Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Montreal and Isla Mujeres

For one person, living is cheaper in Isla Mujeres: $1,087 a month against $2,003 in Montreal, rent and utilities included – about $11,000 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
54

Cost of Living Index in Isla Mujeres
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Isla Mujeres Living Index

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Montreal

🇨🇦 Canada

$2,003

/mo nomad

Isla Mujeres

🇲🇽 Mexico

$1,087

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Montreal and in Isla Mujeres

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $2,003 in Montreal versus $1,087 in Isla Mujeres.

Montreal $2,003
Isla Mujeres $1,087

Estimated couple costs with rent: $3,048 in Montreal versus $1,747 in Isla Mujeres.

Montreal $3,048
Isla Mujeres $1,747

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $4,092 in Montreal versus $2,407 in Isla Mujeres.

Montreal $4,092
Isla Mujeres $2,407

Living in Montreal is roughly 84% more expensive than in Isla Mujeres, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

The two cities straddle the global median: Montreal is 49% above, Isla Mujeres is 19% below.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$19.31 CA$27.57

$10.60 MX$193

82.17%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$75.5 CA$108

$39.12 MX$714

93.00%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$10.63 CA$15.17

$8.06 MX$147

31.89%

Cappuccino

$3.93 CA$5.61

$3.38 MX$61.8

16.27%

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

$1.92 CA$2.74

$1.24 MX$22.59

54.84%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.48 CA$2.11

$0.96 MX$17.61

54.17%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$6.30 CA$8.99

$2.24 MX$40.87

181.25%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$7.19 CA$10.26

$3.80 MX$69.3

89.21%

Milk (1 liter)

$2.22 CA$3.17

$1.43 MX$26.12

55.24%

White Bread (500g)

$3.06 CA$4.37

$2.64 MX$48.25

15.91%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.94 CA$4.20

$1.57 MX$28.74

87.26%

Eggs

$3.53 CA$5.04

$2.38 MX$43.51

48.32%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$13.19 CA$18.83

$8.23 MX$150

60.27%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$11.24 CA$16.05

$8.00 MX$146

40.50%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$13.81 CA$19.72

$10.78 MX$197

28.11%

Apples (1kg)

$3.40 CA$4.86

$2.72 MX$49.58

25.00%

Banana (1kg)

$1.44 CA$2.06

$1.40 MX$25.58

2.86%

Oranges (1kg)

$3.26 CA$4.66

$1.78 MX$32.53

83.15%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.88 CA$4.11

$1.65 MX$30.19

74.55%

Potato (1kg)

$1.86 CA$2.65

$1.84 MX$33.66

1.09%

Onion (1kg)

$1.82 CA$2.61

$1.93 MX$35.22

-5.70%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.43 CA$3.46

$1.26 MX$22.92

92.86%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.52 CA$2.18

$0.97 MX$17.72

56.70%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$11.45 CA$16.35

$4.27 MX$78.0

168.15%

Wine (Bottle)

