Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between El Calafate and Montreal

For one person, living is cheaper in El Calafate: $961 a month against $2,018 in Montreal, rent and utilities included – about $12,700 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

47

Cost of Living Index in El Calafate
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El Calafate Living Index
99

Cost of Living Index in Montreal
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Montreal Living Index

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El Calafate

🇦🇷 Argentina

$961

/mo nomad

Montreal

🇨🇦 Canada

$2,018

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $961 in El Calafate versus $2,018 in Montreal.

El Calafate $961
Montreal $2,018

Estimated couple costs with rent: $1,574 in El Calafate versus $3,085 in Montreal.

El Calafate $1,574
Montreal $3,085

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $2,187 in El Calafate versus $4,152 in Montreal.

El Calafate $2,187
Montreal $4,152

Living in El Calafate costs roughly 52% less than in Montreal, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

The two cities straddle the global median: El Calafate is 29% below, Montreal is 49% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$10.66 ARS 16.2K

$18.82 CA$26.61

-43.36%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$33.87 ARS 51.4K

$70.3 CA$99.4

-51.81%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$8.85 ARS 13.4K

$10.66 CA$15.06

-16.98%

Cappuccino

$2.77 ARS 4,198

$3.84 CA$5.43

-27.86%

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

$1.64 ARS 2,484

$1.92 CA$2.71

-14.58%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.49 ARS 2,268

$1.54 CA$2.18

-3.25%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.08 ARS 3,157

$6.23 CA$8.81

-66.61%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.93 ARS 4,452

$7.10 CA$10.03

-58.73%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.24 ARS 1,887

$2.31 CA$3.27

-46.32%

White Bread (500g)

$1.61 ARS 2,446

$3.14 CA$4.44

-48.73%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.93 ARS 2,930

$3.21 CA$4.54

-39.88%

Eggs

$2.20 ARS 3,346

$3.52 CA$4.97

-37.50%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$10.29 ARS 15.6K

$12.81 CA$18.11

-19.67%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$6.07 ARS 9,209

$11.46 CA$16.20

-47.03%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$9.50 ARS 14.4K

$13.39 CA$18.92

-29.05%

Apples (1kg)

$1.95 ARS 2,963

$3.14 CA$4.43

-37.90%

Banana (1kg)

$2.11 ARS 3,205

$1.44 CA$2.03

46.53%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.33 ARS 2,015

$3.47 CA$4.91

-61.67%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.62 ARS 3,973

$3.07 CA$4.34

-14.66%

Potato (1kg)

$1.19 ARS 1,808

$1.90 CA$2.69

-37.37%

Onion (1kg)

$1.20 ARS 1,821

$1.77 CA$2.50

-32.20%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.30 ARS 1,973

$2.34 CA$3.31

-44.44%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.48 ARS 2,245

$1.55 CA$2.19

-4.52%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$3.16 ARS 4,800

$11.38 CA$16.09

-72.23%

Wine (Bottle)

