Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Montreal and San Luis Potosi

For one person, living is cheaper in San Luis Potosi: $1,299 a month against $2,003 in Montreal, rent and utilities included – about $8,400 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

Montreal
🇨🇦 Canada
$2,003
/mo nomad
San Luis Potosi
🇲🇽 Mexico
$1,299
/mo nomad
Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Montreal and in San Luis Potosi

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 San Luis Potosi actually costs, broken down by who's living it.

A single person spends $2,003 per month in Montreal vs $1,299 in San Luis Potosi, rent included.

  • Montreal $2,003
  • San Luis Potosi $1,299

A couple spends around $3,048 per month in Montreal vs $2,028 in San Luis Potosi, rent included.

  • Montreal $3,048
  • San Luis Potosi $2,028

A family of three spends $4,092 per month in Montreal vs $2,757 in San Luis Potosi, rent included.

  • Montreal $4,092
  • San Luis Potosi $2,757

Montreal costs about 54% more than San Luis Potosi, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

Montreal sits 49% above the global median, while San Luis Potosi is 3% below – they fall on opposite sides of the world average.

Currency
🍽 Eating Out
Montreal
San Luis Potosi
Difference
Meal at Budget Restaurant
$19.31 CA$27.52
$14.08 MX$259
37.14%
Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range
$75.5 CA$108
$42.03 MX$772
79.63%
Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)
$10.63 CA$15.15
$9.63 MX$177
10.38%
Cappuccino
$3.93 CA$5.60
$3.35 MX$61.6
17.31%
Coke/Pepsi/Fanta/Sprite (0.33 liter bottle)
$1.92 CA$2.73
$1.33 MX$24.45
44.36%
Water (0.33 liter bottle)
$1.48 CA$2.11
$0.97 MX$17.78
52.58%
Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)
$6.30 CA$8.98
$2.67 MX$49.05
135.96%
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$7.19 CA$10.24
$4.76 MX$87.4
51.05%
🛒 Groceries & Markets
Montreal
San Luis Potosi
Difference
Milk (1 liter)
$2.22 CA$3.17
$1.56 MX$28.67
42.31%
White Bread (500g)
$3.06 CA$4.36
$2.63 MX$48.23
16.35%
Rice (white) (1kg)
$2.94 CA$4.19
$1.79 MX$32.88
64.25%
Eggs
$3.53 CA$5.03
$2.64 MX$48.53
33.71%
Local Cheese (1kg)
$13.19 CA$18.79
$8.63 MX$158
52.84%
Chicken Fillets (1kg)
$11.24 CA$16.02
$10.15 MX$186
10.74%
Beef Round Steak (1kg)
$13.81 CA$19.69
$11.43 MX$210
20.82%
Apples (1kg)
$3.40 CA$4.85
$3.34 MX$61.4
1.80%
Banana (1kg)
$1.44 CA$2.06
$1.65 MX$30.26
-12.73%
Oranges (1kg)
$3.26 CA$4.65
$2.23 MX$40.94
46.19%
Tomato (1kg)
$2.88 CA$4.10
$2.57 MX$47.25
12.06%
Potato (1kg)
$1.86 CA$2.65
$2.69 MX$49.31
-30.86%
Onion (1kg)
$1.82 CA$2.60
$3.14 MX$57.7
-42.04%
Lettuce (1 head)
$2.43 CA$3.46
$1.10 MX$20.23
120.91%
Water (1.5 liter bottle)
$1.52 CA$2.17
$1.30 MX$23.80
16.92%
Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)
$11.45 CA$16.32
$4.03 MX$74.0
184.12%
Wine (Bottle)
$10.36 CA$14.76
$14.00 MX$257
-26.00%
Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)
$2.22 CA$3.16
$2.15 MX$39.50
3.26%
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$2.82 CA$4.02
$3.89 MX$71.4
-27.51%
🚌 Getting Around
Montreal
San Luis Potosi
Difference
One-way Ticket (Public Transport)
$2.58 CA$3.67
$0.85 MX$15.54
203.53%
Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)
$76.9 CA$110
$71.5 MX$1,313
7.49%
Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)
$3.25 CA$4.64
$0.81 MX$14.88
301.23%
Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)
$1.48 CA$2.11
$1.68 MX$30.86
-11.90%
Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)
$33.04 CA$47.09
$9.80 MX$180
237.14%
Gasoline (1 liter)
$1.36 CA$1.94
$1.47 MX$26.98
-7.48%
Midsize Hatchback 1.4l (Volkswagen Golf, Toyota Prius, Honda Civic, etc)
$27.4K CA$39.1K
$21.2K MX$388.7K
29.56%
Compact Sedan 1.6l (Toyota Corolla, Mazda3, Kia K4, Hyundai Elantra, etc)
$20.0K CA$28.5K
$24.1K MX$442.1K
-17.04%
🧾 Monthly Utilities & Internet
Montreal
San Luis Potosi
Difference
Utilities for 2 People in 2-bedroom Apartment (Heating, Electricity, Gas, Water, Garbage) (85m2)
$76.1 CA$109
$41.85 MX$768
81.89%
SIM Card Monthly Plan (Calls and 10GB+ Data)
$34.68 CA$49.43
$16.14 MX$296
114.87%
Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)
$42.69 CA$60.9
$31.49 MX$578
35.57%
🎉 Sport & Entertainment
Montreal
San Luis Potosi
Difference
Gym Membership (Monthly)
$28.94 CA$41.26
$31.00 MX$569
-6.65%
Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)
$20.33 CA$28.97
$27.81 MX$511
-26.90%
Cinema Ticket
$11.21 CA$15.98
$5.84 MX$107
91.95%
🧸 Childcare & Education
Montreal
San Luis Potosi
Difference
Preschool or Kindergarten, Full Day, Private, 1 Child (Monthly)
$505 CA$720
$263 MX$4,821
92.34%
International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)
$16.0K CA$22.8K
$3,591 MX$65.9K
345.83%
👕👟 Clothing & Footwear
Montreal
San Luis Potosi
Difference
Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)
$58.5 CA$83.4
$54.6 MX$1,002
7.14%
Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)
$38.00 CA$54.2
$39.28 MX$721
-3.26%
Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)
$92.7 CA$132
$102 MX$1,876
-9.29%
Men's Leather Business Shoes
$106 CA$151
$78.6 MX$1,444
34.53%
🏠 Accommodation & Living
Montreal
San Luis Potosi
Difference
1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$1,240 CA$1,768
$665 MX$12.2K
86.40%
1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$986 CA$1,405
$466 MX$8,547
111.81%
3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$2,102 CA$2,996
$1,184 MX$21.7K
77.48%
3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$1,615 CA$2,302
$774 MX$14.2K
108.68%
Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)
$5,043 CA$7,188
$1,399 MX$25.7K
260.38%
Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)
$3,830 CA$5,459
$884 MX$16.2K
333.07%
💵 Salaries & Financials
Montreal
San Luis Potosi
Difference
Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)
$2,920 CA$4,163
$872 MX$16.0K
234.88%
20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)
4.46
12.68
-64.83%

