Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Montreal and Rosarito

For one person, living is cheaper in Rosarito: $1,173 a month against $2,003 in Montreal, rent and utilities included – about $10,000 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

Montreal
🇨🇦 Canada
$2,003
/mo nomad
Rosarito
🇲🇽 Mexico
$1,173
/mo nomad
Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Montreal and in Rosarito

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

A single person spends $2,003 per month in Montreal vs $1,173 in Rosarito, rent included.

  • Montreal $2,003
  • Rosarito $1,173

A couple spends around $3,048 per month in Montreal vs $1,900 in Rosarito, rent included.

  • Montreal $3,048
  • Rosarito $1,900

A family of three spends $4,092 per month in Montreal vs $2,628 in Rosarito, rent included.

  • Montreal $4,092
  • Rosarito $2,628

Montreal costs about 71% more than Rosarito, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in transport.

Montreal sits 49% above the global median, while Rosarito is 12% below – they fall on opposite sides of the world average.

Currency
🍽 Eating Out
Montreal
Rosarito
Difference
Meal at Budget Restaurant
$19.31 CA$27.52
$12.41 MX$228
55.60%
Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range
$75.5 CA$108
$34.87 MX$640
116.52%
Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)
$10.63 CA$15.15
$9.82 MX$180
8.25%
Cappuccino
$3.93 CA$5.60
$4.26 MX$78.2
-7.75%
Coke/Pepsi/Fanta/Sprite (0.33 liter bottle)
$1.92 CA$2.73
$1.37 MX$25.20
40.15%
Water (0.33 liter bottle)
$1.48 CA$2.11
$1.24 MX$22.83
19.35%
Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)
$6.30 CA$8.98
$3.42 MX$62.7
84.21%
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$7.19 CA$10.24
$6.57 MX$121
9.44%
🛒 Groceries & Markets
Montreal
Rosarito
Difference
Milk (1 liter)
$2.22 CA$3.17
$1.80 MX$33.03
23.33%
White Bread (500g)
$3.06 CA$4.36
$3.01 MX$55.3
1.66%
Rice (white) (1kg)
$2.94 CA$4.19
$1.76 MX$32.27
67.05%
Eggs
$3.53 CA$5.03
$3.31 MX$60.7
6.65%
Local Cheese (1kg)
$13.19 CA$18.79
$8.34 MX$153
58.15%
Chicken Fillets (1kg)
$11.24 CA$16.02
$7.32 MX$134
53.55%
Beef Round Steak (1kg)
$13.81 CA$19.69
$11.88 MX$218
16.25%
Apples (1kg)
$3.40 CA$4.85
$2.86 MX$52.5
18.88%
Banana (1kg)
$1.44 CA$2.06
$1.68 MX$30.79
-14.29%
Oranges (1kg)
$3.26 CA$4.65
$1.91 MX$35.02
70.68%
Tomato (1kg)
$2.88 CA$4.10
$1.65 MX$30.30
74.55%
Potato (1kg)
$1.86 CA$2.65
$1.58 MX$28.93
17.72%
Onion (1kg)
$1.82 CA$2.60
$1.91 MX$35.07
-4.71%
Lettuce (1 head)
$2.43 CA$3.46
$1.47 MX$27.08
65.31%
Water (1.5 liter bottle)
$1.52 CA$2.17
$1.07 MX$19.73
42.06%
Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)
$11.45 CA$16.32
$4.37 MX$80.2
162.01%
Wine (Bottle)
$10.36 CA$14.76
$8.20 MX$151
26.34%
Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)
$2.22 CA$3.16
$2.30 MX$42.15
-3.48%
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$2.82 CA$4.02
$4.11 MX$75.5
-31.39%
🚌 Getting Around
Montreal
Rosarito
Difference
One-way Ticket (Public Transport)
$2.58 CA$3.67
$0.66 MX$12.11
290.91%
Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)
$76.9 CA$110
-
-
Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)
$3.25 CA$4.64
$3.00 MX$55.2
8.33%
Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)
$1.48 CA$2.11
$2.28 MX$41.84
-35.09%
Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)
$33.04 CA$47.09
$11.05 MX$203
199.00%
Gasoline (1 liter)
$1.36 CA$1.94
$1.31 MX$24.12
3.82%
Midsize Hatchback 1.4l (Volkswagen Golf, Toyota Prius, Honda Civic, etc)
$27.4K CA$39.1K
$21.2K MX$389.6K
29.25%
Compact Sedan 1.6l (Toyota Corolla, Mazda3, Kia K4, Hyundai Elantra, etc)
$20.0K CA$28.5K
$24.4K MX$448.8K
-18.28%
🧾 Monthly Utilities & Internet
Montreal
Rosarito
Difference
Utilities for 2 People in 2-bedroom Apartment (Heating, Electricity, Gas, Water, Garbage) (85m2)
$76.1 CA$109
$48.34 MX$887
57.47%
SIM Card Monthly Plan (Calls and 10GB+ Data)
$34.68 CA$49.43
$34.02 MX$625
1.94%
Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)
$42.69 CA$60.9
$29.93 MX$550
42.63%
🎉 Sport & Entertainment
Montreal
Rosarito
Difference
Gym Membership (Monthly)
$28.94 CA$41.26
$35.33 MX$649
-18.09%
Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)
$20.33 CA$28.97
$20.08 MX$369
1.25%
Cinema Ticket
$11.21 CA$15.98
$6.88 MX$126
62.94%
🧸 Childcare & Education
Montreal
Rosarito
Difference
Preschool or Kindergarten, Full Day, Private, 1 Child (Monthly)
$505 CA$720
$210 MX$3,849
140.91%
International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)
$16.0K CA$22.8K
$4,684 MX$86.0K
241.86%
👕👟 Clothing & Footwear
Montreal
Rosarito
Difference
Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)
$58.5 CA$83.4
$54.5 MX$1,000
7.38%
Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)
$38.00 CA$54.2
$46.77 MX$859
-18.75%
Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)
$92.7 CA$132
$104 MX$1,901
-10.49%
Men's Leather Business Shoes
$106 CA$151
$69.5 MX$1,277
52.14%
🏠 Accommodation & Living
Montreal
Rosarito
Difference
1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$1,240 CA$1,768
$624 MX$11.5K
98.71%
1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$986 CA$1,405
$396 MX$7,274
148.86%
3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$2,102 CA$2,996
$1,036 MX$19.0K
102.96%
3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$1,615 CA$2,302
$776 MX$14.2K
108.16%
Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)
$5,043 CA$7,188
$1,894 MX$34.8K
166.30%
Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)
$3,830 CA$5,459
$1,146 MX$21.0K
234.26%
💵 Salaries & Financials
Montreal
Rosarito
Difference
Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)
$2,920 CA$4,163
-
-
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 Rosarito: October 4, 2026

