Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Montreal and Escazu

For one person, living costs are similar in Montreal and in Escazu: $2,018 and $1,933 a month, rent and utilities included.

99

Cost of Living Index in Montreal
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Montreal Living Index
94

Cost of Living Index in Escazu
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Escazu Living Index

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Montreal

🇨🇦 Canada

$2,018

/mo nomad

Escazu

🇨🇷 Costa Rica

$1,933

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Montreal and in Escazu

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $2,018 in Montreal versus $1,933 in Escazu.

Montreal $2,018
Escazu $1,933

Estimated couple costs with rent: $3,085 in Montreal versus $2,966 in Escazu.

Montreal $3,085
Escazu $2,966

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $4,152 in Montreal versus $3,999 in Escazu.

Montreal $4,152
Escazu $3,999

Living in Montreal is roughly 4% more expensive than in Escazu, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in transport.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Montreal 49% above, Escazu 43% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$18.82 CA$26.61

$12.23 ₡5,486

53.88%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$70.3 CA$99.4

$62.1 ₡27.9K

13.12%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$10.66 CA$15.06

$11.48 ₡5,146

-7.14%

Cappuccino

$3.84 CA$5.43

$4.56 ₡2,045

-15.79%

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

$1.92 CA$2.71

$2.72 ₡1,218

-29.41%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.54 CA$2.18

$1.85 ₡828

-16.76%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$6.23 CA$8.81

$3.36 ₡1,505

85.42%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$7.10 CA$10.03

$4.47 ₡2,006

58.84%

Milk (1 liter)

$2.31 CA$3.27

$2.32 ₡1,040

-0.43%

White Bread (500g)

$3.14 CA$4.44

$3.12 ₡1,397

0.64%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$3.21 CA$4.54

$2.49 ₡1,117

28.92%

Eggs

$3.52 CA$4.97

$3.59 ₡1,611

-1.95%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$12.81 CA$18.11

$10.61 ₡4,757

20.74%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$11.46 CA$16.20

$10.22 ₡4,581

12.13%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$13.39 CA$18.92

$13.94 ₡6,252

-3.95%

Apples (1kg)

$3.14 CA$4.43

$5.13 ₡2,301

-38.79%

Banana (1kg)

$1.44 CA$2.03

$1.62 ₡726

-11.11%

Oranges (1kg)

$3.47 CA$4.91

$3.16 ₡1,416

9.81%

Tomato (1kg)

$3.07 CA$4.34

$3.07 ₡1,378

Potato (1kg)

$1.90 CA$2.69

$3.79 ₡1,698

-49.87%

Onion (1kg)

$1.77 CA$2.50

$3.73 ₡1,674

-52.55%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.34 CA$3.31

$1.04 ₡465

125.00%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.55 CA$2.19

$1.70 ₡762

-8.82%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$11.38 CA$16.09

$5.53 ₡2,479

105.79%

Wine (Bottle)

