Last update: Nov 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Montreal and Higuey

For one person, living is cheaper in Higuey: $926 a month against $2,067 in Montreal, rent and utilities included – about $13,700 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

Montreal, Canada
Higuey, Dominican Republic
Montreal
🇨🇦 Canada
$2,067
/mo nomad
Higuey
🇩🇴 Dominican Republic
$926
/mo nomad
Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Montreal and in Higuey

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $2,067 in Montreal versus $926 in Higuey.

  • Montreal $2,067
  • Higuey $926

Estimated couple costs with rent: $3,179 in Montreal versus $1,521 in Higuey.

  • Montreal $3,179
  • Higuey $1,521

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $4,291 in Montreal versus $2,116 in Higuey.

  • Montreal $4,291
  • Higuey $2,116

Living in Montreal is roughly 123% more expensive than in Higuey, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

The two cities straddle the global median: Montreal is 53% above, Higuey is 31% below.

Currency
🍽 Eating Out
Montreal
Higuey
Difference
Meal at Budget Restaurant
$18.89 CA$26.48
$9.95 DOP 595
89.85%
Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range
$72.6 CA$102
$52.3 DOP 3,129
38.63%
Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)
$10.79 CA$15.13
$7.43 DOP 444
45.22%
Cappuccino
$3.98 CA$5.58
$2.12 DOP 127
87.74%
Coke/Pepsi/Fanta/Sprite (0.33 liter bottle)
$2.02 CA$2.83
$1.07 DOP 63.9
88.79%
Water (0.33 liter bottle)
$1.63 CA$2.29
$0.49 DOP 29.11
232.65%
Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)
$6.32 CA$8.86
$2.51 DOP 150
151.79%
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$7.06 CA$9.90
$3.04 DOP 182
132.24%
🛒 Groceries & Markets
Montreal
Higuey
Difference
Milk (1 liter)
$2.33 CA$3.27
$1.20 DOP 72.0
94.17%
White Bread (500g)
$3.25 CA$4.55
$1.54 DOP 92.3
111.04%
Rice (white) (1kg)
$3.26 CA$4.58
$1.38 DOP 82.4
136.23%
Eggs
$3.48 CA$4.87
$2.00 DOP 120
74.00%
Local Cheese (1kg)
$13.73 CA$19.25
$7.36 DOP 440
86.55%
Chicken Fillets (1kg)
$11.48 CA$16.09
$5.26 DOP 315
118.25%
Beef Round Steak (1kg)
$14.26 CA$19.99
$6.78 DOP 405
110.32%
Apples (1kg)
$3.52 CA$4.94
$2.92 DOP 174
20.55%
Banana (1kg)
$1.46 CA$2.04
$0.76 DOP 45.71
92.11%
Oranges (1kg)
$3.41 CA$4.78
$1.46 DOP 87.4
133.56%
Tomato (1kg)
$3.20 CA$4.49
$1.29 DOP 76.9
148.06%
Potato (1kg)
$1.94 CA$2.71
$1.14 DOP 67.9
70.18%
Onion (1kg)
$1.78 CA$2.50
$1.18 DOP 70.3
50.85%
Lettuce (1 head)
$2.52 CA$3.53
$0.56 DOP 33.35
350.00%
Water (1.5 liter bottle)
$1.58 CA$2.22
$0.52 DOP 31.00
203.85%
Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)
$11.51 CA$16.13
$5.22 DOP 312
120.50%
Wine (Bottle)
$10.57 CA$14.82
$10.19 DOP 609
3.73%
Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)
$2.35 CA$3.29
$2.43 DOP 145
-3.29%
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$2.90 CA$4.06
$2.88 DOP 172
0.69%
🚌 Getting Around
Montreal
Higuey
Difference
One-way Ticket (Public Transport)
$2.61 CA$3.66
$0.84 DOP 50.3
210.71%
Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)
$78.5 CA$110
$48.70 DOP 2,912
61.09%
Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)
$3.17 CA$4.45
$3.39 DOP 203
-6.49%
Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)
$1.49 CA$2.09
$2.19 DOP 131
-31.96%
Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)
$33.49 CA$46.94
$5.70 DOP 341
487.54%
Gasoline (1 liter)
$1.36 CA$1.91
$1.47 DOP 87.8
-7.48%
Midsize Hatchback 1.4l (Volkswagen Golf, Toyota Prius, Honda Civic, etc)
$28.0K CA$39.3K
$25.0K DOP 1.5M
11.88%
Compact Sedan 1.6l (Toyota Corolla, Mazda3, Kia K4, Hyundai Elantra, etc)
$21.1K CA$29.6K
$31.2K DOP 1.9M
-32.18%
🧾 Monthly Utilities & Internet
Montreal
Higuey
Difference
Utilities for 2 People in 2-bedroom Apartment (Heating, Electricity, Gas, Water, Garbage) (85m2)
$77.6 CA$109
$93.0 DOP 5,561
-16.59%
SIM Card Monthly Plan (Calls and 10GB+ Data)
$35.63 CA$49.94
$16.84 DOP 1,007
111.58%
Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)
$43.73 CA$61.3
$33.54 DOP 2,006
30.38%
🎉 Sport & Entertainment
Montreal
Higuey
Difference
Gym Membership (Monthly)
$30.07 CA$42.16
$24.52 DOP 1,466
22.63%
Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)
$19.97 CA$27.99
$66.9 DOP 4,002
-70.17%
Cinema Ticket
$11.27 CA$15.80
$7.29 DOP 436
54.60%
🧸 Childcare & Education
Montreal
Higuey
Difference
Preschool or Kindergarten, Full Day, Private, 1 Child (Monthly)
$522 CA$732
$97.5 DOP 5,831
435.29%
International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)
$17.8K CA$24.9K
$2,149 DOP 128.5K
727.97%
👕👟 Clothing & Footwear
Montreal
Higuey
Difference
Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)
$59.0 CA$82.7
$44.91 DOP 2,685
31.31%
Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)
$39.01 CA$54.7
$45.51 DOP 2,721
-14.28%
Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)
$99.8 CA$140
$85.8 DOP 5,127
16.36%
Men's Leather Business Shoes
$110 CA$154
$79.2 DOP 4,734
38.49%
🏠 Accommodation & Living
Montreal
Higuey
Difference
1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$1,298 CA$1,820
$300 DOP 17.9K
333.14%
1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$970 CA$1,360
$217 DOP 13.0K
347.86%
3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$2,323 CA$3,257
$570 DOP 34.1K
307.83%
3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$1,689 CA$2,368
$415 DOP 24.8K
306.85%
Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)
$5,004 CA$7,014
$1,862 DOP 111.3K
168.71%
Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)
$3,736 CA$5,237
$1,225 DOP 73.3K
204.94%
💵 Salaries & Financials
Montreal
Higuey
Difference
Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)
$2,943 CA$4,125
$444 DOP 26.6K
562.56%
20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)
4.51
11.5
-60.78%

