Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Montreal and Zapopan

For one person, living is cheaper in Zapopan: $1,518 a month against $2,018 in Montreal, rent and utilities included – about $6,000 less a year. Rent and utilities account for about half of the difference.

99

Cost of Living Index in Montreal
Learn more

Montreal Living Index
74

Cost of Living Index in Zapopan
Learn more

Zapopan Living Index

Jump to prices

Montreal

🇨🇦 Canada

$2,018

/mo nomad

Zapopan

🇲🇽 Mexico

$1,518

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Montreal and in Zapopan

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

A single person spends $2,018 per month in Montreal vs $1,518 in Zapopan, rent included.

Montreal $2,018
Zapopan $1,518

A couple spends around $3,085 per month in Montreal vs $2,203 in Zapopan, rent included.

Montreal $3,085
Zapopan $2,203

A family of three spends $4,152 per month in Montreal vs $2,888 in Zapopan, rent included.

Montreal $4,152
Zapopan $2,888

Montreal costs about 33% more than Zapopan, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

Both Montreal and Zapopan sit above the global median – Montreal by 49%, Zapopan by 12%.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$18.82 CA$26.61

$10.95 MX$202

71.87%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$70.3 CA$99.4

$33.24 MX$614

111.46%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$10.66 CA$15.06

$11.12 MX$205

-4.14%

Cappuccino

$3.84 CA$5.43

$3.76 MX$69.4

2.13%

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

$1.92 CA$2.71

$1.11 MX$20.48

72.97%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.54 CA$2.18

$1.17 MX$21.68

31.62%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$6.23 CA$8.81

$2.20 MX$40.74

183.18%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$7.10 CA$10.03

$4.48 MX$82.7

58.48%

Milk (1 liter)

$2.31 CA$3.27

$1.49 MX$27.51

55.03%

White Bread (500g)

$3.14 CA$4.44

$2.58 MX$47.70

21.71%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$3.21 CA$4.54

$1.21 MX$22.28

165.29%

Eggs

$3.52 CA$4.97

$2.73 MX$50.5

28.94%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$12.81 CA$18.11

$8.44 MX$156

51.78%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$11.46 CA$16.20

$10.07 MX$186

13.80%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$13.39 CA$18.92

$10.14 MX$187

32.05%

Apples (1kg)

$3.14 CA$4.43

$2.96 MX$54.7

6.08%

Banana (1kg)

$1.44 CA$2.03

$1.43 MX$26.39

0.70%

Oranges (1kg)

$3.47 CA$4.91

$1.71 MX$31.68

102.92%

Tomato (1kg)

$3.07 CA$4.34

$2.18 MX$40.25

40.83%

Potato (1kg)

$1.90 CA$2.69

$2.23 MX$41.19

-14.80%

Onion (1kg)

$1.77 CA$2.50

$2.60 MX$48.12

-31.92%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.34 CA$3.31

$1.88 MX$34.70

24.47%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.55 CA$2.19

$1.19 MX$22.01

30.25%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$11.38 CA$16.09

$5.68 MX$105

100.35%

Wine (Bottle)

$10.63 CA$15.03

$6.48 MX$120

64.04%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.27 CA$3.21

$1.83 MX$33.78

24.04%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.82 CA$3.99

$2.84 MX$52.4

-0.70%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.66 CA$3.76

$0.54 MX$10.01

392.59%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$77.3 CA$109

$32.31 MX$597

139.21%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.20 CA$4.53

$2.42 MX$44.72

32.23%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.48 CA$2.09

$2.54 MX$46.94

-41.73%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$32.88 CA$46.48

$9.80 MX$181

235.51%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.34 CA$1.90

$1.46 MX$26.99

-8.22%

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

$28.2K CA$39.8K

$20.9K MX$385.6K

34.92%

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

$19.6K CA$27.8K

$23.9K MX$441.7K

-17.88%

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

$76.0 CA$107

$125 MX$2,301

-38.99%

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

$33.95 CA$48.00

$24.20 MX$447

40.29%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$42.31 CA$59.8

$29.26 MX$541

44.60%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$29.76 CA$42.07

$43.29 MX$800

-31.25%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$20.28 CA$28.67

$13.80 MX$255

46.96%

Cinema Ticket

$11.15 CA$15.77

$5.37 MX$99.3

107.64%

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

$507 CA$717

$166 MX$3,076

204.65%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$16.1K CA$22.7K

$7,056 MX$130.4K

127.48%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$57.6 CA$81.4

$46.26 MX$855

24.41%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$37.58 CA$53.1

$25.07 MX$463

49.90%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$91.9 CA$130

$73.8 MX$1,364

24.46%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$110 CA$155

$118 MX$2,184

-7.27%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,260 CA$1,782

$969 MX$17.9K

30.12%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$948 CA$1,340

$658 MX$12.2K

44.09%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,137 CA$3,021

$1,667 MX$30.8K

28.16%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,614 CA$2,281

$1,026 MX$19.0K

57.29%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$4,960 CA$7,011

$5,695 MX$105.2K

-12.92%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$3,838 CA$5,425

$1,559 MX$28.8K

146.16%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$2,827 CA$3,997

$1,013 MX$18.7K

179.00%

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 12, 2026

Last update for Zapopan: October 10, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Montreal

$948 47%

Zapopan

$658 43.3% 30.6% $290

Groceries & Markets

Montreal

$346 17.2%

Zapopan

$265 17.5% 23.5% $81

Eating Out

Montreal

$288 14.3%

Zapopan

$195 12.9% 32.2% $93

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Montreal

$152 7.5%

Zapopan

$178 11.7% 16.9% $26

Clothing & Footwear

Montreal

$133 6.6%

Zapopan

$119 7.8% 11.2% $15

Getting Around

Montreal

$99 4.9%

Zapopan

$50 3.3% 49.7% $49

Sport & Entertainment

Montreal

$52 2.6%

Zapopan

$54 3.6% 3.8% $2

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $1,260 in Montreal versus $969 in Zapopan. 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 179% 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 $33.00 in Zapopan. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $346 vs $265 – making Zapopan the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇨🇦 Montreal

🇲🇽 Zapopan

🕒 Local time

02:14 2:14 AM

00:14 12:14 AM

2 h behind Montreal

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

1,762,949

1,257,547

💱 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 19, 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 19, 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

Lowest

Highest

Between locations

Montreal Zapopan 3,870 km ≈ 5 h nonstop flight

From you

Montreal
Zapopan

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 Zapopan: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Montreal costs about 33% more than Zapopan, 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 $2,277 in Zapopan. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

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

Groceries cost about 31% 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 $33.00 in Zapopan. 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 Zapopan, where all-in costs run around $1,518, than in Montreal at $2,018. In Zapopan it covers expenses comfortably, while in Montreal it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.

For digital nomads, it depends on budget. Zapopan costs $1,518 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 Zapopan. 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.