Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Atenas and Montreal

For one person, living is cheaper in Atenas: $1,546 a month against $2,018 in Montreal, rent and utilities included – about $5,700 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

75

Cost of Living Index in Atenas
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Atenas Living Index
99

Cost of Living Index in Montreal
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Montreal Living Index

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Atenas

🇨🇷 Costa Rica

$1,546

/mo nomad

Montreal

🇨🇦 Canada

$2,018

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

A single person spends $1,546 per month in Atenas vs $2,018 in Montreal, rent included.

Atenas $1,546
Montreal $2,018

A couple spends around $2,543 per month in Atenas vs $3,085 in Montreal, rent included.

Atenas $2,543
Montreal $3,085

A family of three spends $3,540 per month in Atenas vs $4,152 in Montreal, rent included.

Atenas $3,540
Montreal $4,152

Atenas is about 23% cheaper than Montreal, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

Both Atenas and Montreal sit above the global median – Atenas by 15%, Montreal by 49%.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$9.58 ₡4,298

$18.82 CA$26.61

-49.10%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$56.8 ₡25.5K

$70.3 CA$99.4

-19.21%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$11.85 ₡5,314

$10.66 CA$15.06

11.16%

Cappuccino

$3.82 ₡1,711

$3.84 CA$5.43

-0.52%

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

$2.64 ₡1,186

$1.92 CA$2.71

37.50%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.90 ₡852

$1.54 CA$2.18

23.38%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.25 ₡1,459

$6.23 CA$8.81

-47.83%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.38 ₡1,966

$7.10 CA$10.03

-38.31%

Milk (1 liter)

$2.39 ₡1,070

$2.31 CA$3.27

3.46%

White Bread (500g)

$3.12 ₡1,401

$3.14 CA$4.44

-0.64%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.13 ₡957

$3.21 CA$4.54

-33.64%

Eggs

$3.41 ₡1,528

$3.52 CA$4.97

-3.12%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$10.71 ₡4,802

$12.81 CA$18.11

-16.39%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$9.87 ₡4,426

$11.46 CA$16.20

-13.87%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$10.36 ₡4,646

$13.39 CA$18.92

-22.63%

Apples (1kg)

$4.28 ₡1,921

$3.14 CA$4.43

36.31%

Banana (1kg)

$1.57 ₡704

$1.44 CA$2.03

9.03%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.56 ₡1,148

$3.47 CA$4.91

-26.22%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.39 ₡1,071

$3.07 CA$4.34

-22.15%

Potato (1kg)

$3.70 ₡1,660

$1.90 CA$2.69

94.74%

Onion (1kg)

$2.69 ₡1,205

$1.77 CA$2.50

51.98%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.11 ₡500

$2.34 CA$3.31

-52.56%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$3.09 ₡1,387

$1.55 CA$2.19

99.35%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$6.00 ₡2,690

$11.38 CA$16.09

-47.28%

Wine (Bottle)

$18.30 ₡8,207

$10.63 CA$15.03

72.15%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.68 ₡1,200

$2.27 CA$3.21

18.06%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.69 ₡1,208

$2.82 CA$3.99

-4.61%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.23 ₡1,001

$2.66 CA$3.76

-16.17%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$77.3 CA$109

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$2.38 ₡1,067

$3.20 CA$4.53

-25.63%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.62 ₡725

$1.48 CA$2.09

9.46%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$8.83 ₡3,960

$32.88 CA$46.48

-73.14%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.56 ₡701

$1.34 CA$1.90

16.42%

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

$22.3K ₡10.0M

$28.2K CA$39.8K

-20.74%

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

$34.6K ₡15.5M

$19.6K CA$27.8K

76.35%

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

$95.7 ₡42.9K

$76.0 CA$107

25.95%

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

$35.36 ₡15.9K

$33.95 CA$48.00

4.15%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$51.0 ₡22.8K

$42.31 CA$59.8

20.42%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$48.47 ₡21.7K

$29.76 CA$42.07

62.87%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$10.78 ₡4,835

$20.28 CA$28.67

-46.84%

Cinema Ticket

$7.90 ₡3,542

$11.15 CA$15.77

-29.15%

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

$994 ₡445.7K

$507 CA$717

95.97%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$6,652 ₡3.0M

$16.1K CA$22.7K

-58.56%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$71.0 ₡31.8K

$57.6 CA$81.4

23.35%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$55.1 ₡24.7K

$37.58 CA$53.1

46.49%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$128 ₡57.2K

$91.9 CA$130

38.89%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$129 ₡58.0K

$110 CA$155

18.07%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$648 ₡290.6K

$1,260 CA$1,782

-48.59%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$550 ₡246.8K

$948 CA$1,340

-41.92%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,521 ₡682.3K

$2,137 CA$3,021

-28.81%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,281 ₡574.3K

$1,614 CA$2,281

-20.63%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$4,960 CA$7,011

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$3,838 CA$5,425

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,322 ₡592.9K

$2,827 CA$3,997

-53.24%

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 Atenas: October 10, 2026

Last update for Montreal: October 12, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Atenas

$550 35.6%

Montreal

$948 47% 72.2% $397

Groceries & Markets

Atenas

$356 23.1%

Montreal

$346 17.2% 2.7% $9.8

Eating Out

Atenas

$201 13%

Montreal

$288 14.3% 43.1% $87

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Atenas

$182 11.8%

Montreal

$152 7.5% 16.4% $30

Clothing & Footwear

Atenas

$172 11.2%

Montreal

$133 6.6% 22.6% $39

Sport & Entertainment

Atenas

$64 4.2%

Montreal

$52 2.6% 19% $12

Getting Around

Atenas

$19 * 1.3%

Montreal

$99 4.9% 408% $79

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

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $648 in Atenas versus $1,260 in Montreal. Rent is usually the largest line item in a monthly budget, so the gap here sets the tone for the overall comparison.

Salaries run about 114% higher in Montreal, which partly offsets the higher cost of living there. Purchasing power depends on which expenses matter most to you.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $57.0 in Atenas versus $70.0 in Montreal. Groceries tell a different story – $356 in Atenas vs $346 in Montreal – so Montreal wins on supermarket bills even if dining out costs more.

Good to know

🇨🇷 Atenas

🇨🇦 Montreal

🕒 Local time

02:37 2:37 AM

04:37 4:37 AM

2 h ahead of Atenas

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

7,000

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

Atenas Montreal 4,080 km ≈ 6 h nonstop flight

From you

Atenas
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

Atenas vs Montreal: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Yes – Montreal is pricier by about 31%, and outside of rent the gap shows up most in eating out.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $2,319 per month in Atenas and $3,027 in Montreal. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

Rent is clearly cheaper in Atenas, especially for central apartments. Housing is actually the single biggest factor behind the overall cost gap between these two cities.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $57.0 in Atenas and $70.0 in Montreal. That's a good indicator of the overall restaurant and café pricing gap between the two cities.

Interestingly, groceries are about 3% cheaper in Montreal – one category where the pricier city actually offers better value, probably thanks to stronger retail competition or local farming.

A $1,500 monthly budget goes further in Atenas, where all-in costs run around $1,546, than in Montreal at $2,018. In Atenas it covers expenses comfortably, while in Montreal it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.

Families tend to lean toward Atenas – lower housing and cheaper childcare make a real difference, especially on a single income or when paying for private education.

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.

If budget matters most, go with Atenas. 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.