Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Montreal and Atenas

For one person, living is cheaper in Atenas: $1,546 a month against $2,018 in Montreal, rent and utilities included – about $5,700 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

99

Cost of Living Index in Montreal
Learn more

Montreal Living Index
75

Cost of Living Index in Atenas
Learn more

Atenas Living Index

Jump to prices

Montreal

🇨🇦 Canada

$2,018

/mo nomad

Atenas

🇨🇷 Costa Rica

$1,546

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Montreal and in Atenas

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

A single person spends $2,018 per month in Montreal vs $1,546 in Atenas, rent included.

Montreal $2,018
Atenas $1,546

A couple spends around $3,085 per month in Montreal vs $2,543 in Atenas, rent included.

Montreal $3,085
Atenas $2,543

A family of three spends $4,152 per month in Montreal vs $3,540 in Atenas, rent included.

Montreal $4,152
Atenas $3,540

Montreal costs about 31% more than Atenas, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

Both Montreal and Atenas sit above the global median – Montreal by 49%, Atenas by 15%.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$18.82 CA$26.61

$9.58 ₡4,298

96.45%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$70.3 CA$99.4

$56.8 ₡25.5K

23.77%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$10.66 CA$15.06

$11.85 ₡5,314

-10.04%

Cappuccino

$3.84 CA$5.43

$3.82 ₡1,711

0.52%

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

$1.92 CA$2.71

$2.64 ₡1,186

-27.27%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.54 CA$2.18

$1.90 ₡852

-18.95%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$6.23 CA$8.81

$3.25 ₡1,459

91.69%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$7.10 CA$10.03

$4.38 ₡1,966

62.10%

Milk (1 liter)

$2.31 CA$3.27

$2.39 ₡1,070

-3.35%

White Bread (500g)

$3.14 CA$4.44

$3.12 ₡1,401

0.64%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$3.21 CA$4.54

$2.13 ₡957

50.70%

Eggs

$3.52 CA$4.97

$3.41 ₡1,528

3.23%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$12.81 CA$18.11

$10.71 ₡4,802

19.61%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$11.46 CA$16.20

$9.87 ₡4,426

16.11%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$13.39 CA$18.92

$10.36 ₡4,646

29.25%

Apples (1kg)

$3.14 CA$4.43

$4.28 ₡1,921

-26.64%

Banana (1kg)

$1.44 CA$2.03

$1.57 ₡704

-8.28%

Oranges (1kg)

$3.47 CA$4.91

$2.56 ₡1,148

35.55%

Tomato (1kg)

$3.07 CA$4.34

$2.39 ₡1,071

28.45%

Potato (1kg)

$1.90 CA$2.69

$3.70 ₡1,660

-48.65%

Onion (1kg)

$1.77 CA$2.50

$2.69 ₡1,205

-34.20%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.34 CA$3.31

$1.11 ₡500

110.81%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.55 CA$2.19

$3.09 ₡1,387

-49.84%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$11.38 CA$16.09

$6.00 ₡2,690

89.67%

Wine (Bottle)

