Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Montreal and La Paz

For one person, living is cheaper in La Paz: $1,289 a month against $2,003 in Montreal, rent and utilities included – about $8,600 less a year. Rent and utilities account for about half of the difference.

99

Cost of Living Index in Montreal
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Montreal Living Index
61

Cost of Living Index in La Paz
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La Paz Living Index

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Montreal

🇨🇦 Canada

$2,003

/mo nomad

La Paz

🇲🇽 Mexico

$1,289

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Montreal and in La Paz

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $2,003 in Montreal versus $1,289 in La Paz.

Montreal $2,003
La Paz $1,289

Estimated couple costs with rent: $3,048 in Montreal versus $2,107 in La Paz.

Montreal $3,048
La Paz $2,107

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $4,092 in Montreal versus $2,926 in La Paz.

Montreal $4,092
La Paz $2,926

Living in Montreal is roughly 55% more expensive than in La Paz, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

The two cities straddle the global median: Montreal is 49% above, La Paz is 4% below.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$19.31 CA$27.52

$10.11 MX$186

91.00%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$75.5 CA$108

$56.2 MX$1,032

34.37%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$10.63 CA$15.15

$8.18 MX$150

29.95%

Cappuccino

$3.93 CA$5.60

$3.19 MX$58.7

23.20%

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

$1.92 CA$2.73

$1.77 MX$32.54

8.47%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.48 CA$2.11

$1.00 MX$18.43

48.00%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$6.30 CA$8.98

$2.15 MX$39.53

193.02%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$7.19 CA$10.24

$5.71 MX$105

25.92%

Milk (1 liter)

$2.22 CA$3.17

$2.16 MX$39.72

2.78%

White Bread (500g)

$3.06 CA$4.36

$2.59 MX$47.57

18.15%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.94 CA$4.19

$2.25 MX$41.26

30.67%

Eggs

$3.53 CA$5.03

$2.48 MX$45.45

42.34%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$13.19 CA$18.79

$11.99 MX$220

10.01%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$11.24 CA$16.02

$8.53 MX$157

31.77%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$13.81 CA$19.69

$11.21 MX$206

23.19%

Apples (1kg)

$3.40 CA$4.85

$3.43 MX$62.9

-0.87%

Banana (1kg)

$1.44 CA$2.06

$1.28 MX$23.52

12.50%

Oranges (1kg)

$3.26 CA$4.65

$1.95 MX$35.79

67.18%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.88 CA$4.10

$1.83 MX$33.68

57.38%

Potato (1kg)

$1.86 CA$2.65

$2.03 MX$37.33

-8.37%

Onion (1kg)

$1.82 CA$2.60

$2.13 MX$39.04

-14.55%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.43 CA$3.46

$1.48 MX$27.26

64.19%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.52 CA$2.17

$1.38 MX$25.31

10.14%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$11.45 CA$16.32

$4.38 MX$80.4

161.42%

Wine (Bottle)

$10.36 CA$14.76

$17.12 MX$314

-39.49%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.22 CA$3.16

$1.31 MX$24.01

69.47%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.82 CA$4.02

$2.88 MX$52.9

-2.08%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.58 CA$3.67

$0.68 MX$12.51

279.41%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$76.9 CA$110

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.25 CA$4.64

$2.61 MX$47.99

24.52%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.48 CA$2.11

$2.04 MX$37.51

-27.45%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$33.04 CA$47.09

$11.99 MX$220

175.56%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.36 CA$1.94

$1.48 MX$27.08

-8.11%

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

$27.4K CA$39.1K

$21.1K MX$387.2K

30.05%

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

$20.0K CA$28.5K

$24.6K MX$451.4K

-18.75%

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

$76.1 CA$109

$62.8 MX$1,153

21.27%

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

$34.68 CA$49.43

$25.84 MX$475

34.21%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$42.69 CA$60.9

$32.75 MX$601

30.35%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$28.94 CA$41.26

$34.76 MX$638

-16.74%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$20.33 CA$28.97

$20.51 MX$377

-0.88%

Cinema Ticket

$11.21 CA$15.98

$5.23 MX$96.1

114.34%

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

$505 CA$720

$225 MX$4,140

124.00%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$16.0K CA$22.8K

$4,619 MX$84.8K

246.63%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$58.5 CA$83.4

$58.5 MX$1,073

0.09%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$38.00 CA$54.2

$40.73 MX$748

-6.70%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$92.7 CA$132

$74.5 MX$1,369

24.36%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$106 CA$151

$90.0 MX$1,652

17.53%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,240 CA$1,768

$814 MX$14.9K

52.40%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$986 CA$1,405

$492 MX$9,029

100.50%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,102 CA$2,996

$1,728 MX$31.7K

21.64%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,615 CA$2,302

$1,052 MX$19.3K

53.57%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$5,043 CA$7,188

$1,914 MX$35.1K

163.52%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$3,830 CA$5,459

$1,163 MX$21.4K

229.28%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$2,920 CA$4,163

$770 MX$14.1K

279.39%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

4.46

11.6

-61.55%

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

Last update for Montreal: October 6, 2026

Last update for La Paz: October 4, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Montreal

$986 47.9%

La Paz

$492 38.7% 50.1% $494

Groceries & Markets

Montreal

$344 16.7%

La Paz

$300 23.6% 12.7% $44

Eating Out

Montreal

$293 14.2%

La Paz

$177 14% 39.5% $116

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Montreal

$154 7.5%

La Paz

$121 9.6% 20.9% $32

Clothing & Footwear

Montreal

$133 6.5%

La Paz

$119 9.4% 10.6% $14

Getting Around

Montreal

$98 4.8%

La Paz

$16 * 1.2% 84.1% $82

Sport & Entertainment

Montreal

$51 2.5%

La Paz

$45 3.6% 11.9% $6.1

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 $814 in La Paz. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Montreal pays 279% 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 $56.0 in La Paz for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $344 vs $300 per month, with La Paz cheaper across the board.

Good to know

🇨🇦 Montreal

🇲🇽 La Paz

🕒 Local time

09:47 9:47 AM

06:47 6:47 AM

3 h behind Montreal

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

1,762,949

250,141

💱 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 →

On the map

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Between locations

Montreal La Paz 4,050 km ≈ 6 h nonstop flight

From you

Montreal
La Paz

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 La Paz: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

La Paz is cheaper overall, especially in groceries, eating out, and clothing. The 55% gap adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

Average pay runs 279% 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 $814 in La Paz. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Supermarket bills run roughly 15% 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 $1,289 in La Paz – a 55% gap that adds up to real savings over time for anyone picking the cheaper option.

At $1,289 in La Paz versus $2,003 in Montreal, a $1,500 budget is realistic in La Paz but tight or insufficient in Montreal. The gap between the two cities makes La Paz the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

For families, La Paz 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 La Paz 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 La Paz gentler on the wallet – expenses run 55% less than in Montreal. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.