Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Puebla and Montreal

For one person, living is cheaper in Puebla: $1,161 a month against $2,003 in Montreal, rent and utilities included – about $10,100 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

56

Cost of Living Index in Puebla
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Puebla Living Index
99

Cost of Living Index in Montreal
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Montreal Living Index

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Puebla

🇲🇽 Mexico

$1,161

/mo nomad

Montreal

🇨🇦 Canada

$2,003

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Puebla and in Montreal

Real prices from locals and on-the-ground checks – rent, groceries, transit and the daily extras. Here's what a month in Puebla and in Montreal actually costs, broken down by who's living it.

A single person spends $1,161 per month in Puebla vs $2,003 in Montreal, rent included.

Puebla $1,161
Montreal $2,003

A couple spends around $1,853 per month in Puebla vs $3,048 in Montreal, rent included.

Puebla $1,853
Montreal $3,048

A family of three spends $2,545 per month in Puebla vs $4,092 in Montreal, rent included.

Puebla $2,545
Montreal $4,092

Puebla is about 42% cheaper than Montreal, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

Puebla sits 13% below the global median, while Montreal is 49% above – they fall on opposite sides of the world average.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$9.88 MX$181

$19.31 CA$27.52

-48.83%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$48.13 MX$884

$75.5 CA$108

-36.25%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$9.43 MX$173

$10.63 CA$15.15

-11.29%

Cappuccino

$3.35 MX$61.4

$3.93 CA$5.60

-14.76%

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

$1.54 MX$28.32

$1.92 CA$2.73

-19.79%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.19 MX$21.79

$1.48 CA$2.11

-19.59%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.85 MX$52.4

$6.30 CA$8.98

-54.76%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.85 MX$70.7

$7.19 CA$10.24

-46.45%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.58 MX$29.04

$2.22 CA$3.17

-28.83%

White Bread (500g)

$3.10 MX$56.9

$3.06 CA$4.36

1.31%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.85 MX$33.99

$2.94 CA$4.19

-37.07%

Eggs

$3.46 MX$63.5

$3.53 CA$5.03

-1.98%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$6.70 MX$123

$13.19 CA$18.79

-49.20%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$5.77 MX$106

$11.24 CA$16.02

-48.67%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$11.22 MX$206

$13.81 CA$19.69

-18.75%

Apples (1kg)

$2.72 MX$49.88

$3.40 CA$4.85

-20.00%

Banana (1kg)

$1.73 MX$31.73

$1.44 CA$2.06

20.14%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.96 MX$36.01

$3.26 CA$4.65

-39.88%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.05 MX$37.65

$2.88 CA$4.10

-28.82%

Potato (1kg)

$2.10 MX$38.58

$1.86 CA$2.65

12.90%

Onion (1kg)

$2.02 MX$37.16

$1.82 CA$2.60

10.99%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.53 MX$28.15

$2.43 CA$3.46

-37.04%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.31 MX$24.13

$1.52 CA$2.17

-13.82%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$5.22 MX$95.9

$11.45 CA$16.32

-54.41%

Wine (Bottle)

$14.06 MX$258

$10.36 CA$14.76

35.71%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.43 MX$26.26

$2.22 CA$3.16

-35.59%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.57 MX$47.10

$2.82 CA$4.02

-8.87%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.56 MX$10.35

$2.58 CA$3.67

-78.29%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$24.50 MX$450

$76.9 CA$110

-68.14%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$5.46 MX$100

$3.25 CA$4.64

68.00%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.98 MX$36.38

$1.48 CA$2.11

33.78%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$15.74 MX$289

$33.04 CA$47.09

-52.36%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.51 MX$27.70

$1.36 CA$1.94

11.03%

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

$21.5K MX$395.2K

$27.4K CA$39.1K

-21.52%

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

$25.1K MX$460.2K

$20.0K CA$28.5K

25.48%

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

$62.1 MX$1,139

$76.1 CA$109

-18.47%

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

$18.96 MX$348

$34.68 CA$49.43

-45.33%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$23.89 MX$439

$42.69 CA$60.9

-44.04%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$42.50 MX$780

$28.94 CA$41.26

46.86%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$13.53 MX$248

$20.33 CA$28.97

-33.45%

Cinema Ticket

$5.69 MX$104

$11.21 CA$15.98

-49.24%

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

$416 MX$7,632

$505 CA$720

-17.70%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$20.2K MX$370.8K

$16.0K CA$22.8K

26.13%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$58.4 MX$1,072

$58.5 CA$83.4

-0.22%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$62.0 MX$1,139

$38.00 CA$54.2

63.26%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$102 MX$1,864

$92.7 CA$132

9.49%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$96.8 MX$1,778

$106 CA$151

-8.46%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$639 MX$11.7K

$1,240 CA$1,768

-48.49%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$354 MX$6,499

$986 CA$1,405

-64.10%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$882 MX$16.2K

$2,102 CA$2,996

-58.05%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$664 MX$12.2K

$1,615 CA$2,302

-58.87%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$1,660 MX$30.5K

$5,043 CA$7,188

-67.09%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$905 MX$16.6K

$3,830 CA$5,459

-76.37%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$663 MX$12.2K

$2,920 CA$4,163

-77.30%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

10.96

4.46

145.74%

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

Last update for Puebla: October 5, 2026

Last update for Montreal: October 6, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Puebla

$354 31%

Montreal

$986 47.9% 179% $632

Groceries & Markets

Puebla

$265 23.2%

Montreal

$344 16.7% 29.5% $78

Eating Out

Puebla

$180 15.8%

Montreal

$293 14.2% 62.4% $113

Clothing & Footwear

Puebla

$143 12.5%

Montreal

$133 6.5% 7.5% $11

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Puebla

$105 9.2%

Montreal

$154 7.5% 46.3% $49

Sport & Entertainment

Puebla

$54 4.7%

Montreal

$51 2.5% 4.7% $2.5

Getting Around

Puebla

$42 3.7%

Montreal

$98 4.8% 132% $56

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $639 in Puebla versus $1,240 in Montreal. 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 340% 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 $48.00 in Puebla versus $75.0 in Montreal. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $265 vs $344 – making Puebla the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇲🇽 Puebla

🇨🇦 Montreal

🕒 Local time

05:24 5:24 AM

07:24 7:24 AM

2 h ahead of Puebla

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

1,542,232

1,762,949

💱 Currency

Mexican Peso MXN $

Canadian Dollar CAD $

📈 Exchange rate

100 MXN = 5.45 USD

100 MXN = 4.86 EUR

1 CAD = 0.702 USD

1 CAD = 0.626 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

CAD, USD, EUR to MXN – Mexican Peso Converter

🇺🇸 United States Dollar ($)

🇲🇽 Mexican Peso ($)

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).

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).

USD to MXN in detail →

On the map

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Between locations

Puebla Montreal 3,710 km ≈ 5 h nonstop flight

From you

Puebla
Montreal

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

Puebla vs Montreal: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Montreal costs about 73% more than Puebla, 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 $1,741 per month in Puebla and $3,005 in Montreal. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

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

Groceries cost about 29% 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 $48.00 in Puebla and $75.0 in Montreal. That's a good indicator of the overall restaurant and café pricing gap between the two cities.

A $1,500 monthly budget goes further in Puebla, where all-in costs run around $1,161, than in Montreal at $2,003. In Puebla it covers expenses comfortably, while in Montreal it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.

For digital nomads, it depends on budget. Puebla costs $1,161 versus $2,003 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 Puebla. 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.