Last update: Nov 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Saguenay and Monterrey

For one person, living is cheaper in Saguenay: $1,427 a month against $1,641 in Monterrey, rent and utilities included – about $2,600 less a year. Higher rent and utilities in Monterrey outweigh lower spending on other living expenses.

Saguenay, Canada
Monterrey, Mexico
Saguenay
🇨🇦 Canada
$1,427
/mo nomad
Monterrey
🇲🇽 Mexico
$1,641
/mo nomad
Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Saguenay and in Monterrey

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,427 in Saguenay versus $1,641 in Monterrey.

  • Saguenay $1,427
  • Monterrey $1,641

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,273 in Saguenay versus $2,573 in Monterrey.

  • Saguenay $2,273
  • Monterrey $2,573

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,118 in Saguenay versus $3,504 in Monterrey.

  • Saguenay $3,118
  • Monterrey $3,504

Living in Saguenay costs roughly 13% less than in Monterrey, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in clothing.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Saguenay 6% above, Monterrey 21% above.

Currency
🍽 Eating Out
Saguenay
Monterrey
Difference
Meal at Budget Restaurant
$15.26 CA$21.46
$13.37 MX$250
14.14%
Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range
$43.68 CA$61.4
$47.95 MX$897
-8.91%
Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)
$10.92 CA$15.36
$10.79 MX$202
1.20%
Cappuccino
$3.69 CA$5.19
$3.77 MX$70.4
-2.12%
Coke/Pepsi/Fanta/Sprite (0.33 liter bottle)
$1.51 CA$2.12
$1.51 MX$28.26
-
Water (0.33 liter bottle)
$1.28 CA$1.80
$1.03 MX$19.25
24.27%
Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)
$5.46 CA$7.68
$2.48 MX$46.41
120.16%
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$5.03 CA$7.08
$4.36 MX$81.5
15.37%
🛒 Groceries & Markets
Saguenay
Monterrey
Difference
Milk (1 liter)
$2.07 CA$2.91
$1.89 MX$35.43
9.52%
White Bread (500g)
$2.79 CA$3.93
$2.85 MX$53.3
-2.11%
Rice (white) (1kg)
$4.18 CA$5.88
$1.86 MX$34.71
124.73%
Eggs
$2.92 CA$4.11
$2.47 MX$46.12
18.22%
Local Cheese (1kg)
$9.06 CA$12.74
$11.81 MX$221
-23.29%
Chicken Fillets (1kg)
$7.16 CA$10.08
$8.97 MX$168
-20.18%
Beef Round Steak (1kg)
$10.29 CA$14.46
$12.57 MX$235
-18.14%
Apples (1kg)
$4.12 CA$5.79
$3.20 MX$59.8
28.75%
Banana (1kg)
$1.47 CA$2.07
$1.50 MX$28.12
-2.00%
Oranges (1kg)
$3.79 CA$5.33
$2.12 MX$39.74
78.77%
Tomato (1kg)
$4.19 CA$5.90
$2.33 MX$43.64
79.83%
Potato (1kg)
$2.95 CA$4.15
$2.22 MX$41.58
32.88%
Onion (1kg)
$2.91 CA$4.09
$2.58 MX$48.34
12.79%
Lettuce (1 head)
$2.44 CA$3.44
$1.45 MX$27.04
68.28%
Water (1.5 liter bottle)
$0.81 CA$1.14
$1.22 MX$22.85
-33.61%
Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)
$12.27 CA$17.25
$4.80 MX$89.7
155.63%
Wine (Bottle)
$11.64 CA$16.37
$13.30 MX$249
-12.48%
Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)
$3.11 CA$4.37
$1.93 MX$36.14
61.14%
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$3.42 CA$4.81
$2.86 MX$53.4
19.58%
🚌 Getting Around
Saguenay
Monterrey
Difference
One-way Ticket (Public Transport)
$2.66 CA$3.74
$0.80 MX$14.94
232.50%
Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)
$58.0 CA$81.6
$30.94 MX$579
87.59%
Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)
$2.96 CA$4.16
$1.83 MX$34.28
61.75%
Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)
$1.50 CA$2.11
$1.06 MX$19.78
41.51%
Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)
$27.98 CA$39.34
$10.82 MX$202
158.60%
Gasoline (1 liter)
$1.16 CA$1.63
$1.47 MX$27.54
-21.09%
Midsize Hatchback 1.4l (Volkswagen Golf, Toyota Prius, Honda Civic, etc)
$28.0K CA$39.4K
$24.1K MX$450.4K
16.33%
Compact Sedan 1.6l (Toyota Corolla, Mazda3, Kia K4, Hyundai Elantra, etc)
$19.7K CA$27.8K
$23.5K MX$440.2K
-16.13%
🧾 Monthly Utilities & Internet
Saguenay
Monterrey
Difference
Utilities for 2 People in 2-bedroom Apartment (Heating, Electricity, Gas, Water, Garbage) (85m2)
$64.0 CA$90.0
$115 MX$2,144
-44.14%
SIM Card Monthly Plan (Calls and 10GB+ Data)
$32.44 CA$45.63
$26.37 MX$493
23.02%
Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)
$45.11 CA$63.4
$25.70 MX$481
75.53%
🎉 Sport & Entertainment
Saguenay
Monterrey
Difference
Gym Membership (Monthly)
$25.01 CA$35.17
$30.53 MX$571
-18.08%
Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)
$19.16 CA$26.95
$21.27 MX$398
-9.92%
Cinema Ticket
$9.45 CA$13.29
$4.96 MX$92.8
90.52%
🧸 Childcare & Education
Saguenay
Monterrey
Difference
Preschool or Kindergarten, Full Day, Private, 1 Child (Monthly)
$693 CA$974
$679 MX$12.7K
2.09%
International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)
$5,360 CA$7,538
$14.2K MX$265.3K
-62.21%
👕👟 Clothing & Footwear
Saguenay
Monterrey
Difference
Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)
$57.6 CA$81.1
$72.2 MX$1,350
-20.18%
Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)
$35.18 CA$49.47
$41.94 MX$784
-16.12%
Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)
$84.2 CA$118
$107 MX$2,011
-21.66%
Men's Leather Business Shoes
$107 CA$150
$119 MX$2,219
-10.09%
🏠 Accommodation & Living
Saguenay
Monterrey
Difference
1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$638 CA$898
$1,018 MX$19.0K
-37.28%
1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$471 CA$662
$722 MX$13.5K
-34.74%
3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$1,202 CA$1,691
$1,966 MX$36.8K
-38.86%
3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$956 CA$1,344
$1,416 MX$26.5K
-32.50%
Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)
$5,852 CA$8,231
$4,203 MX$78.6K
39.26%
Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)
$3,449 CA$4,851
$2,782 MX$52.0K
23.99%
💵 Salaries & Financials
Saguenay
Monterrey
Difference
Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)
$2,598 CA$3,654
$1,096 MX$20.5K
137.11%
20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)
4.45
11.79
-62.26%

