Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Montreal and Zacatecas

For one person, living is cheaper in Zacatecas: $738 a month against $2,018 in Montreal, rent and utilities included – about $15,400 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
36

Cost of Living Index in Zacatecas
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Zacatecas Living Index

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Montreal

🇨🇦 Canada

$2,018

/mo nomad

Zacatecas

🇲🇽 Mexico

$738

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Montreal and in Zacatecas

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

A single person spends $2,018 per month in Montreal vs $738 in Zacatecas, rent included.

Montreal $2,018
Zacatecas $738

A couple spends around $3,085 per month in Montreal vs $1,170 in Zacatecas, rent included.

Montreal $3,085
Zacatecas $1,170

A family of three spends $4,152 per month in Montreal vs $1,602 in Zacatecas, rent included.

Montreal $4,152
Zacatecas $1,602

Montreal costs about 174% more than Zacatecas, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

Montreal sits 49% above the global median, while Zacatecas is 45% below – they fall on opposite sides of the world average.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$18.82 CA$26.61

$6.12 MX$113

207.52%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$70.3 CA$99.4

$31.70 MX$586

121.74%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$10.66 CA$15.06

$7.50 MX$139

42.13%

Cappuccino

$3.84 CA$5.43

$2.96 MX$54.7

29.73%

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

$1.92 CA$2.71

$1.21 MX$22.31

58.68%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.54 CA$2.18

$0.72 MX$13.31

113.89%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$6.23 CA$8.81

$1.86 MX$34.45

234.95%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$7.10 CA$10.03

$4.08 MX$75.4

74.02%

Milk (1 liter)

$2.31 CA$3.27

$1.37 MX$25.41

68.61%

White Bread (500g)

$3.14 CA$4.44

$2.21 MX$40.91

42.08%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$3.21 CA$4.54

$1.54 MX$28.52

108.44%

Eggs

$3.52 CA$4.97

$2.29 MX$42.31

53.71%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$12.81 CA$18.11

$7.32 MX$135

75.00%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$11.46 CA$16.20

$6.12 MX$113

87.25%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$13.39 CA$18.92

$9.25 MX$171

44.76%

Apples (1kg)

$3.14 CA$4.43

$1.75 MX$32.31

79.43%

Banana (1kg)

$1.44 CA$2.03

$1.66 MX$30.63

-13.25%

Oranges (1kg)

$3.47 CA$4.91

$2.02 MX$37.30

71.78%

Tomato (1kg)

$3.07 CA$4.34

$1.46 MX$27.05

110.27%

Potato (1kg)

$1.90 CA$2.69

$2.00 MX$36.98

-5.00%

Onion (1kg)

$1.77 CA$2.50

$1.76 MX$32.50

0.57%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.34 CA$3.31

$1.52 MX$28.04

53.95%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.55 CA$2.19

$0.84 MX$15.60

84.52%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$11.38 CA$16.09

$4.29 MX$79.4

165.27%

Wine (Bottle)

$10.63 CA$15.03

$10.67 MX$197

-0.37%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.27 CA$3.21

$1.67 MX$30.90

35.93%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.82 CA$3.99

$3.38 MX$62.5

-16.57%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.66 CA$3.76

$0.53 MX$9.88

401.89%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$77.3 CA$109

$16.52 MX$305

367.86%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.20 CA$4.53

$2.21 MX$40.77

44.80%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.48 CA$2.09

$1.08 MX$19.91

37.04%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$32.88 CA$46.48

$12.28 MX$227

167.75%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.34 CA$1.90

$1.45 MX$26.79

-7.59%

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

$28.2K CA$39.8K

$21.1K MX$390.6K

33.20%

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

$19.6K CA$27.8K

$24.5K MX$452.6K

-19.85%

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

$76.0 CA$107

$23.16 MX$428

227.98%

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

$33.95 CA$48.00

$8.38 MX$155

305.13%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$42.31 CA$59.8

$25.17 MX$465

68.10%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$29.76 CA$42.07

$25.02 MX$462

18.94%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$20.28 CA$28.67

$8.17 MX$151

148.23%

Cinema Ticket

$11.15 CA$15.77

$4.39 MX$81.1

153.99%

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

$507 CA$717

$256 MX$4,736

97.87%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$16.1K CA$22.7K

$3,234 MX$59.8K

396.24%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$57.6 CA$81.4

$45.26 MX$836

27.15%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$37.58 CA$53.1

$40.19 MX$743

-6.49%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$91.9 CA$130

$91.6 MX$1,692

0.37%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$110 CA$155

$43.08 MX$796

154.36%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,260 CA$1,782

$242 MX$4,467

421.46%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$948 CA$1,340

$162 MX$2,994

484.77%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,137 CA$3,021

$383 MX$7,074

458.24%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,614 CA$2,281

$249 MX$4,606

547.42%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$4,960 CA$7,011

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$3,838 CA$5,425

$571 MX$10.5K

572.22%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$2,827 CA$3,997

$407 MX$7,527

594.12%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

4.48

10.8

-58.52%

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

Last update for Montreal: October 12, 2026

Last update for Zacatecas: October 10, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Montreal

$948 47%

Zacatecas

$162 22% 82.9% $786

Groceries & Markets

Montreal

$346 17.2%

Zacatecas

$228 30.9% 34.2% $119

Eating Out

Montreal

$288 14.3%

Zacatecas

$132 17.9% 54.1% $156

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Montreal

$152 7.5%

Zacatecas

$57 7.7% 62.7% $96

Clothing & Footwear

Montreal

$133 6.6%

Zacatecas

$99 13.4% 25.8% $34

Getting Around

Montreal

$99 4.9%

Zacatecas

$26 3.6% 73.4% $72

Sport & Entertainment

Montreal

$52 2.6%

Zacatecas

$34 4.6% 35.1% $18

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $1,260 in Montreal versus $242 in Zacatecas. 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 594% 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 $70.0 in Montreal versus $32.00 in Zacatecas. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $346 vs $228 – making Zacatecas the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇨🇦 Montreal

🇲🇽 Zacatecas

🕒 Local time

06:42 6:42 AM

04:42 4:42 AM

2 h behind Montreal

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

1,762,949

138,444

💱 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 18, 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 18, 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 →

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Between locations

Montreal Zacatecas 3,640 km ≈ 5 h nonstop flight

From you

Montreal
Zacatecas

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 Zacatecas: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Montreal costs about 174% more than Zacatecas, 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 $3,027 per month in Montreal and $1,107 in Zacatecas. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

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

Groceries cost about 52% 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 $70.0 in Montreal and $32.00 in Zacatecas. That's a good indicator of the overall restaurant and café pricing gap between the two cities.

A $2,000 monthly budget goes further in Zacatecas, where all-in costs run around $738, than in Montreal at $2,018. In Zacatecas it covers expenses comfortably, while in Montreal it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.

For digital nomads, it depends on budget. Zacatecas costs $738 versus $2,018 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 Zacatecas. 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.