Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Montreal and Ciudad del Este

For one person, living is cheaper in Ciudad del Este: $799 a month against $2,018 in Montreal, rent and utilities included – about $14,600 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
39

Cost of Living Index in Ciudad del Este
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Ciudad del Este Living Index

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Montreal

🇨🇦 Canada

$2,018

/mo nomad

Ciudad del Este

🇵🇾 Paraguay

$799

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Montreal and in Ciudad del Este

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 Ciudad del Este actually costs, broken down by who's living it.

A single person spends $2,018 per month in Montreal vs $799 in Ciudad del Este, rent included.

Montreal $2,018
Ciudad del Este $799

A couple spends around $3,085 per month in Montreal vs $1,500 in Ciudad del Este, rent included.

Montreal $3,085
Ciudad del Este $1,500

A family of three spends $4,152 per month in Montreal vs $2,201 in Ciudad del Este, rent included.

Montreal $4,152
Ciudad del Este $2,201

Montreal costs about 153% more than Ciudad del Este, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

Montreal sits 49% above the global median, while Ciudad del Este is 41% below – they fall on opposite sides of the world average.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$18.82 CA$26.61

$6.08 ₲34.6K

209.54%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$70.3 CA$99.4

$22.70 ₲129.1K

209.65%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$10.66 CA$15.06

$5.87 ₲33.4K

81.60%

Cappuccino

$3.84 CA$5.43

$2.31 ₲13.1K

66.23%

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

$1.92 CA$2.71

$0.99 ₲5,638

93.94%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.54 CA$2.18

$0.61 ₲3,492

152.46%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$6.23 CA$8.81

$1.03 ₲5,838

504.85%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$7.10 CA$10.03

$1.74 ₲9,914

308.05%

Milk (1 liter)

$2.31 CA$3.27

$1.13 ₲6,405

104.42%

White Bread (500g)

$3.14 CA$4.44

$1.55 ₲8,812

102.58%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$3.21 CA$4.54

$1.27 ₲7,206

152.76%

Eggs

$3.52 CA$4.97

$2.21 ₲12.6K

59.28%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$12.81 CA$18.11

$9.15 ₲52.0K

40.00%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$11.46 CA$16.20

$3.89 ₲22.1K

194.60%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$13.39 CA$18.92

$8.35 ₲47.5K

60.36%

Apples (1kg)

$3.14 CA$4.43

$2.05 ₲11.7K

53.17%

Banana (1kg)

$1.44 CA$2.03

$1.27 ₲7,249

13.39%

Oranges (1kg)

$3.47 CA$4.91

$0.98 ₲5,596

254.08%

Tomato (1kg)

$3.07 CA$4.34

$1.27 ₲7,231

141.73%

Potato (1kg)

$1.90 CA$2.69

$0.93 ₲5,284

104.30%

Onion (1kg)

$1.77 CA$2.50

$0.94 ₲5,368

88.30%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.34 CA$3.31

$0.49 ₲2,797

377.55%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.55 CA$2.19

$0.42 ₲2,399

269.05%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$11.38 CA$16.09

$1.37 ₲7,814

730.66%

Wine (Bottle)