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

Last update for Saguenay: November 3, 2026

Last update for Monterrey: November 2, 2026

Monthly budget structure
Share of the monthly basket for one person, rent included.
Accommodation & Living
Saguenay
$471
Monterrey
$722 53.2% $251
Groceries & Markets
Saguenay
$316
Monterrey
$302 4.5% $14
Eating Out
Saguenay
$248
Monterrey
$216 12.9% $32
Monthly Utilities & Internet
Saguenay
$142
Monterrey
$167 17.7% $25
Clothing & Footwear
Saguenay
$128
Monterrey
$153 19.9% $25
Getting Around
Saguenay
$79
Monterrey
$41 47.9% $38
Sport & Entertainment
Saguenay
$44
Monterrey
$40 7.9% $3.5

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $638 in Saguenay and $1,018 in Monterrey. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Saguenay pays about 2.4 times more on average while also being the cheaper of the two. The combined effect is a noticeably stronger local purchasing power.

Dining out: $44 in Saguenay vs $48 in Monterrey. Groceries flip the comparison at $316 vs $302, with Monterrey cheaper for home cooking.

Good to know
🇨🇦 Saguenay
🇲🇽 Monterrey
🕒 Local time
16:27 4:27 PM
15:27 3:27 PM
1 h behind Saguenay
🌤 Weather
👥 Population
144,723
1,142,994
💱 Currency
Exchange rates and currency converter

MXN, USD, EUR to CAD – Canadian Dollar Converter

Canadian Dollar exchange rates as of November 6, 2026: 1 USD = 1.41 CAD (1 CAD = 0.711 USD). 1 EUR = 1.57 CAD (1 CAD = 0.636 EUR).

Mexican Peso exchange rates as of November 6, 2026: 1 USD = 18.7 MXN (100 MXN = 5.35 USD). 1 EUR = 20.9 MXN (100 MXN = 4.78 EUR).

On the map
Between locations
  • Saguenay Monterrey 3,580 km ≈ 5 h nonstop flight
From you
  • Saguenay
  • Monterrey

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
Saguenay vs Monterrey: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions
What is the total cost difference between living in Saguenay and in Monterrey?
Total monthly costs including rent come to $1,427 in Saguenay and $1,641 in Monterrey, so Saguenay is about 13% cheaper – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.
Which city pays better: Saguenay or Monterrey?
Average pay in Saguenay is about 2.4 times higher, which matters when comparing affordability. Whether that higher income actually nets you more depends on your spending habits and housing choices.
How do apartment prices compare in Saguenay and in Monterrey?
Rent for a central apartment: $638 in Saguenay versus $1,018 in Monterrey. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.
Which city has cheaper restaurants?
Dining out is cheaper in Saguenay – a meal for two runs $44 versus $48 in Monterrey. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.
Which city is more expensive overall: Saguenay or Monterrey?
All in, you’ll spend $1,427 per month in Saguenay versus $1,641 in Monterrey – Saguenay is about 13% cheaper, which adds up to real savings over time.
How far does $2,000 go in Saguenay compared to Monterrey?
Either city works on $2,000 a month, though Saguenay gives you more room to save. At this income level, the choice is more about lifestyle than financial pressure.
How does quality of life compare between Saguenay and Monterrey?
Both cities offer a good standard of living with different trade-offs. Neither is objectively better – the right pick depends on what matters most: affordability, career, cultural scene, or climate.

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