Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Montreal and Merida

For one person, living is cheaper in Merida: $1,334 a month against $2,003 in Montreal, rent and utilities included – about $8,000 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
65

Cost of Living Index in Merida
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Merida Living Index

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Montreal

🇨🇦 Canada

$2,003

/mo nomad

Merida

🇲🇽 Mexico

$1,334

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Montreal and in Merida

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

A single person spends $2,003 per month in Montreal vs $1,334 in Merida, rent included.

Montreal $2,003
Merida $1,334

A couple spends around $3,048 per month in Montreal vs $2,174 in Merida, rent included.

Montreal $3,048
Merida $2,174

A family of three spends $4,092 per month in Montreal vs $3,014 in Merida, rent included.

Montreal $4,092
Merida $3,014

Montreal costs about 50% more than Merida, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

Both Montreal and Merida sit above the global median – Montreal by 49%, Merida by 0%.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$19.31 CA$27.52

$13.90 MX$255

38.92%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$75.5 CA$108

$55.7 MX$1,022

35.60%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$10.63 CA$15.15

$8.11 MX$149

31.07%

Cappuccino

$3.93 CA$5.60

$3.97 MX$73.0

-1.01%

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

$1.92 CA$2.73

$1.14 MX$21.00

68.42%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.48 CA$2.11

$1.18 MX$21.67

25.42%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$6.30 CA$8.98

$3.07 MX$56.4

105.21%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$7.19 CA$10.24

$3.87 MX$71.1

85.79%

Milk (1 liter)

$2.22 CA$3.17

$1.60 MX$29.30

38.75%

White Bread (500g)

$3.06 CA$4.36

$2.64 MX$48.41

15.91%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.94 CA$4.19

$1.73 MX$31.83

69.94%

Eggs

$3.53 CA$5.03

$1.97 MX$36.18

79.19%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$13.19 CA$18.79

$10.31 MX$189

27.93%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$11.24 CA$16.02

$7.70 MX$141

45.97%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$13.81 CA$19.69

$12.54 MX$230

10.13%

Apples (1kg)

$3.40 CA$4.85

$2.77 MX$50.9

22.74%

Banana (1kg)

$1.44 CA$2.06

$1.41 MX$25.89

2.13%

Oranges (1kg)

$3.26 CA$4.65

$2.14 MX$39.21

52.34%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.88 CA$4.10

$2.08 MX$38.10

38.46%

Potato (1kg)

$1.86 CA$2.65

$2.36 MX$43.25

-21.19%

Onion (1kg)

$1.82 CA$2.60

$1.83 MX$33.53

-0.55%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.43 CA$3.46

$1.43 MX$26.27

69.93%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.52 CA$2.17

$1.13 MX$20.80

34.51%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$11.45 CA$16.32

$4.44 MX$81.4

157.88%

Wine (Bottle)

$10.36 CA$14.76

$10.90 MX$200

-4.95%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.22 CA$3.16

$1.47 MX$27.06

51.02%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.82 CA$4.02

$2.51 MX$46.08

12.35%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.58 CA$3.67

$0.67 MX$12.36

285.07%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$76.9 CA$110

$19.76 MX$363

289.12%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.25 CA$4.64

$2.73 MX$50.1

19.05%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.48 CA$2.11

$3.76 MX$69.1

-60.64%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$33.04 CA$47.09

$8.82 MX$162

274.60%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.36 CA$1.94

$1.58 MX$29.04

-13.92%

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

$27.4K CA$39.1K

$21.5K MX$393.9K

27.84%

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

$20.0K CA$28.5K

$24.4K MX$447.1K

-17.96%

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

$76.1 CA$109

$113 MX$2,076

-32.67%

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

$34.68 CA$49.43

$21.35 MX$392

62.44%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$42.69 CA$60.9

$35.42 MX$650

20.53%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$28.94 CA$41.26

$30.12 MX$553

-3.92%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$20.33 CA$28.97

$11.83 MX$217

71.85%

Cinema Ticket

$11.21 CA$15.98

$7.57 MX$139

48.08%

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

$505 CA$720

$266 MX$4,880

90.03%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$16.0K CA$22.8K

$3,584 MX$65.8K

346.80%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$58.5 CA$83.4

$55.6 MX$1,020

5.25%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$38.00 CA$54.2

$54.2 MX$995

-29.92%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$92.7 CA$132

$102 MX$1,869

-8.92%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$106 CA$151

$87.2 MX$1,602

21.25%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,240 CA$1,768

$634 MX$11.6K

95.61%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$986 CA$1,405

$468 MX$8,585

110.86%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,102 CA$2,996

$1,243 MX$22.8K

69.10%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,615 CA$2,302

$967 MX$17.8K

67.01%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$5,043 CA$7,188

$2,252 MX$41.4K

123.91%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$3,830 CA$5,459

$1,234 MX$22.7K

210.31%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$2,920 CA$4,163

$604 MX$11.1K

383.36%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

4.46

11.64

-61.68%

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

Last update for Montreal: October 6, 2026

Last update for Merida: October 4, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Montreal

$986 47.9%

Merida

$468 34.7% 52.6% $518

Groceries & Markets

Montreal

$344 16.7%

Merida

$270 20% 21.5% $74

Eating Out

Montreal

$293 14.2%

Merida

$216 16% 26.4% $77

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Montreal

$154 7.5%

Merida

$170 12.6% 10.6% $16

Clothing & Footwear

Montreal

$133 6.5%

Merida

$134 10% 1.3% $1.7

Getting Around

Montreal

$98 4.8%

Merida

$44 3.3% 55% $54

Sport & Entertainment

Montreal

$51 2.5%

Merida

$45 3.4% 11.9% $6.1

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $1,240 in Montreal versus $634 in Merida. 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 383% 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 $56.0 in Merida. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $344 vs $270 – making Merida the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇨🇦 Montreal

🇲🇽 Merida

🕒 Local time

23:24 11:24 PM

21:24 9:24 PM

2 h behind Montreal

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

1,762,949

975,000

💱 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 = 20.59 MXN (100 MXN = 4.86 EUR).

USD to CAD in detail →

On the map

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Between locations

Montreal Merida 3,100 km ≈ 4 h 15 min nonstop flight

From you

Montreal
Merida

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 Merida: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Yes – Montreal is pricier by about 50%, and outside of rent the gap shows up most in eating out.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $3,005 per month in Montreal and $2,001 in Merida. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

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

Kindergarten costs $505 per month in Montreal and $266 in Merida. For families with young kids, this one expense can tip the scales when choosing between the two cities.

Groceries cost about 27% 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 $1,500 monthly budget goes further in Merida, where all-in costs run around $1,334, than in Montreal at $2,003. In Merida it covers expenses comfortably, while in Montreal it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.

Families tend to lean toward Merida – lower housing and cheaper childcare make a real difference, especially on a single income or when paying for private education.

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 Merida. 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.