Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Montreal and Alajuela

For one person, living is cheaper in Alajuela: $1,004 a month against $2,018 in Montreal, rent and utilities included – about $12,200 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

99

Cost of Living Index in Montreal
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Montreal Living Index
49

Cost of Living Index in Alajuela
Learn more

Alajuela Living Index

Jump to prices

Montreal

🇨🇦 Canada

$2,018

/mo nomad

Alajuela

🇨🇷 Costa Rica

$1,004

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Montreal and in Alajuela

Real prices from locals and on-the-ground checks – rent, groceries, transit and the daily extras. Here's what a month in Montreal and in Alajuela actually costs, broken down by who's living it.

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $2,018 in Montreal versus $1,004 in Alajuela.

Montreal $2,018
Alajuela $1,004

Estimated couple costs with rent: $3,085 in Montreal versus $1,609 in Alajuela.

Montreal $3,085
Alajuela $1,609

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $4,152 in Montreal versus $2,214 in Alajuela.

Montreal $4,152
Alajuela $2,214

Living in Montreal is roughly 101% more expensive than in Alajuela, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

The two cities straddle the global median: Montreal is 49% above, Alajuela is 26% below.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$18.82 CA$26.72

$12.20 ₡5,480

54.26%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$70.3 CA$99.8

$43.92 ₡19.7K

60.04%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$10.66 CA$15.12

$10.89 ₡4,892

-2.11%

Cappuccino

$3.84 CA$5.45

$4.50 ₡2,021

-14.67%

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

$1.92 CA$2.72

$2.43 ₡1,092

-20.99%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.54 CA$2.19

$1.73 ₡775

-10.98%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$6.23 CA$8.85

$3.00 ₡1,349

107.67%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$7.10 CA$10.07

$3.93 ₡1,766

80.66%

Milk (1 liter)

$2.31 CA$3.28

$2.42 ₡1,086

-4.55%

White Bread (500g)

$3.14 CA$4.46

$1.13 ₡506

177.88%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$3.21 CA$4.56

$2.19 ₡985

46.58%

Eggs

$3.52 CA$4.99

$3.55 ₡1,596

-0.85%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$12.81 CA$18.19

$10.62 ₡4,770

20.62%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$11.46 CA$16.27

$10.23 ₡4,593

12.02%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$13.39 CA$19.00

$13.77 ₡6,186

-2.76%

Apples (1kg)

$3.14 CA$4.45

$2.26 ₡1,015

38.94%

Banana (1kg)

$1.44 CA$2.04

$1.62 ₡729

-11.11%

Oranges (1kg)

$3.47 CA$4.93

$2.27 ₡1,018

52.86%

Tomato (1kg)

$3.07 CA$4.36

$3.94 ₡1,768

-22.08%

Potato (1kg)

$1.90 CA$2.70

$2.23 ₡1,000

-14.80%

Onion (1kg)

$1.77 CA$2.51

$2.18 ₡981

-18.81%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.34 CA$3.32

$1.02 ₡458

129.41%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.55 CA$2.20

$1.03 ₡462

50.49%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$11.38 CA$16.15

$5.35 ₡2,402

112.71%

Wine (Bottle)

