Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Montreal and Castro

For one person, living is cheaper in Castro: $875 a month against $2,018 in Montreal, rent and utilities included – about $13,700 less a year. Rent and utilities account for about half of the difference.

99

Cost of Living Index in Montreal
Learn more

Montreal Living Index
50

Cost of Living Index in Castro
Learn more

Castro Living Index

Jump to prices

Montreal

🇨🇦 Canada

$2,018

/mo nomad

Castro

🇨🇱 Chile

$875

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Montreal and in Castro

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

A single person spends $2,018 per month in Montreal vs $875 in Castro, rent included.

Montreal $2,018
Castro $875

A couple spends around $3,085 per month in Montreal vs $1,381 in Castro, rent included.

Montreal $3,085
Castro $1,381

A family of three spends $4,152 per month in Montreal vs $1,887 in Castro, rent included.

Montreal $4,152
Castro $1,887

Montreal costs about 131% more than Castro, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

Montreal sits 49% above the global median, while Castro is 35% below – they fall on opposite sides of the world average.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$18.82 CA$26.61

$8.29 CLP 8,163

127.02%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$70.3 CA$99.4

$46.10 CLP 45.4K

52.47%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$10.66 CA$15.06

$5.66 CLP 5,568

88.34%

Cappuccino

$3.84 CA$5.43

$1.49 CLP 1,464

157.72%

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

$1.92 CA$2.71

$1.20 CLP 1,181

60.00%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.54 CA$2.18

$1.01 CLP 990

52.48%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$6.23 CA$8.81

$5.15 CLP 5,066

20.97%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$7.10 CA$10.03

$7.29 CLP 7,173

-2.61%

Milk (1 liter)

$2.31 CA$3.27

$1.08 CLP 1,065

113.89%

White Bread (500g)

$3.14 CA$4.44

$3.51 CLP 3,451

-10.54%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$3.21 CA$4.54

$1.25 CLP 1,232

156.80%

Eggs

$3.52 CA$4.97

$4.12 CLP 4,056

-14.56%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$12.81 CA$18.11

$9.67 CLP 9,523

32.47%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$11.46 CA$16.20

$4.03 CLP 3,965

184.37%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$13.39 CA$18.92

$8.49 CLP 8,358

57.71%

Apples (1kg)

$3.14 CA$4.43

$1.40 CLP 1,373

124.29%

Banana (1kg)

$1.44 CA$2.03

$2.30 CLP 2,268

-37.39%

Oranges (1kg)

$3.47 CA$4.91

$1.48 CLP 1,461

134.46%

Tomato (1kg)

$3.07 CA$4.34

$1.98 CLP 1,947

55.05%

Potato (1kg)

$1.90 CA$2.69

$1.13 CLP 1,109

68.14%

Onion (1kg)

$1.77 CA$2.50

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.34 CA$3.31

$1.52 CLP 1,494

53.95%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.55 CA$2.19

$1.56 CLP 1,531

-0.64%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$11.38 CA$16.09

$3.75 CLP 3,688

203.47%

Wine (Bottle)

$10.63 CA$15.03

$7.78 CLP 7,662

36.63%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.27 CA$3.21

$1.00 CLP 987

127.00%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.82 CA$3.99

$3.13 CLP 3,085

-9.90%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.66 CA$3.76

$0.66 CLP 654

303.03%

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

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$32.88 CA$46.48

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.34 CA$1.90

$1.30 CLP 1,282

3.08%

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

$28.2K CA$39.8K

$15.5K CLP 15.2M

82.10%

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

$19.6K CA$27.8K

$18.2K CLP 17.9M

7.73%

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

$76.0 CA$107

$131 CLP 128.8K

-41.95%

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

$33.95 CA$48.00

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$42.31 CA$59.8

$31.25 CLP 30.8K

35.39%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$29.76 CA$42.07

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$20.28 CA$28.67

Cinema Ticket

$11.15 CA$15.77

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

$507 CA$717

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$16.1K CA$22.7K

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$57.6 CA$81.4

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$37.58 CA$53.1

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$91.9 CA$130

$81.0 CLP 79.7K

13.48%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$110 CA$155

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,260 CA$1,782

$355 CLP 349.2K

255.30%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$948 CA$1,340

$290 CLP 285.5K

226.70%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,137 CA$3,021

$1,002 CLP 986.6K

113.22%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,614 CA$2,281

$576 CLP 566.8K

180.24%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$4,960 CA$7,011

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$3,838 CA$5,425

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$2,827 CA$3,997

$614 CLP 604.7K

360.29%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

4.48

-36.00%

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

Last update for Montreal: October 12, 2026

Last update for Castro: October 13, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Montreal

$948 47%

Castro

$290 33.2% 69.4% $658

Groceries & Markets

Montreal

$346 17.2%

Castro

$234 * 26.7% 32.6% $113

Eating Out

Montreal

$288 14.3%

Castro

$150 17.2% 47.8% $138

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Montreal

$152 7.5%

Castro

$162 * 18.5% 6.5% $9.9

Clothing & Footwear

Montreal

$133 6.6%

Castro

$36 * 4.2% 72.7% $97

Getting Around

Montreal

$99 4.9%

Castro

$2.7 * 0.3% 97.3% $96

Sport & Entertainment

Montreal

$52 2.6%

Castro

- * 0% 100%

Categories marked with * are only partly priced – their share counts the items that do have prices.

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $1,260 in Montreal versus $355 in Castro. Rent is usually the largest line item in a monthly budget, so the gap here sets the tone for the overall comparison.

Salaries run about 360% higher in Montreal, which partly offsets the higher cost of living there. Purchasing power depends on which expenses matter most to you.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $70.0 in Montreal versus $46.00 in Castro. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $346 vs $234 – making Castro the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇨🇦 Montreal

🇨🇱 Castro

🕒 Local time

03:06 3:06 AM

04:06 4:06 AM

1 h ahead of Montreal

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

1,762,949

33,417

💱 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 18, 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 18, 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

Lowest

Highest

Between locations

Montreal Castro 9,780 km ≈ 13 h nonstop flight

From you

Montreal
Castro

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 Castro: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Montreal costs about 131% more than Castro, and outside of rent the gap comes mainly from eating out. That's enough to noticeably affect everyday spending and lifestyle for anyone choosing between the two.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $3,027 per month in Montreal and $1,313 in Castro. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

Rent is clearly cheaper in Castro, especially for central apartments. Housing is actually the single biggest factor behind the overall cost gap between these two cities.

Monthly expenses with rent come to $2,018 in Montreal and $875 in Castro. That's a gap of about 131%.

Groceries cost about 48% more in Montreal, though it depends on what you buy. Local produce may be comparable; imported and premium items show the biggest price gap.

A $1,000 monthly budget goes further in Castro, where all-in costs run around $875, than in Montreal at $2,018. In Castro it covers expenses comfortably, while in Montreal it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.

For digital nomads, it depends on budget. Castro costs $875 versus $2,018 in Montreal. Both have workable remote work infrastructure, but the cost gap matters when income varies month to month.

Both have safer and rougher neighborhoods, but overall safety is comparable to other large cities. Neighborhood choice matters more than the city-level comparison – central, well-trafficked areas feel secure in both.

If budget matters most, go with Castro. If higher salaries, better infrastructure, or specific career opportunities are the priority, Montreal makes more sense. Both are solid long-term options with distinct trade-offs.