Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Montreal and the Galapagos Islands

For one person, living is cheaper in the Galapagos Islands: $884 a month against $2,018 in Montreal, rent and utilities included – about $13,600 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
43

Cost of Living Index in the Galapagos Islands
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Galapagos Islands Living Index

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Montreal

🇨🇦 Canada

$2,018

/mo nomad

Galapagos Islands

🇪🇨 Ecuador

$884

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Montreal and in the Galapagos Islands

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 the Galapagos Islands actually costs, broken down by who's living it.

A single person spends $2,018 per month in Montreal vs $884 in the Galapagos Islands, rent included.

Montreal $2,018
Galapagos Islands $884

A couple spends around $3,085 per month in Montreal vs $1,343 in the Galapagos Islands, rent included.

Montreal $3,085
Galapagos Islands $1,343

A family of three spends $4,152 per month in Montreal vs $1,801 in the Galapagos Islands, rent included.

Montreal $4,152
Galapagos Islands $1,801

Montreal costs about 128% more than the Galapagos Islands, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

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

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$18.82 CA$26.61

$3.60 $3.60

422.78%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$70.3 CA$99.4

$27.53 $27.53

155.32%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$10.66 CA$15.06

$7.42 $7.42

43.67%

Cappuccino

$3.84 CA$5.43

$2.51 $2.51

52.99%

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

$1.92 CA$2.71

$0.87 $0.87

120.69%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.54 CA$2.18

$0.66 $0.66

133.33%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$6.23 CA$8.81

$1.98 $1.98

214.65%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$7.10 CA$10.03

$3.44 $3.44

106.40%

Milk (1 liter)

$2.31 CA$3.27

$1.09 $1.09

111.93%

White Bread (500g)

$3.14 CA$4.44

$1.61 $1.61

95.03%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$3.21 CA$4.54

$1.52 $1.52

111.18%

Eggs

$3.52 CA$4.97

$2.10 $2.10

67.62%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$12.81 CA$18.11

$5.40 $5.40

137.22%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$11.46 CA$16.20

$5.47 $5.47

109.51%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$13.39 CA$18.92

$6.25 $6.25

114.24%

Apples (1kg)

$3.14 CA$4.43

$2.01 $2.01

56.22%

Banana (1kg)

$1.44 CA$2.03

$1.16 $1.16

24.14%

Oranges (1kg)

$3.47 CA$4.91

$1.10 $1.10

215.45%

Tomato (1kg)

$3.07 CA$4.34

$1.04 $1.04

195.19%

Potato (1kg)

$1.90 CA$2.69

$1.43 $1.43

32.87%

Onion (1kg)

$1.77 CA$2.50

$1.04 $1.04

70.19%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.34 CA$3.31

$0.52 $0.52

350.00%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.55 CA$2.19

$0.98 $0.98

58.16%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$11.38 CA$16.09

$5.88 $5.88

93.54%

Wine (Bottle)

$10.63 CA$15.03

$10.15 $10.15

4.73%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.27 CA$3.21

$1.54 $1.54

47.40%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.82 CA$3.99

$2.52 $2.52

11.90%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.66 CA$3.76

$0.37 $0.37

618.92%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$77.3 CA$109

$24.35 $24.35

217.41%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.20 CA$4.53

$1.47 $1.47

117.69%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.48 CA$2.09

$1.03 $1.03

43.69%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$32.88 CA$46.48

$9.90 $9.90

232.12%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.34 CA$1.90

$0.67 $0.67

100.00%

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

$28.2K CA$39.8K

$25.1K $25.1K

12.12%

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

$19.6K CA$27.8K

$28.6K $28.6K

-31.27%

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

$76.0 CA$107

$40.03 $40.03

89.76%

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

$33.95 CA$48.00

$13.47 $13.47

152.04%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$42.31 CA$59.8

$30.81 $30.81

37.33%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$29.76 CA$42.07

$30.54 $30.54

-2.55%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$20.28 CA$28.67

$14.82 $14.82

36.84%

Cinema Ticket

$11.15 CA$15.77

$7.50 $7.50

48.67%

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

$507 CA$717

$254 $254

99.55%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$16.1K CA$22.7K

$5,661 $5,661

183.55%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$57.6 CA$81.4

$55.8 $55.8

3.21%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$37.58 CA$53.1

$43.36 $43.36

-13.33%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$91.9 CA$130

$101 $101

-8.80%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$110 CA$155

$73.8 $73.8

48.56%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,260 CA$1,782

$348 $348

262.19%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$948 CA$1,340

$311 $311

204.67%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,137 CA$3,021

$628 $628

240.15%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,614 CA$2,281

$507 $507

218.10%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$4,960 CA$7,011

$1,226 $1,226

304.68%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$3,838 CA$5,425

$1,017 $1,017

277.52%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$2,827 CA$3,997

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

4.48

-55.20%

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

Last update for Montreal: October 12, 2026

Last update for the Galapagos Islands: October 13, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Montreal

$948 47%

Galapagos Islands

$311 35.2% 67.2% $637

Groceries & Markets

Montreal

$346 17.2%

Galapagos Islands

$184 20.8% 47% $163

Eating Out

Montreal

$288 14.3%

Galapagos Islands

$104 11.8% 63.8% $184

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Montreal

$152 7.5%

Galapagos Islands

$84 9.5% 44.6% $68

Clothing & Footwear

Montreal

$133 6.6%

Galapagos Islands

$123 13.9% 7.7% $10

Getting Around

Montreal

$99 4.9%

Galapagos Islands

$32 3.7% 67.1% $66

Sport & Entertainment

Montreal

$52 2.6%

Galapagos Islands

$46 5.2% 12.5% $6.5

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $1,260 in Montreal versus $348 in the Galapagos Islands. Rent is usually the largest line item in a monthly budget, so the gap here sets the tone for the overall comparison.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $70.0 in Montreal versus $28.00 in the Galapagos Islands. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $346 vs $184 – making Galapagos Islands the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇨🇦 Montreal

🇪🇨 Galapagos Islands

🕒 Local time

00:59 12:59 AM

22:59 10:59 PM

2 h behind Montreal

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

1,762,949

32,000

💱 Currency

Canadian Dollar CAD $

United States Dollar USD $

📈 Exchange rate

1 CAD = 0.707 USD

1 CAD = 0.629 EUR

1 USD = 0.89 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

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).

United States Dollar exchange rates as of October 19, 2026: 1 EUR = 1.12 USD (1 USD = 0.89 EUR).

USD to CAD in detail →

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Between locations

Montreal Galapagos Islands 5,440 km ≈ 7 h nonstop flight

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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 Galapagos Islands: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Monthly costs with rent: $2,018 in Montreal, $884 in the Galapagos Islands – roughly 128% apart. Outside of rent, the biggest gap is in eating out.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $3,027 per month in Montreal and $1,326 in the Galapagos Islands. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

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

Groceries cost about 89% 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 mid-range dinner for two costs $70.0 in Montreal and $28.00 in the Galapagos Islands. That's a good indicator of the overall restaurant and café pricing gap between the two cities.

A $2,000 monthly budget goes further in the Galapagos Islands, where all-in costs run around $884, than in Montreal at $2,018. In Galapagos Islands it covers expenses comfortably, while in Montreal it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.

It depends on your priorities. Montreal has an edge in some lifestyle areas, with costs from $884 in the Galapagos Islands to $2,018 in Montreal. Climate, culture, job market, and personal taste all factor in.

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 the Galapagos Islands. 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.