Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Montreal and Green Island

For one person, living is cheaper in Green Island: $1,003 a month against $2,059 in Montreal, rent and utilities included – about $12,700 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

Montreal
🇨🇦 Canada
$2,059
/mo nomad
Green Island
🇯🇲 Jamaica
$1,003
/mo nomad
Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Montreal and in Green Island

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $2,059 in Montreal versus $1,003 in Green Island.

  • Montreal $2,059
  • Green Island $1,003

Estimated couple costs with rent: $3,123 in Montreal versus $1,656 in Green Island.

  • Montreal $3,123
  • Green Island $1,656

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $4,187 in Montreal versus $2,308 in Green Island.

  • Montreal $4,187
  • Green Island $2,308

Living in Montreal is roughly 105% more expensive than in Green Island, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in transport.

The two cities straddle the global median: Montreal is 52% above, Green Island is 26% below.

Currency
🍽 Eating Out
Montreal
Green Island
Difference
Meal at Budget Restaurant
$18.84 CA$26.63
$13.40 JMD 2,117
40.60%
Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range
$73.2 CA$104
$73.9 JMD 11.7K
-0.88%
Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)
$10.54 CA$14.90
$8.05 JMD 1,271
30.93%
Cappuccino
$3.97 CA$5.61
$5.34 JMD 843
-25.66%
Coke/Pepsi/Fanta/Sprite (0.33 liter bottle)
$1.94 CA$2.74
$1.14 JMD 180
70.18%
Water (0.33 liter bottle)
$1.57 CA$2.22
$0.68 JMD 108
130.88%
Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)
$6.42 CA$9.08
$2.19 JMD 346
193.15%
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$7.20 CA$10.19
$3.20 JMD 505
125.00%
🛒 Groceries & Markets
Montreal
Green Island
Difference
Milk (1 liter)
$2.32 CA$3.28
$4.10 JMD 647
-43.41%
White Bread (500g)
$3.19 CA$4.51
$3.81 JMD 603
-16.27%
Rice (white) (1kg)
$3.19 CA$4.50
$1.61 JMD 255
98.14%
Eggs
$3.68 CA$5.20
$3.50 JMD 554
5.14%
Local Cheese (1kg)
$13.24 CA$18.72
$11.48 JMD 1,814
15.33%
Chicken Fillets (1kg)
$11.69 CA$16.53
$6.12 JMD 967
91.01%
Beef Round Steak (1kg)
$13.98 CA$19.76
$10.14 JMD 1,603
37.87%
Apples (1kg)
$3.14 CA$4.44
$5.96 JMD 942
-47.32%
Banana (1kg)
$1.45 CA$2.05
$3.83 JMD 604
-62.14%
Oranges (1kg)
$3.38 CA$4.78
$7.34 JMD 1,160
-53.95%
Tomato (1kg)
$3.11 CA$4.40
$2.95 JMD 466
5.42%
Potato (1kg)
$1.93 CA$2.72
$3.26 JMD 515
-40.80%
Onion (1kg)
$1.83 CA$2.58
$2.66 JMD 421
-31.20%
Lettuce (1 head)
$2.36 CA$3.34
$2.98 JMD 472
-20.81%
Water (1.5 liter bottle)
$1.50 CA$2.12
$1.46 JMD 230
2.74%
Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)
$11.12 CA$15.73
$9.17 JMD 1,449
21.26%
Wine (Bottle)
$10.60 CA$14.98
$11.48 JMD 1,813
-7.67%
Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)
$2.22 CA$3.14
$2.92 JMD 462
-23.97%
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$2.84 CA$4.01
$3.88 JMD 613
-26.80%
🚌 Getting Around
Montreal
Green Island
Difference
One-way Ticket (Public Transport)
$2.62 CA$3.71
-
-
Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)
$79.1 CA$112
-
-
Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)
$3.23 CA$4.56
$1.23 JMD 194
162.60%
Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)
$1.48 CA$2.10
$3.08 JMD 486
-51.95%
Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)
$32.22 CA$45.55
$6.24 JMD 985
416.35%
Gasoline (1 liter)
$1.36 CA$1.92
$1.39 JMD 220
-2.16%
Midsize Hatchback 1.4l (Volkswagen Golf, Toyota Prius, Honda Civic, etc)
$27.6K CA$39.1K
$44.6K JMD 7.1M
-38.08%
Compact Sedan 1.6l (Toyota Corolla, Mazda3, Kia K4, Hyundai Elantra, etc)
$21.2K CA$30.0K
$32.5K JMD 5.1M
-34.77%
🧾 Monthly Utilities & Internet
Montreal
Green Island
Difference
Utilities for 2 People in 2-bedroom Apartment (Heating, Electricity, Gas, Water, Garbage) (85m2)
$77.0 CA$109
$170 JMD 26.9K
-54.75%
SIM Card Monthly Plan (Calls and 10GB+ Data)
$34.14 CA$48.26
$29.69 JMD 4,690
14.99%
Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)
$42.19 CA$59.7
$52.2 JMD 8,251
-19.21%
🎉 Sport & Entertainment
Montreal
Green Island
Difference
Gym Membership (Monthly)
$30.81 CA$43.56
-
-
Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)
$19.66 CA$27.79
-
-
Cinema Ticket
$11.47 CA$16.22
$13.42 JMD 2,121
-14.53%
🧸 Childcare & Education
Montreal
Green Island
Difference
Preschool or Kindergarten, Full Day, Private, 1 Child (Monthly)
$506 CA$716
$360 JMD 56.8K
40.76%
International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)
$16.2K CA$23.0K
$8,332 JMD 1.3M
94.86%
👕👟 Clothing & Footwear
Montreal
Green Island
Difference
Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)
$57.3 CA$81.0
$23.80 JMD 3,761
140.59%
Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)
$38.10 CA$53.9
$31.64 JMD 5,000
20.42%
Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)
$91.9 CA$130
$77.9 JMD 12.3K
17.97%
Men's Leather Business Shoes
$110 CA$155
$102 JMD 16.1K
7.46%
🏠 Accommodation & Living
Montreal
Green Island
Difference
1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$1,237 CA$1,748
-
-
1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$977 CA$1,381
-
-
3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$2,180 CA$3,082
-
-
3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$1,608 CA$2,273
-
-
Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)
$5,113 CA$7,228
-
-
Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)
$3,744 CA$5,293
-
-
💵 Salaries & Financials
Montreal
Green Island
Difference
Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)
$2,957 CA$4,180
-
-
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 20, 2026

