Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Montreal and Castlebar

For one person, living is cheaper in Montreal: $2,059 a month against $2,675 in Castlebar, rent and utilities included – about $7,400 less a year. Higher rent and utilities in Castlebar outweigh lower spending on other living expenses.

99

Cost of Living Index in Montreal
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Montreal Living Index
129

Cost of Living Index in Castlebar
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Castlebar Living Index

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Montreal

🇨🇦 Canada

$2,059

/mo nomad

Castlebar

🇮🇪 Ireland

$2,675

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Montreal and in Castlebar

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $2,059 in Montreal versus $2,675 in Castlebar.

Montreal $2,059
Castlebar $2,675

Estimated couple costs with rent: $3,123 in Montreal versus $3,567 in Castlebar.

Montreal $3,123
Castlebar $3,567

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $4,187 in Montreal versus $4,459 in Castlebar.

Montreal $4,187
Castlebar $4,459

Living in Montreal costs roughly 23% less than in Castlebar, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Montreal 52% above, Castlebar 97% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$18.84 CA$26.63

$16.25 €14.45

15.94%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$73.2 CA$104

$96.7 €86.0

-24.24%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$10.54 CA$14.90

$10.73 €9.54

-1.77%

Cappuccino

$3.97 CA$5.61

$3.80 €3.38

4.47%

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

$1.94 CA$2.74

$2.10 €1.86

-7.62%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.57 CA$2.22

$1.27 €1.13

23.62%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$6.42 CA$9.08

$6.60 €5.87

-2.73%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$7.20 CA$10.19

$5.14 €4.57

40.08%

Milk (1 liter)

$2.32 CA$3.28

$1.65 €1.47

40.61%

White Bread (500g)

$3.19 CA$4.51

$1.47 €1.31

117.01%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$3.19 CA$4.50

$2.50 €2.22

27.60%

Eggs

$3.68 CA$5.20

$4.03 €3.58

-8.68%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$13.24 CA$18.72

$2.75 €2.45

381.45%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$11.69 CA$16.53

$4.44 €3.95

163.29%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$13.98 CA$19.76

$6.87 €6.11

103.49%

Apples (1kg)

$3.14 CA$4.44

$3.37 €3.00

-6.82%

Banana (1kg)

$1.45 CA$2.05

$1.87 €1.66

-22.46%

Oranges (1kg)

$3.38 CA$4.78

$3.29 €2.93

2.74%

Tomato (1kg)

$3.11 CA$4.40

$2.83 €2.52

9.89%

Potato (1kg)

$1.93 CA$2.72

$2.74 €2.43

-29.56%

Onion (1kg)

$1.83 CA$2.58

$0.69 €0.62

165.22%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.36 CA$3.34

$1.50 €1.33

57.33%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.50 CA$2.12

$2.30 €2.05

-34.78%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$11.12 CA$15.73

$15.07 €13.40

-26.21%

Wine (Bottle)

