Last update: Nov 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Montreal and Cruz Bay

For one person, living is cheaper in Montreal: $2,067 a month against $2,875 in Cruz Bay, rent and utilities included – about $9,700 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

100

Cost of Living Index in Montreal
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Montreal Living Index

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Montreal

🇨🇦 Canada

$2,067

/mo nomad

Cruz Bay

🇻🇮 U.S. Virgin Islands

$2,875

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Montreal and in Cruz Bay

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $2,067 in Montreal versus $2,875 in Cruz Bay.

Montreal $2,067
Cruz Bay $2,875

Estimated couple costs with rent: $3,179 in Montreal versus $4,650 in Cruz Bay.

Montreal $3,179
Cruz Bay $4,650

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $4,291 in Montreal versus $6,425 in Cruz Bay.

Montreal $4,291
Cruz Bay $6,425

Living in Montreal costs roughly 28% less than in Cruz Bay, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Montreal 53% above, Cruz Bay 113% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$18.89 CA$26.57

$30.25 $30.25

-37.55%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$72.6 CA$102

$94.1 $94.1

-22.85%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$10.79 CA$15.18

$16.71 $16.71

-35.43%

Cappuccino

$3.98 CA$5.60

$9.25 $9.25

-56.97%

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

$2.02 CA$2.84

$2.93 $2.93

-31.06%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.63 CA$2.29

$4.11 $4.11

-60.34%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$6.32 CA$8.89

$7.82 $7.82

-19.18%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$7.06 CA$9.93

$8.85 $8.85

-20.23%

Milk (1 liter)

$2.33 CA$3.28

$8.03 $8.03

-70.98%

White Bread (500g)

$3.25 CA$4.57

Rice (white) (1kg)

$3.26 CA$4.59

Eggs

$3.48 CA$4.89

$4.97 $4.97

-29.98%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$13.73 CA$19.31

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$11.48 CA$16.14

$15.59 $15.59

-26.36%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$14.26 CA$20.05

Apples (1kg)

$3.52 CA$4.95

$8.89 $8.89

-60.40%

Banana (1kg)

$1.46 CA$2.05

Oranges (1kg)

$3.41 CA$4.80

Tomato (1kg)

$3.20 CA$4.50

Potato (1kg)

$1.94 CA$2.72

Onion (1kg)

$1.78 CA$2.50

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.52 CA$3.54

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.58 CA$2.22

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$11.51 CA$16.18

Wine (Bottle)

$10.57 CA$14.87

$25.21 $25.21

-58.07%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.35 CA$3.30

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.90 CA$4.07

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.61 CA$3.68

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$78.5 CA$110

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.17 CA$4.46

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.49 CA$2.10

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$33.49 CA$47.10

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.36 CA$1.92

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

$28.0K CA$39.4K

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

$21.1K CA$29.7K

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

$77.6 CA$109

$352 $352

-77.97%

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

$35.63 CA$50.1

$139 $139

-74.39%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$43.73 CA$61.5

$60.5 $60.5

-27.67%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$30.07 CA$42.29

$90.0 $90.0

-66.57%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$19.97 CA$28.08

Cinema Ticket

$11.27 CA$15.85

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

$522 CA$734

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$17.8K CA$25.0K

$13.0K $13.0K

37.05%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$59.0 CA$82.9

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$39.01 CA$54.9

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$99.8 CA$140

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$110 CA$154

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,298 CA$1,826

$1,820 $1,820

-28.65%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$970 CA$1,365

$1,473 $1,473

-34.11%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,323 CA$3,267

$3,482 $3,482

-33.27%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,689 CA$2,376

$3,454 $3,454

-51.10%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$5,004 CA$7,037

$10.6K $10.6K

-52.90%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$3,736 CA$5,255

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$2,943 CA$4,139

$6,166 $6,166

-52.27%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

4.51

-9.80%

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

Last update for Montreal: November 3, 2026

Last update for Cruz Bay: November 1, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Montreal

$970 47%

Cruz Bay

–

Groceries & Markets

Montreal

$357 17.3%

Cruz Bay

–

Eating Out

Montreal

$292 14.1%

Cruz Bay

–

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Montreal

$157 7.6%

Cruz Bay

–

Clothing & Footwear

Montreal

$138 6.7%

Cruz Bay

–

Getting Around

Montreal

$100 4.8%

Cruz Bay

–

Sport & Entertainment

Montreal

$53 2.6%

Cruz Bay

–

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,298 in Montreal and $1,820 in Cruz Bay. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Cruz Bay pays about 2.1 times more on average. How far that income stretches comes down to housing choices and lifestyle.

Dining out: $73 in Montreal vs $94 in Cruz Bay. Groceries flip the comparison at $357 vs $273, with Cruz Bay cheaper for home cooking.

Good to know

🇨🇦 Montreal

🇻🇮 Cruz Bay

🕒 Local time

18:08 6:08 PM

19:08 7:08 PM

1 h ahead of Montreal

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

1,762,949

2,743

💱 Currency

Canadian Dollar CAD $

United States Dollar USD $

📈 Exchange rate

1 CAD = 0.711 USD

1 CAD = 0.636 EUR

1 USD = 0.895 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

USD, EUR to CAD – Canadian Dollar Converter

🇺🇸 United States Dollar ($)

🇨🇦 Canadian Dollar ($)

Canadian Dollar exchange rates as of November 6, 2026: 1 USD = 1.41 CAD (1 CAD = 0.711 USD). 1 EUR = 1.57 CAD (1 CAD = 0.636 EUR).

United States Dollar exchange rates as of November 6, 2026: 1 EUR = 1.12 USD (1 USD = 0.895 EUR).

USD to CAD in detail →

On the map

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Between locations

Montreal Cruz Bay 3,130 km ≈ 4 h 30 min nonstop flight

From you

Montreal
Cruz Bay

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 Cruz Bay: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Total monthly costs including rent come to $2,067 in Montreal and $2,875 in Cruz Bay, so Montreal is about 28% cheaper – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

On paper, salaries run 52% 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.

Rent for a central apartment: $1,298 in Montreal versus $1,820 in Cruz Bay. 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 versus $94 in Cruz Bay. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

All in, you’ll spend $2,067 per month in Montreal versus $2,875 in Cruz Bay – Montreal is about 28% cheaper, which adds up to real savings over time.

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.

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 Cruz Bay are both considered safe, so it’s unlikely to be the deciding factor between them.

It comes down to priorities – Montreal wins on affordability, Cruz Bay on earning potential. Factor in climate, language, visa rules, and proximity to places that matter to you before deciding.