Last update: Nov 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Windsor, Canada and Monterrey

For one person, living is cheaper in Monterrey: $1,641 a month against $2,240 in Windsor, rent and utilities included – about $7,200 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

Windsor, Canada
Monterrey, Mexico
Windsor
🇨🇦 Canada
$2,240
/mo nomad
Monterrey
🇲🇽 Mexico
$1,641
/mo nomad
Monthly Cost of Living

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $2,240 in Windsor versus $1,641 in Monterrey.

  • Windsor $2,240
  • Monterrey $1,641

Estimated couple costs with rent: $3,057 in Windsor versus $2,573 in Monterrey.

  • Windsor $3,057
  • Monterrey $2,573

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,873 in Windsor versus $3,504 in Monterrey.

  • Windsor $3,873
  • Monterrey $3,504

Living in Windsor is roughly 37% more expensive than in Monterrey, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in transport.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Windsor 66% above, Monterrey 21% above.

Currency
🍽 Eating Out
Windsor
Monterrey
Difference
Meal at Budget Restaurant
$14.17 CA$19.86
$13.37 MX$251
5.98%
Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range
$64.0 CA$89.7
$47.95 MX$900
33.39%
Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)
$10.62 CA$14.88
$10.79 MX$203
-1.58%
Cappuccino
$3.51 CA$4.92
$3.77 MX$70.7
-6.90%
Coke/Pepsi/Fanta/Sprite (0.33 liter bottle)
$2.57 CA$3.60
$1.51 MX$28.37
70.20%
Water (0.33 liter bottle)
$1.83 CA$2.56
$1.03 MX$19.33
77.67%
Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)
$5.10 CA$7.16
$2.48 MX$46.60
105.65%
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$6.05 CA$8.47
$4.36 MX$81.8
38.76%
🛒 Groceries & Markets
Windsor
Monterrey
Difference
Milk (1 liter)
$1.83 CA$2.57
$1.89 MX$35.58
-3.17%
White Bread (500g)
$2.05 CA$2.87
$2.85 MX$53.5
-28.07%
Rice (white) (1kg)
$3.06 CA$4.28
$1.86 MX$34.86
64.52%
Eggs
$2.85 CA$4.00
$2.47 MX$46.31
15.38%
Local Cheese (1kg)
$10.04 CA$14.07
$11.81 MX$222
-14.99%
Chicken Fillets (1kg)
$10.17 CA$14.25
$8.97 MX$168
13.38%
Beef Round Steak (1kg)
$14.06 CA$19.71
$12.57 MX$236
11.85%
Apples (1kg)
$3.83 CA$5.37
$3.20 MX$60.0
19.69%
Banana (1kg)
$0.99 CA$1.39
$1.50 MX$28.23
-34.00%
Oranges (1kg)
$3.04 CA$4.26
$2.12 MX$39.90
43.40%
Tomato (1kg)
$3.67 CA$5.14
$2.33 MX$43.82
57.51%
Potato (1kg)
$1.97 CA$2.77
$2.22 MX$41.75
-11.26%
Onion (1kg)
$2.13 CA$2.98
$2.58 MX$48.54
-17.44%
Lettuce (1 head)
$2.19 CA$3.07
$1.45 MX$27.15
51.03%
Water (1.5 liter bottle)
$1.26 CA$1.77
$1.22 MX$22.94
3.28%
Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)
$12.82 CA$17.96
$4.80 MX$90.1
167.08%
Wine (Bottle)
$11.75 CA$16.47
$13.30 MX$250
-11.65%
Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)
$1.93 CA$2.71
$1.93 MX$36.28
-
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$3.33 CA$4.67
$2.86 MX$53.6
16.43%
🚌 Getting Around
Windsor
Monterrey
Difference
One-way Ticket (Public Transport)
$2.81 CA$3.94
$0.80 MX$15.00
251.25%
Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)
$89.9 CA$126
$30.94 MX$581
190.53%
Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)
$2.40 CA$3.37
$1.83 MX$34.42
31.15%
Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)
$1.03 CA$1.45
$1.06 MX$19.86
-2.83%
Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)
$14.27 CA$20.00
$10.82 MX$203
31.89%
Gasoline (1 liter)
$1.22 CA$1.71
$1.47 MX$27.65
-17.01%
Midsize Hatchback 1.4l (Volkswagen Golf, Toyota Prius, Honda Civic, etc)
$26.9K CA$37.8K
$24.1K MX$452.3K
11.90%
Compact Sedan 1.6l (Toyota Corolla, Mazda3, Kia K4, Hyundai Elantra, etc)
$21.8K CA$30.6K
$23.5K MX$442.0K
-7.36%
🧾 Monthly Utilities & Internet
Windsor
Monterrey
Difference
Utilities for 2 People in 2-bedroom Apartment (Heating, Electricity, Gas, Water, Garbage) (85m2)
$185 CA$259
$115 MX$2,152
61.27%
SIM Card Monthly Plan (Calls and 10GB+ Data)
$38.06 CA$53.4
$26.37 MX$495
44.33%
Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)
$56.6 CA$79.3
$25.70 MX$483
120.16%
🎉 Sport & Entertainment
Windsor
Monterrey
Difference
Gym Membership (Monthly)
$34.23 CA$47.98
$30.53 MX$573
12.12%
Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)
$28.28 CA$39.64
$21.27 MX$400
32.96%
Cinema Ticket
$10.56 CA$14.80
$4.96 MX$93.1
112.90%
🧸 Childcare & Education
Windsor
Monterrey
Difference
Preschool or Kindergarten, Full Day, Private, 1 Child (Monthly)
$504 CA$706
$679 MX$12.7K
-25.75%
International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)
$4,753 CA$6,662
$14.2K MX$266.4K
-66.49%
👕👟 Clothing & Footwear
Windsor
Monterrey
Difference
Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)
$44.70 CA$62.7
$72.2 MX$1,356
-38.09%
Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)
$33.57 CA$47.06
$41.94 MX$788
-19.96%
Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)
$80.5 CA$113
$107 MX$2,019
-25.08%
Men's Leather Business Shoes
$80.6 CA$113
$119 MX$2,228
-32.07%
🏠 Accommodation & Living
Windsor
Monterrey
Difference
1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$1,269 CA$1,778
$1,018 MX$19.1K
24.67%
1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$1,132 CA$1,586
$722 MX$13.6K
56.84%
3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$1,759 CA$2,465
$1,966 MX$36.9K
-10.56%
3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$1,427 CA$2,000
$1,416 MX$26.6K
0.81%
Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)
$3,215 CA$4,507
$4,203 MX$78.9K
-23.49%
Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)
$2,895 CA$4,058
$2,782 MX$52.2K
4.07%
💵 Salaries & Financials
Windsor
Monterrey
Difference
Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)
$3,049 CA$4,274
$1,096 MX$20.6K
178.30%
20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)
4.71
11.79
-60.05%

