Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Montreal and Calama

For one person, living is cheaper in Calama: $595 a month against $2,018 in Montreal, rent and utilities included – about $17,100 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
29

Cost of Living Index in Calama
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Calama Living Index

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Montreal

🇨🇦 Canada

$2,018

/mo nomad

Calama

🇨🇱 Chile

$595

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Montreal and in Calama

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $2,018 in Montreal versus $595 in Calama.

Montreal $2,018
Calama $595

Estimated couple costs with rent: $3,085 in Montreal versus $1,203 in Calama.

Montreal $3,085
Calama $1,203

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $4,152 in Montreal versus $1,812 in Calama.

Montreal $4,152
Calama $1,812

Living in Montreal is roughly 239% more expensive than in Calama, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

The two cities straddle the global median: Montreal is 49% above, Calama is 56% below.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$18.82 CA$26.61

$6.95 CLP 6,841

170.79%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$70.3 CA$99.4

$31.49 CLP 31.0K

123.21%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$10.66 CA$15.06

Cappuccino

$3.84 CA$5.43

$2.05 CLP 2,018

87.32%

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

$1.92 CA$2.71

$0.93 CLP 916

106.45%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.54 CA$2.18

$0.94 CLP 929

63.83%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$6.23 CA$8.81

$3.12 CLP 3,074

99.68%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$7.10 CA$10.03

$5.23 CLP 5,149

35.76%

Milk (1 liter)

$2.31 CA$3.27

$1.10 CLP 1,087

110.00%

White Bread (500g)

$3.14 CA$4.44

$0.84 CLP 825

273.81%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$3.21 CA$4.54

$2.62 CLP 2,575

22.52%

Eggs

$3.52 CA$4.97

$4.95 CLP 4,876

-28.89%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$12.81 CA$18.11

$9.36 CLP 9,217

36.86%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$11.46 CA$16.20

$6.22 CLP 6,119

84.24%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$13.39 CA$18.92

$7.53 CLP 7,413

77.82%

Apples (1kg)

$3.14 CA$4.43

$1.26 CLP 1,242

149.21%

Banana (1kg)

$1.44 CA$2.03

$1.05 CLP 1,029

37.14%

Oranges (1kg)

$3.47 CA$4.91

$1.55 CLP 1,523

123.87%

Tomato (1kg)

$3.07 CA$4.34

$1.10 CLP 1,081

179.09%

Potato (1kg)

$1.90 CA$2.69

$0.90 CLP 884

111.11%

Onion (1kg)

$1.77 CA$2.50

$0.93 CLP 916

90.32%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.34 CA$3.31

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.55 CA$2.19

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$11.38 CA$16.09

$5.25 CLP 5,170

116.76%

Wine (Bottle)

$10.63 CA$15.03

$4.19 CLP 4,128

153.70%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.27 CA$3.21

$1.01 CLP 990

124.75%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.82 CA$3.99

$1.25 CLP 1,235

125.60%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.66 CA$3.76

$0.95 CLP 931

180.00%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$77.3 CA$109

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.20 CA$4.53

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.48 CA$2.09

$1.43 CLP 1,412

3.50%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$32.88 CA$46.48

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.34 CA$1.90

$1.44 CLP 1,415

-6.94%

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

$28.2K CA$39.8K

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

$19.6K CA$27.8K

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

$76.0 CA$107

$40.05 CLP 39.4K

89.66%

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

$33.95 CA$48.00

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$42.31 CA$59.8

$13.28 CLP 13.1K

218.60%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$29.76 CA$42.07

$51.7 CLP 50.9K

-42.45%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$20.28 CA$28.67

$20.74 CLP 20.4K

-2.22%

Cinema Ticket

$11.15 CA$15.77

$4.69 CLP 4,617

137.74%

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

$507 CA$717

$306 CLP 301.6K

65.49%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$16.1K CA$22.7K

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$57.6 CA$81.4

$36.08 CLP 35.5K

59.51%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$37.58 CA$53.1

$28.38 CLP 27.9K

32.42%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$91.9 CA$130

$45.82 CLP 45.1K

100.57%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$110 CA$155

$61.8 CLP 60.9K

77.26%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,260 CA$1,782

$327 CLP 322.3K

284.99%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$948 CA$1,340

$102 CLP 100.6K

827.25%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,137 CA$3,021

$807 CLP 794.0K

164.93%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,614 CA$2,281

$608 CLP 599.0K

165.19%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$4,960 CA$7,011

$1,403 CLP 1.4M

253.51%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$3,838 CA$5,425

$1,229 CLP 1.2M

212.16%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$2,827 CA$3,997

$1,110 CLP 1.1M

154.72%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

4.48

-10.40%

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

Last update for Montreal: October 12, 2026

Last update for Calama: October 13, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Montreal

$948 47%

Calama

$102 17.2% 89.2% $845

Groceries & Markets

Montreal

$346 17.2%

Calama

$176 * 29.6% 49.1% $170

Eating Out

Montreal

$288 14.3%

Calama

$114 * 19.1% 60.5% $174

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Montreal

$152 7.5%

Calama

$53 * 9% 65% $99

Clothing & Footwear

Montreal

$133 6.6%

Calama

$77 13% 42% $56

Getting Around

Montreal

$99 4.9%

Calama

$11 * 1.8% 88.9% $88

Sport & Entertainment

Montreal

$52 2.6%

Calama

$61 10.3% 17.4% $9

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 $327 in Calama. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Montreal pays 155% 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 $31.00 in Calama for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $346 vs $176 per month, with Calama cheaper across the board.

Good to know

🇨🇦 Montreal

🇨🇱 Calama

🕒 Local time

16:28 4:28 PM

17:28 5:28 PM

1 h ahead of Montreal

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

1,762,949

157,575

💱 Currency

Canadian Dollar CAD $

Chilean Peso CLP $

📈 Exchange rate

1 CAD = 0.707 USD

1 CAD = 0.629 EUR

10,000 CLP = 10.16 USD

10,000 CLP = 9.04 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

CLP, 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).

Chilean Peso exchange rates as of October 17, 2026: 1 USD = 984 CLP (1,000 CLP = 1.02 USD). 1 EUR = 1,107 CLP (10,000 CLP = 9.04 EUR).

USD to CAD in detail →

On the map

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Between locations

Montreal Calama 7,570 km ≈ 10 h nonstop flight

From you

Montreal
Calama

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 Calama: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Calama wins on cost – living expenses run 239% lower than in Montreal. Housing and daily spending are where you'll feel the difference most, making Calama the obvious pick if budget is a priority.

Average pay runs 155% 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 $327 in Calama. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Supermarket bills run roughly 97% higher in Montreal. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

All in, you'll spend $2,018 per month in Montreal versus $595 in Calama – a 239% gap that adds up to real savings over time for anyone picking the cheaper option.

At $595 in Calama versus $2,018 in Montreal, a $1,000 budget is realistic in Calama but tight or insufficient in Montreal. The gap between the two cities makes Calama the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

Both work as nomad bases, but Calama delivers better value – similar infrastructure at $595 monthly. If stretching your runway or maximizing savings is the goal, the price difference makes Calama hard to pass up.

Safety-wise, Montreal and Calama 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 Calama gentler on the wallet – expenses run 239% less than in Montreal. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.