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

Last update for Montreal: November 3, 2026

Last update for Higuey: November 2, 2026

Monthly budget structure
Share of the monthly basket for one person, rent included.
Accommodation & Living
Montreal
$970
Higuey
$217 77.7% $754
Groceries & Markets
Montreal
$357
Higuey
$194 45.8% $164
Eating Out
Montreal
$292
Higuey
$152 47.8% $139
Monthly Utilities & Internet
Montreal
$157
Higuey
$143 8.6% $14
Clothing & Footwear
Montreal
$138
Higuey
$115 16.9% $23
Getting Around
Montreal
$100
Higuey
$66 33.3% $33
Sport & Entertainment
Montreal
$53
Higuey
$39 25.7% $14

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,298 in Montreal and $300 in Higuey. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Montreal pays about 6.6 times more on average. How far that income stretches comes down to housing choices and lifestyle.

Dining out: $73 in Montreal vs $52 in Higuey for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $357 vs $194 per month, with Higuey cheaper across the board.

Good to know
🇨🇦 Montreal
🇩🇴 Higuey
🕒 Local time
07:56 7:56 AM
08:56 8:56 AM
1 h ahead of Montreal
🌤 Weather
👥 Population
1,762,949
123,787
💱 Currency
Exchange rates and currency converter

DOP, USD, EUR to CAD – Canadian Dollar Converter

Canadian Dollar exchange rates as of November 6, 2026: 1 USD = 1.4 CAD (1 CAD = 0.713 USD). 1 EUR = 1.57 CAD (1 CAD = 0.635 EUR).

Dominican Peso exchange rates as of November 6, 2026: 1 USD = 59.79 DOP (100 DOP = 1.67 USD). 1 EUR = 67.15 DOP (100 DOP = 1.49 EUR).

On the map
Between locations
  • Montreal Higuey 3,020 km ≈ 4 h 15 min nonstop flight
From you
  • Montreal
  • Higuey

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 Higuey: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions
Is Higuey cheaper than Montreal?
Higuey is about 55% cheaper overall, especially in groceries, eating out, and transport. That difference adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.
Where can you earn more: Montreal or Higuey?
Average pay in Montreal is about 6.6 times higher, which matters when comparing affordability. Whether that higher income actually nets you more depends on your spending habits and housing choices.
What is the rent difference between Montreal and Higuey?
Rent for a central apartment: $1,298 in Montreal versus $300 in Higuey. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.
What are total monthly expenses in Montreal and in Higuey?
All in, you’ll spend $2,067 per month in Montreal versus $926 in Higuey – Higuey is about 55% cheaper, which adds up to real savings over time.
Which city has cheaper public transport?
A monthly transit pass in Higuey runs roughly 38% less than in Montreal. The price difference matters if you commute daily and watch your budget.
Is Montreal or Higuey more family-friendly?
For families, Higuey 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.
Which city is safer, Montreal or Higuey?
Safety-wise, Montreal and Higuey are both considered safe, so it’s unlikely to be the deciding factor between them.
Which city is easier to live in as a foreigner?
Expats usually find Higuey gentler on the wallet – expenses run 55% less than in Montreal. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.

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