$10.63 CA$15.03

$18.30 ₡8,207

-41.91%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.27 CA$3.21

$2.68 ₡1,200

-15.30%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.82 CA$3.99

$2.69 ₡1,208

4.83%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.66 CA$3.76

$2.23 ₡1,001

19.28%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$77.3 CA$109

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.20 CA$4.53

$2.38 ₡1,067

34.45%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.48 CA$2.09

$1.62 ₡725

-8.64%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$32.88 CA$46.48

$8.83 ₡3,960

272.37%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.34 CA$1.90

$1.56 ₡701

-14.10%

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

$28.2K CA$39.8K

$22.3K ₡10.0M

26.17%

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

$19.6K CA$27.8K

$34.6K ₡15.5M

-43.29%

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

$76.0 CA$107

$95.7 ₡42.9K

-20.60%

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

$33.95 CA$48.00

$35.36 ₡15.9K

-3.99%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$42.31 CA$59.8

$51.0 ₡22.8K

-16.96%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$29.76 CA$42.07

$48.47 ₡21.7K

-38.60%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$20.28 CA$28.67

$10.78 ₡4,835

88.13%

Cinema Ticket

$11.15 CA$15.77

$7.90 ₡3,542

41.14%

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

$507 CA$717

$994 ₡445.7K

-48.97%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$16.1K CA$22.7K

$6,652 ₡3.0M

141.29%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$57.6 CA$81.4

$71.0 ₡31.8K

-18.93%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$37.58 CA$53.1

$55.1 ₡24.7K

-31.73%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$91.9 CA$130

$128 ₡57.2K

-28.00%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$110 CA$155

$129 ₡58.0K

-15.30%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,260 CA$1,782

$648 ₡290.6K

94.52%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$948 CA$1,340

$550 ₡246.8K

72.16%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,137 CA$3,021

$1,521 ₡682.3K

40.46%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,614 CA$2,281

$1,281 ₡574.3K

26.00%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$4,960 CA$7,011

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$3,838 CA$5,425

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$2,827 CA$3,997

$1,322 ₡592.9K

113.88%

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 Atenas: October 10, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Montreal

$948 47%

Atenas

$550 35.6% 41.9% $397

Groceries & Markets

Montreal

$346 17.2%

Atenas

$356 23.1% 2.8% $9.8

Eating Out

Montreal

$288 14.3%

Atenas

$201 13% 30.1% $87

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Montreal

$152 7.5%

Atenas

$182 11.8% 19.6% $30

Clothing & Footwear

Montreal

$133 6.6%

Atenas

$172 11.2% 29.2% $39

Getting Around

Montreal

$99 4.9%

Atenas

$19 * 1.3% 80.3% $79

Sport & Entertainment

Montreal

$52 2.6%

Atenas

$64 4.2% 23.5% $12

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

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $1,260 in Montreal versus $648 in Atenas. Rent is usually the largest line item in a monthly budget, so the gap here sets the tone for the overall comparison.

Salaries run about 114% higher in Montreal, which partly offsets the higher cost of living there. Purchasing power depends on which expenses matter most to you.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $70.0 in Montreal versus $57.0 in Atenas. Groceries tell a different story – $346 in Montreal vs $356 in Atenas – so Montreal wins on supermarket bills even if dining out costs more.

Good to know

🇨🇦 Montreal

🇨🇷 Atenas

🕒 Local time

05:14 5:14 AM

03:14 3:14 AM

2 h behind Montreal

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

1,762,949

7,000

💱 Currency

Canadian Dollar CAD $

Costa Rican Colón CRC ₡

📈 Exchange rate

1 CAD = 0.707 USD

1 CAD = 0.629 EUR

1,000 CRC = 2.23 USD

1,000 CRC = 1.98 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 20, 2026: 1 USD = 1.41 CAD (1 CAD = 0.707 USD). 1 EUR = 1.59 CAD (1 CAD = 0.629 EUR).

Costa Rican Colón exchange rates as of October 20, 2026: 1 USD = 448 CRC (1,000 CRC = 2.23 USD). 1 EUR = 504 CRC (1,000 CRC = 1.98 EUR).

USD to CAD in detail →

On the map

Lowest

Highest

Between locations

Montreal Atenas 4,080 km ≈ 6 h nonstop flight

From you

Montreal
Atenas

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 Atenas: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Yes – Montreal is pricier by about 31%, and outside of rent the gap shows up most in eating out.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $3,027 per month in Montreal and $2,319 in Atenas. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

Rent is clearly cheaper in Atenas, especially for central apartments. Housing is actually the single biggest factor behind the overall cost gap between these two cities.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $70.0 in Montreal and $57.0 in Atenas. That's a good indicator of the overall restaurant and café pricing gap between the two cities.

Interestingly, groceries are about 3% cheaper in Montreal – one category where the pricier city actually offers better value, probably thanks to stronger retail competition or local farming.

A $1,500 monthly budget goes further in Atenas, where all-in costs run around $1,546, than in Montreal at $2,018. In Atenas it covers expenses comfortably, while in Montreal it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.

Families tend to lean toward Atenas – lower housing and cheaper childcare make a real difference, especially on a single income or when paying for private education.

Both have safer and rougher neighborhoods, but overall safety is comparable to other large cities. Neighborhood choice matters more than the city-level comparison – central, well-trafficked areas feel secure in both.

If budget matters most, go with Atenas. If higher salaries, better infrastructure, or specific career opportunities are the priority, Montreal makes more sense. Both are solid long-term options with distinct trade-offs.