$10.63 CA$15.09

$19.71 ₡8,854

-46.07%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.27 CA$3.23

$1.42 ₡638

59.86%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.82 CA$4.00

$0.99 ₡444

184.85%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.66 CA$3.78

$0.73 ₡327

264.38%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$77.3 CA$110

$126 ₡56.5K

-38.55%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.20 CA$4.55

$1.82 ₡819

75.82%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.48 CA$2.10

$1.61 ₡722

-8.07%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$32.88 CA$46.67

$8.02 ₡3,604

309.98%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.34 CA$1.91

$1.50 ₡676

-10.67%

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

$28.2K CA$40.0K

$22.0K ₡9.9M

27.98%

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

$19.6K CA$27.9K

$27.9K ₡12.5M

-29.72%

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

$76.0 CA$108

$79.2 ₡35.6K

-4.10%

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

$33.95 CA$48.19

$30.88 ₡13.9K

9.94%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$42.31 CA$60.1

$59.2 ₡26.6K

-28.48%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$29.76 CA$42.24

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$20.28 CA$28.79

Cinema Ticket

$11.15 CA$15.83

$7.85 ₡3,527

42.04%

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

$507 CA$720

$963 ₡432.7K

-47.37%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$16.1K CA$22.8K

$17.0K ₡7.7M

-5.85%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$57.6 CA$81.7

$71.4 ₡32.1K

-19.41%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$37.58 CA$53.3

$56.0 ₡25.2K

-32.90%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$91.9 CA$130

$129 ₡57.8K

-28.60%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$110 CA$156

$73.6 ₡33.1K

48.85%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,260 CA$1,789

$739 ₡332.0K

70.50%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$948 CA$1,345

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,137 CA$3,033

$1,424 ₡639.7K

50.03%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,614 CA$2,290

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$4,960 CA$7,040

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$3,838 CA$5,447

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$2,827 CA$4,013

$2,125 ₡954.5K

33.04%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

4.48

8.62

-48.03%

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

Last update for Montreal: October 12, 2026

Last update for Alajuela: October 11, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Montreal

$948 47%

Alajuela

- * 0% 100%

Groceries & Markets

Montreal

$346 17.2%

Alajuela

$309 30.7% 10.9% $38

Eating Out

Montreal

$288 14.3%

Alajuela

$224 22.3% 22.3% $64

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Montreal

$152 7.5%

Alajuela

$169 16.9% 11.2% $17

Clothing & Footwear

Montreal

$133 6.6%

Alajuela

$148 14.8% 11.2% $15

Getting Around

Montreal

$99 4.9%

Alajuela

$139 13.8% 40.6% $40

Sport & Entertainment

Montreal

$52 2.6%

Alajuela

$16 * 1.6% 69.8% $36

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 $1,260 in Montreal and $739 in Alajuela. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Montreal pays 33% 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: $70.0 in Montreal vs $44.00 in Alajuela for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $346 vs $309 per month, with Alajuela cheaper across the board.

Good to know

🇨🇦 Montreal

🇨🇷 Alajuela

🕒 Local time

08:52 8:52 AM

06:52 6:52 AM

2 h behind Montreal

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

1,762,949

50,000

💱 Currency

Canadian Dollar CAD $

Costa Rican Colón CRC ₡

📈 Exchange rate

1 CAD = 0.705 USD

1 CAD = 0.628 EUR

1,000 CRC = 2.23 USD

1,000 CRC = 1.99 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

CRC, USD, EUR to CAD – Canadian Dollar Converter

🇺🇸 United States Dollar ($)

🇨🇦 Canadian Dollar ($)

Canadian Dollar exchange rates as of October 16, 2026: 1 USD = 1.42 CAD (1 CAD = 0.705 USD). 1 EUR = 1.59 CAD (1 CAD = 0.628 EUR).

Costa Rican Colón exchange rates as of October 16, 2026: 1 USD = 449 CRC (1,000 CRC = 2.23 USD). 1 EUR = 504 CRC (1,000 CRC = 1.99 EUR).

USD to CAD in detail →

On the map

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Between locations

Montreal Alajuela 4,070 km ≈ 6 h nonstop flight

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Montreal
Alajuela

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

Montreal vs Alajuela: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Alajuela is cheaper overall, especially in groceries, eating out, and leisure. The 101% gap adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

Average pay runs 33% higher in Montreal, 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: $1,260 in Montreal versus $739 in Alajuela. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

A monthly transit pass in Alajuela runs roughly 63% less than in Montreal. Both cities have functional networks, but the price difference matters if you're watching your budget.

Childcare runs $507 in Montreal versus $963 in Alajuela. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

At $1,004 in Alajuela versus $2,018 in Montreal, a $1,500 budget is realistic in Alajuela but tight or insufficient in Montreal. The gap between the two cities makes Alajuela the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

For families, Alajuela is more practical. Housing and childcare are both notably cheaper than in Montreal, and the savings on those two alone free up budget for education, activities, and family trips.

Safety-wise, Montreal and Alajuela 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 Alajuela gentler on the wallet – expenses run 101% less than in Montreal. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.