Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Montreal and Ensenada

For one person, living is cheaper in Ensenada: $1,077 a month against $2,003 in Montreal, rent and utilities included – about $11,100 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
53

Cost of Living Index in Ensenada
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Ensenada Living Index

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Montreal

🇨🇦 Canada

$2,003

/mo nomad

Ensenada

🇲🇽 Mexico

$1,077

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Montreal and in Ensenada

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $2,003 in Montreal versus $1,077 in Ensenada.

Montreal $2,003
Ensenada $1,077

Estimated couple costs with rent: $3,048 in Montreal versus $1,707 in Ensenada.

Montreal $3,048
Ensenada $1,707

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $4,092 in Montreal versus $2,336 in Ensenada.

Montreal $4,092
Ensenada $2,336

Living in Montreal is roughly 86% more expensive than in Ensenada, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

The two cities straddle the global median: Montreal is 49% above, Ensenada is 20% below.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$19.31 CA$27.52

$11.98 MX$220

61.19%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$75.5 CA$108

$34.40 MX$632

119.48%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$10.63 CA$15.15

$7.38 MX$136

44.04%

Cappuccino

$3.93 CA$5.60

$3.06 MX$56.2

28.43%

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

$1.92 CA$2.73

$1.18 MX$21.71

62.71%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.48 CA$2.11

$0.69 MX$12.67

114.49%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$6.30 CA$8.98

$2.84 MX$52.1

121.83%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$7.19 CA$10.24

$3.97 MX$73.0

81.11%

Milk (1 liter)

$2.22 CA$3.17

$1.76 MX$32.29

26.14%

White Bread (500g)

$3.06 CA$4.36

$2.63 MX$48.30

16.35%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.94 CA$4.19

$1.71 MX$31.40

71.93%

Eggs

$3.53 CA$5.03

$2.73 MX$50.0

29.30%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$13.19 CA$18.79

$8.54 MX$157

54.45%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$11.24 CA$16.02

$6.75 MX$124

66.52%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$13.81 CA$19.69

$10.39 MX$191

32.92%

Apples (1kg)

$3.40 CA$4.85

$2.17 MX$39.77

56.68%

Banana (1kg)

$1.44 CA$2.06

$1.64 MX$30.08

-12.20%

Oranges (1kg)

$3.26 CA$4.65

$1.82 MX$33.37

79.12%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.88 CA$4.10

$1.58 MX$29.05

82.28%

Potato (1kg)

$1.86 CA$2.65

$1.35 MX$24.73

37.78%

Onion (1kg)

$1.82 CA$2.60

$1.84 MX$33.72

-1.09%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.43 CA$3.46

$1.48 MX$27.09

64.19%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.52 CA$2.17

$1.04 MX$19.07

46.15%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$11.45 CA$16.32

$4.06 MX$74.5

182.02%

Wine (Bottle)

$10.36 CA$14.76

$13.45 MX$247

-22.97%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.22 CA$3.16

$1.81 MX$33.18

22.65%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.82 CA$4.02

$2.67 MX$49.04

5.62%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.58 CA$3.67

$0.87 MX$15.96

196.55%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$76.9 CA$110

$35.92 MX$659

114.06%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.25 CA$4.64

$2.97 MX$54.5

9.43%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.48 CA$2.11

$1.98 MX$36.37

-25.25%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$33.04 CA$47.09

$19.57 MX$359

68.83%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.36 CA$1.94

$1.37 MX$25.11

-0.73%

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

$27.4K CA$39.1K

$20.0K MX$367.4K

37.05%

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

$20.0K CA$28.5K

$24.6K MX$451.5K

-18.77%

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

$76.1 CA$109

$48.01 MX$882

58.55%

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

$34.68 CA$49.43

$32.03 MX$588

8.27%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$42.69 CA$60.9

$26.68 MX$490

60.01%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$28.94 CA$41.26

$30.95 MX$568

-6.49%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$20.33 CA$28.97

$11.17 MX$205

82.01%

Cinema Ticket

$11.21 CA$15.98

$4.65 MX$85.3

141.08%

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

$505 CA$720

$197 MX$3,615

156.50%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$16.0K CA$22.8K

$4,889 MX$89.8K

227.49%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$58.5 CA$83.4

$54.2 MX$994

8.01%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$38.00 CA$54.2

$44.13 MX$810

-13.89%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$92.7 CA$132

$103 MX$1,892

-10.05%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$106 CA$151

$57.9 MX$1,064

82.57%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,240 CA$1,768

$528 MX$9,700

134.71%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$986 CA$1,405

$333 MX$6,109

196.35%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,102 CA$2,996

$1,007 MX$18.5K

108.68%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,615 CA$2,302

$649 MX$11.9K

148.87%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$5,043 CA$7,188

$1,345 MX$24.7K

275.00%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$3,830 CA$5,459

$687 MX$12.6K

457.28%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$2,920 CA$4,163

$673 MX$12.4K

333.75%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

4.46

11.3

-60.53%

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

Last update for Montreal: October 6, 2026

Last update for Ensenada: October 6, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Montreal

$986 47.9%

Ensenada

$333 30.6% 66.3% $653

Groceries & Markets

Montreal

$344 16.7%

Ensenada

$255 23.5% 25.7% $88

Eating Out

Montreal

$293 14.2%

Ensenada

$184 16.9% 37% $109

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Montreal

$154 7.5%

Ensenada

$107 9.8% 30.5% $47

Clothing & Footwear

Montreal

$133 6.5%

Ensenada

$117 10.7% 12.1% $16

Getting Around

Montreal

$98 4.8%

Ensenada

$52 4.8% 46.6% $46

Sport & Entertainment

Montreal

$51 2.5%

Ensenada

$40 3.7% 21.7% $11

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,240 in Montreal and $528 in Ensenada. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Montreal pays 334% 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 $34.00 in Ensenada for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $344 vs $255 per month, with Ensenada cheaper across the board.

Good to know

🇨🇦 Montreal

🇲🇽 Ensenada

🕒 Local time

07:46 7:46 AM

04:46 4:46 AM

3 h behind Montreal

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

1,762,949

330,652

💱 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 →

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Montreal Ensenada 3,970 km ≈ 5 h nonstop flight

From you

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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 Ensenada: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Montreal and Ensenada differ by about 86% in total monthly costs ($2,003 vs $1,077 including rent). Ensenada is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

Average pay runs 334% 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 $528 in Ensenada. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

All in, you'll spend $2,003 per month in Montreal versus $1,077 in Ensenada – a 86% gap that adds up to real savings over time for anyone picking the cheaper option.

A monthly transit pass in Ensenada runs roughly 114% less than in Montreal. Both cities have functional networks, but the price difference matters if you're watching your budget.

At $1,077 in Ensenada versus $2,003 in Montreal, a $2,000 budget is realistic in Ensenada but tight or insufficient in Montreal. The gap between the two cities makes Ensenada 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 Ensenada 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 Ensenada gentler on the wallet – expenses run 86% less than in Montreal. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.