Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Montreal and Tapachula

For one person, living is cheaper in Tapachula: $1,164 a month against $2,059 in Montreal, rent and utilities included – about $10,700 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
54

Cost of Living Index in Tapachula
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Tapachula Living Index

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Montreal

🇨🇦 Canada

$2,059

/mo nomad

Tapachula

🇲🇽 Mexico

$1,164

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Montreal and in Tapachula

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

A single person spends $2,059 per month in Montreal vs $1,164 in Tapachula, rent included.

Montreal $2,059
Tapachula $1,164

A couple spends around $3,123 per month in Montreal vs $1,828 in Tapachula, rent included.

Montreal $3,123
Tapachula $1,828

A family of three spends $4,187 per month in Montreal vs $2,493 in Tapachula, rent included.

Montreal $4,187
Tapachula $2,493

Montreal costs about 77% more than Tapachula, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

Montreal sits 52% above the global median, while Tapachula is 14% below – they fall on opposite sides of the world average.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$18.84 CA$26.63

$10.44 MX$193

80.46%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$73.2 CA$104

$40.58 MX$750

80.43%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$10.54 CA$14.90

$7.90 MX$146

33.42%

Cappuccino

$3.97 CA$5.61

$3.71 MX$68.6

7.01%

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

$1.94 CA$2.74

$1.27 MX$23.45

52.76%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.57 CA$2.22

$1.16 MX$21.35

35.34%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$6.42 CA$9.08

$2.41 MX$44.58

166.39%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$7.20 CA$10.19

$3.75 MX$69.3

92.00%

Milk (1 liter)

$2.32 CA$3.28

$1.56 MX$28.77

48.72%

White Bread (500g)

$3.19 CA$4.51

$2.65 MX$49.05

20.38%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$3.19 CA$4.50

$1.62 MX$29.96

96.91%

Eggs

$3.68 CA$5.20

$2.43 MX$44.94

51.44%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$13.24 CA$18.72

$8.09 MX$149

63.66%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$11.69 CA$16.53

$8.32 MX$154

40.50%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$13.98 CA$19.76

$11.49 MX$212

21.67%

Apples (1kg)

$3.14 CA$4.44

$2.31 MX$42.72

35.93%

Banana (1kg)

$1.45 CA$2.05

$1.58 MX$29.23

-8.23%

Oranges (1kg)

$3.38 CA$4.78

$2.08 MX$38.50

62.50%

Tomato (1kg)

$3.11 CA$4.40

$1.83 MX$33.81

69.95%

Potato (1kg)

$1.93 CA$2.72

$1.89 MX$34.94

2.12%

Onion (1kg)

$1.83 CA$2.58

$1.81 MX$33.37

1.10%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.36 CA$3.34

$1.62 MX$29.91

45.68%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.50 CA$2.12

$1.09 MX$20.12

37.61%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$11.12 CA$15.73

$4.27 MX$79.0

160.42%

Wine (Bottle)

$10.60 CA$14.98

$9.18 MX$170

15.47%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.22 CA$3.14

$1.71 MX$31.66

29.82%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.84 CA$4.01

$3.05 MX$56.4

-6.89%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.62 CA$3.71

$0.61 MX$11.19

329.51%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$79.1 CA$112

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.23 CA$4.56

$2.66 MX$49.11

21.43%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.48 CA$2.10

$1.70 MX$31.45

-12.94%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$32.22 CA$45.55

$9.99 MX$185

222.52%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.36 CA$1.92

$1.34 MX$24.73

1.49%

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

$27.6K CA$39.1K

$25.3K MX$467.0K

9.39%

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

$21.2K CA$30.0K

$23.0K MX$424.7K

-7.79%

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

$77.0 CA$109

$54.4 MX$1,006

41.51%

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

$34.14 CA$48.26

$23.70 MX$438

44.05%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$42.19 CA$59.7

$26.93 MX$498

56.67%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$30.81 CA$43.56

$37.17 MX$687

-17.11%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$19.66 CA$27.79

$18.73 MX$346

4.97%

Cinema Ticket

$11.47 CA$16.22

$5.01 MX$92.6

128.94%

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

$506 CA$716

$245 MX$4,528

106.56%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$16.2K CA$23.0K

$4,825 MX$89.2K

236.51%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$57.3 CA$81.0

$57.4 MX$1,060

-0.23%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$38.10 CA$53.9

$41.06 MX$759

-7.21%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$91.9 CA$130

$98.5 MX$1,820

-6.66%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$110 CA$155

$91.8 MX$1,696

19.58%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,237 CA$1,748

$673 MX$12.4K

83.73%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$977 CA$1,381

$428 MX$7,904

128.36%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,180 CA$3,082

$1,080 MX$20.0K

101.89%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,608 CA$2,273

$770 MX$14.2K

108.82%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$5,113 CA$7,228

$1,952 MX$36.1K

162.00%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$3,744 CA$5,293

$1,087 MX$20.1K

244.44%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$2,957 CA$4,180

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

4.48

11.3

-60.35%

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

Last update for Montreal: October 20, 2026

Last update for Tapachula: October 18, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Montreal

$977 47.4%

Tapachula

$428 36.8% 56.2% $549

Groceries & Markets

Montreal

$351 17.1%

Tapachula

$259 22.3% 26.2% $92

Eating Out

Montreal

$290 14.1%

Tapachula

$181 15.6% 37.7% $109

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Montreal

$153 7.5%

Tapachula

$105 9% 31.5% $48

Clothing & Footwear

Montreal

$134 6.5%

Tapachula

$130 11.2% 2.8% $3.7

Getting Around

Montreal

$100 4.9%

Tapachula

$14 * 1.2% 86.4% $87

Sport & Entertainment

Montreal

$54 2.6%

Tapachula

$47 4.1% 12.2% $6.6

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

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $1,237 in Montreal versus $673 in Tapachula. 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 $73.0 in Montreal versus $41.00 in Tapachula. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $351 vs $259 – making Tapachula the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇨🇦 Montreal

🇲🇽 Tapachula

🕒 Local time

10:42 10:42 AM

08:42 8:42 AM

2 h behind Montreal

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

1,762,949

217,550

💱 Currency

Canadian Dollar CAD $

Mexican Peso MXN $

📈 Exchange rate

1 CAD = 0.707 USD

1 CAD = 0.629 EUR

100 MXN = 5.41 USD

100 MXN = 4.81 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 22, 2026: 1 USD = 1.41 CAD (1 CAD = 0.707 USD). 1 EUR = 1.59 CAD (1 CAD = 0.629 EUR).

Mexican Peso exchange rates as of October 22, 2026: 1 USD = 18.48 MXN (100 MXN = 5.41 USD). 1 EUR = 20.77 MXN (100 MXN = 4.81 EUR).

USD to CAD in detail →

On the map

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Between locations

Montreal Tapachula 3,830 km ≈ 5 h nonstop flight

From you

Montreal
Tapachula

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 Tapachula: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Montreal costs about 77% more than Tapachula, 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 $3,089 per month in Montreal and $1,745 in Tapachula. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

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

A mid-range dinner for two costs $73.0 in Montreal and $41.00 in Tapachula. That's a good indicator of the overall restaurant and café pricing gap between the two cities.

Groceries cost about 36% 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 $1,500 monthly budget goes further in Tapachula, where all-in costs run around $1,164, than in Montreal at $2,059. In Tapachula it covers expenses comfortably, while in Montreal it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.

For digital nomads, it depends on budget. Tapachula costs $1,164 versus $2,059 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 Tapachula. 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.