Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Montreal and Bariloche

For one person, living is cheaper in Bariloche: $1,646 a month against $2,018 in Montreal, rent and utilities included – about $4,500 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

99

Cost of Living Index in Montreal
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Montreal Living Index
81

Cost of Living Index in Bariloche
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Bariloche Living Index

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Montreal

🇨🇦 Canada

$2,018

/mo nomad

Bariloche

🇦🇷 Argentina

$1,646

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Montreal and in Bariloche

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $2,018 in Montreal versus $1,646 in Bariloche.

Montreal $2,018
Bariloche $1,646

Estimated couple costs with rent: $3,085 in Montreal versus $2,531 in Bariloche.

Montreal $3,085
Bariloche $2,531

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $4,152 in Montreal versus $3,416 in Bariloche.

Montreal $4,152
Bariloche $3,416

Living in Montreal is roughly 23% more expensive than in Bariloche, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in transport.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Montreal 49% above, Bariloche 22% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$18.82 CA$26.61

$20.33 ARS 30.8K

-7.43%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$70.3 CA$99.4

$59.1 ARS 89.7K

18.85%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$10.66 CA$15.06

$14.16 ARS 21.5K

-24.72%

Cappuccino

$3.84 CA$5.43

$3.93 ARS 5,968

-2.29%

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

$1.92 CA$2.71

$1.68 ARS 2,548

14.29%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.54 CA$2.18

$1.84 ARS 2,786

-16.30%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$6.23 CA$8.81

$5.36 ARS 8,131

16.23%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$7.10 CA$10.03

$4.56 ARS 6,916

55.70%

Milk (1 liter)

$2.31 CA$3.27

$1.38 ARS 2,097

67.39%

White Bread (500g)

$3.14 CA$4.44

$2.12 ARS 3,223

48.11%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$3.21 CA$4.54

$1.53 ARS 2,317

109.80%

Eggs

$3.52 CA$4.97

$2.67 ARS 4,052

31.84%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$12.81 CA$18.11

$15.14 ARS 23.0K

-15.39%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$11.46 CA$16.20

$10.35 ARS 15.7K

10.72%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$13.39 CA$18.92

$13.30 ARS 20.2K

0.68%

Apples (1kg)

$3.14 CA$4.43

$2.39 ARS 3,632

31.38%

Banana (1kg)

$1.44 CA$2.03

$2.59 ARS 3,934

-44.40%

Oranges (1kg)

$3.47 CA$4.91

$1.93 ARS 2,931

79.79%

Tomato (1kg)

$3.07 CA$4.34

$2.64 ARS 4,002

16.29%

Potato (1kg)

$1.90 CA$2.69

$0.98 ARS 1,492

93.88%

Onion (1kg)

$1.77 CA$2.50

$0.76 ARS 1,148

132.89%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.34 CA$3.31

$2.05 ARS 3,115

14.15%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.55 CA$2.19

$1.28 ARS 1,947

21.09%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$11.38 CA$16.09

$2.92 ARS 4,430

289.73%

Wine (Bottle)

