Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Montreal and Mendoza

For one person, living is cheaper in Mendoza: $1,361 a month against $2,003 in Montreal, rent and utilities included – about $7,700 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

Montreal
🇨🇦 Canada
$2,003
/mo nomad
Mendoza
🇦🇷 Argentina
$1,361
/mo nomad
Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Montreal and in Mendoza

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

A single person spends $2,003 per month in Montreal vs $1,361 in Mendoza, rent included.

  • Montreal $2,003
  • Mendoza $1,361

A couple spends around $3,048 per month in Montreal vs $2,195 in Mendoza, rent included.

  • Montreal $3,048
  • Mendoza $2,195

A family of three spends $4,092 per month in Montreal vs $3,029 in Mendoza, rent included.

  • Montreal $4,092
  • Mendoza $3,029

Montreal costs about 47% more than Mendoza, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in clothing.

Both Montreal and Mendoza sit above the global median – Montreal by 49%, Mendoza by 2%.

Currency
🍽 Eating Out
Montreal
Mendoza
Difference
Meal at Budget Restaurant
$19.31 CA$27.52
$10.87 ARS 16.5K
77.64%
Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range
$75.5 CA$108
$50.0 ARS 75.9K
50.88%
Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)
$10.63 CA$15.15
$14.90 ARS 22.6K
-28.66%
Cappuccino
$3.93 CA$5.60
$4.55 ARS 6,901
-13.63%
Coke/Pepsi/Fanta/Sprite (0.33 liter bottle)
$1.92 CA$2.73
$2.42 ARS 3,669
-20.66%
Water (0.33 liter bottle)
$1.48 CA$2.11
$1.89 ARS 2,859
-21.69%
Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)
$6.30 CA$8.98
$4.05 ARS 6,137
55.56%
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$7.19 CA$10.24
$4.60 ARS 6,973
56.30%
🛒 Groceries & Markets
Montreal
Mendoza
Difference
Milk (1 liter)
$2.22 CA$3.17
$1.34 ARS 2,033
65.67%
White Bread (500g)
$3.06 CA$4.36
$2.27 ARS 3,438
34.80%
Rice (white) (1kg)
$2.94 CA$4.19
$2.67 ARS 4,053
10.11%
Eggs
$3.53 CA$5.03
$3.19 ARS 4,844
10.66%
Local Cheese (1kg)
$13.19 CA$18.79
$14.61 ARS 22.2K
-9.72%
Chicken Fillets (1kg)
$11.24 CA$16.02
$6.30 ARS 9,560
78.41%
Beef Round Steak (1kg)
$13.81 CA$19.69
$10.95 ARS 16.6K
26.12%
Apples (1kg)
$3.40 CA$4.85
$2.32 ARS 3,513
46.55%
Banana (1kg)
$1.44 CA$2.06
$2.14 ARS 3,245
-32.71%
Oranges (1kg)
$3.26 CA$4.65
$1.34 ARS 2,039
143.28%
Tomato (1kg)
$2.88 CA$4.10
$3.19 ARS 4,842
-9.72%
Potato (1kg)
$1.86 CA$2.65
$2.03 ARS 3,078
-8.37%
Onion (1kg)
$1.82 CA$2.60
$1.50 ARS 2,278
21.33%
Lettuce (1 head)
$2.43 CA$3.46
$1.94 ARS 2,946
25.26%
Water (1.5 liter bottle)
$1.52 CA$2.17
$2.51 ARS 3,807
-39.44%
Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)
$11.45 CA$16.32
$2.80 ARS 4,246
308.93%
Wine (Bottle)
$10.36 CA$14.76
$5.03 ARS 7,628
105.96%
Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)
$2.22 CA$3.16
$1.79 ARS 2,712
24.02%
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$2.82 CA$4.02
$2.93 ARS 4,447
-3.75%
🚌 Getting Around
Montreal
Mendoza
Difference
One-way Ticket (Public Transport)
$2.58 CA$3.67
$0.97 ARS 1,473
165.98%
Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)
$76.9 CA$110
$19.83 ARS 30.1K
287.75%
Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)
$3.25 CA$4.64
$2.05 ARS 3,113
58.54%
Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)
$1.48 CA$2.11
$1.02 ARS 1,541
45.10%
Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)
$33.04 CA$47.09
$5.04 ARS 7,644
555.56%
Gasoline (1 liter)
$1.36 CA$1.94
$1.21 ARS 1,832
12.40%
Midsize Hatchback 1.4l (Volkswagen Golf, Toyota Prius, Honda Civic, etc)
$27.4K CA$39.1K
$26.7K ARS 40.4M
2.88%
Compact Sedan 1.6l (Toyota Corolla, Mazda3, Kia K4, Hyundai Elantra, etc)
$20.0K CA$28.5K
$33.2K ARS 50.4M
-39.88%
🧾 Monthly Utilities & Internet
Montreal
Mendoza
Difference
Utilities for 2 People in 2-bedroom Apartment (Heating, Electricity, Gas, Water, Garbage) (85m2)
$76.1 CA$109
$143 ARS 217.3K
-46.88%
SIM Card Monthly Plan (Calls and 10GB+ Data)
$34.68 CA$49.43
$17.59 ARS 26.7K
97.16%
Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)
$42.69 CA$60.9
$24.39 ARS 37.0K
75.03%
🎉 Sport & Entertainment
Montreal
Mendoza
Difference
Gym Membership (Monthly)
$28.94 CA$41.26
$31.80 ARS 48.2K
-8.99%
Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)
$20.33 CA$28.97
$17.99 ARS 27.3K
13.01%
Cinema Ticket
$11.21 CA$15.98
$7.16 ARS 10.9K
56.56%
🧸 Childcare & Education
Montreal
Mendoza
Difference
Preschool or Kindergarten, Full Day, Private, 1 Child (Monthly)
$505 CA$720
$173 ARS 262.7K
191.56%
International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)
$16.0K CA$22.8K
$4,150 ARS 6.3M
285.84%
👕👟 Clothing & Footwear
Montreal
Mendoza
Difference
Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)
$58.5 CA$83.4
$127 ARS 193.0K
-54.03%
Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)
$38.00 CA$54.2
$140 ARS 211.8K
-72.79%
Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)
$92.7 CA$132
$146 ARS 220.9K
-36.36%
Men's Leather Business Shoes
$106 CA$151
$161 ARS 244.8K
-34.48%
🏠 Accommodation & Living
Montreal
Mendoza
Difference
1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$1,240 CA$1,768
$561 ARS 850.6K
121.07%
1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$986 CA$1,405
$340 ARS 515.9K
189.84%
3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$2,102 CA$2,996
$975 ARS 1.5M
115.71%
3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$1,615 CA$2,302
$682 ARS 1.0M
136.80%
Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)
$5,043 CA$7,188
$1,699 ARS 2.6M
196.85%
Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)
$3,830 CA$5,459
$1,115 ARS 1.7M
243.54%
💵 Salaries & Financials
Montreal
Mendoza
Difference
Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)
$2,920 CA$4,163
$768 ARS 1.2M
280.33%
20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)
4.46
59
-92.44%