$10.36 CA$14.79

$10.66 MX$195

-2.81%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.22 CA$3.16

$1.55 MX$28.30

43.23%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.82 CA$4.02

$2.74 MX$50.0

2.92%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.58 CA$3.68

$0.66 MX$11.98

290.91%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$76.9 CA$110

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.25 CA$4.64

$2.65 MX$48.47

22.64%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.48 CA$2.12

$1.52 MX$27.81

-2.63%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$33.04 CA$47.18

$8.37 MX$153

294.74%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.36 CA$1.94

$1.33 MX$24.25

2.26%

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

$27.4K CA$39.2K

$21.2K MX$387.4K

29.27%

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

$20.0K CA$28.5K

$22.8K MX$416.8K

-12.50%

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

$76.1 CA$109

$56.0 MX$1,023

35.86%

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

$34.68 CA$49.52

$22.35 MX$408

55.17%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$42.69 CA$61.0

$27.89 MX$509

53.07%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$28.94 CA$41.33

$36.84 MX$673

-21.44%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$20.33 CA$29.03

$16.02 MX$292

26.90%

Cinema Ticket

$11.21 CA$16.01

$4.68 MX$85.4

139.53%

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

$505 CA$721

$206 MX$3,758

145.42%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$16.0K CA$22.9K

$3,587 MX$65.5K

346.33%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$58.5 CA$83.5

$53.9 MX$984

8.57%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$38.00 CA$54.3

$39.65 MX$724

-4.16%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$92.7 CA$132

$89.3 MX$1,630

3.85%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$106 CA$151

$77.9 MX$1,423

35.74%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,240 CA$1,771

$518 MX$9,466

139.18%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$986 CA$1,408

$390 MX$7,123

152.73%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,102 CA$3,002

$923 MX$16.9K

127.74%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,615 CA$2,306

$762 MX$13.9K

112.00%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$5,043 CA$7,202

$1,785 MX$32.6K

182.50%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$3,830 CA$5,469

$1,153 MX$21.1K

232.15%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$2,920 CA$4,170

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

4.46

11.48

-61.15%

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

Last update for Montreal: October 6, 2026

Last update for Isla Mujeres: October 6, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Montreal

$986 47.9%

Isla Mujeres

$390 35.4% 60.4% $596

Groceries & Markets

Montreal

$344 16.7%

Isla Mujeres

$252 22.8% 26.8% $92

Eating Out

Montreal

$293 14.2%

Isla Mujeres

$177 16.1% 39.5% $116

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Montreal

$154 7.5%

Isla Mujeres

$106 9.7% 30.8% $47

Clothing & Footwear

Montreal

$133 6.5%

Isla Mujeres

$117 10.7% 11.6% $15

Getting Around

Montreal

$98 4.8%

Isla Mujeres

$13 * 1.2% 86.8% $85

Sport & Entertainment

Montreal

$51 2.5%

Isla Mujeres

$46 4.2% 10% $5.2

Categories marked with * are only partly priced – their share counts the items that do have prices.

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,240 in Montreal and $518 in Isla Mujeres. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Dining out: $75.0 in Montreal vs $39.00 in Isla Mujeres for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $344 vs $252 per month, with Isla Mujeres cheaper across the board.

Good to know

🇨🇦 Montreal

🇲🇽 Isla Mujeres

🕒 Local time

05:50 5:50 AM

04:50 4:50 AM

1 h behind Montreal

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

1,762,949

13,174

💱 Currency

Canadian Dollar CAD $

Mexican Peso MXN $

📈 Exchange rate

1 CAD = 0.7 USD

1 CAD = 0.627 EUR

100 MXN = 5.48 USD

100 MXN = 4.91 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 13, 2026: 1 USD = 1.43 CAD (1 CAD = 0.7 USD). 1 EUR = 1.59 CAD (1 CAD = 0.627 EUR).

Mexican Peso exchange rates as of October 13, 2026: 1 USD = 18.26 MXN (100 MXN = 5.48 USD). 1 EUR = 20.38 MXN (100 MXN = 4.91 EUR).

USD to CAD in detail →

On the map

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Between locations

Montreal Isla Mujeres 2,950 km ≈ 4 h 15 min nonstop flight

From you

Montreal
Isla Mujeres

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 Isla Mujeres: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Montreal and Isla Mujeres differ by about 84% in total monthly costs ($2,003 vs $1,087 including rent). Isla Mujeres is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

You'd need roughly $3,005 in Montreal and $1,631 in Isla Mujeres to live well. The gap comes down to housing and overall price levels. Both cities are liveable on less, but these numbers represent actual comfort.

Rent for a central apartment: $1,240 in Montreal versus $518 in Isla Mujeres. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Supermarket bills run roughly 37% higher in Montreal. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

All in, you'll spend $2,003 per month in Montreal versus $1,087 in Isla Mujeres – a 84% gap that adds up to real savings over time for anyone picking the cheaper option.

At $1,087 in Isla Mujeres versus $2,003 in Montreal, a $2,000 budget is realistic in Isla Mujeres but tight or insufficient in Montreal. The gap between the two cities makes Isla Mujeres 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 Isla Mujeres 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 Isla Mujeres gentler on the wallet – expenses run 84% less than in Montreal. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.