Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Montreal and Cuernavaca

For one person, living is cheaper in Cuernavaca: $1,011 a month against $2,018 in Montreal, rent and utilities included – about $12,100 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
49

Cost of Living Index in Cuernavaca
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Cuernavaca Living Index

Jump to prices

Montreal

🇨🇦 Canada

$2,018

/mo nomad

Cuernavaca

🇲🇽 Mexico

$1,011

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Montreal and in Cuernavaca

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $2,018 in Montreal versus $1,011 in Cuernavaca.

Montreal $2,018
Cuernavaca $1,011

Estimated couple costs with rent: $3,085 in Montreal versus $1,692 in Cuernavaca.

Montreal $3,085
Cuernavaca $1,692

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $4,152 in Montreal versus $2,373 in Cuernavaca.

Montreal $4,152
Cuernavaca $2,373

Living in Montreal is roughly 100% more expensive than in Cuernavaca, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

The two cities straddle the global median: Montreal is 49% above, Cuernavaca is 25% below.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$18.82 CA$26.61

$8.05 MX$149

133.79%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$70.3 CA$99.4

$38.27 MX$707

83.67%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$10.66 CA$15.06

$7.24 MX$134

47.24%

Cappuccino

$3.84 CA$5.43

$2.43 MX$44.98

58.02%

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

$1.92 CA$2.71

$1.27 MX$23.43

51.18%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.54 CA$2.18

$0.63 MX$11.60

144.44%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$6.23 CA$8.81

$2.50 MX$46.29

149.20%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$7.10 CA$10.03

$3.26 MX$60.3

117.79%

Milk (1 liter)

$2.31 CA$3.27

$1.70 MX$31.33

35.88%

White Bread (500g)

$3.14 CA$4.44

$2.21 MX$40.92

42.08%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$3.21 CA$4.54

$1.44 MX$26.52

122.92%

Eggs

$3.52 CA$4.97

$1.92 MX$35.49

83.33%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$12.81 CA$18.11

$8.08 MX$149

58.54%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$11.46 CA$16.20

$4.89 MX$90.4

134.36%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$13.39 CA$18.92

$13.78 MX$255

-2.83%

Apples (1kg)

$3.14 CA$4.43

$2.23 MX$41.24

40.81%

Banana (1kg)

$1.44 CA$2.03

$1.35 MX$25.02

6.67%

Oranges (1kg)

$3.47 CA$4.91

$2.17 MX$40.07

59.91%

Tomato (1kg)

$3.07 CA$4.34

$1.67 MX$30.92

83.83%

Potato (1kg)

$1.90 CA$2.69

$1.71 MX$31.62

11.11%

Onion (1kg)

$1.77 CA$2.50

$1.74 MX$32.06

1.72%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.34 CA$3.31

$1.53 MX$28.25

52.94%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.55 CA$2.19

$0.91 MX$16.78

70.33%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$11.38 CA$16.09

$4.39 MX$81.2

159.23%

Wine (Bottle)

$10.63 CA$15.03

$8.15 MX$151

30.43%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.27 CA$3.21

$1.22 MX$22.55

86.07%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.82 CA$3.99

$3.32 MX$61.4

-15.06%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.66 CA$3.76

$0.57 MX$10.51

366.67%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$77.3 CA$109

$27.69 MX$512

179.13%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.20 CA$4.53

$1.90 MX$35.20

68.42%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.48 CA$2.09

$2.63 MX$48.52

-43.73%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$32.88 CA$46.48

$10.93 MX$202

200.82%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.34 CA$1.90

$1.42 MX$26.26

-5.63%

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

$28.2K CA$39.8K

$21.0K MX$387.9K

34.12%

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

$19.6K CA$27.8K

$24.1K MX$444.6K

-18.42%

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

$76.0 CA$107

$57.3 MX$1,059

32.61%

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

$33.95 CA$48.00

$18.78 MX$347

80.78%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$42.31 CA$59.8

$25.19 MX$465

67.96%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$29.76 CA$42.07

$25.75 MX$476

15.57%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$20.28 CA$28.67

Cinema Ticket

$11.15 CA$15.77

$5.44 MX$100

104.96%

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

$507 CA$717

$217 MX$4,018

133.22%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$16.1K CA$22.7K

$5,075 MX$93.8K

216.24%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$57.6 CA$81.4

$41.29 MX$763

39.38%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$37.58 CA$53.1

$33.18 MX$613

13.26%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$91.9 CA$130

$93.0 MX$1,719

-1.20%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$110 CA$155

$99.1 MX$1,832

10.55%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,260 CA$1,782

$385 MX$7,110

227.61%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$948 CA$1,340

$332 MX$6,140

185.17%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,137 CA$3,021

$957 MX$17.7K

123.30%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,614 CA$2,281

$804 MX$14.9K

100.64%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$4,960 CA$7,011

$870 MX$16.1K

470.20%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$3,838 CA$5,425

$606 MX$11.2K

533.22%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$2,827 CA$3,997

$649 MX$12.0K

335.39%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

4.48

11.4

-60.70%

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

Last update for Montreal: October 12, 2026

Last update for Cuernavaca: October 12, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Montreal

$948 47%

Cuernavaca

$332 32.9% 64.9% $615

Groceries & Markets

Montreal

$346 17.2%

Cuernavaca

$234 23.1% 32.6% $113

Eating Out

Montreal

$288 14.3%

Cuernavaca

$142 14.1% 50.7% $146

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Montreal

$152 7.5%

Cuernavaca

$101 10% 33.5% $51

Clothing & Footwear

Montreal

$133 6.6%

Cuernavaca

$120 11.9% 10.1% $13

Getting Around

Montreal

$99 4.9%

Cuernavaca

$45 4.5% 54.3% $54

Sport & Entertainment

Montreal

$52 2.6%

Cuernavaca

$37 3.6% 29.7% $15

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,260 in Montreal and $385 in Cuernavaca. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Montreal pays 335% 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 $38.00 in Cuernavaca for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $346 vs $234 per month, with Cuernavaca cheaper across the board.

Good to know

🇨🇦 Montreal

🇲🇽 Cuernavaca

🕒 Local time

09:25 9:25 AM

07:25 7:25 AM

2 h behind Montreal

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

1,762,949

341,029

💱 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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Montreal Cuernavaca 3,780 km ≈ 5 h nonstop flight

From you

Montreal
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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 Cuernavaca: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Cuernavaca is cheaper overall, especially in groceries, eating out, and clothing. The 100% gap adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

Average pay runs 335% 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 $385 in Cuernavaca. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Supermarket bills run roughly 48% higher in Montreal. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

Dining out is cheaper in Cuernavaca – a meal for two runs $38.00 versus $70.0 in Montreal. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

At $1,011 in Cuernavaca versus $2,018 in Montreal, a $1,500 budget is realistic in Cuernavaca but tight or insufficient in Montreal. The gap between the two cities makes Cuernavaca the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

For families, Cuernavaca is more practical. Housing and childcare are both notably cheaper than in Montreal, and the savings on those two alone free up budget for education, activities, and family trips.

Safety-wise, Montreal and Cuernavaca 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 Cuernavaca gentler on the wallet – expenses run 100% less than in Montreal. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.