Last update: Nov 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Montreal and Arecibo

For one person, living is cheaper in Arecibo: $1,279 a month against $2,067 in Montreal, rent and utilities included – about $9,500 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

100

Cost of Living Index in Montreal
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Montreal Living Index
61

Cost of Living Index in Arecibo
Learn more

Arecibo Living Index

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Montreal

🇨🇦 Canada

$2,067

/mo nomad

Arecibo

🇵🇷 Puerto Rico

$1,279

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Montreal and in Arecibo

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $2,067 in Montreal versus $1,279 in Arecibo.

Montreal $2,067
Arecibo $1,279

Estimated couple costs with rent: $3,179 in Montreal versus $2,010 in Arecibo.

Montreal $3,179
Arecibo $2,010

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $4,291 in Montreal versus $2,740 in Arecibo.

Montreal $4,291
Arecibo $2,740

Living in Montreal is roughly 62% more expensive than in Arecibo, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

The two cities straddle the global median: Montreal is 53% above, Arecibo is 5% below.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$18.89 CA$26.48

$11.89 $11.89

58.87%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$72.6 CA$102

$83.9 $83.9

-13.50%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$10.79 CA$15.13

$8.42 $8.42

28.15%

Cappuccino

$3.98 CA$5.58

$3.52 $3.52

13.07%

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

$2.02 CA$2.83

$1.83 $1.83

10.38%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.63 CA$2.29

$1.49 $1.49

9.40%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$6.32 CA$8.86

$3.04 $3.04

107.89%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$7.06 CA$9.90

$5.13 $5.13

37.62%

Milk (1 liter)

$2.33 CA$3.27

$1.85 $1.85

25.95%

White Bread (500g)

$3.25 CA$4.55

$3.34 $3.34

-2.69%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$3.26 CA$4.58

$2.03 $2.03

60.59%

Eggs

$3.48 CA$4.87

$4.56 $4.56

-23.68%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$13.73 CA$19.25

$12.49 $12.49

9.93%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$11.48 CA$16.09

$9.59 $9.59

19.71%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$14.26 CA$19.99

$13.33 $13.33

6.98%

Apples (1kg)

$3.52 CA$4.94

$5.01 $5.01

-29.74%

Banana (1kg)

$1.46 CA$2.04

$2.63 $2.63

-44.49%

Oranges (1kg)

$3.41 CA$4.78

$4.82 $4.82

-29.25%

Tomato (1kg)

$3.20 CA$4.49

$4.79 $4.79

-33.19%

Potato (1kg)

$1.94 CA$2.71

$3.73 $3.73

-47.99%

Onion (1kg)

$1.78 CA$2.50

$3.90 $3.90

-54.36%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.52 CA$3.53

$3.35 $3.35

-24.78%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.58 CA$2.22

$1.66 $1.66

-4.82%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$11.51 CA$16.13

$12.15 $12.15

-5.27%

Wine (Bottle)

