Cost of Living Comparison Between Montreal and Mexico City Cost of Living Comparison Between Montreal and Mexico City

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $2,063 in Montreal versus $1,467 in Mexico City.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $3,159 in Montreal versus $2,371 in Mexico City.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $4,255 in Montreal versus $3,274 in Mexico City.

Living in Montreal is roughly 41% more expensive than Mexico City, driven mainly by Groceries & Markets.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Montreal 54% above, Mexico City 10% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$15.92 CA$22.14

$13.18 MX$228

20.79%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$73.1 CA$102

$53.9 MX$931

35.53%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$11.15 CA$15.50

$9.42 MX$163

18.37%

Cappuccino

$3.80 CA$5.29

$3.55 MX$61.3

7.04%

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

$2.18 CA$3.03

$1.62 MX$27.95

34.57%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.46 CA$2.03

$1.11 MX$19.25

31.53%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$6.12 CA$8.51

$3.12 MX$53.9

96.15%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$6.78 CA$9.42

$4.63 MX$80.0

46.44%

Milk (1 liter)

$2.33 CA$3.24

$1.70 MX$29.40

37.06%

White Bread (500g)

$3.39 CA$4.72

$2.72 MX$46.97

24.63%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$3.73 CA$5.19

$1.91 MX$33.04

95.29%

Eggs

$3.38 CA$4.70

$2.54 MX$43.82

33.07%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$16.25 CA$22.60

$10.03 MX$173

62.01%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$11.54 CA$16.05

$8.09 MX$140

42.65%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$15.24 CA$21.19

$11.62 MX$201

31.15%

Apples (1kg)

$3.74 CA$5.20

$2.97 MX$51.3

25.93%

Banana (1kg)

$1.70 CA$2.37

$1.81 MX$31.21

-6.08%

Oranges (1kg)

$4.11 CA$5.71

$2.01 MX$34.79

104.48%

Tomato (1kg)

$4.35 CA$6.05

$2.03 MX$35.16

114.29%

Potato (1kg)

$2.71 CA$3.76

$2.12 MX$36.71

27.83%

Onion (1kg)

$2.62 CA$3.64

$2.27 MX$39.21

15.42%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.25 CA$3.13

$1.40 MX$24.20

60.71%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.73 CA$2.40

$1.13 MX$19.53

53.10%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$13.31 CA$18.51

$4.27 MX$73.8

211.71%

Wine (Bottle)

$10.78 CA$15.00

$15.56 MX$269

-30.72%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$3.01 CA$4.19

$1.76 MX$30.36

71.02%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.46 CA$4.82

$3.60 MX$62.1

-3.89%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.74 CA$3.81

$0.38 MX$6.62

621.05%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$72.7 CA$101

$19.18 MX$331

278.88%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.63 CA$5.05

$1.38 MX$23.77

163.04%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.46 CA$2.03

$0.28 MX$4.78

421.43%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$33.44 CA$46.50

$5.45 MX$94.1

513.58%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.21 CA$1.69

$1.30 MX$22.53

-6.92%

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

$24.6K CA$34.3K

$18.7K MX$322.9K

31.89%

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

$21.7K CA$30.2K

$23.1K MX$399.7K

-6.25%

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

$76.0 CA$106

$40.86 MX$706

86.05%

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

$35.72 CA$49.68

$26.81 MX$463

33.23%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$42.86 CA$59.6

$29.96 MX$518

43.06%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$42.92 CA$59.7

$52.0 MX$899

-17.49%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$17.23 CA$23.97

$26.84 MX$464

-35.80%

Cinema Ticket

$11.09 CA$15.42

$6.30 MX$109

76.03%

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

$620 CA$862

$436 MX$7,536

42.06%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$5,834 CA$8,114

$10.4K MX$180.0K

-43.99%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$62.7 CA$87.1

$56.7 MX$979

10.61%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$44.41 CA$61.8

$44.38 MX$767

0.07%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$101 CA$140

$103 MX$1,779

-2.14%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$119 CA$166

$106 MX$1,823

12.78%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,211 CA$1,684

$1,022 MX$17.7K

18.50%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$960 CA$1,334

$631 MX$10.9K

52.09%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,035 CA$2,831

$2,136 MX$36.9K

-4.71%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,589 CA$2,210

$1,243 MX$21.5K

27.88%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$5,181 CA$7,205

$3,903 MX$67.4K

32.74%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$3,934 CA$5,470

$2,064 MX$35.7K

90.55%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$2,960 CA$4,116

$1,115 MX$19.3K

165.45%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

5.01

11.34

-55.82%

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

Last update for Montreal: May 31, 2026

Last update for Mexico City: May 31, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,211 in Montreal and $1,022 in Mexico City. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Montreal pays 165% 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: $73.0 in Montreal vs $54.0 in Mexico City for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $392 vs $288 per month, with Mexico City cheaper across the board.

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 Mexico City: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Montreal and Mexico City differ by about 41% in total monthly costs ($2,063 vs $1,467 including rent). Mexico City is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

Montreal pays 165% more on average, 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: $1,211 in Montreal versus $1,022 in Mexico City. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

A monthly transit pass in Mexico City runs roughly 279% less than in Montreal. Both cities have functional networks, but the price difference matters if you're watching your budget.

Childcare runs $620 in Montreal versus $436 in Mexico City. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

At $1,467 in Mexico City versus $2,063 in Montreal, a $2,000 budget is realistic in Mexico City but tight or insufficient in Montreal. The gap between the two cities makes Mexico City the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

Both cities offer a good standard of living with different trade-offs. Neither is objectively better – the right pick depends on what matters most: affordability, career, cultural scene, or climate.

Safety-wise, Montreal and Mexico City 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 Mexico City gentler on the wallet – expenses run 41% less than in Montreal. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.