Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Montreal and Arenal

For one person, living is cheaper in Arenal: $1,673 a month against $2,018 in Montreal, rent and utilities included – about $4,100 less a year. Higher rent and utilities in Montreal outweigh lower spending on other living expenses.

99

Cost of Living Index in Montreal
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Montreal Living Index
84

Cost of Living Index in Arenal
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Arenal Living Index

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Montreal

🇨🇦 Canada

$2,018

/mo nomad

Arenal

🇨🇷 Costa Rica

$1,673

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Montreal and in Arenal

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $2,018 in Montreal versus $1,673 in Arenal.

Montreal $2,018
Arenal $1,673

Estimated couple costs with rent: $3,085 in Montreal versus $2,631 in Arenal.

Montreal $3,085
Arenal $2,631

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $4,152 in Montreal versus $3,589 in Arenal.

Montreal $4,152
Arenal $3,589

Living in Montreal is roughly 21% more expensive than in Arenal, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in transport.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Montreal 49% above, Arenal 24% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$18.82 CA$26.75

$12.02 ₡5,402

56.57%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$70.3 CA$99.9

$60.8 ₡27.3K

15.63%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$10.66 CA$15.14

$11.74 ₡5,277

-9.20%

Cappuccino

$3.84 CA$5.46

$4.53 ₡2,034

-15.23%

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

$1.92 CA$2.72

$2.75 ₡1,235

-30.18%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.54 CA$2.19

$1.94 ₡870

-20.62%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$6.23 CA$8.86

$3.34 ₡1,500

86.53%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$7.10 CA$10.08

$4.34 ₡1,951

63.59%

Milk (1 liter)

$2.31 CA$3.29

$2.31 ₡1,037

White Bread (500g)

$3.14 CA$4.47

$3.14 ₡1,411

Rice (white) (1kg)

$3.21 CA$4.57

$2.50 ₡1,125

28.40%

Eggs

$3.52 CA$5.00

$3.46 ₡1,554

1.73%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$12.81 CA$18.21

$10.58 ₡4,753

21.08%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$11.46 CA$16.29

$10.24 ₡4,600

11.91%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$13.39 CA$19.03

$14.10 ₡6,337

-5.04%

Apples (1kg)

$3.14 CA$4.46

$5.16 ₡2,317

-39.15%

Banana (1kg)

$1.44 CA$2.04

$1.60 ₡718

-10.00%

Oranges (1kg)

$3.47 CA$4.94

$4.62 ₡2,076

-24.89%

Tomato (1kg)

$3.07 CA$4.37

$3.79 ₡1,702

-19.00%

Potato (1kg)

$1.90 CA$2.70

$3.84 ₡1,724

-50.52%

Onion (1kg)

$1.77 CA$2.52

$3.71 ₡1,669

-52.29%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.34 CA$3.33

$1.08 ₡486

116.67%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.55 CA$2.21

$3.17 ₡1,424

-51.10%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$11.38 CA$16.17

$5.82 ₡2,616

95.53%

Wine (Bottle)

$10.63 CA$15.11

$19.68 ₡8,841

-45.99%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.27 CA$3.23

$2.80 ₡1,257

-18.93%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.82 CA$4.01

$3.62 ₡1,628

-22.10%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.66 CA$3.78

$1.40 ₡627

90.00%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$77.3 CA$110

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.20 CA$4.55

$2.50 ₡1,125

28.00%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.48 CA$2.10

$1.57 ₡707

-5.73%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$32.88 CA$46.73

$8.48 ₡3,812

287.74%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.34 CA$1.91

$1.58 ₡708

-15.19%

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

$28.2K CA$40.0K

$22.1K ₡9.9M

27.27%

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

$19.6K CA$27.9K

$35.6K ₡16.0M

-44.90%

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

$76.0 CA$108

$94.3 ₡42.4K

-19.42%

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

$33.95 CA$48.26

$35.89 ₡16.1K

-5.41%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$42.31 CA$60.1

$59.2 ₡26.6K

-28.58%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$29.76 CA$42.29

$78.2 ₡35.2K

-61.96%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$20.28 CA$28.83

Cinema Ticket

$11.15 CA$15.85

$7.51 ₡3,373

48.47%

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

$507 CA$721

$989 ₡444.4K

-48.73%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$16.1K CA$22.8K

$16.9K ₡7.6M

-5.00%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$57.6 CA$81.8

$72.0 ₡32.3K

-20.04%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$37.58 CA$53.4

$57.0 ₡25.6K

-34.06%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$91.9 CA$131

$131 ₡59.0K

-29.99%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$110 CA$156

$131 ₡58.8K

-16.30%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,260 CA$1,792

$796 ₡357.7K

58.34%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$948 CA$1,347

$570 ₡256.2K

66.22%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,137 CA$3,037

$1,638 ₡736.2K

30.44%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,614 CA$2,293

$1,091 ₡490.3K

47.90%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$4,960 CA$7,049

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$3,838 CA$5,454

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$2,827 CA$4,019

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 Arenal: October 11, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Montreal

$948 47%

Arenal

$570 34.1% 39.8% $378

Groceries & Markets

Montreal

$346 17.2%

Arenal

$398 23.8% 14.9% $52

Eating Out

Montreal

$288 14.3%

Arenal

$230 13.7% 20.2% $58

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Montreal

$152 7.5%

Arenal

$189 11.3% 24.4% $37

Clothing & Footwear

Montreal

$133 6.6%

Arenal

$176 10.5% 31.9% $43

Getting Around

Montreal

$99 4.9%

Arenal

$16 * 1% 83.8% $83

Sport & Entertainment

Montreal

$52 2.6%

Arenal

$93 5.6% 79.1% $41

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 $796 in Arenal. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Dining out: $70.0 in Montreal vs $61.0 in Arenal. Groceries flip the comparison at $346 vs $398, with Montreal cheaper for home cooking.

Good to know

🇨🇦 Montreal

🇨🇷 Arenal

🕒 Local time

00:52 12:52 AM

22:52 10:52 PM

2 h behind Montreal

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

1,762,949

2,300

💱 Currency

Canadian Dollar CAD $

Costa Rican Colón CRC ₡

📈 Exchange rate

1 CAD = 0.704 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 15, 2026: 1 USD = 1.42 CAD (1 CAD = 0.704 USD). 1 EUR = 1.59 CAD (1 CAD = 0.628 EUR).

Costa Rican Colón exchange rates as of October 15, 2026: 1 USD = 449 CRC (1,000 CRC = 2.23 USD). 1 EUR = 503 CRC (1,000 CRC = 1.99 EUR).

USD to CAD in detail →

On the map

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Between locations

Montreal Arenal 4,040 km ≈ 6 h nonstop flight

From you

Montreal
Arenal

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 Arenal: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Arenal is cheaper overall, especially in eating out and transport. The 21% gap adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

You'd need roughly $3,027 in Montreal and $2,509 in Arenal 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.

Rent for a central apartment: $1,260 in Montreal versus $796 in Arenal. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $507 in Montreal versus $989 in Arenal. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Dining out is cheaper in Arenal – a meal for two runs $61.0 versus $70.0 in Montreal. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

At $1,673 in Arenal versus $2,018 in Montreal, a $2,500 budget is realistic in Arenal but tight or insufficient in Montreal. The gap between the two cities makes Arenal the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

For families, Arenal 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 Arenal 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 Arenal gentler on the wallet – expenses run 21% less than in Montreal. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.