$10.63 CA$15.03

$5.40 ₲30.7K

96.85%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.27 CA$3.21

$0.75 ₲4,286

202.67%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.82 CA$3.99

$1.74 ₲9,881

62.07%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.66 CA$3.76

$0.91 ₲5,160

192.31%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$77.3 CA$109

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.20 CA$4.53

$1.55 ₲8,801

106.45%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.48 CA$2.09

$1.57 ₲8,923

-5.73%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$32.88 CA$46.48

$10.48 ₲59.6K

213.74%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.34 CA$1.90

$1.22 ₲6,955

9.84%

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

$28.2K CA$39.8K

$17.5K ₲99.2M

61.30%

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

$19.6K CA$27.8K

$17.3K ₲98.2M

13.64%

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

$76.0 CA$107

$51.9 ₲295.2K

46.33%

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

$33.95 CA$48.00

$17.90 ₲101.8K

89.66%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$42.31 CA$59.8

$18.98 ₲107.9K

122.92%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$29.76 CA$42.07

$29.72 ₲169.0K

0.13%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$20.28 CA$28.67

$14.30 ₲81.3K

41.82%

Cinema Ticket

$11.15 CA$15.77

$6.20 ₲35.3K

79.84%

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

$507 CA$717

$185 ₲1.1M

174.34%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$16.1K CA$22.7K

$1,909 ₲10.9M

740.78%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$57.6 CA$81.4

$64.1 ₲364.6K

-10.26%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$37.58 CA$53.1

$33.87 ₲192.6K

10.95%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$91.9 CA$130

$99.6 ₲566.4K

-7.73%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$110 CA$155

$56.8 ₲323.2K

92.79%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,260 CA$1,782

$354 ₲2.0M

255.99%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$948 CA$1,340

$261 ₲1.5M

263.22%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,137 CA$3,021

$744 ₲4.2M

187.22%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,614 CA$2,281

$980 ₲5.6M

64.62%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$4,960 CA$7,011

$1,923 ₲10.9M

157.91%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$3,838 CA$5,425

$1,420 ₲8.1M

170.29%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$2,827 CA$3,997

$610 ₲3.5M

363.89%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

4.48

10.15

-55.86%

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

Last update for Montreal: October 12, 2026

Last update for Ciudad del Este: October 12, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Montreal

$948 47%

Ciudad del Este

$261 32.7% 72.5% $687

Groceries & Markets

Montreal

$346 17.2%

Ciudad del Este

$171 21.4% 50.8% $176

Eating Out

Montreal

$288 14.3%

Ciudad del Este

$109 13.6% 62.1% $179

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Montreal

$152 7.5%

Ciudad del Este

$89 11.1% 41.7% $63

Clothing & Footwear

Montreal

$133 6.6%

Ciudad del Este

$115 14.3% 14.2% $19

Getting Around

Montreal

$99 4.9%

Ciudad del Este

$13 * 1.6% 86.8% $86

Sport & Entertainment

Montreal

$52 2.6%

Ciudad del Este

$42 5.3% 19.1% $9.9

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 $354 in Ciudad del Este. 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 364% 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 $23.00 in Ciudad del Este. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $346 vs $171 – making Ciudad del Este the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇨🇦 Montreal

🇵🇾 Ciudad del Este

🕒 Local time

21:10 9:10 PM

22:10 10:10 PM

1 h ahead of Montreal

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

1,762,949

320,782

💱 Currency

Canadian Dollar CAD $

Paraguayan Guarani PYG ₲

📈 Exchange rate

1 CAD = 0.707 USD

1 CAD = 0.629 EUR

10,000 PYG = 1.76 USD

10,000 PYG = 1.56 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

PYG, 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).

Paraguayan Guarani exchange rates as of October 18, 2026: 1 USD = 5,686 PYG (10,000 PYG = 1.76 USD). 1 EUR = 6,393 PYG (10,000 PYG = 1.56 EUR).

USD to CAD in detail →

On the map

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Highest

Between locations

Montreal Ciudad del Este 8,130 km ≈ 11 h nonstop flight

From you

Montreal
Ciudad del Este

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 Ciudad del Este: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Yes – Montreal is pricier by about 153%, and outside of rent the gap shows up most in eating out.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $3,027 per month in Montreal and $1,198 in Ciudad del Este. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

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

A mid-range dinner for two costs $70.0 in Montreal and $23.00 in Ciudad del Este. That's a good indicator of the overall restaurant and café pricing gap between the two cities.

Groceries cost about 103% 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 $1,500 monthly budget goes further in Ciudad del Este, where all-in costs run around $799, than in Montreal at $2,018. In Ciudad del Este it covers expenses comfortably, while in Montreal it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.

Families tend to lean toward Ciudad del Este – lower housing and cheaper childcare make a real difference, especially on a single income or when paying for private education.

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 Ciudad del Este. 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.