Monthly budget structure
Share of the monthly basket for one person, rent included.
Accommodation & Living
Montreal
$986
Rosarito
$396 59.8% $590
Groceries & Markets
Montreal
$344
Rosarito
$269 21.6% $74
Eating Out
Montreal
$293
Rosarito
$220 24.7% $72
Monthly Utilities & Internet
Montreal
$154
Rosarito
$112 26.8% $41
Clothing & Footwear
Montreal
$133
Rosarito
$123 7% $9.3
Getting Around
Montreal
$98
Rosarito
$17 * 82.6% $81
Sport & Entertainment
Montreal
$51
Rosarito
$49 4.4% $2.3

Categories marked with * are only partly priced – their share counts the items that do have prices.

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $1,240 in Montreal versus $624 in Rosarito. Rent is usually the largest line item in a monthly budget, so the gap here sets the tone for the overall comparison.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $75.0 in Montreal versus $35.00 in Rosarito. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $344 vs $269 – making Rosarito the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know
🇨🇦 Montreal
🇲🇽 Rosarito
🕒 Local time
06:29 6:29 AM
03:29 3:29 AM
3 h behind Montreal
🌤 Weather
👥 Population
1,762,949
100,660
💱 Currency
Exchange rates and currency converter

MXN, 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).

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).

On the map
Between locations
  • Montreal Rosarito 3,980 km ≈ 5 h nonstop flight
From you
  • Montreal
  • Rosarito

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 Rosarito: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions
Which city is more expensive, Montreal or Rosarito?
Montreal costs about 71% more than Rosarito, and outside of rent the gap comes mainly from transport. That's enough to noticeably affect everyday spending and lifestyle for anyone choosing between the two.
How much do you need to earn to live comfortably in Montreal and in Rosarito?
For a comfortable life, plan on about $3,005 per month in Montreal and $1,759 in Rosarito. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.
Where is rent cheaper, Montreal or Rosarito?
Rent is clearly cheaper in Rosarito, especially for central apartments. Housing is actually the single biggest factor behind the overall cost gap between these two cities.
How do dining costs compare in Montreal and in Rosarito?
A mid-range dinner for two costs $75.0 in Montreal and $35.00 in Rosarito. That's a good indicator of the overall restaurant and café pricing gap between the two cities.
Are groceries more expensive in Montreal or in Rosarito?
Groceries cost about 28% more in Montreal, though it depends on what you buy. Local produce may be comparable; imported and premium items show the biggest price gap.
Can you live on $1,000/month in Montreal or in Rosarito?
A $1,000 monthly budget goes further in Rosarito, where all-in costs run around $1,173, than in Montreal at $2,003. In Rosarito it covers expenses comfortably, while in Montreal it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.
Which city is better for digital nomads, Montreal or Rosarito?
For digital nomads, it depends on budget. Rosarito costs $1,173 versus $2,003 in Montreal. Both have workable remote work infrastructure, but the cost gap matters when income varies month to month.
How safe is Montreal compared to Rosarito?
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.
Should I move to Montreal or to Rosarito?
If budget matters most, go with Rosarito. 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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