Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Montreal and Cali

For one person, living is cheaper in Cali: $1,054 a month against $2,003 in Montreal, rent and utilities included – about $11,400 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
51

Cost of Living Index in Cali
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Cali Living Index

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Montreal

🇨🇦 Canada

$2,003

/mo nomad

Cali

🇨🇴 Colombia

$1,054

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Montreal and in Cali

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $2,003 in Montreal versus $1,054 in Cali.

Montreal $2,003
Cali $1,054

Estimated couple costs with rent: $3,048 in Montreal versus $1,614 in Cali.

Montreal $3,048
Cali $1,614

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $4,092 in Montreal versus $2,174 in Cali.

Montreal $4,092
Cali $2,174

Living in Montreal is roughly 90% more expensive than in Cali, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

The two cities straddle the global median: Montreal is 49% above, Cali is 21% below.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$19.31 CA$27.46

$7.26 COP 23.4K

165.98%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$75.5 CA$107

$37.04 COP 119.3K

103.83%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$10.63 CA$15.11

$8.05 COP 25.9K

32.05%

Cappuccino

$3.93 CA$5.58

$1.54 COP 4,972

155.19%

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

$1.92 CA$2.73

$1.25 COP 4,027

53.60%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.48 CA$2.11

$0.84 COP 2,702

76.19%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$6.30 CA$8.96

$3.16 COP 10.2K

99.37%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$7.19 CA$10.22

$3.58 COP 11.5K

100.84%

Milk (1 liter)

$2.22 CA$3.16

$1.55 COP 4,998

43.23%

White Bread (500g)

$3.06 CA$4.35

$1.87 COP 6,026

63.64%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.94 CA$4.18

$1.50 COP 4,822

96.00%

Eggs

$3.53 CA$5.02

$2.77 COP 8,907

27.44%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$13.19 CA$18.76

$6.40 COP 20.6K

106.09%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$11.24 CA$15.98

$6.89 COP 22.2K

63.13%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$13.81 CA$19.65

$9.92 COP 31.9K

39.21%

Apples (1kg)

$3.40 CA$4.84

$3.43 COP 11.0K

-0.87%

Banana (1kg)

$1.44 CA$2.05

$1.30 COP 4,186

10.77%

Oranges (1kg)

$3.26 CA$4.64

$1.76 COP 5,659

85.23%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.88 CA$4.09

$1.68 COP 5,421

71.43%

Potato (1kg)

$1.86 CA$2.64

$1.47 COP 4,730

26.53%

Onion (1kg)

$1.82 CA$2.60

$1.47 COP 4,722

23.81%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.43 CA$3.45

$1.10 COP 3,551

120.91%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.52 CA$2.17

$0.93 COP 3,004

63.44%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$11.45 CA$16.29

$3.63 COP 11.7K

215.43%

Wine (Bottle)

$10.36 CA$14.73

$12.56 COP 40.5K

-17.52%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.22 CA$3.15

$1.42 COP 4,565

56.34%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.82 CA$4.01

$2.40 COP 7,712

17.50%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.58 CA$3.66

$1.05 COP 3,370

145.71%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$76.9 CA$109

$29.00 COP 93.4K

165.14%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.25 CA$4.63

$0.83 COP 2,664

291.57%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.48 CA$2.11

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$33.04 CA$46.99

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.36 CA$1.93

$1.25 COP 4,040

8.80%

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

$27.4K CA$39.0K

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

$20.0K CA$28.4K

$33.7K COP 108.5M

-40.72%

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

$76.1 CA$108

$111 COP 358.1K

-31.55%

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

$34.68 CA$49.32

$12.79 COP 41.2K

171.15%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$42.69 CA$60.7

$29.75 COP 95.8K

43.50%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$28.94 CA$41.17

$28.38 COP 91.4K

1.97%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$20.33 CA$28.91

Cinema Ticket

$11.21 CA$15.94

$8.24 COP 26.5K

36.04%

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

$505 CA$718

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$16.0K CA$22.8K

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$58.5 CA$83.2

$75.8 COP 243.9K

-22.78%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$38.00 CA$54.1

$53.8 COP 173.3K

-29.39%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$92.7 CA$132

$122 COP 394.4K

-24.31%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$106 CA$150

$109 COP 350.7K

-2.88%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,240 CA$1,764

$638 COP 2.1M

94.26%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$986 CA$1,402

$291 COP 937.4K

238.69%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,102 CA$2,990

$1,498 COP 4.8M

40.30%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,615 CA$2,297

$479 COP 1.5M

237.15%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$5,043 CA$7,173

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$3,830 CA$5,447

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$2,920 CA$4,154

$567 COP 1.8M

415.18%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

4.46

11.58

-61.49%

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

Last update for Montreal: October 6, 2026

Last update for Cali: October 4, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Montreal

$986 47.9%

Cali

$291 27.6% 70.5% $695

Groceries & Markets

Montreal

$344 16.7%

Cali

$235 22.3% 31.6% $109

Eating Out

Montreal

$293 14.2%

Cali

$132 12.5% 54.9% $161

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Montreal

$154 7.5%

Cali

$154 14.6% 0.2% $0.3

Clothing & Footwear

Montreal

$133 6.5%

Cali

$162 15.4% 22.4% $30

Getting Around

Montreal

$98 4.8%

Cali

$34 * 3.2% 65.2% $64

Sport & Entertainment

Montreal

$51 2.5%

Cali

$45 4.3% 12.7% $6.5

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 $1,240 in Montreal and $638 in Cali. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Montreal pays 415% 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: $75.0 in Montreal vs $37.00 in Cali for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $344 vs $235 per month, with Cali cheaper across the board.

Good to know

🇨🇦 Montreal

🇨🇴 Cali

🕒 Local time

04:51 4:51 AM

03:51 3:51 AM

1 h behind Montreal

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

1,762,949

2,568,609

💱 Currency

Canadian Dollar CAD $

Colombian Peso COP $

📈 Exchange rate

1 CAD = 0.703 USD

1 CAD = 0.627 EUR

10,000 COP = 3.11 USD

10,000 COP = 2.77 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

COP, USD, EUR to CAD – Canadian Dollar Converter

🇺🇸 United States Dollar ($)

🇨🇦 Canadian Dollar ($)

Canadian Dollar exchange rates as of October 10, 2026: 1 USD = 1.42 CAD (1 CAD = 0.703 USD). 1 EUR = 1.6 CAD (1 CAD = 0.627 EUR).

Colombian Peso exchange rates as of October 10, 2026: 1 USD = 3,220 COP (10,000 COP = 3.11 USD). 1 EUR = 3,611 COP (10,000 COP = 2.77 EUR).

USD to CAD in detail →

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Montreal Cali 4,680 km ≈ 6 h nonstop flight

From you

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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 Cali: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Cali is cheaper overall, especially in groceries, eating out, and transport. The 90% gap adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

Average pay runs 415% 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: $1,240 in Montreal versus $638 in Cali. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Dining out is cheaper in Cali – a meal for two runs $37.00 versus $75.0 in Montreal. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

A monthly transit pass in Cali runs roughly 165% less than in Montreal. Both cities have functional networks, but the price difference matters if you're watching your budget.

At $1,054 in Cali versus $2,003 in Montreal, a $1,500 budget is realistic in Cali but tight or insufficient in Montreal. The gap between the two cities makes Cali the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

For families, Cali 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 Cali 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 Cali gentler on the wallet – expenses run 90% less than in Montreal. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.