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

Last update for Montreal: October 6, 2026

Last update for Mendoza: October 4, 2026

Monthly budget structure
Share of the monthly basket for one person, rent included.
Accommodation & Living
Montreal
$986
Mendoza
$340 65.5% $646
Groceries & Markets
Montreal
$344
Mendoza
$285 16.9% $58
Eating Out
Montreal
$293
Mendoza
$233 20.5% $60
Monthly Utilities & Internet
Montreal
$154
Mendoza
$185 20.7% $32
Clothing & Footwear
Montreal
$133
Mendoza
$258 94.6% $126
Getting Around
Montreal
$98
Mendoza
$31 68.5% $67
Sport & Entertainment
Montreal
$51
Mendoza
$46 10.2% $5.2

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $1,240 in Montreal versus $561 in Mendoza. 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 280% 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 $75.0 in Montreal versus $50.0 in Mendoza. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $344 vs $285 – making Mendoza the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know
🇨🇦 Montreal
🇦🇷 Mendoza
🕒 Local time
08:42 8:42 AM
09:42 9:42 AM
1 h ahead of Montreal
🌤 Weather
👥 Population
1,762,949
937,154
💱 Currency
Exchange rates and currency converter

ARS, USD, EUR to CAD – Canadian Dollar Converter

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).

Argentine Peso exchange rates as of October 10, 2026: 1 USD = 1,517 ARS (10,000 ARS = 6.59 USD). 1 EUR = 1,699 ARS (10,000 ARS = 5.88 EUR).

On the map
Between locations
  • Montreal Mendoza 8,730 km ≈ 11 h nonstop flight
From you
  • Montreal
  • Mendoza

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 Mendoza: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions
Is Mendoza cheaper than Montreal?
Yes – Montreal is pricier by about 47%, and outside of rent the gap shows up most in clothing.
What income do you need for each city?
For a comfortable life, plan on about $3,005 per month in Montreal and $2,042 in Mendoza. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.
Which city has lower housing costs?
Rent is clearly cheaper in Mendoza, especially for central apartments. Housing is actually the single biggest factor behind the overall cost gap between these two cities.
Which city has cheaper public transport?
Public transport costs about 288% less in Mendoza. For daily commuters, that gap adds up to noticeable savings over a year.
Which city has cheaper kindergarten?
Kindergarten costs $505 per month in Montreal and $173 in Mendoza. For families with young kids, this one expense can tip the scales when choosing between the two cities.
Is $1,500 a realistic budget for living in Montreal or in Mendoza?
A $1,500 monthly budget goes further in Mendoza, where all-in costs run around $1,361, than in Montreal at $2,003. In Mendoza it covers expenses comfortably, while in Montreal it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.
Is Montreal or Mendoza more family-friendly?
Families tend to lean toward Mendoza – lower housing and cheaper childcare make a real difference, especially on a single income or when paying for private education.
Which city is safer, Montreal or Mendoza?
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.
Which city is the better choice to relocate to?
If budget matters most, go with Mendoza. 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.

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