Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Acosta and Montreal

For one person, living is cheaper in Acosta: $1,752 a month against $2,018 in Montreal, rent and utilities included – about $3,200 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

82

Cost of Living Index in Acosta
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Acosta Living Index
99

Cost of Living Index in Montreal
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Montreal Living Index

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Acosta

🇨🇷 Costa Rica

$1,752

/mo nomad

Montreal

🇨🇦 Canada

$2,018

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,752 in Acosta versus $2,018 in Montreal.

Acosta $1,752
Montreal $2,018

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,725 in Acosta versus $3,085 in Montreal.

Acosta $2,725
Montreal $3,085

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,698 in Acosta versus $4,152 in Montreal.

Acosta $3,698
Montreal $4,152

Living in Acosta costs roughly 13% less than in Montreal, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in transport.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Acosta 30% above, Montreal 49% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$11.88 ₡5,328

$18.82 CA$26.61

-36.88%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$59.0 ₡26.4K

$70.3 CA$99.4

-16.10%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$11.56 ₡5,184

$10.66 CA$15.06

8.44%

Cappuccino

$4.17 ₡1,869

$3.84 CA$5.43

8.59%

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

$2.54 ₡1,138

$1.92 CA$2.71

32.29%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.85 ₡830

$1.54 CA$2.18

20.13%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.19 ₡1,432

$6.23 CA$8.81

-48.80%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.37 ₡1,960

$7.10 CA$10.03

-38.45%

Milk (1 liter)

$2.09 ₡938

$2.31 CA$3.27

-9.52%

White Bread (500g)

$2.47 ₡1,110

$3.14 CA$4.44

-21.34%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.30 ₡1,032

$3.21 CA$4.54

-28.35%

Eggs

$3.75 ₡1,680

$3.52 CA$4.97

6.53%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$10.95 ₡4,912

$12.81 CA$18.11

-14.52%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$10.91 ₡4,894

$11.46 CA$16.20

-4.80%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$15.12 ₡6,781

$13.39 CA$18.92

12.92%

Apples (1kg)

$5.79 ₡2,595

$3.14 CA$4.43

84.39%

Banana (1kg)

$1.78 ₡799

$1.44 CA$2.03

23.61%

Oranges (1kg)

$3.53 ₡1,584

$3.47 CA$4.91

1.73%

Tomato (1kg)

$3.23 ₡1,448

$3.07 CA$4.34

5.21%

Potato (1kg)

$3.26 ₡1,464

$1.90 CA$2.69

71.58%

Onion (1kg)

$3.44 ₡1,544

$1.77 CA$2.50

94.35%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.05 ₡471

$2.34 CA$3.31

-55.13%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$2.39 ₡1,073

$1.55 CA$2.19

54.19%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.94 ₡2,215

$11.38 CA$16.09

-56.59%

Wine (Bottle)

