Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Montreal and Altos

For one person, living is cheaper in Altos: $252 a month against $2,003 in Montreal, rent and utilities included – about $21,000 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

99

Cost of Living Index in Montreal
Learn more

Montreal Living Index

Jump to prices

Montreal

🇨🇦 Canada

$2,003

/mo nomad

Altos

🇵🇾 Paraguay

$252

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Montreal and in Altos

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $2,003 in Montreal versus $252 in Altos.

Montreal $2,003
Altos $252

Estimated couple costs with rent: $3,048 in Montreal versus $375 in Altos.

Montreal $3,048
Altos $375

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $4,092 in Montreal versus $498 in Altos.

Montreal $4,092
Altos $498

Living in Montreal is roughly 694% more expensive than in Altos, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

The two cities straddle the global median: Montreal is 49% above, Altos is 81% below.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$19.31 CA$27.52

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$75.5 CA$108

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$10.63 CA$15.15

Cappuccino

$3.93 CA$5.60

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

$1.92 CA$2.73

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.48 CA$2.11

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$6.30 CA$8.98

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$7.19 CA$10.24

Milk (1 liter)

$2.22 CA$3.17

$0.49 ₲2,760

353.06%

White Bread (500g)

$3.06 CA$4.36

$0.85 ₲4,814

260.00%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.94 CA$4.19

$0.99 ₲5,610

196.97%

Eggs

$3.53 CA$5.03

$1.89 ₲10.7K

86.77%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$13.19 CA$18.79

$6.08 ₲34.5K

116.94%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$11.24 CA$16.02

$3.53 ₲20.0K

218.41%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$13.81 CA$19.69

$5.42 ₲30.8K

154.80%

Apples (1kg)

$3.40 CA$4.85

$2.34 ₲13.3K

45.30%

Banana (1kg)

$1.44 CA$2.06

$1.27 ₲7,217

13.39%

Oranges (1kg)

$3.26 CA$4.65

$1.36 ₲7,738

139.71%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.88 CA$4.10

$1.85 ₲10.5K

55.68%

Potato (1kg)

$1.86 CA$2.65

$1.17 ₲6,637

58.97%

Onion (1kg)

$1.82 CA$2.60

$1.34 ₲7,629

35.82%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.43 CA$3.46

$1.21 ₲6,871

100.83%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.52 CA$2.17

$0.87 ₲4,924

74.71%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$11.45 CA$16.32

$0.96 ₲5,443

1092.71%

Wine (Bottle)

$10.36 CA$14.76

$7.89 ₲44.8K

31.31%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.22 CA$3.16

$0.69 ₲3,908

221.74%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.82 CA$4.02

$0.77 ₲4,370

266.23%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.58 CA$3.67

$0.38 ₲2,163

578.95%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$76.9 CA$110

$11.91 ₲67.6K

545.59%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.25 CA$4.64

$1.68 ₲9,529

93.45%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.48 CA$2.11

$0.73 ₲4,140

102.74%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$33.04 CA$47.09

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.36 CA$1.94

$1.18 ₲6,684

15.25%

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

$27.4K CA$39.1K

$19.0K ₲108.1M

43.98%

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

$20.0K CA$28.5K

$23.2K ₲131.7M

-13.90%

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

$76.1 CA$109

$35.18 ₲199.7K

116.37%

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

$34.68 CA$49.43

$7.84 ₲44.5K

342.35%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$42.69 CA$60.9

$14.12 ₲80.1K

202.34%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$28.94 CA$41.26

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$20.33 CA$28.97

Cinema Ticket

$11.21 CA$15.98

$3.49 ₲19.8K

221.20%

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

$505 CA$720

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$16.0K CA$22.8K

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$58.5 CA$83.4

$24.94 ₲141.6K

134.56%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$38.00 CA$54.2

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$92.7 CA$132

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$106 CA$151

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,240 CA$1,768

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$986 CA$1,405

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,102 CA$2,996

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,615 CA$2,302

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$5,043 CA$7,188

$1,524 ₲8.6M

231.00%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$3,830 CA$5,459

$1,014 ₲5.8M

277.80%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$2,920 CA$4,163

$507 ₲2.9M

476.21%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

4.46

-55.40%

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

Last update for Montreal: October 6, 2026

Last update for Altos: October 5, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Montreal

$986 47.9%

Altos

–

Groceries & Markets

Montreal

$344 16.7%

Altos

–

Eating Out

Montreal

$293 14.2%

Altos

–

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Montreal

$154 7.5%

Altos

–

Clothing & Footwear

Montreal

$133 6.5%

Altos

–

Getting Around

Montreal

$98 4.8%

Altos

–

Sport & Entertainment

Montreal

$51 2.5%

Altos

–

Cost Breakdown

Montreal pays 476% more on average. The extra income cushions the higher costs, though housing choices and lifestyle decide how much of the gap is truly closed.

Good to know

🇨🇦 Montreal

🇵🇾 Altos

🕒 Local time

05:06 5:06 AM

06:06 6:06 AM

1 h ahead of Montreal

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

1,762,949

4,763

💱 Currency

Canadian Dollar CAD $

Paraguayan Guarani PYG ₲

📈 Exchange rate

1 CAD = 0.702 USD

1 CAD = 0.626 EUR

10,000 PYG = 1.76 USD

10,000 PYG = 1.57 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

PYG, USD, EUR to CAD – Canadian Dollar Converter

🇺🇸 United States Dollar ($)

🇨🇦 Canadian Dollar ($)

Canadian Dollar exchange rates as of October 10, 2026: 1 USD = 1.43 CAD (1 CAD = 0.702 USD). 1 EUR = 1.6 CAD (1 CAD = 0.626 EUR).

Paraguayan Guarani exchange rates as of October 10, 2026: 1 USD = 5,676 PYG (10,000 PYG = 1.76 USD). 1 EUR = 6,366 PYG (10,000 PYG = 1.57 EUR).

USD to CAD in detail →

On the map

Lowest

Highest

Between locations

Montreal Altos 8,040 km ≈ 11 h nonstop flight

From you

Montreal
Altos

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 Altos: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Altos is cheaper overall, especially in groceries, eating out, and clothing. The 694% gap adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

Average pay runs 476% higher in Montreal, which matters when comparing affordability. Whether that higher income actually nets you more depends on your spending habits and housing choices.

Supermarket bills run roughly 124% higher in Montreal. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

A monthly transit pass in Altos runs roughly 546% less than in Montreal. Both cities have functional networks, but the price difference matters if you're watching your budget.

At $252 in Altos versus $2,003 in Montreal, a $1,500 budget is realistic in Altos but tight or insufficient in Montreal. The gap between the two cities makes Altos the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

For families, Altos 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 Altos 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 Altos gentler on the wallet – expenses run 694% less than in Montreal. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.