Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Montreal and Guanajuato

For one person, living is cheaper in Guanajuato: $1,054 a month against $2,018 in Montreal, rent and utilities included – about $11,600 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
51

Cost of Living Index in Guanajuato
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Guanajuato Living Index

Jump to prices

Montreal

🇨🇦 Canada

$2,018

/mo nomad

Guanajuato

🇲🇽 Mexico

$1,054

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Montreal and in Guanajuato

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $2,018 in Montreal versus $1,054 in Guanajuato.

Montreal $2,018
Guanajuato $1,054

Estimated couple costs with rent: $3,085 in Montreal versus $1,619 in Guanajuato.

Montreal $3,085
Guanajuato $1,619

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $4,152 in Montreal versus $2,185 in Guanajuato.

Montreal $4,152
Guanajuato $2,185

Living in Montreal is roughly 91% more expensive than in Guanajuato, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

The two cities straddle the global median: Montreal is 49% above, Guanajuato is 22% below.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$18.82 CA$26.61

$13.62 MX$252

38.18%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$70.3 CA$99.4

$44.07 MX$814

59.50%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$10.66 CA$15.06

$7.59 MX$140

40.45%

Cappuccino

$3.84 CA$5.43

$3.86 MX$71.3

-0.52%

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

$1.92 CA$2.71

$1.67 MX$30.87

14.97%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.54 CA$2.18

$0.99 MX$18.28

55.56%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$6.23 CA$8.81

$2.67 MX$49.29

133.33%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$7.10 CA$10.03

$4.84 MX$89.4

46.69%

Milk (1 liter)

$2.31 CA$3.27

$1.59 MX$29.41

45.28%

White Bread (500g)

$3.14 CA$4.44

$2.61 MX$48.21

20.31%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$3.21 CA$4.54

$1.44 MX$26.68

122.92%

Eggs

$3.52 CA$4.97

$2.38 MX$44.03

47.90%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$12.81 CA$18.11

$4.84 MX$89.5

164.67%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$11.46 CA$16.20

$9.57 MX$177

19.75%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$13.39 CA$18.92

$11.88 MX$219

12.71%

Apples (1kg)

$3.14 CA$4.43

$2.72 MX$50.2

15.44%

Banana (1kg)

$1.44 CA$2.03

$1.64 MX$30.31

-12.20%

Oranges (1kg)

$3.47 CA$4.91

$2.03 MX$37.59

70.94%

Tomato (1kg)

$3.07 CA$4.34

$1.55 MX$28.73

98.06%

Potato (1kg)

$1.90 CA$2.69

$1.98 MX$36.64

-4.04%

Onion (1kg)

$1.77 CA$2.50

$1.83 MX$33.75

-3.28%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.34 CA$3.31

$1.52 MX$28.00

53.95%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.55 CA$2.19

$1.06 MX$19.65

46.23%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$11.38 CA$16.09

$4.83 MX$89.3

135.61%

Wine (Bottle)

$10.63 CA$15.03

$10.74 MX$198

-1.02%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.27 CA$3.21

$1.88 MX$34.77

20.74%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.82 CA$3.99

$3.46 MX$64.0

-18.50%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.66 CA$3.76

$0.58 MX$10.64

358.62%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$77.3 CA$109

$27.18 MX$502

184.36%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.20 CA$4.53

$2.17 MX$40.16

47.47%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.48 CA$2.09

$1.38 MX$25.53

7.25%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$32.88 CA$46.48

$8.94 MX$165

267.79%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.34 CA$1.90

$1.48 MX$27.33

-9.46%

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

$28.2K CA$39.8K

$20.4K MX$376.1K

38.30%

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

$19.6K CA$27.8K

$24.0K MX$443.1K

-18.13%

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

$76.0 CA$107

$50.7 MX$937

49.79%

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

$33.95 CA$48.00

$20.05 MX$371

69.33%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$42.31 CA$59.8

$27.98 MX$517

51.22%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$29.76 CA$42.07

$31.52 MX$582

-5.58%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$20.28 CA$28.67

$27.44 MX$507

-26.09%

Cinema Ticket

$11.15 CA$15.77

$6.63 MX$122

68.17%

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

$507 CA$717

$209 MX$3,862

142.62%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$16.1K CA$22.7K

$5,492 MX$101.5K

192.26%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$57.6 CA$81.4

$59.3 MX$1,096

-3.02%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$37.58 CA$53.1

$37.24 MX$688

0.91%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$91.9 CA$130

$77.5 MX$1,432

18.60%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$110 CA$155

$57.3 MX$1,058

91.41%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,260 CA$1,782

$518 MX$9,579

143.15%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$948 CA$1,340

$295 MX$5,460

220.71%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,137 CA$3,021

$779 MX$14.4K

174.37%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,614 CA$2,281

$388 MX$7,179

315.37%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$4,960 CA$7,011

$1,346 MX$24.9K

268.61%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$3,838 CA$5,425

$1,086 MX$20.1K

253.23%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$2,827 CA$3,997

$712 MX$13.1K

297.33%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

4.48

11.3

-60.35%

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

Last update for Montreal: October 12, 2026

Last update for Guanajuato: October 11, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Montreal

$948 47%

Guanajuato

$295 28% 68.8% $652

Groceries & Markets

Montreal

$346 17.2%

Guanajuato

$261 24.8% 24.7% $86

Eating Out

Montreal

$288 14.3%

Guanajuato

$212 20.1% 26.5% $76

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Montreal

$152 7.5%

Guanajuato

$99 9.4% 35.1% $53

Clothing & Footwear

Montreal

$133 6.6%

Guanajuato

$104 9.9% 22% $29

Getting Around

Montreal

$99 4.9%

Guanajuato

$39 3.7% 60.9% $60

Sport & Entertainment

Montreal

$52 2.6%

Guanajuato

$45 4.3% 14% $7.3

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,260 in Montreal and $518 in Guanajuato. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Montreal pays 297% 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 $44.00 in Guanajuato for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $346 vs $261 per month, with Guanajuato cheaper across the board.

Good to know

🇨🇦 Montreal

🇲🇽 Guanajuato

🕒 Local time

03:00 3:00 AM

01:00 1:00 AM

2 h behind Montreal

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

1,762,949

70,068

💱 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 →

On the map

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Between locations

Montreal Guanajuato 3,710 km ≈ 5 h nonstop flight

From you

Montreal
Guanajuato

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 Guanajuato: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Guanajuato wins on cost – living expenses run 91% lower than in Montreal. Housing and daily spending are where you'll feel the difference most, making Guanajuato the obvious pick if budget is a priority.

Average pay runs 297% 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 $518 in Guanajuato. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Supermarket bills run roughly 33% higher in Montreal. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

Dining out is cheaper in Guanajuato – a meal for two runs $44.00 versus $70.0 in Montreal. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

At $1,054 in Guanajuato versus $2,018 in Montreal, a $1,000 budget is realistic in Guanajuato but tight or insufficient in Montreal. The gap between the two cities makes Guanajuato the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

Both work as nomad bases, but Guanajuato delivers better value – similar infrastructure at $1,054 monthly. If stretching your runway or maximizing savings is the goal, the price difference makes Guanajuato hard to pass up.

Safety-wise, Montreal and Guanajuato 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 Guanajuato gentler on the wallet – expenses run 91% less than in Montreal. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.