$10.63 CA$15.03

$7.48 ARS 11.3K

42.11%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.27 CA$3.21

$1.82 ARS 2,761

24.73%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.82 CA$3.99

$3.97 ARS 6,017

-28.97%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.66 CA$3.76

$1.01 ARS 1,539

163.37%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$77.3 CA$109

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.20 CA$4.53

$0.99 ARS 1,505

223.23%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.48 CA$2.09

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$32.88 CA$46.48

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.34 CA$1.90

$1.05 ARS 1,597

27.62%

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

$28.2K CA$39.8K

$20.0K ARS 30.3M

40.90%

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

$19.6K CA$27.8K

$32.3K ARS 49.1M

-39.31%

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

$76.0 CA$107

$84.0 ARS 127.4K

-9.54%

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

$33.95 CA$48.00

$16.75 ARS 25.4K

102.69%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$42.31 CA$59.8

$24.11 ARS 36.6K

75.49%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$29.76 CA$42.07

$49.66 ARS 75.4K

-40.07%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$20.28 CA$28.67

$39.87 ARS 60.5K

-49.13%

Cinema Ticket

$11.15 CA$15.77

$8.25 ARS 12.5K

35.15%

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

$507 CA$717

$296 ARS 449.9K

71.04%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$16.1K CA$22.7K

$4,242 ARS 6.4M

278.35%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$57.6 CA$81.4

$74.2 ARS 112.5K

-22.41%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$37.58 CA$53.1

$39.27 ARS 59.6K

-4.30%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$91.9 CA$130

$112 ARS 170.0K

-17.98%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$110 CA$155

$96.3 ARS 146.2K

13.75%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,260 CA$1,782

$1,278 ARS 1.9M

-1.38%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$948 CA$1,340

$706 ARS 1.1M

34.23%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,137 CA$3,021

$1,195 ARS 1.8M

78.75%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,614 CA$2,281

$1,171 ARS 1.8M

37.78%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$4,960 CA$7,011

$3,030 ARS 4.6M

63.70%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$3,838 CA$5,425

$2,498 ARS 3.8M

53.62%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$2,827 CA$3,997

$953 ARS 1.4M

196.79%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

4.48

-95.02%

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

Last update for Montreal: October 12, 2026

Last update for Bariloche: October 12, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Montreal

$948 47%

Bariloche

$706 42.9% 25.5% $242

Groceries & Markets

Montreal

$346 17.2%

Bariloche

$297 18.1% 14.2% $49

Eating Out

Montreal

$288 14.3%

Bariloche

$302 18.4% 5% $14

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Montreal

$152 7.5%

Bariloche

$125 7.6% 18% $27

Clothing & Footwear

Montreal

$133 6.6%

Bariloche

$145 8.8% 8.5% $11

Getting Around

Montreal

$99 4.9%

Bariloche

$5.1 * 0.3% 94.9% $93

Sport & Entertainment

Montreal

$52 2.6%

Bariloche

$66 4% 27.1% $14

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 $1,278 in Bariloche. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Montreal pays 197% more on average. The extra income cushions the higher costs, though housing choices and lifestyle decide how much of the gap is truly closed.

Dining out: $70.0 in Montreal vs $59.0 in Bariloche for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $346 vs $297 per month, with Bariloche cheaper across the board.

Good to know

🇨🇦 Montreal

🇦🇷 Bariloche

🕒 Local time

11:42 11:42 AM

12:42 12:42 PM

1 h ahead of Montreal

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

1,762,949

135,755

💱 Currency

Canadian Dollar CAD $

Argentine Peso ARS $

📈 Exchange rate

1 CAD = 0.707 USD

1 CAD = 0.629 EUR

10,000 ARS = 6.59 USD

10,000 ARS = 5.86 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

ARS, USD, EUR to CAD – Canadian Dollar Converter

🇺🇸 United States Dollar ($)

🇨🇦 Canadian Dollar ($)

Canadian Dollar exchange rates as of October 17, 2026: 1 USD = 1.41 CAD (1 CAD = 0.707 USD). 1 EUR = 1.59 CAD (1 CAD = 0.629 EUR).

Argentine Peso exchange rates as of October 17, 2026: 1 USD = 1,517 ARS (10,000 ARS = 6.59 USD). 1 EUR = 1,706 ARS (10,000 ARS = 5.86 EUR).

USD to CAD in detail →

On the map

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Between locations

Montreal Bariloche 9,640 km ≈ 13 h nonstop flight

From you

Montreal
Bariloche

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 Bariloche: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Bariloche is cheaper overall, especially in groceries, transport, and utilities. The 23% gap adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

Average pay runs 197% higher in Montreal, which matters when comparing affordability. Whether that higher income actually nets you more depends on your spending habits and housing choices.

Rent for a central apartment: $1,260 in Montreal versus $1,278 in Bariloche. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $507 in Montreal versus $296 in Bariloche. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Dining out is cheaper in Bariloche – a meal for two runs $59.0 versus $70.0 in Montreal. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

At $1,646 in Bariloche versus $2,018 in Montreal, a $2,500 budget is realistic in Bariloche but tight or insufficient in Montreal. The gap between the two cities makes Bariloche the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

For families, Bariloche 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 Bariloche 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 Bariloche gentler on the wallet – expenses run 23% less than in Montreal. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.