Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Montreal and Granada

For one person, living is cheaper in Granada: $920 a month against $2,018 in Montreal, rent and utilities included – about $13,200 less a year. Rent and utilities account for about half of the difference.

Montreal
🇨🇦 Canada
$2,018
/mo nomad
Granada
🇳🇮 Nicaragua
$920
/mo nomad
Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Montreal and in Granada

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

A single person spends $2,018 per month in Montreal vs $920 in Granada, rent included.

  • Montreal $2,018
  • Granada $920

A couple spends around $3,085 per month in Montreal vs $1,291 in Granada, rent included.

  • Montreal $3,085
  • Granada $1,291

A family of three spends $4,152 per month in Montreal vs $1,662 in Granada, rent included.

  • Montreal $4,152
  • Granada $1,662

Montreal costs about 119% more than Granada, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

Montreal sits 49% above the global median, while Granada is 32% below – they fall on opposite sides of the world average.

Currency
🍽 Eating Out
Montreal
Granada
Difference
Meal at Budget Restaurant
$18.82 CA$26.61
$4.31 NIO 158
336.66%
Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range
$70.3 CA$99.4
$23.77 NIO 870
195.71%
Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)
$10.66 CA$15.06
$6.95 NIO 254
53.38%
Cappuccino
$3.84 CA$5.43
$1.76 NIO 64.4
118.18%
Coke/Pepsi/Fanta/Sprite (0.33 liter bottle)
$1.92 CA$2.71
$0.86 NIO 31.63
123.26%
Water (0.33 liter bottle)
$1.54 CA$2.18
$0.69 NIO 25.24
123.19%
Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)
$6.23 CA$8.81
$1.32 NIO 48.42
371.97%
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$7.10 CA$10.03
$2.03 NIO 74.4
249.75%
🛒 Groceries & Markets
Montreal
Granada
Difference
Milk (1 liter)
$2.31 CA$3.27
$1.22 NIO 44.75
89.34%
White Bread (500g)
$3.14 CA$4.44
$1.60 NIO 58.6
96.25%
Rice (white) (1kg)
$3.21 CA$4.54
$0.54 NIO 19.73
494.44%
Eggs
$3.52 CA$4.97
$1.18 NIO 43.11
198.31%
Local Cheese (1kg)
$12.81 CA$18.11
$5.01 NIO 183
155.69%
Chicken Fillets (1kg)
$11.46 CA$16.20
$5.02 NIO 184
128.29%
Beef Round Steak (1kg)
$13.39 CA$18.92
$7.90 NIO 289
69.49%
Apples (1kg)
$3.14 CA$4.43
$4.08 NIO 149
-23.04%
Banana (1kg)
$1.44 CA$2.03
$0.59 NIO 21.53
144.07%
Oranges (1kg)
$3.47 CA$4.91
$1.76 NIO 64.6
97.16%
Tomato (1kg)
$3.07 CA$4.34
$0.98 NIO 35.96
213.27%
Potato (1kg)
$1.90 CA$2.69
$2.81 NIO 103
-32.38%
Onion (1kg)
$1.77 CA$2.50
$1.01 NIO 37.12
75.25%
Lettuce (1 head)
$2.34 CA$3.31
$1.03 NIO 37.59
127.18%
Water (1.5 liter bottle)
$1.55 CA$2.19
$1.02 NIO 37.21
51.96%
Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)
$11.38 CA$16.09
$2.80 NIO 103
306.43%
Wine (Bottle)
$10.63 CA$15.03
$10.07 NIO 369
5.56%
Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)
$2.27 CA$3.21
$1.41 NIO 51.8
60.99%
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$2.82 CA$3.99
$1.77 NIO 64.9
59.32%
🚌 Getting Around
Montreal
Granada
Difference
One-way Ticket (Public Transport)
$2.66 CA$3.76
$0.09 NIO 3.37
2855.56%
Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)
$77.3 CA$109
$3.89 NIO 142
1886.89%
Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)
$3.20 CA$4.53
$0.59 NIO 21.59
442.37%
Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)
$1.48 CA$2.09
$1.60 NIO 58.8
-7.50%
Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)
$32.88 CA$46.48
$6.83 NIO 250
381.41%
Gasoline (1 liter)
$1.34 CA$1.90
$1.28 NIO 46.73
4.69%
Midsize Hatchback 1.4l (Volkswagen Golf, Toyota Prius, Honda Civic, etc)
$28.2K CA$39.8K
$23.2K NIO 849.8K
21.32%
Compact Sedan 1.6l (Toyota Corolla, Mazda3, Kia K4, Hyundai Elantra, etc)
$19.6K CA$27.8K
$26.5K NIO 969.6K
-25.86%
🧾 Monthly Utilities & Internet
Montreal
Granada
Difference
Utilities for 2 People in 2-bedroom Apartment (Heating, Electricity, Gas, Water, Garbage) (85m2)
$76.0 CA$107
$154 NIO 5,650
-50.76%
SIM Card Monthly Plan (Calls and 10GB+ Data)
$33.95 CA$48.00
$19.44 NIO 712
74.64%
Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)
$42.31 CA$59.8
$32.60 NIO 1,194
29.79%
🎉 Sport & Entertainment
Montreal
Granada
Difference
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
$8.74 NIO 320
27.57%
🧸 Childcare & Education
Montreal
Granada
Difference
Preschool or Kindergarten, Full Day, Private, 1 Child (Monthly)
$507 CA$717
$238 NIO 8,720
112.99%
International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)
$16.1K CA$22.7K
$5,974 NIO 218.8K
168.67%
👕👟 Clothing & Footwear
Montreal
Granada
Difference
Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)
$57.6 CA$81.4
$15.21 NIO 557
278.37%
Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)
$37.58 CA$53.1
$30.09 NIO 1,102
24.89%
Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)
$91.9 CA$130
$35.60 NIO 1,304
158.15%
Men's Leather Business Shoes
$110 CA$155
$35.20 NIO 1,289
211.31%
🏠 Accommodation & Living
Montreal
Granada
Difference
1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$1,260 CA$1,782
$423 NIO 15.5K
197.71%
1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$948 CA$1,340
$346 NIO 12.7K
174.00%
3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$2,137 CA$3,021
$795 NIO 29.1K
168.72%
3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$1,614 CA$2,281
$522 NIO 19.1K
209.18%
Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)
$4,960 CA$7,011
-
-
Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)
$3,838 CA$5,425
-
-
💵 Salaries & Financials
Montreal
Granada
Difference
Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)
$2,827 CA$3,997
$136 NIO 4,984
1977.76%
20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)
4.48
11.92
-62.42%

