Last update: Nov 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Montreal and Cayey

For one person, living is cheaper in Montreal: $2,067 a month against $2,156 in Cayey, rent and utilities included – about $1,100 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

Montreal, Canada
Cayey, Puerto Rico
Montreal
🇨🇦 Canada
$2,067
/mo nomad
Cayey
🇵🇷 Puerto Rico
$2,156
/mo nomad
Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Montreal and in Cayey

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $2,067 in Montreal versus $2,156 in Cayey.

  • Montreal $2,067
  • Cayey $2,156

Estimated couple costs with rent: $3,179 in Montreal versus $3,430 in Cayey.

  • Montreal $3,179
  • Cayey $3,430

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $4,291 in Montreal versus $4,704 in Cayey.

  • Montreal $4,291
  • Cayey $4,704

Living in Montreal costs roughly 4% less than in Cayey, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in utilities.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Montreal 53% above, Cayey 59% above.

Currency
🍽 Eating Out
Montreal
Cayey
Difference
Meal at Budget Restaurant
$18.89 CA$26.48
$19.05 $19.05
-0.84%
Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range
$72.6 CA$102
$83.6 $83.6
-13.16%
Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)
$10.79 CA$15.13
$9.04 $9.04
19.36%
Cappuccino
$3.98 CA$5.58
$3.52 $3.52
13.07%
Coke/Pepsi/Fanta/Sprite (0.33 liter bottle)
$2.02 CA$2.83
$1.83 $1.83
10.38%
Water (0.33 liter bottle)
$1.63 CA$2.29
$1.49 $1.49
9.40%
Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)
$6.32 CA$8.86
$2.98 $2.98
112.08%
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$7.06 CA$9.90
$5.12 $5.12
37.89%
🛒 Groceries & Markets
Montreal
Cayey
Difference
Milk (1 liter)
$2.33 CA$3.27
$2.19 $2.19
6.39%
White Bread (500g)
$3.25 CA$4.55
$3.61 $3.61
-9.97%
Rice (white) (1kg)
$3.26 CA$4.58
$2.35 $2.35
38.72%
Eggs
$3.48 CA$4.87
$7.33 $7.33
-52.52%
Local Cheese (1kg)
$13.73 CA$19.25
$12.51 $12.51
9.75%
Chicken Fillets (1kg)
$11.48 CA$16.09
$9.59 $9.59
19.71%
Beef Round Steak (1kg)
$14.26 CA$19.99
$13.27 $13.27
7.46%
Apples (1kg)
$3.52 CA$4.94
$5.09 $5.09
-30.84%
Banana (1kg)
$1.46 CA$2.04
$2.65 $2.65
-44.91%
Oranges (1kg)
$3.41 CA$4.78
$4.79 $4.79
-28.81%
Tomato (1kg)
$3.20 CA$4.49
$4.88 $4.88
-34.43%
Potato (1kg)
$1.94 CA$2.71
$3.73 $3.73
-47.99%
Onion (1kg)
$1.78 CA$2.50
$4.04 $4.04
-55.94%
Lettuce (1 head)
$2.52 CA$3.53
$3.37 $3.37
-25.22%
Water (1.5 liter bottle)
$1.58 CA$2.22
$1.57 $1.57
0.64%
Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)
$11.51 CA$16.13
$12.22 $12.22
-5.81%
Wine (Bottle)
$10.57 CA$14.82
$15.40 $15.40
-31.36%
Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)
$2.35 CA$3.29
$3.13 $3.13
-24.92%
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$2.90 CA$4.06
$3.96 $3.96
-26.77%
🚌 Getting Around
Montreal
Cayey
Difference
One-way Ticket (Public Transport)
$2.61 CA$3.66
-
-
Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)
$78.5 CA$110
-
-
Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)
$3.17 CA$4.45
$2.55 $2.55
24.31%
Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)
$1.49 CA$2.09
$1.52 $1.52
-1.97%
Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)
$33.49 CA$46.94
$41.65 $41.65
-19.59%
Gasoline (1 liter)
$1.36 CA$1.91
$1.02 $1.02
33.33%
Midsize Hatchback 1.4l (Volkswagen Golf, Toyota Prius, Honda Civic, etc)
$28.0K CA$39.3K
$35.0K $35.0K
-19.90%
Compact Sedan 1.6l (Toyota Corolla, Mazda3, Kia K4, Hyundai Elantra, etc)
$21.1K CA$29.6K
$27.6K $27.6K
-23.36%
🧾 Monthly Utilities & Internet
Montreal
Cayey
Difference
Utilities for 2 People in 2-bedroom Apartment (Heating, Electricity, Gas, Water, Garbage) (85m2)
$77.6 CA$109
$318 $318
-75.62%
SIM Card Monthly Plan (Calls and 10GB+ Data)
$35.63 CA$49.94
$70.5 $70.5
-49.45%
Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)
$43.73 CA$61.3
$69.7 $69.7
-37.25%
🎉 Sport & Entertainment
Montreal
Cayey
Difference
Gym Membership (Monthly)
$30.07 CA$42.16
$40.63 $40.63
-25.99%
Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)
$19.97 CA$27.99
-
-
Cinema Ticket
$11.27 CA$15.80
$10.09 $10.09
11.69%
🧸 Childcare & Education
Montreal
Cayey
Difference
Preschool or Kindergarten, Full Day, Private, 1 Child (Monthly)
$522 CA$732
$812 $812
-35.68%
International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)
$17.8K CA$24.9K
$12.5K $12.5K
42.00%
👕👟 Clothing & Footwear
Montreal
Cayey
Difference
Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)
$59.0 CA$82.7
$57.0 $57.0
3.46%
Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)
$39.01 CA$54.7
$60.8 $60.8
-35.85%
Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)
$99.8 CA$140
$108 $108
-7.47%
Men's Leather Business Shoes
$110 CA$154
$113 $113
-3.20%
🏠 Accommodation & Living
Montreal
Cayey
Difference
1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$1,298 CA$1,820
$1,215 $1,215
6.83%
1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$970 CA$1,360
$801 $801
21.09%
3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$2,323 CA$3,257
$2,414 $2,414
-3.75%
3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$1,689 CA$2,368
$1,784 $1,784
-5.30%
Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)
$5,004 CA$7,014
-
-
Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)
$3,736 CA$5,237
-
-
💵 Salaries & Financials
Montreal
Cayey
Difference
Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)
$2,943 CA$4,125
$3,643 $3,643
-19.22%
20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)
4.51
6.55
-31.15%

