Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Montreal and Golden Grove

For one person, living is cheaper in Golden Grove: $1,005 a month against $2,018 in Montreal, rent and utilities included – about $12,200 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
49

Cost of Living Index in Golden Grove
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Golden Grove Living Index

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Montreal

🇨🇦 Canada

$2,018

/mo nomad

Golden Grove

🇯🇲 Jamaica

$1,005

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Montreal and in Golden Grove

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $2,018 in Montreal versus $1,005 in Golden Grove.

Montreal $2,018
Golden Grove $1,005

Estimated couple costs with rent: $3,085 in Montreal versus $1,664 in Golden Grove.

Montreal $3,085
Golden Grove $1,664

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $4,152 in Montreal versus $2,322 in Golden Grove.

Montreal $4,152
Golden Grove $2,322

Living in Montreal is roughly 101% more expensive than in Golden Grove, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in transport.

The two cities straddle the global median: Montreal is 49% above, Golden Grove is 26% below.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$18.82 CA$26.61

$13.67 JMD 2,160

37.67%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$70.3 CA$99.4

$75.6 JMD 11.9K

-6.97%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$10.66 CA$15.06

$8.39 JMD 1,325

27.06%

Cappuccino

$3.84 CA$5.43

$5.15 JMD 814

-25.44%

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

$1.92 CA$2.71

$1.18 JMD 187

62.71%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.54 CA$2.18

$0.74 JMD 116

108.11%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$6.23 CA$8.81

$2.15 JMD 340

189.77%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$7.10 CA$10.03

$3.10 JMD 490

129.03%

Milk (1 liter)

$2.31 CA$3.27

$4.03 JMD 636

-42.68%

White Bread (500g)

$3.14 CA$4.44

$3.84 JMD 607

-18.23%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$3.21 CA$4.54

$1.62 JMD 257

98.15%

Eggs

$3.52 CA$4.97

$3.46 JMD 547

1.73%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$12.81 CA$18.11

$11.39 JMD 1,800

12.47%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$11.46 CA$16.20

$6.42 JMD 1,014

78.50%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$13.39 CA$18.92

$10.26 JMD 1,622

30.51%

Apples (1kg)

$3.14 CA$4.43

$6.18 JMD 976

-49.19%

Banana (1kg)

$1.44 CA$2.03

$3.92 JMD 620

-63.27%

Oranges (1kg)

$3.47 CA$4.91

$7.24 JMD 1,143

-52.07%

Tomato (1kg)

$3.07 CA$4.34

$2.96 JMD 468

3.72%

Potato (1kg)

$1.90 CA$2.69

$3.29 JMD 520

-42.25%

Onion (1kg)

$1.77 CA$2.50

$2.57 JMD 405

-31.13%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.34 CA$3.31

$3.12 JMD 493

-25.00%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.55 CA$2.19

$1.44 JMD 228

7.64%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$11.38 CA$16.09

$9.46 JMD 1,495

20.30%

Wine (Bottle)

$10.63 CA$15.03

$11.31 JMD 1,787

-6.01%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.27 CA$3.21

$2.79 JMD 440

-18.64%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.82 CA$3.99

$4.05 JMD 640

-30.37%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.66 CA$3.76

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$77.3 CA$109

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.20 CA$4.53

$1.17 JMD 186

173.50%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.48 CA$2.09

$3.06 JMD 483

-51.63%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$32.88 CA$46.48

$6.33 JMD 1,000

419.43%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.34 CA$1.90

$1.44 JMD 228

-6.94%

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

$28.2K CA$39.8K

$44.0K JMD 6.9M

-35.95%

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

$19.6K CA$27.8K

$32.1K JMD 5.1M

-38.76%

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

$76.0 CA$107

$170 JMD 26.8K

-55.20%

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

$33.95 CA$48.00

$29.38 JMD 4,642

15.55%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$42.31 CA$59.8

$53.3 JMD 8,419

-20.60%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$29.76 CA$42.07

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$20.28 CA$28.67

Cinema Ticket

$11.15 CA$15.77

$12.99 JMD 2,052

-14.16%

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

$507 CA$717

$367 JMD 58.0K

38.21%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$16.1K CA$22.7K

$8,104 JMD 1.3M

98.06%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$57.6 CA$81.4

$23.86 JMD 3,769

141.20%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$37.58 CA$53.1

$31.51 JMD 4,979

19.26%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$91.9 CA$130

$78.1 JMD 12.3K

17.64%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$110 CA$155

$102 JMD 16.0K

7.89%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,260 CA$1,782

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$948 CA$1,340

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,137 CA$3,021

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,614 CA$2,281

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$4,960 CA$7,011

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$3,838 CA$5,425

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$2,827 CA$3,997

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

4.48

9.45

-52.59%

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

Last update for Montreal: October 12, 2026

Last update for Golden Grove: October 11, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Montreal

$948 47%

Golden Grove

- * 0% 100%

Groceries & Markets

Montreal

$346 17.2%

Golden Grove

$384 38.2% 10.8% $37

Eating Out

Montreal

$288 14.3%

Golden Grove

$221 22% 23.2% $67

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Montreal

$152 7.5%

Golden Grove

$252 25.1% 65.7% $100

Clothing & Footwear

Montreal

$133 6.6%

Golden Grove

$106 10.5% 20.7% $28

Getting Around

Montreal

$99 4.9%

Golden Grove

$16 * 1.6% 83.3% $82

Sport & Entertainment

Montreal

$52 2.6%

Golden Grove

$26 * 2.6% 50.1% $26

Categories marked with * are only partly priced – their share counts the items that do have prices.

Cost Breakdown

Dining out: $70.0 in Montreal vs $76.0 in Golden Grove for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $346 vs $384 per month, with Montreal cheaper across the board.

Good to know

🇨🇦 Montreal

🇯🇲 Golden Grove

🕒 Local time

22:09 10:09 PM

21:09 9:09 PM

1 h behind Montreal

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

1,762,949

3,058

💱 Currency

Canadian Dollar CAD $

Jamaican Dollar JMD $

📈 Exchange rate

1 CAD = 0.707 USD

1 CAD = 0.629 EUR

1,000 JMD = 6.33 USD

1,000 JMD = 5.63 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

JMD, 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).

Jamaican Dollar exchange rates as of October 19, 2026: 1 USD = 158 JMD (1,000 JMD = 6.33 USD). 1 EUR = 178 JMD (1,000 JMD = 5.63 EUR).

USD to CAD in detail →

On the map

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Between locations

Montreal Golden Grove 3,080 km ≈ 4 h 15 min nonstop flight

From you

Montreal
Golden Grove

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 Golden Grove: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Montreal and Golden Grove differ by about 101% in total monthly costs ($2,018 vs $1,005 including rent). Golden Grove is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

You'd need roughly $3,027 in Montreal and $1,508 in Golden Grove to live well. The gap comes down to housing and overall price levels. Both cities are liveable on less, but these numbers represent actual comfort.

Shoppers in Montreal pay roughly 11% 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 $1,005 in Golden Grove – a 101% gap that adds up to real savings over time for anyone picking the cheaper option.

At $1,005 in Golden Grove versus $2,018 in Montreal, a $2,000 budget is realistic in Golden Grove but tight or insufficient in Montreal. The gap between the two cities makes Golden Grove the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

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 Golden Grove 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 Golden Grove gentler on the wallet – expenses run 101% less than in Montreal. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.