Last update: Nov 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Aruba and Montreal

For one person, living is cheaper in Montreal: $2,067 a month against $2,337 in Aruba, rent and utilities included – about $3,200 less a year. Higher rent and utilities in Aruba outweigh lower spending on other living expenses.

100

Cost of Living Index in Montreal
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Montreal Living Index

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Aruba

🇦🇼 Aruba

$2,337

/mo nomad

Montreal

🇨🇦 Canada

$2,067

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $2,337 in Aruba versus $2,067 in Montreal.

Aruba $2,337
Montreal $2,067

Estimated couple costs with rent: $4,224 in Aruba versus $3,179 in Montreal.

Aruba $4,224
Montreal $3,179

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $6,112 in Aruba versus $4,291 in Montreal.

Aruba $6,112
Montreal $4,291

Living in Aruba is roughly 13% more expensive than in Montreal, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in utilities.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Aruba 73% above, Montreal 53% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$10.93 AWG 19.56

$18.89 CA$26.48

-42.14%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$91.7 AWG 164

$72.6 CA$102

26.35%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$10.64 AWG 19.04

$10.79 CA$15.13

-1.39%

Cappuccino

$5.13 AWG 9.17

$3.98 CA$5.58

28.89%

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

$2.36 AWG 4.22

$2.02 CA$2.83

16.83%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.42 AWG 6.13

$1.63 CA$2.29

109.82%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$5.27 AWG 9.43

$6.32 CA$8.86

-16.61%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$6.86 AWG 12.27

$7.06 CA$9.90

-2.83%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.64 AWG 2.93

$2.33 CA$3.27

-29.61%

White Bread (500g)

$2.85 AWG 5.11

$3.25 CA$4.55

-12.31%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$3.03 AWG 5.43

$3.26 CA$4.58

-7.06%

Eggs

$3.88 AWG 6.95

$3.48 CA$4.87

11.49%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$14.16 AWG 25.35

$13.73 CA$19.25

3.13%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$4.07 AWG 7.29

$11.48 CA$16.09

-64.55%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$14.26 CA$19.99

Apples (1kg)

$3.52 CA$4.94

Banana (1kg)

$2.05 AWG 3.66

$1.46 CA$2.04

40.41%

Oranges (1kg)

$3.41 CA$4.78

Tomato (1kg)

$3.20 CA$4.49

Potato (1kg)

$1.94 CA$2.71

Onion (1kg)

$1.78 CA$2.50

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.52 CA$3.53

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.58 CA$2.22

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$11.51 CA$16.13

Wine (Bottle)

$10.57 CA$14.82

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.35 CA$3.29

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.90 CA$4.06

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.51 AWG 4.49

$2.61 CA$3.66

-3.83%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$78.5 CA$110

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.17 CA$4.45

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.49 CA$2.09

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$33.49 CA$46.94

Gasoline (1 liter)

$2.40 AWG 4.29

$1.36 CA$1.91

76.47%

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

$28.0K CA$39.3K

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

$21.1K CA$29.6K

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

$242 AWG 434

$77.6 CA$109

212.34%

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

$134 AWG 239

$35.63 CA$49.94

275.53%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$84.9 AWG 152

$43.73 CA$61.3

94.19%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$30.07 CA$42.16

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$19.97 CA$27.99

Cinema Ticket

$11.27 CA$15.80

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

$302 AWG 541

$522 CA$732

-42.09%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$17.8K AWG 31.8K

$17.8K CA$24.9K

-0.08%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$59.0 CA$82.7

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$65.2 AWG 117

$39.01 CA$54.7

67.11%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$122 AWG 218

$99.8 CA$140

22.33%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$110 CA$154

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$659 AWG 1,179

$1,298 CA$1,820

-49.26%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,389 AWG 2,487

$970 CA$1,360

43.19%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$3,139 AWG 5,618

$2,323 CA$3,257

35.11%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$4,017 AWG 7,189

$1,689 CA$2,368

137.80%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$5,004 CA$7,014

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$3,736 CA$5,237

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,905 AWG 3,409

$2,943 CA$4,125

-35.27%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

4.51

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

Last update for Aruba: November 3, 2026

Last update for Montreal: November 3, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Aruba

–

Montreal

$970 47%

Groceries & Markets

Aruba

–

Montreal

$357 17.3%

Eating Out

Aruba

–

Montreal

$292 14.1%

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Aruba

–

Montreal

$157 7.6%

Clothing & Footwear

Aruba

–

Montreal

$138 6.7%

Getting Around

Aruba

–

Montreal

$100 4.8%

Sport & Entertainment

Aruba

–

Montreal

$53 2.6%

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $659 in Aruba and $1,298 in Montreal. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Montreal pays 54% more on average while also being the cheaper of the two. The combined effect is a noticeably stronger local purchasing power.

Dining out: $92 in Aruba vs $73 in Montreal. Groceries flip the comparison at $148 vs $357, with Aruba cheaper for home cooking.

Good to know

🇦🇼 Aruba

🇨🇦 Montreal

🕒 Local time

03:44 3:44 AM

02:44 2:44 AM

1 h behind Aruba

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

15,236

1,762,949

💱 Currency

Aruban Florin AWG ƒ

Canadian Dollar CAD $

📈 Exchange rate

1 AWG = 0.559 USD

1 AWG = 0.497 EUR

1 CAD = 0.713 USD

1 CAD = 0.635 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

CAD, USD, EUR to AWG – Aruban Florin Converter

🇺🇸 United States Dollar ($)

🇦🇼 Aruban Florin (ƒ)

Aruban Florin exchange rates as of November 6, 2026: 1 USD = 1.79 AWG (1 AWG = 0.559 USD). 1 EUR = 2.01 AWG (1 AWG = 0.497 EUR).

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).

USD to AWG in detail →

On the map

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Between locations

Aruba Montreal 3,680 km ≈ 5 h nonstop flight

From you

Aruba
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

Aruba vs Montreal: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Total monthly costs including rent come to $2,337 in Aruba and $2,067 in Montreal, so Montreal is about 12% cheaper – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

On paper, salaries run 35% lower in Aruba. 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: $659 in Aruba versus $1,298 in Montreal. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Shoppers in Aruba pay roughly 59% less for everyday groceries. It’s an unusual reversal that partly offsets higher costs elsewhere.

All in, you’ll spend $2,337 per month in Aruba versus $2,067 in Montreal – Montreal is about 12% cheaper, which adds up to real savings over time.

Both cities are expensive relative to $2,000. Montreal is the more realistic option, but even there you’ll need to be disciplined with housing, food, and fun money.

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, Aruba and Montreal are both considered safe, so it’s unlikely to be the deciding factor between them.