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

Last update for Montreal: November 3, 2026

Last update for Cayey: November 1, 2026

Monthly budget structure
Share of the monthly basket for one person, rent included.
Accommodation & Living
Montreal
$970
Cayey
$801 17.4% $169
Groceries & Markets
Montreal
$357
Cayey
$413 15.6% $56
Eating Out
Montreal
$292
Cayey
$260 10.8% $31
Monthly Utilities & Internet
Montreal
$157
Cayey
$458 192% $301
Clothing & Footwear
Montreal
$138
Cayey
$153 10.3% $14
Getting Around
Montreal
$100
Cayey
$10 * 89.8% $89
Sport & Entertainment
Montreal
$53
Cayey
$61 15.6% $8.2

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 $1,298 in Montreal and $1,215 in Cayey. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Cayey pays 24% more on average. How far that income stretches comes down to housing choices and lifestyle.

Dining out: $73 in Montreal vs $84 in Cayey for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $357 vs $413 per month, with Montreal cheaper across the board.

Good to know
🇨🇦 Montreal
🇵🇷 Cayey
🕒 Local time
02:10 2:10 AM
03:10 3:10 AM
1 h ahead of Montreal
🌤 Weather
👥 Population
1,762,949
13,999
Exchange rates and currency converter

USD, EUR to CAD – Canadian Dollar Converter

Canadian Dollar exchange rates as of November 6, 2026: 1 USD = 1.4 CAD (1 CAD = 0.713 USD). 1 EUR = 1.57 CAD (1 CAD = 0.635 EUR).

United States Dollar exchange rates as of November 6, 2026: 1 EUR = 1.12 USD (1 USD = 0.891 EUR).

On the map
Between locations
  • Montreal Cayey 3,120 km ≈ 4 h 30 min nonstop flight
From you
  • Montreal
  • Cayey

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 Cayey: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions
What is the total cost difference between living in Montreal and in Cayey?
Total monthly costs including rent come to $2,067 in Montreal and $2,156 in Cayey, so Montreal is about 4% cheaper – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.
Which city has better-paying jobs?
On paper, salaries run 19% lower in Montreal. That’s worth factoring in alongside costs, though remote workers earning in a stronger currency may not notice the difference at all.
How do apartment prices compare in Montreal and in Cayey?
Rent for a central apartment: $1,298 in Montreal versus $1,215 in Cayey. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.
What is the difference in childcare costs between Montreal and Cayey?
Childcare runs $522 in Montreal versus $812 in Cayey. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.
Which city has cheaper restaurants?
Dining out is cheaper in Montreal – a meal for two runs $73 versus $84 in Cayey. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.
Which city is feasible on a $2,000 budget?
Both cities are expensive relative to $2,000. Montreal is the more realistic option, but even there you’ll need to be disciplined with housing, food, and fun money.
How does quality of life compare between Montreal and Cayey?
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.
How do I decide between Montreal and Cayey?
It comes down to priorities – Montreal wins on affordability, Cayey on earning potential. Factor in climate, language, visa rules, and proximity to places that matter to you before deciding.

Montreal vs other spots: cost of living compared

Similar cities

Show times on the 12-hour clock, temperatures in °F and distances in miles?