Last update for Green Island: October 19, 2026

Monthly budget structure
Share of the monthly basket for one person, rent included.
Accommodation & Living
Montreal
$977
Green Island
- * 100%
Groceries & Markets
Montreal
$351
Green Island
$382 8.8% $31
Eating Out
Montreal
$290
Green Island
$220 24.3% $70
Monthly Utilities & Internet
Montreal
$153
Green Island
$252 64.4% $99
Clothing & Footwear
Montreal
$134
Green Island
$106 20.7% $28
Getting Around
Montreal
$100
Green Island
$17 * 83.4% $84
Sport & Entertainment
Montreal
$54
Green Island
$27 * 50.1% $27

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

Cost Breakdown

Dining out: $73.0 in Montreal vs $74.0 in Green Island for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $351 vs $382 per month, with Montreal cheaper across the board.

Good to know
🇨🇦 Montreal
🇯🇲 Green Island
🕒 Local time
20:20 8:20 PM
19:20 7:20 PM
1 h behind Montreal
🌤 Weather
👥 Population
1,762,949
2,546
💱 Currency
Exchange rates and currency converter

JMD, USD, EUR to CAD – Canadian Dollar Converter

Canadian Dollar exchange rates as of October 21, 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 21, 2026: 1 USD = 158 JMD (1,000 JMD = 6.33 USD). 1 EUR = 178 JMD (1,000 JMD = 5.63 EUR).

On the map
Between locations
  • Montreal Green Island 3,050 km ≈ 4 h 15 min nonstop flight
From you
  • Montreal
  • Green Island

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 Green Island: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions
What is the total cost difference between living in Montreal and in Green Island?
Montreal and Green Island differ by about 105% in total monthly costs ($2,059 vs $1,003 including rent). Green Island is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.
What salary covers living expenses in Montreal compared to Green Island?
You'd need roughly $3,089 in Montreal and $1,505 in Green Island 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.
Which city has cheaper grocery shopping?
Shoppers in Montreal pay roughly 9% less for everyday groceries. It's an unusual reversal that partly offsets higher costs elsewhere.
Which city is more expensive overall: Montreal or Green Island?
All in, you'll spend $2,059 per month in Montreal versus $1,003 in Green Island – a 105% gap that adds up to real savings over time for anyone picking the cheaper option.
Which city is more doable on $2,000 per month?
At $1,003 in Green Island versus $2,059 in Montreal, a $2,000 budget is realistic in Green Island but tight or insufficient in Montreal. The gap between the two cities makes Green Island the clear choice for anyone on this budget.
How does quality of life compare between Montreal and Green Island?
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.
Is Montreal or Green Island safer for residents?
Safety-wise, Montreal and Green Island are on par. Petty crime is typical for cities this size, and most residents feel comfortable going about their daily routines in either place.
Where should expats move: Montreal or Green Island?
Expats usually find Green Island gentler on the wallet – expenses run 105% less than in Montreal. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.

Montreal vs other spots: cost of living compared

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