$10.60 CA$14.98

$12.21 €10.86

-13.19%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.22 CA$3.14

$4.54 €4.04

-51.10%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.84 CA$4.01

$4.37 €3.89

-35.01%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.62 CA$3.71

$3.20 €2.85

-18.13%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$79.1 CA$112

$145 €129

-45.30%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.23 CA$4.56

$4.37 €3.89

-26.09%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.48 CA$2.10

$1.43 €1.27

3.50%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$32.22 CA$45.55

$18.21 €16.20

76.94%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.36 CA$1.92

$2.01 €1.78

-32.34%

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

$27.6K CA$39.1K

$39.3K €35.0K

-29.73%

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

$21.2K CA$30.0K

$33.3K €29.6K

-36.31%

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

$77.0 CA$109

$241 €215

-68.08%

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

$34.14 CA$48.26

$24.77 €22.03

37.83%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$42.19 CA$59.7

$55.6 €49.41

-24.05%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$30.81 CA$43.56

$49.63 €44.14

-37.92%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$19.66 CA$27.79

$33.93 €30.18

-42.06%

Cinema Ticket

$11.47 CA$16.22

$11.34 €10.09

1.15%

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

$506 CA$716

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$16.2K CA$23.0K

$5,217 €4,641

211.20%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$57.3 CA$81.0

$111 €98.7

-48.41%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$38.10 CA$53.9

$33.14 €29.48

14.97%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$91.9 CA$130

$102 €90.3

-9.47%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$110 CA$155

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,237 CA$1,748

$1,618 €1,440

-23.59%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$977 CA$1,381

$1,474 €1,311

-33.74%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,180 CA$3,082

$1,995 €1,775

9.28%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,608 CA$2,273

$1,755 €1,562

-8.40%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$5,113 CA$7,228

$3,370 €2,997

51.73%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$3,744 CA$5,293

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$2,957 CA$4,180

$4,320 €3,842

-31.55%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

4.48

4.17

7.43%

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

Last update for Montreal: October 20, 2026

Last update for Castlebar: October 18, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Montreal

$977 47.4%

Castlebar

$1.5K 55.1% 50.9% $497

Groceries & Markets

Montreal

$351 17.1%

Castlebar

$263 9.8% 25.1% $88

Eating Out

Montreal

$290 14.1%

Castlebar

$265 9.9% 8.9% $26

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Montreal

$153 7.5%

Castlebar

$322 12% 110% $168

Clothing & Footwear

Montreal

$134 6.5%

Castlebar

$111 * 4.1% 17.3% $23

Getting Around

Montreal

$100 4.9%

Castlebar

$169 6.3% 68.5% $69

Sport & Entertainment

Montreal

$54 2.6%

Castlebar

$72 2.7% 34.5% $19

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 $1,237 in Montreal and $1,618 in Castlebar. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Castlebar pays 46% 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: $73.0 in Montreal vs $97.0 in Castlebar. Groceries flip the comparison at $351 vs $263, with Castlebar cheaper for home cooking.

Good to know

🇨🇦 Montreal

🇮🇪 Castlebar

🕒 Local time

19:01 7:01 PM

00:01 12:01 AM

5 h ahead of Montreal

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

1,762,949

13,054

💱 Currency

Canadian Dollar CAD $

Euro EUR €

📈 Exchange rate

1 CAD = 0.707 USD

1 CAD = 0.629 EUR

1 EUR = 1.12 USD

Exchange rates and currency converter

EUR, USD to CAD – Canadian Dollar Converter

🇺🇸 United States Dollar ($)

🇨🇦 Canadian Dollar ($)

Canadian Dollar exchange rates as of October 21, 2026: 1 USD = 1.41 CAD (1 CAD = 0.707 USD). 1 EUR = 1.59 CAD (1 CAD = 0.629 EUR).

Euro exchange rates as of October 21, 2026: 1 USD = 0.889 EUR (1 EUR = 1.12 USD).

USD to CAD in detail →

On the map

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Between locations

Montreal Castlebar 4,550 km ≈ 6 h nonstop flight

From you

Montreal
Castlebar

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 Castlebar: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Montreal and Castlebar differ by about 30% in total monthly costs ($2,059 vs $2,675 including rent). Montreal is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

On paper, salaries run 46% lower in Castlebar. That's worth factoring in alongside costs, though remote workers earning in a stronger currency may not notice the difference at all.

Rent for a central apartment: $1,237 in Montreal versus $1,618 in Castlebar. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Dining out is cheaper in Montreal – a meal for two runs $73.0 versus $97.0 in Castlebar. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

A monthly transit pass in Montreal runs roughly 83% less than in Castlebar. Both cities have functional networks, but the price difference matters if you're watching your budget.

At $2,059 in Montreal versus $2,675 in Castlebar, a $2,000 budget is realistic in Montreal but tight or insufficient in Castlebar. The gap between the two cities makes Montreal the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

Both cities offer a good standard of living with different trade-offs. Neither is objectively better – the right pick depends on what matters most: affordability, career, cultural scene, or climate.

Safety-wise, Montreal and Castlebar 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 Montreal gentler on the wallet – expenses run 30% less than in Castlebar. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.