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

Last update for Montreal: October 6, 2026

Last update for San Luis Potosi: October 4, 2026

Monthly budget structure
Share of the monthly basket for one person, rent included.
Accommodation & Living
Montreal
$986
San Luis Potosi
$465 52.8% $520
Groceries & Markets
Montreal
$344
San Luis Potosi
$300 12.8% $44
Eating Out
Montreal
$293
San Luis Potosi
$214 27% $79
Monthly Utilities & Internet
Montreal
$154
San Luis Potosi
$89 41.7% $64
Clothing & Footwear
Montreal
$133
San Luis Potosi
$124 6.9% $9.1
Getting Around
Montreal
$98
San Luis Potosi
$84 14% $14
Sport & Entertainment
Montreal
$51
San Luis Potosi
$43 16.9% $8.7

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $1,240 in Montreal versus $665 in San Luis Potosi. 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 235% 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 $42.00 in San Luis Potosi. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $344 vs $300 – making San Luis Potosi the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know
🇨🇦 Montreal
🇲🇽 San Luis Potosi
🕒 Local time
06:54 6:54 AM
04:54 4:54 AM
2 h behind Montreal
🌤 Weather
👥 Population
1,762,949
845,941
💱 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 San Luis Potosi 3,590 km ≈ 5 h nonstop flight
From you
  • Montreal
  • San Luis Potosi

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 San Luis Potosi: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions
Which city is more expensive, Montreal or San Luis Potosi?
Montreal costs about 54% more than San Luis Potosi, 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.
How much do you need to earn to live comfortably in Montreal and in San Luis Potosi?
For a comfortable life, plan on about $3,005 per month in Montreal and $1,948 in San Luis Potosi. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.
Where is rent cheaper, Montreal or San Luis Potosi?
Rent is clearly cheaper in San Luis Potosi, especially for central apartments. Housing is actually the single biggest factor behind the overall cost gap between these two cities.
Are groceries more expensive in Montreal or in San Luis Potosi?
Groceries cost about 15% more in Montreal, though it depends on what you buy. Local produce may be comparable; imported and premium items show the biggest price gap.
How do dining costs compare in Montreal and in San Luis Potosi?
A mid-range dinner for two costs $75.0 in Montreal and $42.00 in San Luis Potosi. That's a good indicator of the overall restaurant and café pricing gap between the two cities.
Can you live on $1,000/month in Montreal or in San Luis Potosi?
A $1,000 monthly budget goes further in San Luis Potosi, where all-in costs run around $1,299, than in Montreal at $2,003. In San Luis Potosi 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 San Luis Potosi?
For digital nomads, it depends on budget. San Luis Potosi costs $1,299 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 San Luis Potosi?
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 San Luis Potosi?
If budget matters most, go with San Luis Potosi. 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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