$12.85 MX$234

7.47%

Apples (1kg)

$3.40 CA$4.84

$2.47 MX$44.91

37.65%

Banana (1kg)

$1.44 CA$2.05

$1.40 MX$25.46

2.86%

Oranges (1kg)

$3.26 CA$4.64

$2.13 MX$38.71

53.05%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.88 CA$4.09

$1.53 MX$27.90

88.24%

Potato (1kg)

$1.86 CA$2.64

$2.24 MX$40.74

-16.96%

Onion (1kg)

$1.82 CA$2.60

$1.77 MX$32.13

2.82%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.43 CA$3.45

$1.46 MX$26.57

66.44%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.52 CA$2.17

$1.20 MX$21.83

26.67%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$11.45 CA$16.29

$4.43 MX$80.6

158.47%

Wine (Bottle)

$10.36 CA$14.73

$10.96 MX$199

-5.47%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.22 CA$3.15

$1.54 MX$27.97

44.16%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.82 CA$4.01

$2.57 MX$46.70

9.73%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.58 CA$3.66

$0.69 MX$12.47

273.91%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$76.9 CA$109

$67.2 MX$1,222

14.45%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.25 CA$4.63

$2.84 MX$51.6

14.44%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.48 CA$2.11

$1.97 MX$35.87

-24.87%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$33.04 CA$46.99

$9.29 MX$169

255.65%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.36 CA$1.93

$1.37 MX$24.88

-0.73%

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

$27.4K CA$39.0K

$20.5K MX$373.6K

33.54%

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

$20.0K CA$28.4K

$24.3K MX$442.7K

-17.92%

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

$76.1 CA$108

$59.7 MX$1,087

27.42%

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

$34.68 CA$49.32

$20.99 MX$382

65.22%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$42.69 CA$60.7

$22.26 MX$405

91.78%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$28.94 CA$41.17

$39.08 MX$711

-25.95%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$20.33 CA$28.91

$20.46 MX$372

-0.64%

Cinema Ticket

$11.21 CA$15.94

$6.13 MX$112

82.87%

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

$505 CA$718

$261 MX$4,745

93.65%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$16.0K CA$22.8K

$3,671 MX$66.8K

336.16%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$58.5 CA$83.2

$54.3 MX$988

7.73%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$38.00 CA$54.1

$54.2 MX$985

-29.84%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$92.7 CA$132

$104 MX$1,893

-10.93%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$106 CA$150

$84.7 MX$1,541

24.87%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,240 CA$1,764

$606 MX$11.0K

104.62%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$986 CA$1,402

$399 MX$7,259

147.06%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,102 CA$2,990

$1,619 MX$29.4K

29.87%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,615 CA$2,297

$767 MX$13.9K

110.57%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$5,043 CA$7,173

$1,922 MX$35.0K

162.35%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$3,830 CA$5,447

$1,163 MX$21.2K

229.18%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$2,920 CA$4,154

$662 MX$12.0K

341.12%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

4.46

11.64

-61.68%

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

Last update for Montreal: October 6, 2026

Last update for Cozumel: October 5, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Montreal

$986 47.9%

Cozumel

$399 33.9% 59.5% $587

Groceries & Markets

Montreal

$344 16.7%

Cozumel

$257 21.8% 25.1% $86

Eating Out

Montreal

$293 14.2%

Cozumel

$151 12.8% 48.4% $142

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Montreal

$154 7.5%

Cozumel

$103 8.7% 32.9% $51

Clothing & Footwear

Montreal

$133 6.5%

Cozumel

$134 11.4% 0.8% $1

Getting Around

Montreal

$98 4.8%

Cozumel

$83 7% 15.6% $15

Sport & Entertainment

Montreal

$51 2.5%

Cozumel

$51 4.4% 0% $0

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,240 in Montreal and $606 in Cozumel. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Montreal pays 341% 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: $75.0 in Montreal vs $45.00 in Cozumel for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $344 vs $257 per month, with Cozumel cheaper across the board.

Good to know

🇨🇦 Montreal

🇲🇽 Cozumel

🕒 Local time

03:46 3:46 AM

02:46 2:46 AM

1 h behind Montreal

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

1,762,949

77,236

💱 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 = 4.9 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 = 1.6 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 = 20.4 MXN (100 MXN = 4.9 EUR).

USD to CAD in detail →

On the map

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Between locations

Montreal Cozumel 3,040 km ≈ 4 h 15 min nonstop flight

From you

Montreal
Cozumel

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 Cozumel: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Montreal and Cozumel differ by about 72% in total monthly costs ($2,003 vs $1,167 including rent). Cozumel is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

Average pay runs 341% 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: $1,240 in Montreal versus $606 in Cozumel. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Supermarket bills run roughly 34% higher in Montreal. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

Dining out is cheaper in Cozumel – a meal for two runs $45.00 versus $75.0 in Montreal. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

At $1,167 in Cozumel versus $2,003 in Montreal, a $2,000 budget is realistic in Cozumel but tight or insufficient in Montreal. The gap between the two cities makes Cozumel 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 Cozumel 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 Cozumel gentler on the wallet – expenses run 72% less than in Montreal. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.