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

Last update for Windsor: 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
Windsor
$1.1K
Monterrey
$722 36.2% $410
Groceries & Markets
Windsor
$315
Monterrey
$302 4.1% $13
Monthly Utilities & Internet
Windsor
$279
Monterrey
$167 40.4% $113
Eating Out
Windsor
$242
Monterrey
$216 11% $27
Getting Around
Windsor
$109
Monterrey
$41 62% $67
Clothing & Footwear
Windsor
$108
Monterrey
$153 42.1% $45
Sport & Entertainment
Windsor
$55
Monterrey
$40 26.9% $15

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,269 in Windsor and $1,018 in Monterrey. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Windsor pays about 2.8 times more on average. How far that income stretches comes down to housing choices and lifestyle.

Dining out: $64 in Windsor vs $48 in Monterrey for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $315 vs $302 per month, with Monterrey cheaper across the board.

Good to know
🇨🇦 Windsor
🇲🇽 Monterrey
🕒 Local time
07:15 7:15 AM
06:15 6:15 AM
1 h behind Windsor
🌤 Weather
👥 Population
217,188
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 = 1.4 CAD (1 CAD = 0.713 USD). 1 EUR = 1.57 CAD (1 CAD = 0.635 EUR).

Mexican Peso exchange rates as of November 6, 2026: 1 USD = 18.78 MXN (100 MXN = 5.32 USD). 1 EUR = 21.09 MXN (100 MXN = 4.74 EUR).

On the map
Between locations
  • Windsor Monterrey 2,430 km ≈ 3 h 30 min nonstop flight
From you
  • Windsor
  • 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
Windsor vs Monterrey: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions
What is the total cost difference between living in Windsor and in Monterrey?
Total monthly costs including rent come to $2,240 in Windsor and $1,641 in Monterrey, so Monterrey is about 27% cheaper – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.
Which city pays better: Windsor or Monterrey?
Average pay in Windsor is about 2.8 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 Windsor and in Monterrey?
Rent for a central apartment: $1,269 in Windsor 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 Monterrey – a meal for two runs $48 versus $64 in Windsor. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.
Which city is more expensive overall: Windsor or Monterrey?
All in, you’ll spend $2,240 per month in Windsor versus $1,641 in Monterrey – Monterrey is about 27% cheaper, which adds up to real savings over time.
How far does $3,000 go in Windsor compared to Monterrey?
Either city works on $3,000 a month, though Monterrey 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 Windsor 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.
Where should expats move: Windsor or Monterrey?
Expats usually find Monterrey gentler on the wallet – expenses run 27% less than in Windsor. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.

Windsor vs other spots: cost of living compared

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