Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between San Fernando and Montreal

For one person, living is cheaper in San Fernando: $1,130 a month against $2,059 in Montreal, rent and utilities included – about $11,100 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

San Fernando
🇲🇽 Mexico
$1,130
/mo nomad
Montreal
🇨🇦 Canada
$2,059
/mo nomad
Monthly Cost of Living

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

A single person spends $1,130 per month in San Fernando vs $2,059 in Montreal, rent included.

  • San Fernando $1,130
  • Montreal $2,059

A couple spends around $1,832 per month in San Fernando vs $3,123 in Montreal, rent included.

  • San Fernando $1,832
  • Montreal $3,123

A family of three spends $2,534 per month in San Fernando vs $4,187 in Montreal, rent included.

  • San Fernando $2,534
  • Montreal $4,187

San Fernando is about 45% cheaper than Montreal, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

San Fernando sits 17% below the global median, while Montreal is 52% above – they fall on opposite sides of the world average.

Currency
🍽 Eating Out
San Fernando
Montreal
Difference
Meal at Budget Restaurant
$10.75 MX$199
$18.84 CA$26.63
-42.94%
Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range
$43.30 MX$800
$73.2 CA$104
-40.86%
Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)
$8.42 MX$156
$10.54 CA$14.90
-20.11%
Cappuccino
$3.63 MX$67.0
$3.97 CA$5.61
-8.56%
Coke/Pepsi/Fanta/Sprite (0.33 liter bottle)
$1.42 MX$26.21
$1.94 CA$2.74
-26.80%
Water (0.33 liter bottle)
$1.06 MX$19.52
$1.57 CA$2.22
-32.48%
Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)
$2.42 MX$44.65
$6.42 CA$9.08
-62.31%
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$4.15 MX$76.7
$7.20 CA$10.19
-42.36%
🛒 Groceries & Markets
San Fernando
Montreal
Difference
Milk (1 liter)
$1.60 MX$29.59
$2.32 CA$3.28
-31.03%
White Bread (500g)
$2.68 MX$49.57
$3.19 CA$4.51
-15.99%
Rice (white) (1kg)
$1.71 MX$31.53
$3.19 CA$4.50
-46.39%
Eggs
$2.53 MX$46.78
$3.68 CA$5.20
-31.25%
Local Cheese (1kg)
$8.19 MX$151
$13.24 CA$18.72
-38.14%
Chicken Fillets (1kg)
$8.27 MX$153
$11.69 CA$16.53
-29.26%
Beef Round Steak (1kg)
$11.60 MX$214
$13.98 CA$19.76
-17.02%
Apples (1kg)
$2.67 MX$49.25
$3.14 CA$4.44
-14.97%
Banana (1kg)
$1.60 MX$29.50
$1.45 CA$2.05
10.34%
Oranges (1kg)
$1.97 MX$36.32
$3.38 CA$4.78
-41.72%
Tomato (1kg)
$1.84 MX$33.96
$3.11 CA$4.40
-40.84%
Potato (1kg)
$1.97 MX$36.36
$1.93 CA$2.72
2.07%
Onion (1kg)
$1.82 MX$33.57
$1.83 CA$2.58
-0.55%
Lettuce (1 head)
$1.43 MX$26.41
$2.36 CA$3.34
-39.41%
Water (1.5 liter bottle)
$1.14 MX$21.00
$1.50 CA$2.12
-24.00%
Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)
$4.32 MX$79.9
$11.12 CA$15.73
-61.15%
Wine (Bottle)
$10.48 MX$194
$10.60 CA$14.98
-1.13%
Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)
$1.79 MX$33.11
$2.22 CA$3.14
-19.37%
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$3.20 MX$59.2
$2.84 CA$4.01
12.68%
🚌 Getting Around
San Fernando
Montreal
Difference
One-way Ticket (Public Transport)
$0.64 MX$11.85
$2.62 CA$3.71
-75.57%
Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)
-
$79.1 CA$112
-
Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)
$2.56 MX$47.39
$3.23 CA$4.56
-20.74%
Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)
$2.01 MX$37.15
$1.48 CA$2.10
35.81%
Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)
$10.82 MX$200
$32.22 CA$45.55
-66.42%
Gasoline (1 liter)
$1.49 MX$27.45
$1.36 CA$1.92
9.56%
Midsize Hatchback 1.4l (Volkswagen Golf, Toyota Prius, Honda Civic, etc)
$21.0K MX$387.5K
$27.6K CA$39.1K
-24.14%
Compact Sedan 1.6l (Toyota Corolla, Mazda3, Kia K4, Hyundai Elantra, etc)
$23.7K MX$438.6K
$21.2K CA$30.0K
12.00%
🧾 Monthly Utilities & Internet
San Fernando
Montreal
Difference
Utilities for 2 People in 2-bedroom Apartment (Heating, Electricity, Gas, Water, Garbage) (85m2)
$57.0 MX$1,054
$77.0 CA$109
-25.99%
SIM Card Monthly Plan (Calls and 10GB+ Data)
$22.91 MX$423
$34.14 CA$48.26
-32.89%
Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)
$29.54 MX$546
$42.19 CA$59.7
-29.98%
🎉 Sport & Entertainment
San Fernando
Montreal
Difference
Gym Membership (Monthly)
$33.60 MX$621
$30.81 CA$43.56
9.06%
Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)
$20.12 MX$372
$19.66 CA$27.79
2.34%
Cinema Ticket
$5.23 MX$96.6
$11.47 CA$16.22
-54.40%
🧸 Childcare & Education
San Fernando
Montreal
Difference
Preschool or Kindergarten, Full Day, Private, 1 Child (Monthly)
$220 MX$4,060
$506 CA$716
-56.59%
International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)
$4,534 MX$83.8K
$16.2K CA$23.0K
-72.08%
👕👟 Clothing & Footwear
San Fernando
Montreal
Difference
Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)
$54.3 MX$1,003
$57.3 CA$81.0
-5.22%
Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)
$40.69 MX$752
$38.10 CA$53.9
6.80%
Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)
$98.8 MX$1,825
$91.9 CA$130
7.45%
Men's Leather Business Shoes
$90.3 MX$1,669
$110 CA$155
-17.72%
🏠 Accommodation & Living
San Fernando
Montreal
Difference
1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$612 MX$11.3K
$1,237 CA$1,748
-50.49%
1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$383 MX$7,076
$977 CA$1,381
-60.79%
3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$1,030 MX$19.0K
$2,180 CA$3,082
-52.78%
3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$779 MX$14.4K
$1,608 CA$2,273
-51.57%
Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)
$1,910 MX$35.3K
$5,113 CA$7,228
-62.64%
Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)
$1,160 MX$21.4K
$3,744 CA$5,293
-69.02%
💵 Salaries & Financials
San Fernando
Montreal
Difference
Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)
-
$2,957 CA$4,180
-
20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)
11.3
4.48
152.23%