$10.57 CA$14.82

$15.65 $15.65

-32.46%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.35 CA$3.29

$3.01 $3.01

-21.93%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.90 CA$4.06

$4.05 $4.05

-28.40%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.61 CA$3.66

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$78.5 CA$110

$39.94 $39.94

96.42%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.17 CA$4.45

$2.55 $2.55

24.31%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.49 CA$2.09

$1.46 $1.46

2.05%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$33.49 CA$46.94

$42.11 $42.11

-20.47%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.36 CA$1.91

$0.91 $0.91

49.45%

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

$28.0K CA$39.3K

$34.4K $34.4K

-18.57%

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

$21.1K CA$29.6K

$27.6K $27.6K

-23.46%

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

$77.6 CA$109

$324 $324

-76.08%

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

$35.63 CA$49.94

$68.6 $68.6

-48.02%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$43.73 CA$61.3

$66.2 $66.2

-33.90%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$30.07 CA$42.16

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$19.97 CA$27.99

Cinema Ticket

$11.27 CA$15.80

$10.34 $10.34

8.99%

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

$522 CA$732

$832 $832

-37.24%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$17.8K CA$24.9K

$12.1K $12.1K

46.71%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$59.0 CA$82.7

$56.4 $56.4

4.54%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$39.01 CA$54.7

$61.5 $61.5

-36.52%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$99.8 CA$140

$110 $110

-8.88%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$110 CA$154

$114 $114

-4.03%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,298 CA$1,820

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$970 CA$1,360

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,323 CA$3,257

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,689 CA$2,368

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$5,004 CA$7,014

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$3,736 CA$5,237

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$2,943 CA$4,125

$1,211 $1,211

143.07%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

4.51

6.55

-31.15%

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

Last update for Montreal: November 3, 2026

Last update for Arecibo: November 2, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Montreal

$970 47%

Arecibo

- * 0% 100%

Groceries & Markets

Montreal

$357 17.3%

Arecibo

$394 30.8% 10.4% $37

Eating Out

Montreal

$292 14.1%

Arecibo

$201 15.8% 30.9% $90

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Montreal

$157 7.6%

Arecibo

$459 35.9% 193% $302

Clothing & Footwear

Montreal

$138 6.7%

Arecibo

$154 12% 11.1% $15

Getting Around

Montreal

$100 4.8%

Arecibo

$50 * 3.9% 50% $50

Sport & Entertainment

Montreal

$53 2.6%

Arecibo

$21 * 1.6% 60.7% $32

Categories marked with * are only partly priced – their share counts the items that do have prices.

Cost Breakdown

Montreal pays about 2.4 times more on average. How far that income stretches comes down to housing choices and lifestyle.

Dining out: $73 in Montreal vs $84 in Arecibo for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $357 vs $394 per month, with Montreal cheaper across the board.

Good to know

🇨🇦 Montreal

🇵🇷 Arecibo

🕒 Local time

04:10 4:10 AM

05:10 5:10 AM

1 h ahead of Montreal

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

1,762,949

39,634

💱 Currency

Canadian Dollar CAD $

United States Dollar USD $

📈 Exchange rate

1 CAD = 0.713 USD

1 CAD = 0.635 EUR

1 USD = 0.89 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

USD, EUR to CAD – Canadian Dollar Converter

🇺🇸 United States Dollar ($)

🇨🇦 Canadian Dollar ($)

Canadian Dollar exchange rates as of November 6, 2026: 1 USD = 1.4 CAD (1 CAD = 0.713 USD). 1 EUR = 1.57 CAD (1 CAD = 0.635 EUR).

United States Dollar exchange rates as of November 6, 2026: 1 EUR = 1.12 USD (1 USD = 0.89 EUR).

USD to CAD in detail →

On the map

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Between locations

Montreal Arecibo 3,070 km ≈ 4 h 15 min nonstop flight

From you

Montreal
Arecibo

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 Arecibo: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Arecibo is about 38% cheaper overall, especially in eating out, transport, and leisure. That difference adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

Average pay in Montreal is about 2.4 times higher, which matters when comparing affordability. Whether that higher income actually nets you more depends on your spending habits and housing choices.

Shoppers in Montreal pay roughly 9% less for everyday groceries. It’s an unusual reversal that partly offsets higher costs elsewhere.

Dining out is cheaper in Montreal – a meal for two runs $73 versus $84 in Arecibo. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

At $1,279 in Arecibo versus $2,067 in Montreal, a $1,500 budget is realistic in Arecibo but tight or insufficient in Montreal. The gap between the two cities makes Arecibo the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

Safety-wise, Montreal and Arecibo are both considered safe, so it’s unlikely to be the deciding factor between them.

It comes down to priorities – Arecibo wins on affordability, Montreal on earning potential. Factor in climate, language, visa rules, and proximity to places that matter to you before deciding.