Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Montreal and Alexandra, Barbados

For one person, living is cheaper in Alexandra: $278 a month against $2,064 in Montreal, rent and utilities included – about $21,400 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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Montreal Living Index

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Montreal

🇨🇦 Canada

$2,064

/mo nomad

Alexandra

🇧🇧 Barbados

$278

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Montreal and in Alexandra

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 Alexandra actually costs, broken down by who's living it.

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $2,064 in Montreal versus $278 in Alexandra.

Montreal $2,064
Alexandra $278

Estimated couple costs with rent: $3,156 in Montreal versus $455 in Alexandra.

Montreal $3,156
Alexandra $455

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $4,247 in Montreal versus $633 in Alexandra.

Montreal $4,247
Alexandra $633

Living in Montreal is roughly 644% more expensive than in Alexandra, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

The two cities straddle the global median: Montreal is 52% above, Alexandra is 80% below.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$18.98 CA$26.52

$30.36 BBD 60.7

-37.48%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$73.0 CA$102

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$10.88 CA$15.20

Cappuccino

$3.81 CA$5.33

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

$1.94 CA$2.71

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.58 CA$2.21

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$6.37 CA$8.90

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$7.26 CA$10.15

Milk (1 liter)

$2.23 CA$3.11

$3.47 BBD 6.95

-35.73%

White Bread (500g)

$3.17 CA$4.43

Rice (white) (1kg)

$3.31 CA$4.62

Eggs

$3.63 CA$5.07

Local Cheese (1kg)

$13.16 CA$18.38

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$11.56 CA$16.15

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$13.71 CA$19.16

Apples (1kg)

$3.29 CA$4.60

Banana (1kg)

$1.46 CA$2.04

Oranges (1kg)

$3.37 CA$4.70

Tomato (1kg)

$3.15 CA$4.40

Potato (1kg)

$1.89 CA$2.64

Onion (1kg)

$1.79 CA$2.50

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.47 CA$3.45

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.58 CA$2.21

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$11.28 CA$15.77

Wine (Bottle)

$10.49 CA$14.66

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.34 CA$3.26

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.91 CA$4.07

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.61 CA$3.65

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$79.1 CA$111

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.26 CA$4.55

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.44 CA$2.01

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$33.43 CA$46.71

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.33 CA$1.86

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

$28.6K CA$40.0K

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

$21.1K CA$29.5K

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

$80.1 CA$112

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

$34.30 CA$47.92

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$42.85 CA$59.9

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$31.14 CA$43.51

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$19.41 CA$27.11

Cinema Ticket

$11.23 CA$15.69

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

$525 CA$734

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$16.3K CA$22.8K

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$58.0 CA$81.0

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$38.11 CA$53.2

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$93.4 CA$131

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$110 CA$154

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,285 CA$1,795

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$977 CA$1,364

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,271 CA$3,173

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,665 CA$2,326

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$5,139 CA$7,180

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$3,834 CA$5,357

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$3,002 CA$4,194

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 Montreal: October 25, 2026

Last update for Alexandra: October 26, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Montreal

$977 47.3%

Alexandra

–

Groceries & Markets

Montreal

$351 17%

Alexandra

–

Eating Out

Montreal

$291 14.1%

Alexandra

–

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Montreal

$157 7.6%

Alexandra

–

Clothing & Footwear

Montreal

$135 6.5%

Alexandra

–

Getting Around

Montreal

$100 4.9%

Alexandra

–

Sport & Entertainment

Montreal

$54 2.6%

Alexandra

–

Good to know

🇨🇦 Montreal

🇧🇧 Alexandra

🕒 Local time

02:59 2:59 AM

03:59 3:59 AM

1 h ahead of Montreal

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

1,762,949

1,382

💱 Currency

Canadian Dollar CAD $

Barbados Dollar BBD $

📈 Exchange rate

1 CAD = 0.716 USD

1 CAD = 0.641 EUR

1 BBD = 0.5 USD

1 BBD = 0.448 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

BBD, USD, EUR to CAD – Canadian Dollar Converter

🇺🇸 United States Dollar ($)

🇨🇦 Canadian Dollar ($)

Canadian Dollar exchange rates as of November 2, 2026: 1 USD = 1.4 CAD (1 CAD = 0.716 USD). 1 EUR = 1.56 CAD (1 CAD = 0.641 EUR).

Barbados Dollar exchange rates as of November 2, 2026: 1 USD = 2 BBD (1 BBD = 0.5 USD). 1 EUR = 2.23 BBD (1 BBD = 0.448 EUR).

USD to CAD in detail →

On the map

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Between locations

Montreal Alexandra 3,820 km ≈ 5 h nonstop flight

From you

Montreal
Alexandra

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 Alexandra: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Alexandra is about 87% cheaper overall, especially in groceries and eating out. That difference adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

You’d need roughly $3,096 in Montreal and $416 in Alexandra 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.

Supermarket bills run roughly 911% higher in Montreal. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

All in, you’ll spend $2,064 per month in Montreal versus $278 in Alexandra – Alexandra is about 87% cheaper, which adds up to real savings over time.

At $278 in Alexandra versus $2,064 in Montreal, a $1,000 budget is realistic in Alexandra but tight or insufficient in Montreal. The gap between the two cities makes Alexandra 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, Montreal and Alexandra are both considered safe, so it’s unlikely to be the deciding factor between them.