Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Montreal and Mexicali

For one person, living is cheaper in Mexicali: $949 a month against $2,003 in Montreal, rent and utilities included – about $12,600 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
46

Cost of Living Index in Mexicali
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Mexicali Living Index

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Montreal

🇨🇦 Canada

$2,003

/mo nomad

Mexicali

🇲🇽 Mexico

$949

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Montreal and in Mexicali

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

A single person spends $2,003 per month in Montreal vs $949 in Mexicali, rent included.

Montreal $2,003
Mexicali $949

A couple spends around $3,048 per month in Montreal vs $1,525 in Mexicali, rent included.

Montreal $3,048
Mexicali $1,525

A family of three spends $4,092 per month in Montreal vs $2,101 in Mexicali, rent included.

Montreal $4,092
Mexicali $2,101

Montreal costs about 111% more than Mexicali, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Montreal sits 49% above the global median, while Mexicali is 29% below – they fall on opposite sides of the world average.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$19.31 CA$27.52

$12.10 MX$222

59.59%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$75.5 CA$108

$34.24 MX$629

120.50%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$10.63 CA$15.15

$6.69 MX$123

58.89%

Cappuccino

$3.93 CA$5.60

$3.43 MX$62.9

14.58%

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

$1.92 CA$2.73

$1.34 MX$24.60

43.28%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.48 CA$2.11

$1.12 MX$20.65

32.14%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$6.30 CA$8.98

$3.23 MX$59.2

95.05%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$7.19 CA$10.24

$4.26 MX$78.2

68.78%

Milk (1 liter)

$2.22 CA$3.17

$1.20 MX$22.10

85.00%

White Bread (500g)

$3.06 CA$4.36

$2.39 MX$43.96

28.03%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.94 CA$4.19

$1.54 MX$28.33

90.91%

Eggs

$3.53 CA$5.03

$2.76 MX$50.7

27.90%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$13.19 CA$18.79

$2.42 MX$44.48

445.04%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$11.24 CA$16.02

$6.00 MX$110

87.33%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$13.81 CA$19.69

$6.66 MX$122

107.36%

Apples (1kg)

$3.40 CA$4.85

$1.63 MX$29.85

108.59%

Banana (1kg)

$1.44 CA$2.06

$1.40 MX$25.74

2.86%

Oranges (1kg)

$3.26 CA$4.65

$1.40 MX$25.78

132.86%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.88 CA$4.10

$1.63 MX$29.98

76.69%

Potato (1kg)

$1.86 CA$2.65

$1.41 MX$25.91

31.91%

Onion (1kg)

$1.82 CA$2.60

$1.42 MX$26.03

28.17%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.43 CA$3.46

$1.35 MX$24.70

80.00%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.52 CA$2.17

$0.85 MX$15.66

78.82%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$11.45 CA$16.32

$4.01 MX$73.7

185.54%

Wine (Bottle)

$10.36 CA$14.76

$8.06 MX$148

28.54%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.22 CA$3.16

$1.94 MX$35.61

14.43%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.82 CA$4.02

$3.90 MX$71.6

-27.69%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.58 CA$3.67

$1.05 MX$19.20

145.71%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$76.9 CA$110

$35.15 MX$645

118.75%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.25 CA$4.64

$2.84 MX$52.1

14.44%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.48 CA$2.11

$2.26 MX$41.57

-34.51%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$33.04 CA$47.09

$19.06 MX$350

73.35%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.36 CA$1.94

$1.34 MX$24.60

1.49%

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

$27.4K CA$39.1K

$21.7K MX$399.3K

26.11%

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

$20.0K CA$28.5K

$24.4K MX$447.3K

-18.00%

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

$76.1 CA$109

$47.14 MX$866

61.48%

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

$34.68 CA$49.43

$22.65 MX$416

53.11%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$42.69 CA$60.9

$30.19 MX$554

41.40%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$28.94 CA$41.26

$39.21 MX$720

-26.19%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$20.33 CA$28.97

$16.63 MX$305

22.25%

Cinema Ticket

$11.21 CA$15.98

$4.08 MX$75.0

174.75%

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

$505 CA$720

$210 MX$3,860

140.22%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$16.0K CA$22.8K

$4,724 MX$86.7K

238.96%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$58.5 CA$83.4

$34.95 MX$642

67.38%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$38.00 CA$54.2

$32.98 MX$605

15.22%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$92.7 CA$132

$77.4 MX$1,420

19.81%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$106 CA$151

$38.03 MX$698

178.15%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,240 CA$1,768

$998 MX$18.3K

24.22%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$986 CA$1,405

$276 MX$5,059

257.85%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,102 CA$2,996

$1,357 MX$24.9K

54.95%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,615 CA$2,302

$556 MX$10.2K

190.20%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$5,043 CA$7,188

$2,638 MX$48.4K

91.18%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$3,830 CA$5,459

$1,474 MX$27.1K

159.74%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$2,920 CA$4,163

$860 MX$15.8K

239.40%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

4.46

12.07

-63.05%

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

Last update for Montreal: October 6, 2026

Last update for Mexicali: October 6, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Montreal

$986 47.9%

Mexicali

$276 29.1% 72.1% $710

Groceries & Markets

Montreal

$344 16.7%

Mexicali

$197 20.8% 42.6% $147

Eating Out

Montreal

$293 14.2%

Mexicali

$192 20.3% 34.3% $100

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Montreal

$154 7.5%

Mexicali

$100 10.5% 34.9% $54

Clothing & Footwear

Montreal

$133 6.5%

Mexicali

$83 8.7% 37.8% $50

Getting Around

Montreal

$98 4.8%

Mexicali

$53 5.6% 45.3% $44

Sport & Entertainment

Montreal

$51 2.5%

Mexicali

$47 5% 7.7% $4

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $1,240 in Montreal versus $998 in Mexicali. 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 239% 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 $34.00 in Mexicali. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $344 vs $197 – making Mexicali the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇨🇦 Montreal

🇲🇽 Mexicali

🕒 Local time

06:27 6:27 AM

03:27 3:27 AM

3 h behind Montreal

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

1,762,949

854,186

💱 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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Montreal Mexicali 3,840 km ≈ 5 h nonstop flight

From you

Montreal
Mexicali

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 Mexicali: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Monthly costs with rent: $2,003 in Montreal, $949 in Mexicali – roughly 111% apart. Outside of rent, the biggest gap is in groceries.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $3,005 per month in Montreal and $1,423 in Mexicali. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

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

Groceries cost about 74% 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 $75.0 in Montreal and $34.00 in Mexicali. That's a good indicator of the overall restaurant and café pricing gap between the two cities.

A $2,000 monthly budget goes further in Mexicali, where all-in costs run around $949, than in Montreal at $2,003. In Mexicali it covers expenses comfortably, while in Montreal it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.

It depends on your priorities. Montreal has an edge in some lifestyle areas, with costs from $949 in Mexicali to $2,003 in Montreal. Climate, culture, job market, and personal taste all factor in.

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 Mexicali. 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.