$10.63 CA$15.03

$18.39 ₡8,249

-42.20%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.27 CA$3.21

$1.66 ₡745

36.75%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.82 CA$3.99

$2.68 ₡1,202

5.22%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.66 CA$3.76

$1.09 ₡491

144.04%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$77.3 CA$109

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.20 CA$4.53

$2.06 ₡923

55.34%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.48 CA$2.09

$1.57 ₡704

-5.73%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$32.88 CA$46.48

$8.76 ₡3,927

275.34%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.34 CA$1.90

$1.48 ₡664

-9.46%

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

$28.2K CA$39.8K

$22.4K ₡10.1M

25.58%

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

$19.6K CA$27.8K

$35.2K ₡15.8M

-44.21%

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

$76.0 CA$107

$94.6 ₡42.4K

-19.66%

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

$33.95 CA$48.00

$29.81 ₡13.4K

13.89%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$42.31 CA$59.8

$60.1 ₡27.0K

-29.62%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$29.76 CA$42.07

$108 ₡48.6K

-72.54%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$20.28 CA$28.67

$10.15 ₡4,550

99.80%

Cinema Ticket

$11.15 CA$15.77

$7.81 ₡3,502

42.77%

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

$507 CA$717

$457 ₡204.9K

11.00%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$16.1K CA$22.7K

$16.9K ₡7.6M

-5.03%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$57.6 CA$81.4

$71.1 ₡31.9K

-19.00%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$37.58 CA$53.1

$55.7 ₡25.0K

-32.52%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$91.9 CA$130

$131 ₡58.6K

-29.71%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$110 CA$155

$130 ₡58.4K

-15.84%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,260 CA$1,782

$834 ₡373.9K

51.19%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$948 CA$1,340

$845 ₡378.8K

12.18%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,137 CA$3,021

$1,961 ₡879.3K

8.99%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,614 CA$2,281

$1,508 ₡676.4K

6.98%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$4,960 CA$7,011

$1,407 ₡630.8K

252.59%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$3,838 CA$5,425

$972 ₡435.7K

295.00%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$2,827 CA$3,997

$1,746 ₡782.8K

61.98%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

4.48

8.62

-48.03%

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

Last update for Montreal: October 12, 2026

Last update for Escazu: October 10, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Montreal

$948 47%

Escazu

$845 43.7% 10.9% $103

Groceries & Markets

Montreal

$346 17.2%

Escazu

$361 18.7% 4.1% $14

Eating Out

Montreal

$288 14.3%

Escazu

$231 12% 19.8% $57

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Montreal

$152 7.5%

Escazu

$184 9.5% 21.2% $32

Clothing & Footwear

Montreal

$133 6.6%

Escazu

$174 9% 30.7% $41

Getting Around

Montreal

$99 4.9%

Escazu

$14 * 0.7% 85.5% $84

Sport & Entertainment

Montreal

$52 2.6%

Escazu

$124 6.4% 138% $72

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 $1,260 in Montreal and $834 in Escazu. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Montreal pays 62% 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: $70.0 in Montreal vs $62.0 in Escazu. Groceries flip the comparison at $346 vs $361, with Montreal cheaper for home cooking.

Good to know

🇨🇦 Montreal

🇨🇷 Escazu

🕒 Local time

09:19 9:19 AM

07:19 7:19 AM

2 h behind Montreal

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

1,762,949

11,984

💱 Currency

Canadian Dollar CAD $

Costa Rican Colón CRC ₡

📈 Exchange rate

1 CAD = 0.707 USD

1 CAD = 0.629 EUR

1,000 CRC = 2.23 USD

1,000 CRC = 1.98 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

CRC, USD, EUR to CAD – Canadian Dollar Converter

🇺🇸 United States Dollar ($)

🇨🇦 Canadian Dollar ($)

Canadian Dollar exchange rates as of October 19, 2026: 1 USD = 1.41 CAD (1 CAD = 0.707 USD). 1 EUR = 1.59 CAD (1 CAD = 0.629 EUR).

Costa Rican Colón exchange rates as of October 19, 2026: 1 USD = 448 CRC (1,000 CRC = 2.23 USD). 1 EUR = 504 CRC (1,000 CRC = 1.98 EUR).

USD to CAD in detail →

On the map

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Between locations

Montreal Escazu 4,080 km ≈ 6 h nonstop flight

From you

Montreal
Escazu

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 Escazu: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Escazu is cheaper overall, especially in eating out and transport. The 4% gap adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

Average pay runs 62% higher in Montreal, which matters when comparing affordability. Whether that higher income actually nets you more depends on your spending habits and housing choices.

Rent for a central apartment: $1,260 in Montreal versus $834 in Escazu. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Shoppers in Montreal pay roughly 4% less for everyday groceries. It's an unusual reversal that partly offsets higher costs elsewhere.

All in, you'll spend $2,018 per month in Montreal versus $1,933 in Escazu – a 4% gap that adds up to real savings over time for anyone picking the cheaper option.

At $1,933 in Escazu versus $2,018 in Montreal, a $2,500 budget is realistic in Escazu but tight or insufficient in Montreal. The gap between the two cities makes Escazu the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

For families, Escazu is more practical. Housing and childcare are both notably cheaper than in Montreal, and the savings on those two alone free up budget for education, activities, and family trips.

Safety-wise, Montreal and Escazu 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 Escazu gentler on the wallet – expenses run 4% less than in Montreal. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.