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

Last update for Montreal: October 12, 2026

Last update for Granada: October 13, 2026

Monthly budget structure
Share of the monthly basket for one person, rent included.
Accommodation & Living
Montreal
$948
Granada
$346 63.5% $602
Groceries & Markets
Montreal
$346
Granada
$192 44.5% $154
Eating Out
Montreal
$288
Granada
$93 67.6% $195
Monthly Utilities & Internet
Montreal
$152
Granada
$206 35.5% $54
Clothing & Footwear
Montreal
$133
Granada
$52 60.9% $81
Getting Around
Montreal
$99
Granada
$13 86.9% $86
Sport & Entertainment
Montreal
$52
Granada
$17 * 66.4% $35

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 $423 in Granada. 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 1978% 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 $24.00 in Granada. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $346 vs $192 – making Granada the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know
🇨🇦 Montreal
🇳🇮 Granada
🕒 Local time
03:00 3:00 AM
01:00 1:00 AM
2 h behind Montreal
🌤 Weather
👥 Population
1,762,949
128,937
💱 Currency
Exchange rates and currency converter

NIO, USD, EUR to CAD – Canadian Dollar Converter

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).

Nicaraguan Córdoba exchange rates as of October 18, 2026: 1 USD = 36.62 NIO (100 NIO = 2.73 USD). 1 EUR = 41.17 NIO (100 NIO = 2.43 EUR).

On the map
Between locations
  • Montreal Granada 3,910 km ≈ 5 h nonstop flight
From you
  • Montreal
  • Granada

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 Granada: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions
How do living costs in Montreal and in Granada compare overall?
Monthly costs with rent: $2,018 in Montreal, $920 in Granada – roughly 119% apart. Outside of rent, the biggest gap is in eating out.
What salary covers living expenses in Montreal compared to Granada?
For a comfortable life, plan on about $3,027 per month in Montreal and $1,380 in Granada. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.
How do rents compare between Montreal and Granada?
Rent is clearly cheaper in Granada, especially for central apartments. Housing is actually the single biggest factor behind the overall cost gap between these two cities.
How do commuting costs compare in Montreal and in Granada?
Public transport costs about 1887% less in Granada. For daily commuters, that gap adds up to noticeable savings over a year.
What is the difference in childcare costs between Montreal and Granada?
Kindergarten costs $507 per month in Montreal and $238 in Granada. For families with young kids, this one expense can tip the scales when choosing between the two cities.
Which city is more doable on $2,000 per month?
A $2,000 monthly budget goes further in Granada, where all-in costs run around $920, than in Montreal at $2,018. In Granada it covers expenses comfortably, while in Montreal it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.
How does quality of life compare between Montreal and Granada?
It depends on your priorities. Montreal has an edge in some lifestyle areas, with costs from $920 in Granada to $2,018 in Montreal. Climate, culture, job market, and personal taste all factor in.
Is Montreal or Granada safer for residents?
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.
How do I decide between Montreal and Granada?
If budget matters most, go with Granada. 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.

Montreal vs other spots: cost of living compared

Similar cities

Show times on the 12-hour clock, temperatures in °F and distances in miles?