Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Arenal and Montreal

For one person, living is cheaper in Arenal: $1,673 a month against $2,018 in Montreal, rent and utilities included – about $4,100 less a year. Higher rent and utilities in Montreal outweigh lower spending on other living expenses.

84

Cost of Living Index in Arenal
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Arenal Living Index
99

Cost of Living Index in Montreal
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Montreal Living Index

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Arenal

🇨🇷 Costa Rica

$1,673

/mo nomad

Montreal

🇨🇦 Canada

$2,018

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,673 in Arenal versus $2,018 in Montreal.

Arenal $1,673
Montreal $2,018

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,631 in Arenal versus $3,085 in Montreal.

Arenal $2,631
Montreal $3,085

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,589 in Arenal versus $4,152 in Montreal.

Arenal $3,589
Montreal $4,152

Living in Arenal costs roughly 17% less than in Montreal, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in transport.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Arenal 24% above, Montreal 49% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$12.02 ₡5,402

$18.82 CA$26.75

-36.13%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$60.8 ₡27.3K

$70.3 CA$99.9

-13.52%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$11.74 ₡5,277

$10.66 CA$15.14

10.13%

Cappuccino

$4.53 ₡2,034

$3.84 CA$5.46

17.97%

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

$2.75 ₡1,235

$1.92 CA$2.72

43.23%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.94 ₡870

$1.54 CA$2.19

25.97%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.34 ₡1,500

$6.23 CA$8.86

-46.39%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.34 ₡1,951

$7.10 CA$10.08

-38.87%

Milk (1 liter)

$2.31 ₡1,037

$2.31 CA$3.29

White Bread (500g)

$3.14 ₡1,411

$3.14 CA$4.47

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.50 ₡1,125

$3.21 CA$4.57

-22.12%

Eggs

$3.46 ₡1,554

$3.52 CA$5.00

-1.70%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$10.58 ₡4,753

$12.81 CA$18.21

-17.41%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$10.24 ₡4,600

$11.46 CA$16.29

-10.65%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$14.10 ₡6,337

$13.39 CA$19.03

5.30%

Apples (1kg)

$5.16 ₡2,317

$3.14 CA$4.46

64.33%

Banana (1kg)

$1.60 ₡718

$1.44 CA$2.04

11.11%

Oranges (1kg)

$4.62 ₡2,076

$3.47 CA$4.94

33.14%

Tomato (1kg)

$3.79 ₡1,702

$3.07 CA$4.37

23.45%

Potato (1kg)

$3.84 ₡1,724

$1.90 CA$2.70

102.11%

Onion (1kg)

$3.71 ₡1,669

$1.77 CA$2.52

109.60%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.08 ₡486

$2.34 CA$3.33

-53.85%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$3.17 ₡1,424

$1.55 CA$2.21

104.52%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$5.82 ₡2,616

$11.38 CA$16.17

-48.86%

Wine (Bottle)

