Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Montreal and Cartago

For one person, living is cheaper in Cartago: $1,713 a month against $2,018 in Montreal, rent and utilities included – about $3,700 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
80

Cost of Living Index in Cartago
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Cartago Living Index

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Montreal

🇨🇦 Canada

$2,018

/mo nomad

Cartago

🇨🇷 Costa Rica

$1,713

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Montreal and in Cartago

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $2,018 in Montreal versus $1,713 in Cartago.

Montreal $2,018
Cartago $1,713

Estimated couple costs with rent: $3,085 in Montreal versus $2,362 in Cartago.

Montreal $3,085
Cartago $2,362

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $4,152 in Montreal versus $3,011 in Cartago.

Montreal $4,152
Cartago $3,011

Living in Montreal is roughly 18% more expensive than in Cartago, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Montreal 49% above, Cartago 27% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$18.82 CA$26.75

$8.64 ₡3,882

117.82%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$70.3 CA$99.9

$34.53 ₡15.5K

103.56%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$10.66 CA$15.14

$9.92 ₡4,458

7.46%

Cappuccino

$3.84 CA$5.46

$4.54 ₡2,040

-15.42%

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

$1.92 CA$2.72

$2.13 ₡957

-9.86%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.54 CA$2.19

$1.36 ₡611

13.24%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$6.23 CA$8.86

$2.15 ₡966

189.77%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$7.10 CA$10.08

$4.06 ₡1,823

74.88%

Milk (1 liter)

$2.31 CA$3.29

$2.39 ₡1,075

-3.35%

White Bread (500g)

$3.14 CA$4.47

$2.37 ₡1,067

32.49%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$3.21 CA$4.57

$2.47 ₡1,112

29.96%

Eggs

$3.52 CA$5.00

$3.57 ₡1,604

-1.40%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$12.81 CA$18.21

$8.61 ₡3,868

48.78%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$11.46 CA$16.29

$10.38 ₡4,664

10.40%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$13.39 CA$19.03

$13.94 ₡6,265

-3.95%

Apples (1kg)

$3.14 CA$4.46

$5.24 ₡2,356

-40.08%

Banana (1kg)

$1.44 CA$2.04

$1.29 ₡580

11.63%

Oranges (1kg)

$3.47 CA$4.94

$4.49 ₡2,018

-22.72%

Tomato (1kg)

$3.07 CA$4.37

$2.91 ₡1,309

5.50%

Potato (1kg)

$1.90 CA$2.70

$2.24 ₡1,006

-15.18%

Onion (1kg)

$1.77 CA$2.52

$2.17 ₡973

-18.43%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.34 CA$3.33

$1.09 ₡488

114.68%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.55 CA$2.21

$2.18 ₡979

-28.90%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$11.38 CA$16.17

$6.07 ₡2,728

87.48%

Wine (Bottle)

$10.63 CA$15.11

$15.16 ₡6,810

-29.88%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.27 CA$3.23

$2.89 ₡1,298

-21.45%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.82 CA$4.01

$2.03 ₡914

38.92%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.66 CA$3.78

$1.37 ₡614

94.16%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$77.3 CA$110

$73.2 ₡32.9K

5.60%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.20 CA$4.55

$1.33 ₡600

140.60%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.48 CA$2.10

$1.56 ₡703

-5.13%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$32.88 CA$46.73

$8.95 ₡4,023

267.37%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.34 CA$1.91

$1.51 ₡679

-11.26%

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

$28.2K CA$40.0K

$21.7K ₡9.7M

29.78%

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

$19.6K CA$27.9K

$35.1K ₡15.8M

-44.11%

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

$76.0 CA$108

$52.4 ₡23.6K

44.88%

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

$33.95 CA$48.26

$35.12 ₡15.8K

-3.33%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$42.31 CA$60.1

$59.9 ₡26.9K

-29.31%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$29.76 CA$42.29

$73.8 ₡33.1K

-59.66%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$20.28 CA$28.83

$77.8 ₡34.9K

-73.92%

Cinema Ticket

$11.15 CA$15.85

$7.27 ₡3,268

53.37%

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

$507 CA$721

$549 ₡246.6K

-7.62%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$16.1K CA$22.8K

$7,878 ₡3.5M

103.74%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$57.6 CA$81.8

$70.1 ₡31.5K

-17.95%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$37.58 CA$53.4

$56.5 ₡25.4K

-33.45%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$91.9 CA$131

$121 ₡54.5K

-24.20%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$110 CA$156

$87.7 ₡39.4K

24.93%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,260 CA$1,792

$923 ₡415.0K

36.49%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$948 CA$1,347

$704 ₡316.5K

34.54%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,137 CA$3,037

$1,869 ₡839.7K

14.36%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,614 CA$2,293

$724 ₡325.4K

122.84%

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

$1,344 ₡604.0K

110.33%

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 Cartago: October 11, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Montreal

$948 47%

Cartago

$704 41.1% 25.7% $243

Groceries & Markets

Montreal

$346 17.2%

Cartago

$348 20.3% 0.5% $1.8

Eating Out

Montreal

$288 14.3%

Cartago

$186 10.9% 35.3% $102

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Montreal

$152 7.5%

Cartago

$147 8.6% 3.2% $4.8

Clothing & Footwear

Montreal

$133 6.6%

Cartago

$151 8.8% 13.1% $18

Getting Around

Montreal

$99 4.9%

Cartago

$88 5.1% 10.9% $11

Sport & Entertainment

Montreal

$52 2.6%

Cartago

$88 5.2% 69.6% $36

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,260 in Montreal and $923 in Cartago. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Montreal pays 110% 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 $35.00 in Cartago. Groceries flip the comparison at $346 vs $348, with Montreal cheaper for home cooking.

Good to know

🇨🇦 Montreal

🇨🇷 Cartago

🕒 Local time

04:55 4:55 AM

02:55 2:55 AM

2 h behind Montreal

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

1,762,949

110,000

💱 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 →

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Montreal Cartago 4,080 km ≈ 6 h nonstop flight

From you

Montreal
Cartago

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 Cartago: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Cartago is cheaper overall, especially in eating out and transport. The 18% gap adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

Average pay runs 110% 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 $923 in Cartago. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

A monthly transit pass in Cartago runs roughly 6% less than in Montreal. Both cities have functional networks, but the price difference matters if you're watching your budget.

Childcare runs $507 in Montreal versus $549 in Cartago. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

At $1,713 in Cartago versus $2,018 in Montreal, a $2,500 budget is realistic in Cartago but tight or insufficient in Montreal. The gap between the two cities makes Cartago the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

For families, Cartago 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 Cartago 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 Cartago gentler on the wallet – expenses run 18% less than in Montreal. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.