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

Last update for San Fernando: October 17, 2026

Last update for Montreal: October 20, 2026

Monthly budget structure
Share of the monthly basket for one person, rent included.
Accommodation & Living
San Fernando
$383
Montreal
$977 155% $594
Groceries & Markets
San Fernando
$266
Montreal
$351 32.1% $85
Eating Out
San Fernando
$185
Montreal
$290 57% $105
Clothing & Footwear
San Fernando
$128
Montreal
$134 4.6% $5.8
Monthly Utilities & Internet
San Fernando
$109
Montreal
$153 40.1% $44
Sport & Entertainment
San Fernando
$44
Montreal
$54 22% $9.7
Getting Around
San Fernando
$15 *
Montreal
$100 561% $85

Categories marked with * are only partly priced – their share counts the items that do have prices.

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $612 in San Fernando versus $1,237 in Montreal. Rent is usually the largest line item in a monthly budget, so the gap here sets the tone for the overall comparison.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $43.00 in San Fernando versus $73.0 in Montreal. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $266 vs $351 – making San Fernando the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know
🇲🇽 San Fernando
🇨🇦 Montreal
🕒 Local time
08:51 8:51 AM
10:51 10:51 AM
2 h ahead of San Fernando
🌤 Weather
👥 Population
11,867
1,762,949
💱 Currency
Exchange rates and currency converter

CAD, USD, EUR to MXN – Mexican Peso Converter

Mexican Peso exchange rates as of October 22, 2026: 1 USD = 18.48 MXN (100 MXN = 5.41 USD). 1 EUR = 20.77 MXN (100 MXN = 4.81 EUR).

Canadian Dollar exchange rates as of October 22, 2026: 1 USD = 1.41 CAD (1 CAD = 0.707 USD). 1 EUR = 1.59 CAD (1 CAD = 0.629 EUR).

On the map
Between locations
  • San Fernando Montreal 3,670 km ≈ 5 h nonstop flight
From you
  • San Fernando
  • 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
San Fernando vs Montreal: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions
Which city is more expensive, San Fernando or Montreal?
Montreal costs about 82% more than San Fernando, 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.
How much do you need to earn to live comfortably in San Fernando and in Montreal?
For a comfortable life, plan on about $1,695 per month in San Fernando and $3,089 in Montreal. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.
Where is rent cheaper, San Fernando or Montreal?
Rent is clearly cheaper in San Fernando, especially for central apartments. Housing is actually the single biggest factor behind the overall cost gap between these two cities.
How do dining costs compare in San Fernando and in Montreal?
A mid-range dinner for two costs $43.00 in San Fernando and $73.0 in Montreal. That's a good indicator of the overall restaurant and café pricing gap between the two cities.
Are groceries more expensive in San Fernando or in Montreal?
Groceries cost about 32% more in Montreal, though it depends on what you buy. Local produce may be comparable; imported and premium items show the biggest price gap.
Can you live on $1,500/month in San Fernando or in Montreal?
A $1,500 monthly budget goes further in San Fernando, where all-in costs run around $1,130, than in Montreal at $2,059. In San Fernando it covers expenses comfortably, while in Montreal it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.
Which city is better for digital nomads, San Fernando or Montreal?
For digital nomads, it depends on budget. San Fernando costs $1,130 versus $2,059 in Montreal. Both have workable remote work infrastructure, but the cost gap matters when income varies month to month.
How safe is San Fernando compared to Montreal?
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.
Should I move to San Fernando or to Montreal?
If budget matters most, go with San Fernando. 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.

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