Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Ibarra and Montreal

For one person, living is cheaper in Ibarra: $681 a month against $2,059 in Montreal, rent and utilities included – about $16,500 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

33

Cost of Living Index in Ibarra
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Ibarra Living Index
99

Cost of Living Index in Montreal
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Montreal Living Index

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Ibarra

🇪🇨 Ecuador

$681

/mo nomad

Montreal

🇨🇦 Canada

$2,059

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $681 in Ibarra versus $2,059 in Montreal.

Ibarra $681
Montreal $2,059

Estimated couple costs with rent: $1,128 in Ibarra versus $3,123 in Montreal.

Ibarra $1,128
Montreal $3,123

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $1,576 in Ibarra versus $4,187 in Montreal.

Ibarra $1,576
Montreal $4,187

Living in Ibarra costs roughly 67% less than in Montreal, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

The two cities straddle the global median: Ibarra is 50% below, Montreal is 52% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$2.55 $2.55

$18.84 CA$26.63

-86.46%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$25.47 $25.47

$73.2 CA$104

-65.21%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$5.77 $5.77

$10.54 CA$14.90

-45.26%

Cappuccino

$2.19 $2.19

$3.97 CA$5.61

-44.84%

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

$1.08 $1.08

$1.94 CA$2.74

-44.33%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.54 $0.54

$1.57 CA$2.22

-65.61%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$1.98 $1.98

$6.42 CA$9.08

-69.16%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.19 $2.19

$7.20 CA$10.19

-69.58%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.00 $1.00

$2.32 CA$3.28

-56.90%

White Bread (500g)

$1.01 $1.01

$3.19 CA$4.51

-68.34%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.49 $1.49

$3.19 CA$4.50

-53.29%

Eggs

$2.08 $2.08

$3.68 CA$5.20

-43.48%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$3.83 $3.83

$13.24 CA$18.72

-71.07%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$5.59 $5.59

$11.69 CA$16.53

-52.18%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$7.69 $7.69

$13.98 CA$19.76

-44.99%

Apples (1kg)

$2.03 $2.03

$3.14 CA$4.44

-35.35%

Banana (1kg)

$1.24 $1.24

$1.45 CA$2.05

-14.48%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.27 $1.27

$3.38 CA$4.78

-62.43%

Tomato (1kg)

$0.86 $0.86

$3.11 CA$4.40

-72.35%

Potato (1kg)

$0.52 $0.52

$1.93 CA$2.72

-73.06%

Onion (1kg)

$1.03 $1.03

$1.83 CA$2.58

-43.72%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.69 $0.69

$2.36 CA$3.34

-70.76%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.99 $0.99

$1.50 CA$2.12

-34.00%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$2.91 $2.91

$11.12 CA$15.73

-73.83%

Wine (Bottle)

$9.84 $9.84

$10.60 CA$14.98

-7.17%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.58 $1.58

$2.22 CA$3.14

-28.83%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.19 $3.19

$2.84 CA$4.01

12.32%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.36 $0.36

$2.62 CA$3.71

-86.26%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$17.86 $17.86

$79.1 CA$112

-77.43%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.47 $1.47

$3.23 CA$4.56

-54.49%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.54 $1.54

$1.48 CA$2.10

4.05%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$9.90 $9.90

$32.22 CA$45.55

-69.27%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$0.68 $0.68

$1.36 CA$1.92

-50.00%

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

$20.7K $20.7K

$27.6K CA$39.1K

-25.16%

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

$28.8K $28.8K

$21.2K CA$30.0K

35.72%

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

$28.49 $28.49

$77.0 CA$109

-63.02%

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

$15.03 $15.03

$34.14 CA$48.26

-55.98%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$18.15 $18.15

$42.19 CA$59.7

-56.98%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$30.39 $30.39

$30.81 CA$43.56

-1.36%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$16.34 $16.34

$19.66 CA$27.79

-16.89%

Cinema Ticket

$6.21 $6.21

$11.47 CA$16.22

-45.86%

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

$112 $112

$506 CA$716

-77.87%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$8,951 $8,951

$16.2K CA$23.0K

-44.87%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$59.1 $59.1

$57.3 CA$81.0

3.27%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$44.78 $44.78

$38.10 CA$53.9

17.53%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$91.5 $91.5

$91.9 CA$130

-0.48%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$49.31 $49.31

$110 CA$155

-55.07%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$223 $223

$1,237 CA$1,748

-81.99%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$177 $177

$977 CA$1,381

-81.91%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$733 $733

$2,180 CA$3,082

-66.36%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$409 $409

$1,608 CA$2,273

-74.54%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$1,199 $1,199

$5,113 CA$7,228

-76.54%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$770 $770

$3,744 CA$5,293

-79.43%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$612 $612

$2,957 CA$4,180

-79.31%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

10.12

4.48

125.89%

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

Last update for Ibarra: October 18, 2026

Last update for Montreal: October 20, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Ibarra

$177 26%

Montreal

$977 47.4% 453% $800

Groceries & Markets

Ibarra

$176 25.9%

Montreal

$351 17.1% 99.4% $175

Clothing & Footwear

Ibarra

$110 16.2%

Montreal

$134 6.5% 21.4% $24

Eating Out

Ibarra

$85 12.5%

Montreal

$290 14.1% 243% $206

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Ibarra

$62 9.1%

Montreal

$153 7.5% 149% $92

Sport & Entertainment

Ibarra

$43 6.3%

Montreal

$54 2.6% 25.6% $11

Getting Around

Ibarra

$29 4.2%

Montreal

$100 4.9% 252% $72

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $223 in Ibarra and $1,237 in Montreal. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Montreal pays 383% more on average. The extra income cushions the higher costs, though housing choices and lifestyle decide how much of the gap is truly closed.

Dining out: $25.00 in Ibarra vs $73.0 in Montreal for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $176 vs $351 per month, with Ibarra cheaper across the board.

Good to know

🇪🇨 Ibarra

🇨🇦 Montreal

🕒 Local time

16:28 4:28 PM

17:28 5:28 PM

1 h ahead of Ibarra

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

108,666

1,762,949

💱 Currency

United States Dollar USD $

Canadian Dollar CAD $

📈 Exchange rate

1 USD = 0.89 EUR

1 CAD = 0.707 USD

1 CAD = 0.629 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 October 20, 2026: 1 EUR = 1.12 USD (1 USD = 0.89 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).

CAD to USD in detail →

On the map

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Between locations

Ibarra Montreal 5,040 km ≈ 7 h nonstop flight

From you

Ibarra
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

Ibarra vs Montreal: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Ibarra wins on cost – living expenses run 203% lower than in Montreal. Housing and daily spending are where you'll feel the difference most, making Ibarra the obvious pick if budget is a priority.

On paper, salaries run 383% lower in Montreal. 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: $223 in Ibarra versus $1,237 in Montreal. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Supermarket bills run roughly 99% higher in Montreal. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

Dining out is cheaper in Ibarra – a meal for two runs $25.00 versus $73.0 in Montreal. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

At $681 in Ibarra versus $2,059 in Montreal, a $1,000 budget is realistic in Ibarra but tight or insufficient in Montreal. The gap between the two cities makes Ibarra the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

Both work as nomad bases, but Ibarra delivers better value – similar infrastructure at $681 monthly. If stretching your runway or maximizing savings is the goal, the price difference makes Ibarra hard to pass up.

Safety-wise, Ibarra 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 Ibarra gentler on the wallet – expenses run 203% less than in Montreal. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.