$17.53 ₡7,861

$10.63 CA$15.03

64.91%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.27 ₡1,019

$2.27 CA$3.21

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.46 ₡1,104

$2.82 CA$3.99

-12.77%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.15 ₡516

$2.66 CA$3.76

-56.77%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$77.3 CA$109

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$2.29 ₡1,026

$3.20 CA$4.53

-28.44%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.59 ₡715

$1.48 CA$2.09

7.43%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$9.52 ₡4,271

$32.88 CA$46.48

-71.05%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.46 ₡653

$1.34 CA$1.90

8.96%

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

$22.2K ₡10.0M

$28.2K CA$39.8K

-21.07%

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

$30.8K ₡13.8M

$19.6K CA$27.8K

56.89%

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

$93.7 ₡42.0K

$76.0 CA$107

23.39%

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

$34.27 ₡15.4K

$33.95 CA$48.00

0.94%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$57.5 ₡25.8K

$42.31 CA$59.8

35.90%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$76.9 ₡34.5K

$29.76 CA$42.07

158.53%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$20.28 CA$28.67

Cinema Ticket

$7.96 ₡3,571

$11.15 CA$15.77

-28.61%

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

$845 ₡379.1K

$507 CA$717

66.71%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$18.3K ₡8.2M

$16.1K CA$22.7K

14.03%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$81.0 ₡36.3K

$57.6 CA$81.4

40.71%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$55.4 ₡24.8K

$37.58 CA$53.1

47.45%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$143 ₡64.0K

$91.9 CA$130

55.17%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$114 ₡51.3K

$110 CA$155

4.37%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$787 ₡353.0K

$1,260 CA$1,782

-37.56%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$686 ₡307.7K

$948 CA$1,340

-27.59%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,977 ₡886.4K

$2,137 CA$3,021

-7.51%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,274 ₡571.5K

$1,614 CA$2,281

-21.02%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$1,943 ₡871.5K

$4,960 CA$7,011

-60.82%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$3,838 CA$5,425

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,511 ₡677.5K

$2,827 CA$3,997

-46.57%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

8.62

4.48

92.41%

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

Last update for Acosta: October 11, 2026

Last update for Montreal: October 12, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Acosta

$686 39.2%

Montreal

$948 47% 38.1% $261

Groceries & Markets

Acosta

$373 21.3%

Montreal

$346 17.2% 7.2% $27

Eating Out

Acosta

$222 12.7%

Montreal

$288 14.3% 29.7% $66

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Acosta

$186 10.6%

Montreal

$152 7.5% 17.9% $33

Clothing & Footwear

Acosta

$177 10.1%

Montreal

$133 6.6% 24.6% $44

Sport & Entertainment

Acosta

$93 5.3%

Montreal

$52 2.6% 43.9% $41

Getting Around

Acosta

$15 * 0.9%

Montreal

$99 4.9% 563% $84

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

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $787 in Acosta and $1,260 in Montreal. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Montreal pays 87% more on average. The extra income cushions the higher costs, though housing choices and lifestyle decide how much of the gap is truly closed.

Dining out: $59.0 in Acosta vs $70.0 in Montreal. Groceries flip the comparison at $373 vs $346, with Montreal cheaper for home cooking.

Good to know

🇨🇷 Acosta

🇨🇦 Montreal

🕒 Local time

02:34 2:34 AM

04:34 4:34 AM

2 h ahead of Acosta

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

3,072

1,762,949

💱 Currency

Costa Rican Colón CRC ₡

Canadian Dollar CAD $

📈 Exchange rate

1,000 CRC = 2.23 USD

1,000 CRC = 1.98 EUR

1 CAD = 0.707 USD

1 CAD = 0.629 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

CAD, USD, EUR to CRC – Costa Rican Colón Converter

🇺🇸 United States Dollar ($)

🇨🇷 Costa Rican Colón (₡)

Costa Rican Colón exchange rates as of October 20, 2026: 1 USD = 448 CRC (1,000 CRC = 2.23 USD). 1 EUR = 504 CRC (1,000 CRC = 1.98 EUR).

Canadian Dollar exchange rates as of October 20, 2026: 1 USD = 1.41 CAD (1 CAD = 0.707 USD). 1 EUR = 1.59 CAD (1 CAD = 0.629 EUR).

USD to CRC in detail →

On the map

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Between locations

Acosta Montreal 4,100 km ≈ 6 h nonstop flight

From you

Acosta
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

Acosta vs Montreal: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Acosta and Montreal differ by about 15% in total monthly costs ($1,752 vs $2,018 including rent). Acosta is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

On paper, salaries run 87% lower in Montreal. That's worth factoring in alongside costs, though remote workers earning in a stronger currency may not notice the difference at all.

Rent for a central apartment: $787 in Acosta versus $1,260 in Montreal. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Shoppers in Montreal pay roughly 8% less for everyday groceries. It's an unusual reversal that partly offsets higher costs elsewhere.

All in, you'll spend $1,752 per month in Acosta versus $2,018 in Montreal – a 15% gap that adds up to real savings over time for anyone picking the cheaper option.

At $1,752 in Acosta versus $2,018 in Montreal, a $3,000 budget is realistic in Acosta but tight or insufficient in Montreal. The gap between the two cities makes Acosta the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

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.

Safety-wise, Acosta and Montreal are on par. Petty crime is typical for cities this size, and most residents feel comfortable going about their daily routines in either place.

Expats usually find Acosta gentler on the wallet – expenses run 15% less than in Montreal. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.