Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Queretaro and Montreal

For one person, living is cheaper in Queretaro: $1,458 a month against $2,003 in Montreal, rent and utilities included – about $6,500 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

70

Cost of Living Index in Queretaro
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Queretaro Living Index
99

Cost of Living Index in Montreal
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Montreal Living Index

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Queretaro

🇲🇽 Mexico

$1,458

/mo nomad

Montreal

🇨🇦 Canada

$2,003

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Queretaro 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 Queretaro and in Montreal actually costs, broken down by who's living it.

A single person spends $1,458 per month in Queretaro vs $2,003 in Montreal, rent included.

Queretaro $1,458
Montreal $2,003

A couple spends around $2,209 per month in Queretaro vs $3,048 in Montreal, rent included.

Queretaro $2,209
Montreal $3,048

A family of three spends $2,960 per month in Queretaro vs $4,092 in Montreal, rent included.

Queretaro $2,960
Montreal $4,092

Queretaro is about 27% cheaper than Montreal, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

Both Queretaro and Montreal sit above the global median – Queretaro by 9%, Montreal by 49%.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$11.24 MX$204

$19.31 CA$27.46

-41.79%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$64.3 MX$1,169

$75.5 CA$107

-14.89%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$9.59 MX$174

$10.63 CA$15.11

-9.78%

Cappuccino

$3.59 MX$65.3

$3.93 CA$5.58

-8.65%

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

$1.61 MX$29.27

$1.92 CA$2.73

-16.15%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.10 MX$20.01

$1.48 CA$2.11

-25.68%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.26 MX$59.2

$6.30 CA$8.96

-48.25%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$5.55 MX$101

$7.19 CA$10.22

-22.81%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.96 MX$35.64

$2.22 CA$3.16

-11.71%

White Bread (500g)

$2.77 MX$50.4

$3.06 CA$4.35

-9.48%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.04 MX$37.03

$2.94 CA$4.18

-30.61%

Eggs

$2.70 MX$49.12

$3.53 CA$5.02

-23.51%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$9.21 MX$168

$13.19 CA$18.76

-30.17%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$8.86 MX$161

$11.24 CA$15.98

-21.17%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$13.80 MX$251

$13.81 CA$19.65

-0.07%

Apples (1kg)

$3.40 MX$61.8

$3.40 CA$4.84

Banana (1kg)

$1.68 MX$30.49

$1.44 CA$2.05

16.67%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.16 MX$39.28

$3.26 CA$4.64

-33.74%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.92 MX$35.00

$2.88 CA$4.09

-33.33%

Potato (1kg)

$1.86 MX$33.75

$1.86 CA$2.64

Onion (1kg)

$1.82 MX$33.12

$1.82 CA$2.60

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.55 MX$28.11

$2.43 CA$3.45

-36.21%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.25 MX$22.78

$1.52 CA$2.17

-17.76%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.64 MX$84.5

$11.45 CA$16.29

-59.48%

Wine (Bottle)

$18.28 MX$332

$10.36 CA$14.73

76.45%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.19 MX$39.85

$2.22 CA$3.15

-1.35%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.91 MX$71.2

$2.82 CA$4.01

38.65%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.60 MX$10.90

$2.58 CA$3.66

-76.74%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$26.03 MX$473

$76.9 CA$109

-66.15%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.25 MX$59.0

$3.25 CA$4.63

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.57 MX$46.67

$1.48 CA$2.11

73.65%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$10.88 MX$198

$33.04 CA$46.99

-67.07%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.58 MX$28.80

$1.36 CA$1.93

16.18%

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

$21.5K MX$391.3K

$27.4K CA$39.0K

-21.57%

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

$24.4K MX$443.3K

$20.0K CA$28.4K

21.99%

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

$58.0 MX$1,055

$76.1 CA$108

-23.83%

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

$27.03 MX$492

$34.68 CA$49.32

-22.06%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$24.66 MX$449

$42.69 CA$60.7

-42.23%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$57.1 MX$1,039

$28.94 CA$41.17

97.27%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$25.02 MX$455

$20.33 CA$28.91

23.07%

Cinema Ticket

$7.54 MX$137

$11.21 CA$15.94

-32.74%

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

$269 MX$4,888

$505 CA$718

-46.80%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$5,127 MX$93.3K

$16.0K CA$22.8K

-67.98%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$52.8 MX$960

$58.5 CA$83.2

-9.78%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$44.39 MX$807

$38.00 CA$54.1

16.82%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$102 MX$1,853

$92.7 CA$132

9.90%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$101 MX$1,828

$106 CA$150

-4.98%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$850 MX$15.5K

$1,240 CA$1,764

-31.49%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$574 MX$10.4K

$986 CA$1,402

-41.83%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,460 MX$26.6K

$2,102 CA$2,990

-30.54%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$849 MX$15.4K

$1,615 CA$2,297

-47.43%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$2,208 MX$40.2K

$5,043 CA$7,173

-56.22%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,244 MX$22.6K

$3,830 CA$5,447

-67.52%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$943 MX$17.2K

$2,920 CA$4,154

-67.70%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

11.99

4.46

168.83%

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

Last update for Queretaro: October 3, 2026

Last update for Montreal: October 6, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Queretaro

$574 39.7%

Montreal

$986 47.9% 71.9% $412

Groceries & Markets

Queretaro

$311 21.5%

Montreal

$344 16.7% 10.6% $33

Eating Out

Queretaro

$200 13.8%

Montreal

$293 14.2% 46.5% $93

Clothing & Footwear

Queretaro

$135 9.3%

Montreal

$133 6.5% 1.5% $2.1

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Queretaro

$110 7.6%

Montreal

$154 7.5% 40% $44

Sport & Entertainment

Queretaro

$72 5%

Montreal

$51 2.5% 28.8% $21

Getting Around

Queretaro

$45 3.1%

Montreal

$98 4.8% 120% $53

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $850 in Queretaro 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 210% 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 $64.0 in Queretaro versus $75.0 in Montreal. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $311 vs $344 – making Queretaro the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇲🇽 Queretaro

🇨🇦 Montreal

🕒 Local time

23:49 11:49 PM

01:49 1:49 AM

2 h ahead of Queretaro

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

804,663

1,762,949

💱 Currency

Mexican Peso MXN $

Canadian Dollar CAD $

📈 Exchange rate

100 MXN = 5.5 USD

100 MXN = 4.9 EUR

1 CAD = 0.703 USD

1 CAD = 0.627 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 = 18.19 MXN (100 MXN = 5.5 USD). 1 EUR = 20.4 MXN (100 MXN = 4.9 EUR).

Canadian Dollar exchange rates as of October 10, 2026: 1 USD = 1.42 CAD (1 CAD = 0.703 USD). 1 EUR = 1.6 CAD (1 CAD = 0.627 EUR).

USD to MXN in detail →

On the map

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Between locations

Queretaro Montreal 3,700 km ≈ 5 h nonstop flight

From you

Queretaro
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

Queretaro vs Montreal: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Montreal costs about 37% more than Queretaro, 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 $2,187 per month in Queretaro 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 Queretaro, especially for central apartments. Housing is actually the single biggest factor behind the overall cost gap between these two cities.

Groceries cost about 11% 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 $64.0 in Queretaro and $75.0 in Montreal. 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 Queretaro, where all-in costs run around $1,458, than in Montreal at $2,003. In Queretaro it covers expenses comfortably, while in Montreal it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.

For digital nomads, it depends on budget. Queretaro costs $1,458 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 Queretaro. 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.