$4.97 ARS 7,536

$10.63 CA$15.03

-53.25%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.06 ARS 3,133

$2.27 CA$3.21

-9.25%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.16 ARS 4,799

$2.82 CA$3.99

12.06%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.76 ARS 1,159

$2.66 CA$3.76

-71.43%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$77.3 CA$109

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.51 ARS 2,293

$3.20 CA$4.53

-52.81%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.87 ARS 1,322

$1.48 CA$2.09

-41.22%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$5.89 ARS 8,934

$32.88 CA$46.48

-82.09%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.05 ARS 1,600

$1.34 CA$1.90

-21.64%

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

$27.4K ARS 41.6M

$28.2K CA$39.8K

-2.55%

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

$30.2K ARS 45.9M

$19.6K CA$27.8K

53.98%

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

$66.5 ARS 100.9K

$76.0 CA$107

-12.47%

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

$16.85 ARS 25.6K

$33.95 CA$48.00

-50.37%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$22.42 ARS 34.0K

$42.31 CA$59.8

-47.01%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$26.64 ARS 40.4K

$29.76 CA$42.07

-10.48%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$13.53 ARS 20.5K

$20.28 CA$28.67

-33.28%

Cinema Ticket

$6.34 ARS 9,617

$11.15 CA$15.77

-43.14%

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

$224 ARS 340.0K

$507 CA$717

-55.81%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$2,679 ARS 4.1M

$16.1K CA$22.7K

-83.31%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$72.7 ARS 110.3K

$57.6 CA$81.4

26.26%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$70.7 ARS 107.3K

$37.58 CA$53.1

88.21%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$114 ARS 173.7K

$91.9 CA$130

24.58%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$114 ARS 172.2K

$110 CA$155

3.59%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$342 ARS 518.6K

$1,260 CA$1,782

-72.89%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$235 ARS 357.2K

$948 CA$1,340

-75.16%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$695 ARS 1.1M

$2,137 CA$3,021

-67.49%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$533 ARS 809.3K

$1,614 CA$2,281

-66.95%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$1,858 ARS 2.8M

$4,960 CA$7,011

-62.54%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,600 ARS 2.4M

$3,838 CA$5,425

-58.31%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$2,827 CA$3,997

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

58.5

4.48

1205.80%

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

Last update for El Calafate: October 12, 2026

Last update for Montreal: October 12, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

El Calafate

$235 24.5%

Montreal

$948 47% 303% $712

Groceries & Markets

El Calafate

$231 24%

Montreal

$346 17.2% 49.9% $115

Eating Out

El Calafate

$174 18.1%

Montreal

$288 14.3% 65.6% $114

Clothing & Footwear

El Calafate

$167 17.4%

Montreal

$133 6.6% 20.1% $34

Monthly Utilities & Internet

El Calafate

$106 11%

Montreal

$152 7.5% 43.9% $46

Sport & Entertainment

El Calafate

$39 4.1%

Montreal

$52 2.6% 32.4% $13

Getting Around

El Calafate

$8.9 * 0.9%

Montreal

$99 4.9% 1005% $90

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 $342 in El Calafate and $1,260 in Montreal. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Dining out: $34.00 in El Calafate vs $70.0 in Montreal for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $231 vs $346 per month, with El Calafate cheaper across the board.

Good to know

🇦🇷 El Calafate

🇨🇦 Montreal

🕒 Local time

10:17 10:17 AM

09:17 9:17 AM

1 h behind El Calafate

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

22,844

1,762,949

💱 Currency

Argentine Peso ARS $

Canadian Dollar CAD $

📈 Exchange rate

10,000 ARS = 6.59 USD

10,000 ARS = 5.86 EUR

1 CAD = 0.707 USD

1 CAD = 0.629 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

CAD, USD, EUR to ARS – Argentine Peso Converter

🇺🇸 United States Dollar ($)

🇦🇷 Argentine Peso ($)

Argentine Peso exchange rates as of October 19, 2026: 1 USD = 1,517 ARS (10,000 ARS = 6.59 USD). 1 EUR = 1,706 ARS (10,000 ARS = 5.86 EUR).

Canadian Dollar exchange rates as of October 19, 2026: 1 USD = 1.41 CAD (1 CAD = 0.707 USD). 1 EUR = 1.59 CAD (1 CAD = 0.629 EUR).

USD to ARS in detail →

On the map

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Between locations

El Calafate Montreal 10,660 km ≈ 14 h nonstop flight

From you

El Calafate
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

El Calafate vs Montreal: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

El Calafate and Montreal differ by about 110% in total monthly costs ($961 vs $2,018 including rent). El Calafate is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

You'd need roughly $1,442 in El Calafate 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: $342 in El Calafate versus $1,260 in Montreal. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $224 in El Calafate 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 El Calafate – a meal for two runs $34.00 versus $70.0 in Montreal. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

At $961 in El Calafate versus $2,018 in Montreal, a $2,000 budget is realistic in El Calafate but tight or insufficient in Montreal. The gap between the two cities makes El Calafate 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, El Calafate 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 El Calafate gentler on the wallet – expenses run 110% less than in Montreal. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.