Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Montreal and Leon

For one person, living is cheaper in Leon: $1,223 a month against $2,018 in Montreal, rent and utilities included – about $9,500 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
60

Cost of Living Index in Leon
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Leon Living Index

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Montreal

🇨🇦 Canada

$2,018

/mo nomad

Leon

🇲🇽 Mexico

$1,223

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Montreal and in Leon

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

A single person spends $2,018 per month in Montreal vs $1,223 in Leon, rent included.

Montreal $2,018
Leon $1,223

A couple spends around $3,085 per month in Montreal vs $1,985 in Leon, rent included.

Montreal $3,085
Leon $1,985

A family of three spends $4,152 per month in Montreal vs $2,747 in Leon, rent included.

Montreal $4,152
Leon $2,747

Montreal costs about 65% more than Leon, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

Montreal sits 49% above the global median, while Leon is 9% below – they fall on opposite sides of the world average.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$18.82 CA$26.61

$11.17 MX$206

68.49%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$70.3 CA$99.4

$55.2 MX$1,020

27.29%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$10.66 CA$15.06

$8.80 MX$163

21.14%

Cappuccino

$3.84 CA$5.43

$4.03 MX$74.5

-4.71%

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

$1.92 CA$2.71

$1.56 MX$28.84

23.08%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.54 CA$2.18

$1.25 MX$23.04

23.20%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$6.23 CA$8.81

$3.07 MX$56.8

102.93%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$7.10 CA$10.03

$3.93 MX$72.6

80.66%

Milk (1 liter)

$2.31 CA$3.27

$1.71 MX$31.67

35.09%

White Bread (500g)

$3.14 CA$4.44

$2.68 MX$49.51

17.16%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$3.21 CA$4.54

$1.80 MX$33.31

78.33%

Eggs

$3.52 CA$4.97

$3.27 MX$60.4

7.65%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$12.81 CA$18.11

$7.21 MX$133

77.67%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$11.46 CA$16.20

$7.58 MX$140

51.19%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$13.39 CA$18.92

$10.81 MX$200

23.87%

Apples (1kg)

$3.14 CA$4.43

$2.49 MX$46.03

26.10%

Banana (1kg)

$1.44 CA$2.03

$1.38 MX$25.59

4.35%

Oranges (1kg)

$3.47 CA$4.91

$1.83 MX$33.76

89.62%

Tomato (1kg)

$3.07 CA$4.34

$1.54 MX$28.42

99.35%

Potato (1kg)

$1.90 CA$2.69

$1.99 MX$36.75

-4.52%

Onion (1kg)

$1.77 CA$2.50

$2.09 MX$38.60

-15.31%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.34 CA$3.31

$1.38 MX$25.56

69.57%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.55 CA$2.19

$0.70 MX$12.89

121.43%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$11.38 CA$16.09

$6.97 MX$129

63.27%

Wine (Bottle)

$10.63 CA$15.03

$13.63 MX$252

-22.01%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.27 CA$3.21

$2.37 MX$43.71

-4.22%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.82 CA$3.99

$3.61 MX$66.7

-21.88%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.66 CA$3.76

$0.75 MX$13.93

254.67%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$77.3 CA$109

$35.67 MX$659

116.68%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.20 CA$4.53

$2.77 MX$51.1

15.52%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.48 CA$2.09

$2.72 MX$50.2

-45.59%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$32.88 CA$46.48

$14.96 MX$276

119.79%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.34 CA$1.90

$1.46 MX$26.97

-8.22%

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

$28.2K CA$39.8K

$21.2K MX$392.0K

32.70%

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

$19.6K CA$27.8K

$24.2K MX$446.3K

-18.73%

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

$76.0 CA$107

$21.60 MX$399

251.67%

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

$33.95 CA$48.00

$40.70 MX$752

-16.58%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$42.31 CA$59.8

$58.3 MX$1,077

-27.41%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$29.76 CA$42.07

$60.7 MX$1,121

-50.94%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$20.28 CA$28.67

$34.51 MX$638

-41.23%

Cinema Ticket

$11.15 CA$15.77

$6.47 MX$120

72.33%

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

$507 CA$717

$183 MX$3,386

176.71%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$16.1K CA$22.7K

$3,826 MX$70.7K

319.46%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$57.6 CA$81.4

$56.8 MX$1,049

1.39%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$37.58 CA$53.1

$66.0 MX$1,219

-43.02%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$91.9 CA$130

$101 MX$1,868

-9.07%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$110 CA$155

$115 MX$2,122

-4.57%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,260 CA$1,782

$524 MX$9,681

140.59%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$948 CA$1,340

$360 MX$6,653

163.18%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,137 CA$3,021

$761 MX$14.1K

180.65%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,614 CA$2,281

$683 MX$12.6K

136.41%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$4,960 CA$7,011

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$3,838 CA$5,425

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$2,827 CA$3,997

$532 MX$9,839

431.02%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

4.48

11.6

-61.38%

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

Last update for Montreal: October 12, 2026

Last update for Leon: October 12, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Montreal

$948 47%

Leon

$360 29.5% 62% $588

Groceries & Markets

Montreal

$346 17.2%

Leon

$262 21.5% 24.3% $84

Eating Out

Montreal

$288 14.3%

Leon

$199 16.3% 31% $89

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Montreal

$152 7.5%

Leon

$121 9.9% 20.8% $32

Clothing & Footwear

Montreal

$133 6.6%

Leon

$152 12.5% 14.2% $19

Getting Around

Montreal

$99 4.9%

Leon

$55 4.5% 44.1% $43

Sport & Entertainment

Montreal

$52 2.6%

Leon

$74 6% 41.4% $22

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $1,260 in Montreal versus $524 in Leon. Rent is usually the largest line item in a monthly budget, so the gap here sets the tone for the overall comparison.

Salaries run about 431% higher in Montreal, which partly offsets the higher cost of living there. Purchasing power depends on which expenses matter most to you.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $70.0 in Montreal versus $55.0 in Leon. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $346 vs $262 – making Leon the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇨🇦 Montreal

🇲🇽 Leon

🕒 Local time

01:06 1:06 AM

23:06 11:06 PM

2 h behind Montreal

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

1,762,949

1,579,803

💱 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 →

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Montreal Leon 3,730 km ≈ 5 h nonstop flight

From you

Montreal
Leon

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 Leon: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Montreal costs about 65% more than Leon, and outside of rent the gap comes mainly from eating out. That's enough to noticeably affect everyday spending and lifestyle for anyone choosing between the two.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $3,027 per month in Montreal and $1,834 in Leon. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

Rent is clearly cheaper in Leon, especially for central apartments. Housing is actually the single biggest factor behind the overall cost gap between these two cities.

Groceries cost about 32% more in Montreal, though it depends on what you buy. Local produce may be comparable; imported and premium items show the biggest price gap.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $70.0 in Montreal and $55.0 in Leon. That's a good indicator of the overall restaurant and café pricing gap between the two cities.

A $1,000 monthly budget goes further in Leon, where all-in costs run around $1,223, than in Montreal at $2,018. In Leon it covers expenses comfortably, while in Montreal it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.

For digital nomads, it depends on budget. Leon costs $1,223 versus $2,018 in Montreal. Both have workable remote work infrastructure, but the cost gap matters when income varies month to month.

Both have safer and rougher neighborhoods, but overall safety is comparable to other large cities. Neighborhood choice matters more than the city-level comparison – central, well-trafficked areas feel secure in both.

If budget matters most, go with Leon. If higher salaries, better infrastructure, or specific career opportunities are the priority, Montreal makes more sense. Both are solid long-term options with distinct trade-offs.