Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Montreal and Guadalajara

For one person, living is cheaper in Guadalajara: $1,302 a month against $2,003 in Montreal, rent and utilities included – about $8,400 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
64

Cost of Living Index in Guadalajara
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Guadalajara Living Index

Jump to prices

Montreal

🇨🇦 Canada

$2,003

/mo nomad

Guadalajara

🇲🇽 Mexico

$1,302

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Montreal and in Guadalajara

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $2,003 in Montreal versus $1,302 in Guadalajara.

Montreal $2,003
Guadalajara $1,302

Estimated couple costs with rent: $3,048 in Montreal versus $2,119 in Guadalajara.

Montreal $3,048
Guadalajara $2,119

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $4,092 in Montreal versus $2,936 in Guadalajara.

Montreal $4,092
Guadalajara $2,936

Living in Montreal is roughly 54% more expensive than in Guadalajara, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

The two cities straddle the global median: Montreal is 49% above, Guadalajara is 3% below.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$19.31 CA$27.52

$13.67 MX$251

41.26%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$75.5 CA$108

$44.72 MX$821

68.83%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$10.63 CA$15.15

$9.08 MX$167

17.07%

Cappuccino

$3.93 CA$5.60

$3.90 MX$71.5

0.77%

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

$1.92 CA$2.73

$1.67 MX$30.69

14.97%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.48 CA$2.11

$1.17 MX$21.56

26.50%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$6.30 CA$8.98

$2.71 MX$49.70

132.47%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$7.19 CA$10.24

$4.88 MX$89.6

47.34%

Milk (1 liter)

$2.22 CA$3.17

$1.76 MX$32.38

26.14%

White Bread (500g)

$3.06 CA$4.36

$2.62 MX$48.12

16.79%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.94 CA$4.19

$1.73 MX$31.68

69.94%

Eggs

$3.53 CA$5.03

$2.48 MX$45.56

42.34%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$13.19 CA$18.79

$8.99 MX$165

46.72%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$11.24 CA$16.02

$9.95 MX$183

12.96%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$13.81 CA$19.69

$11.52 MX$211

19.88%

Apples (1kg)

$3.40 CA$4.85

$2.92 MX$53.6

16.44%

Banana (1kg)

$1.44 CA$2.06

$1.60 MX$29.35

-10.00%

Oranges (1kg)

$3.26 CA$4.65

$2.04 MX$37.37

59.80%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.88 CA$4.10

$1.76 MX$32.27

63.64%

Potato (1kg)

$1.86 CA$2.65

$2.00 MX$36.77

-7.00%

Onion (1kg)

$1.82 CA$2.60

$1.80 MX$33.03

1.11%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.43 CA$3.46

$1.49 MX$27.41

63.09%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.52 CA$2.17

$1.08 MX$19.87

40.74%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$11.45 CA$16.32

$4.63 MX$84.9

147.30%

Wine (Bottle)

$10.36 CA$14.76

$10.82 MX$199

-4.25%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.22 CA$3.16

$1.94 MX$35.55

14.43%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.82 CA$4.02

$3.38 MX$62.1

-16.57%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.58 CA$3.67

$0.58 MX$10.65

344.83%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$76.9 CA$110

$30.62 MX$562

151.11%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.25 CA$4.64

$2.20 MX$40.31

47.73%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.48 CA$2.11

$1.41 MX$25.86

4.96%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$33.04 CA$47.09

$12.36 MX$227

167.31%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.36 CA$1.94

$1.52 MX$27.90

-10.53%

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

$27.4K CA$39.1K

$21.1K MX$387.5K

29.94%

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

$20.0K CA$28.5K

$24.1K MX$442.2K

-17.05%

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

$76.1 CA$109

$49.59 MX$911

53.50%

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

$34.68 CA$49.43

$22.94 MX$421

51.18%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$42.69 CA$60.9

$31.15 MX$572

37.05%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$28.94 CA$41.26

$28.66 MX$526

0.98%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$20.33 CA$28.97

$11.30 MX$207

79.91%

Cinema Ticket

$11.21 CA$15.98

$6.57 MX$121

70.62%

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

$505 CA$720

$253 MX$4,645

99.66%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$16.0K CA$22.8K

$10.9K MX$199.8K

47.15%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$58.5 CA$83.4

$60.1 MX$1,104

-2.68%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$38.00 CA$54.2

$40.27 MX$739

-5.64%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$92.7 CA$132

$108 MX$1,983

-14.18%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$106 CA$151

$83.1 MX$1,525

27.35%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,240 CA$1,768

$856 MX$15.7K

44.84%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$986 CA$1,405

$497 MX$9,123

98.42%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,102 CA$2,996

$1,571 MX$28.8K

33.84%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,615 CA$2,302

$1,009 MX$18.5K

60.11%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$5,043 CA$7,188

$3,101 MX$56.9K

62.65%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$3,830 CA$5,459

$1,953 MX$35.9K

96.07%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$2,920 CA$4,163

$776 MX$14.2K

276.57%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

4.46

11.68

-61.82%

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

Last update for Montreal: October 6, 2026

Last update for Guadalajara: October 6, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Montreal

$986 47.9%

Guadalajara

$497 37.8% 49.6% $489

Groceries & Markets

Montreal

$344 16.7%

Guadalajara

$280 21.3% 18.6% $64

Eating Out

Montreal

$293 14.2%

Guadalajara

$218 16.6% 25.5% $75

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Montreal

$154 7.5%

Guadalajara

$104 7.9% 32.4% $50

Clothing & Footwear

Montreal

$133 6.5%

Guadalajara

$131 10% 1.2% $1.6

Getting Around

Montreal

$98 4.8%

Guadalajara

$42 3.2% 56.9% $56

Sport & Entertainment

Montreal

$51 2.5%

Guadalajara

$42 3.2% 18.6% $9.6

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,240 in Montreal and $856 in Guadalajara. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Montreal pays 277% 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 Guadalajara for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $344 vs $280 per month, with Guadalajara cheaper across the board.

Good to know

🇨🇦 Montreal

🇲🇽 Guadalajara

🕒 Local time

03:48 3:48 AM

01:48 1:48 AM

2 h behind Montreal

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

1,762,949

1,385,629

💱 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 = 20.59 MXN (100 MXN = 4.86 EUR).

USD to CAD in detail →

On the map

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Montreal Guadalajara 3,870 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 Guadalajara: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Guadalajara wins on cost – living expenses run 54% lower than in Montreal. Housing and daily spending are where you'll feel the difference most, making Guadalajara the obvious pick if budget is a priority.

Average pay runs 277% 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 $856 in Guadalajara. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Supermarket bills run roughly 23% higher in Montreal. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

Dining out is cheaper in Guadalajara – 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 $1,302 in Guadalajara versus $2,003 in Montreal, a $1,000 budget is realistic in Guadalajara but tight or insufficient in Montreal. The gap between the two cities makes Guadalajara the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

Both work as nomad bases, but Guadalajara delivers better value – similar infrastructure at $1,302 monthly. If stretching your runway or maximizing savings is the goal, the price difference makes Guadalajara hard to pass up.

Safety-wise, Montreal and Guadalajara 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 Guadalajara gentler on the wallet – expenses run 54% less than in Montreal. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.