Last update: Nov 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Cruz Bay and Montreal

For one person, living is cheaper in Montreal: $2,067 a month against $2,875 in Cruz Bay, rent and utilities included – about $9,700 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

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Cost of Living Index in Montreal
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Cruz Bay

🇻🇮 U.S. Virgin Islands

$2,875

/mo nomad

Montreal

🇨🇦 Canada

$2,067

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $2,875 in Cruz Bay versus $2,067 in Montreal.

Cruz Bay $2,875
Montreal $2,067

Estimated couple costs with rent: $4,650 in Cruz Bay versus $3,179 in Montreal.

Cruz Bay $4,650
Montreal $3,179

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $6,425 in Cruz Bay versus $4,291 in Montreal.

Cruz Bay $6,425
Montreal $4,291

Living in Cruz Bay is roughly 39% more expensive than in Montreal, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Cruz Bay 113% above, Montreal 53% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$30.25 $30.25

$18.89 CA$26.57

60.14%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$94.1 $94.1

$72.6 CA$102

29.62%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$16.71 $16.71

$10.79 CA$15.18

54.87%

Cappuccino

$9.25 $9.25

$3.98 CA$5.60

132.41%

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

$2.93 $2.93

$2.02 CA$2.84

45.05%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.11 $4.11

$1.63 CA$2.29

152.15%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$7.82 $7.82

$6.32 CA$8.89

23.73%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$8.85 $8.85

$7.06 CA$9.93

25.35%

Milk (1 liter)

$8.03 $8.03

$2.33 CA$3.28

244.64%

White Bread (500g)

$3.25 CA$4.57

Rice (white) (1kg)

$3.26 CA$4.59

Eggs

$4.97 $4.97

$3.48 CA$4.89

42.82%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$13.73 CA$19.31

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$15.59 $15.59

$11.48 CA$16.14

35.80%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$14.26 CA$20.05

Apples (1kg)

$8.89 $8.89

$3.52 CA$4.95

152.56%

Banana (1kg)

$1.46 CA$2.05

Oranges (1kg)

$3.41 CA$4.80

Tomato (1kg)

$3.20 CA$4.50

Potato (1kg)

$1.94 CA$2.72

Onion (1kg)

$1.78 CA$2.50

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.52 CA$3.54

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.58 CA$2.22

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$11.51 CA$16.18

Wine (Bottle)

$25.21 $25.21

$10.57 CA$14.87

138.51%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.35 CA$3.30

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.90 CA$4.07

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.61 CA$3.68

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$78.5 CA$110

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.17 CA$4.46

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.49 CA$2.10

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$33.49 CA$47.10

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.36 CA$1.92

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

$28.0K CA$39.4K

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

$21.1K CA$29.7K

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

$352 $352

$77.6 CA$109

353.85%

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

$139 $139

$35.63 CA$50.1

290.54%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$60.5 $60.5

$43.73 CA$61.5

38.26%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$90.0 $90.0

$30.07 CA$42.29

199.14%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$19.97 CA$28.08

Cinema Ticket

$11.27 CA$15.85

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

$522 CA$734

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$13.0K $13.0K

$17.8K CA$25.0K

-27.03%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$59.0 CA$82.9

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$39.01 CA$54.9

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$99.8 CA$140

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$110 CA$154

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,820 $1,820

$1,298 CA$1,826

40.15%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,473 $1,473

$970 CA$1,365

51.76%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$3,482 $3,482

$2,323 CA$3,267

49.86%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$3,454 $3,454

$1,689 CA$2,376

104.50%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$10.6K $10.6K

$5,004 CA$7,037

112.30%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$3,736 CA$5,255

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$6,166 $6,166

$2,943 CA$4,139

109.52%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

4.51

10.86%

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

Last update for Cruz Bay: November 1, 2026

Last update for Montreal: November 3, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Cruz Bay

–

Montreal

$970 47%

Groceries & Markets

Cruz Bay

–

Montreal

$357 17.3%

Eating Out

Cruz Bay

–

Montreal

$292 14.1%

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Cruz Bay

–

Montreal

$157 7.6%

Clothing & Footwear

Cruz Bay

–

Montreal

$138 6.7%

Getting Around

Cruz Bay

–

Montreal

$100 4.8%

Sport & Entertainment

Cruz Bay

–

Montreal

$53 2.6%

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,820 in Cruz Bay and $1,298 in Montreal. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Cruz Bay pays about 2.1 times more on average. How far that income stretches comes down to housing choices and lifestyle.

Dining out: $94 in Cruz Bay vs $73 in Montreal. Groceries flip the comparison at $273 vs $357, with Cruz Bay cheaper for home cooking.

Good to know

🇻🇮 Cruz Bay

🇨🇦 Montreal

🕒 Local time

18:37 6:37 PM

17:37 5:37 PM

1 h behind Cruz Bay

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

2,743

1,762,949

💱 Currency

United States Dollar USD $

Canadian Dollar CAD $

📈 Exchange rate

1 USD = 0.895 EUR

1 CAD = 0.711 USD

1 CAD = 0.636 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

CAD, EUR to USD – United States Dollar Converter

🇨🇦 Canadian Dollar ($)

🇺🇸 United States Dollar ($)

United States Dollar exchange rates as of November 6, 2026: 1 EUR = 1.12 USD (1 USD = 0.895 EUR).

Canadian Dollar exchange rates as of November 6, 2026: 1 USD = 1.41 CAD (1 CAD = 0.711 USD). 1 EUR = 1.57 CAD (1 CAD = 0.636 EUR).

CAD to USD in detail →

On the map

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Between locations

Cruz Bay Montreal 3,130 km ≈ 4 h 30 min nonstop flight

From you

Cruz Bay
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

Cruz Bay vs Montreal: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Total monthly costs including rent come to $2,875 in Cruz Bay and $2,067 in Montreal, so Montreal is about 28% cheaper – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

Average pay in Cruz Bay is about 2.1 times higher, which matters when comparing affordability. Whether that higher income actually nets you more depends on your spending habits and housing choices.

Rent for a central apartment: $1,820 in Cruz Bay versus $1,298 in Montreal. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Dining out is cheaper in Montreal – a meal for two runs $73 versus $94 in Cruz Bay. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

All in, you’ll spend $2,875 per month in Cruz Bay versus $2,067 in Montreal – Montreal is about 28% 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, Cruz Bay and Montreal are both considered safe, so it’s unlikely to be the deciding factor between them.

It comes down to priorities – Montreal wins on affordability, Cruz Bay on earning potential. Factor in climate, language, visa rules, and proximity to places that matter to you before deciding.