Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Montreal and Queretaro

For one person, living is cheaper in Queretaro: $1,458 a month against $2,003 in Montreal, rent and utilities included – about $6,500 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
70

Cost of Living Index in Queretaro
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Queretaro Living Index

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Montreal

🇨🇦 Canada

$2,003

/mo nomad

Queretaro

🇲🇽 Mexico

$1,458

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Montreal and in Queretaro

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

A single person spends $2,003 per month in Montreal vs $1,458 in Queretaro, rent included.

Montreal $2,003
Queretaro $1,458

A couple spends around $3,048 per month in Montreal vs $2,209 in Queretaro, rent included.

Montreal $3,048
Queretaro $2,209

A family of three spends $4,092 per month in Montreal vs $2,960 in Queretaro, rent included.

Montreal $4,092
Queretaro $2,960

Montreal costs about 37% more than Queretaro, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

Both Montreal and Queretaro sit above the global median – Montreal by 49%, Queretaro by 9%.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$19.31 CA$27.46

$11.24 MX$204

71.80%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$75.5 CA$107

$64.3 MX$1,169

17.49%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$10.63 CA$15.11

$9.59 MX$174

10.84%

Cappuccino

$3.93 CA$5.58

$3.59 MX$65.3

9.47%

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

$1.92 CA$2.73

$1.61 MX$29.27

19.25%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.48 CA$2.11

$1.10 MX$20.01

34.55%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$6.30 CA$8.96

$3.26 MX$59.2

93.25%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$7.19 CA$10.22

$5.55 MX$101

29.55%

Milk (1 liter)

$2.22 CA$3.16

$1.96 MX$35.64

13.27%

White Bread (500g)

$3.06 CA$4.35

$2.77 MX$50.4

10.47%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.94 CA$4.18

$2.04 MX$37.03

44.12%

Eggs

$3.53 CA$5.02

$2.70 MX$49.12

30.74%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$13.19 CA$18.76

$9.21 MX$168

43.21%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$11.24 CA$15.98

$8.86 MX$161

26.86%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$13.81 CA$19.65

$13.80 MX$251

0.07%

Apples (1kg)

$3.40 CA$4.84

$3.40 MX$61.8

Banana (1kg)

$1.44 CA$2.05

$1.68 MX$30.49

-14.29%

Oranges (1kg)

$3.26 CA$4.64

$2.16 MX$39.28

50.93%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.88 CA$4.09

$1.92 MX$35.00

50.00%

Potato (1kg)

$1.86 CA$2.64

$1.86 MX$33.75

Onion (1kg)

$1.82 CA$2.60

$1.82 MX$33.12

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.43 CA$3.45

$1.55 MX$28.11

56.77%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.52 CA$2.17

$1.25 MX$22.78

21.60%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$11.45 CA$16.29

$4.64 MX$84.5

146.77%

Wine (Bottle)

$10.36 CA$14.73

$18.28 MX$332

-43.33%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.22 CA$3.15

$2.19 MX$39.85

1.37%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.82 CA$4.01

$3.91 MX$71.2

-27.88%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.58 CA$3.66

$0.60 MX$10.90

330.00%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$76.9 CA$109

$26.03 MX$473

195.39%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.25 CA$4.63

$3.25 MX$59.0

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.48 CA$2.11

$2.57 MX$46.67

-42.41%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$33.04 CA$46.99

$10.88 MX$198

203.68%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.36 CA$1.93

$1.58 MX$28.80

-13.92%

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

$27.4K CA$39.0K

$21.5K MX$391.3K

27.51%

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

$20.0K CA$28.4K

$24.4K MX$443.3K

-18.03%

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

$76.1 CA$108

$58.0 MX$1,055

31.29%

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

$34.68 CA$49.32

$27.03 MX$492

28.30%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$42.69 CA$60.7

$24.66 MX$449

73.11%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$28.94 CA$41.17

$57.1 MX$1,039

-49.31%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$20.33 CA$28.91

$25.02 MX$455

-18.75%

Cinema Ticket

$11.21 CA$15.94

$7.54 MX$137

48.67%

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

$505 CA$718

$269 MX$4,888

87.95%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$16.0K CA$22.8K

$5,127 MX$93.3K

212.27%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$58.5 CA$83.2

$52.8 MX$960

10.84%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$38.00 CA$54.1

$44.39 MX$807

-14.40%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$92.7 CA$132

$102 MX$1,853

-9.01%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$106 CA$150

$101 MX$1,828

5.24%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,240 CA$1,764

$850 MX$15.5K

45.97%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$986 CA$1,402

$574 MX$10.4K

71.92%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,102 CA$2,990

$1,460 MX$26.6K

43.97%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,615 CA$2,297

$849 MX$15.4K

90.23%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$5,043 CA$7,173

$2,208 MX$40.2K

128.41%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$3,830 CA$5,447

$1,244 MX$22.6K

207.91%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$2,920 CA$4,154

$943 MX$17.2K

209.64%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

4.46

11.99

-62.80%

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

Last update for Montreal: October 6, 2026

Last update for Queretaro: October 3, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Montreal

$986 47.9%

Queretaro

$574 39.7% 41.8% $412

Groceries & Markets

Montreal

$344 16.7%

Queretaro

$311 21.5% 9.6% $33

Eating Out

Montreal

$293 14.2%

Queretaro

$200 13.8% 31.7% $93

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Montreal

$154 7.5%

Queretaro

$110 7.6% 28.6% $44

Clothing & Footwear

Montreal

$133 6.5%

Queretaro

$135 9.3% 1.6% $2.1

Getting Around

Montreal

$98 4.8%

Queretaro

$45 3.1% 54.5% $53

Sport & Entertainment

Montreal

$51 2.5%

Queretaro

$72 5% 40.5% $21

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $1,240 in Montreal versus $850 in Queretaro. 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 210% 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 $64.0 in Queretaro. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $344 vs $311 – making Queretaro the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇨🇦 Montreal

🇲🇽 Queretaro

🕒 Local time

03:46 3:46 AM

01:46 1:46 AM

2 h behind Montreal

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

1,762,949

804,663

💱 Currency

Canadian Dollar CAD $

Mexican Peso MXN $

📈 Exchange rate

1 CAD = 0.703 USD

1 CAD = 0.627 EUR

100 MXN = 5.5 USD

100 MXN = 4.9 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 = 1.42 CAD (1 CAD = 0.703 USD). 1 EUR = 1.6 CAD (1 CAD = 0.627 EUR).

Mexican Peso exchange rates as of October 10, 2026: 1 USD = 18.19 MXN (100 MXN = 5.5 USD). 1 EUR = 20.4 MXN (100 MXN = 4.9 EUR).

USD to CAD in detail →

On the map

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Between locations

Montreal Queretaro 3,700 km ≈ 5 h nonstop flight

From you

Montreal
Queretaro

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 Queretaro: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Montreal costs about 37% more than Queretaro, 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 $3,005 per month in Montreal and $2,187 in Queretaro. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

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

Groceries cost about 11% 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 $64.0 in Queretaro. 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 Queretaro, where all-in costs run around $1,458, than in Montreal at $2,003. In Queretaro it covers expenses comfortably, while in Montreal it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.

For digital nomads, it depends on budget. Queretaro costs $1,458 versus $2,003 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 Queretaro. 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.