Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between La Rioja and Montreal

For one person, living is cheaper in La Rioja: $1,201 a month against $2,018 in Montreal, rent and utilities included – about $9,800 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

60

Cost of Living Index in La Rioja
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La Rioja Living Index
99

Cost of Living Index in Montreal
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Montreal Living Index

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La Rioja

🇦🇷 Argentina

$1,201

/mo nomad

Montreal

🇨🇦 Canada

$2,018

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,201 in La Rioja versus $2,018 in Montreal.

La Rioja $1,201
Montreal $2,018

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,068 in La Rioja versus $3,085 in Montreal.

La Rioja $2,068
Montreal $3,085

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $2,935 in La Rioja versus $4,152 in Montreal.

La Rioja $2,935
Montreal $4,152

Living in La Rioja costs roughly 40% less than in Montreal, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in transport.

The two cities straddle the global median: La Rioja is 11% below, Montreal is 49% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$17.39 ARS 26.4K

$18.82 CA$26.61

-7.60%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$59.1 ARS 89.7K

$70.3 CA$99.4

-15.91%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$14.15 ARS 21.5K

$10.66 CA$15.06

32.74%

Cappuccino

$3.35 ARS 5,081

$3.84 CA$5.43

-12.76%

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

$2.12 ARS 3,215

$1.92 CA$2.71

10.42%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.95 ARS 2,954

$1.54 CA$2.18

26.62%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.49 ARS 5,298

$6.23 CA$8.81

-43.98%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.46 ARS 6,765

$7.10 CA$10.03

-37.18%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.39 ARS 2,114

$2.31 CA$3.27

-39.83%

White Bread (500g)

$2.28 ARS 3,461

$3.14 CA$4.44

-27.39%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.88 ARS 2,849

$3.21 CA$4.54

-41.43%

Eggs

$2.78 ARS 4,221

$3.52 CA$4.97

-21.02%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$10.40 ARS 15.8K

$12.81 CA$18.11

-18.81%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$7.71 ARS 11.7K

$11.46 CA$16.20

-32.72%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$11.39 ARS 17.3K

$13.39 CA$18.92

-14.94%

Apples (1kg)

$2.68 ARS 4,066

$3.14 CA$4.43

-14.65%

Banana (1kg)

$1.93 ARS 2,935

$1.44 CA$2.03

34.03%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.57 ARS 2,382

$3.47 CA$4.91

-54.76%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.80 ARS 4,252

$3.07 CA$4.34

-8.79%

Potato (1kg)

$1.05 ARS 1,588

$1.90 CA$2.69

-44.74%

Onion (1kg)

$0.96 ARS 1,451

$1.77 CA$2.50

-45.76%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.34 CA$3.31

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.59 ARS 2,415

$1.55 CA$2.19

2.58%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$3.33 ARS 5,059

$11.38 CA$16.09

-70.74%

Wine (Bottle)

$5.32 ARS 8,079

$10.63 CA$15.03

-49.95%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.17 ARS 3,290

$2.27 CA$3.21

-4.41%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.53 ARS 5,359

$2.82 CA$3.99

25.18%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.03 ARS 1,570

$2.66 CA$3.76

-61.28%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$77.3 CA$109

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.44 ARS 2,181

$3.20 CA$4.53

-55.00%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.48 CA$2.09

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$32.88 CA$46.48

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.37 ARS 2,076

$1.34 CA$1.90

2.24%

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

$30.1K ARS 45.8M

$28.2K CA$39.8K

7.10%

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

$32.6K ARS 49.5M

$19.6K CA$27.8K

66.20%

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

$122 ARS 184.9K

$76.0 CA$107

60.44%

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

$18.17 ARS 27.6K

$33.95 CA$48.00

-46.48%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$24.42 ARS 37.1K

$42.31 CA$59.8

-42.28%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$28.60 ARS 43.4K

$29.76 CA$42.07

-3.90%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$20.28 CA$28.67

Cinema Ticket

$10.56 ARS 16.0K

$11.15 CA$15.77

-5.29%

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

$317 ARS 481.6K

$507 CA$717

-37.41%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$16.1K CA$22.7K

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$122 ARS 185.0K

$57.6 CA$81.4

111.80%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$37.58 CA$53.1

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$116 ARS 175.8K

$91.9 CA$130

26.07%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$140 ARS 212.2K

$110 CA$155

27.59%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$570 ARS 864.6K

$1,260 CA$1,782

-54.80%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$290 ARS 440.0K

$948 CA$1,340

-69.40%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,073 ARS 1.6M

$2,137 CA$3,021

-49.81%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$837 ARS 1.3M

$1,614 CA$2,281

-48.13%

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)

$608 ARS 922.7K

$2,827 CA$3,997

-78.50%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

4.48

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

Last update for La Rioja: 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

La Rioja

$290 24.1%

Montreal

$948 47% 227% $658

Eating Out

La Rioja

$264 22%

Montreal

$288 14.3% 8.9% $24

Groceries & Markets

La Rioja

$257 * 21.4%

Montreal

$346 17.2% 34.7% $89

Clothing & Footwear

La Rioja

$170 * 14.1%

Montreal

$133 6.6% 21.4% $36

Monthly Utilities & Internet

La Rioja

$164 13.7%

Montreal

$152 7.5% 7.4% $12

Sport & Entertainment

La Rioja

$50 4.1%

Montreal

$52 2.6% 4.7% $2.3

Getting Around

La Rioja

$5.6 * 0.5%

Montreal

$99 4.9% 1666% $93

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 $570 in La Rioja and $1,260 in Montreal. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Montreal pays 365% 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: $59.0 in La Rioja vs $70.0 in Montreal for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $257 vs $346 per month, with La Rioja cheaper across the board.

Good to know

🇦🇷 La Rioja

🇨🇦 Montreal

🕒 Local time

17:58 5:58 PM

16:58 4:58 PM

1 h behind La Rioja

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

180,219

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 17, 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 17, 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

La Rioja Montreal 8,360 km ≈ 11 h nonstop flight

From you

La Rioja
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

La Rioja vs Montreal: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

La Rioja and Montreal differ by about 68% in total monthly costs ($1,201 vs $2,018 including rent). La Rioja is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

On paper, salaries run 365% 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: $570 in La Rioja versus $1,260 in Montreal. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $317 in La Rioja 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 La Rioja – a meal for two runs $59.0 versus $70.0 in Montreal. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

At $1,201 in La Rioja versus $2,018 in Montreal, a $2,000 budget is realistic in La Rioja but tight or insufficient in Montreal. The gap between the two cities makes La Rioja 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, La Rioja 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 La Rioja gentler on the wallet – expenses run 68% less than in Montreal. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.