$19.68 ₡8,841

$10.63 CA$15.11

85.14%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.80 ₡1,257

$2.27 CA$3.23

23.35%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.62 ₡1,628

$2.82 CA$4.01

28.37%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.40 ₡627

$2.66 CA$3.78

-47.37%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$77.3 CA$110

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$2.50 ₡1,125

$3.20 CA$4.55

-21.88%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.57 ₡707

$1.48 CA$2.10

6.08%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$8.48 ₡3,812

$32.88 CA$46.73

-74.21%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.58 ₡708

$1.34 CA$1.91

17.91%

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

$22.1K ₡9.9M

$28.2K CA$40.0K

-21.42%

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

$35.6K ₡16.0M

$19.6K CA$27.9K

81.48%

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

$94.3 ₡42.4K

$76.0 CA$108

24.10%

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

$35.89 ₡16.1K

$33.95 CA$48.26

5.71%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$59.2 ₡26.6K

$42.31 CA$60.1

40.01%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$78.2 ₡35.2K

$29.76 CA$42.29

162.87%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$20.28 CA$28.83

Cinema Ticket

$7.51 ₡3,373

$11.15 CA$15.85

-32.65%

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

$989 ₡444.4K

$507 CA$721

95.05%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$16.9K ₡7.6M

$16.1K CA$22.8K

5.26%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$72.0 ₡32.3K

$57.6 CA$81.8

25.06%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$57.0 ₡25.6K

$37.58 CA$53.4

51.65%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$131 ₡59.0K

$91.9 CA$131

42.84%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$131 ₡58.8K

$110 CA$156

19.47%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$796 ₡357.7K

$1,260 CA$1,792

-36.84%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$570 ₡256.2K

$948 CA$1,347

-39.84%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,638 ₡736.2K

$2,137 CA$3,037

-23.33%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,091 ₡490.3K

$1,614 CA$2,293

-32.39%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$4,960 CA$7,049

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$3,838 CA$5,454

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$2,827 CA$4,019

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 Arenal: 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

Arenal

$570 34.1%

Montreal

$948 47% 66.2% $378

Groceries & Markets

Arenal

$398 23.8%

Montreal

$346 17.2% 13% $52

Eating Out

Arenal

$230 13.7%

Montreal

$288 14.3% 25.2% $58

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Arenal

$189 11.3%

Montreal

$152 7.5% 19.6% $37

Clothing & Footwear

Arenal

$176 10.5%

Montreal

$133 6.6% 24.2% $43

Sport & Entertainment

Arenal

$93 5.6%

Montreal

$52 2.6% 44.2% $41

Getting Around

Arenal

$16 * 1%

Montreal

$99 4.9% 517% $83

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 $796 in Arenal and $1,260 in Montreal. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Dining out: $61.0 in Arenal vs $70.0 in Montreal. Groceries flip the comparison at $398 vs $346, with Montreal cheaper for home cooking.

Good to know

🇨🇷 Arenal

🇨🇦 Montreal

🕒 Local time

03:34 3:34 AM

05:34 5:34 AM

2 h ahead of Arenal

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

2,300

1,762,949

💱 Currency

Costa Rican Colón CRC ₡

Canadian Dollar CAD $

📈 Exchange rate

1,000 CRC = 2.23 USD

1,000 CRC = 1.99 EUR

1 CAD = 0.704 USD

1 CAD = 0.628 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 15, 2026: 1 USD = 449 CRC (1,000 CRC = 2.23 USD). 1 EUR = 503 CRC (1,000 CRC = 1.99 EUR).

Canadian Dollar exchange rates as of October 15, 2026: 1 USD = 1.42 CAD (1 CAD = 0.704 USD). 1 EUR = 1.59 CAD (1 CAD = 0.628 EUR).

USD to CRC in detail →

On the map

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Between locations

Arenal Montreal 4,040 km ≈ 6 h nonstop flight

From you

Arenal
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

Arenal vs Montreal: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Arenal is cheaper overall, especially in eating out and transport. The 21% gap adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

You'd need roughly $2,509 in Arenal and $3,027 in Montreal to live well. The gap comes down to housing and overall price levels. Both cities are liveable on less, but these numbers represent actual comfort.

Rent for a central apartment: $796 in Arenal versus $1,260 in Montreal. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $989 in Arenal versus $507 in Montreal. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Dining out is cheaper in Arenal – a meal for two runs $61.0 versus $70.0 in Montreal. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

At $1,673 in Arenal versus $2,018 in Montreal, a $2,500 budget is realistic in Arenal but tight or insufficient in Montreal. The gap between the two cities makes Arenal the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

For families, Arenal is more practical. Housing and childcare are both notably cheaper than in Montreal, and the savings on those two alone free up budget for education, activities, and family trips.

Safety-wise, Arenal 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 Arenal gentler on the wallet – expenses run 21% less than in Montreal. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.