Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Montreal and Ibague

For one person, living is cheaper in Ibague: $1,115 a month against $2,018 in Montreal, rent and utilities included – about $10,800 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
54

Cost of Living Index in Ibague
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Ibague Living Index

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Montreal

🇨🇦 Canada

$2,018

/mo nomad

Ibague

🇨🇴 Colombia

$1,115

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Montreal and in Ibague

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $2,018 in Montreal versus $1,115 in Ibague.

Montreal $2,018
Ibague $1,115

Estimated couple costs with rent: $3,085 in Montreal versus $1,770 in Ibague.

Montreal $3,085
Ibague $1,770

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $4,152 in Montreal versus $2,426 in Ibague.

Montreal $4,152
Ibague $2,426

Living in Montreal is roughly 81% more expensive than in Ibague, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

The two cities straddle the global median: Montreal is 49% above, Ibague is 17% below.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$18.82 CA$26.61

$7.68 COP 24.3K

145.05%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$70.3 CA$99.4

$42.39 COP 134.4K

65.82%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$10.66 CA$15.06

$7.78 COP 24.7K

37.02%

Cappuccino

$3.84 CA$5.43

$1.60 COP 5,066

140.00%

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

$1.92 CA$2.71

$1.11 COP 3,527

72.97%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.54 CA$2.18

$0.75 COP 2,387

105.33%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$6.23 CA$8.81

$1.42 COP 4,513

338.73%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$7.10 CA$10.03

$3.98 COP 12.6K

78.39%

Milk (1 liter)

$2.31 CA$3.27

$1.08 COP 3,412

113.89%

White Bread (500g)

$3.14 CA$4.44

$2.50 COP 7,921

25.60%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$3.21 CA$4.54

$1.16 COP 3,664

176.72%

Eggs

$3.52 CA$4.97

$2.19 COP 6,957

60.73%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$12.81 CA$18.11

$8.03 COP 25.5K

59.53%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$11.46 CA$16.20

$6.63 COP 21.0K

72.85%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$13.39 CA$18.92

$9.69 COP 30.7K

38.18%

Apples (1kg)

$3.14 CA$4.43

$3.42 COP 10.8K

-8.19%

Banana (1kg)

$1.44 CA$2.03

$0.92 COP 2,911

56.52%

Oranges (1kg)

$3.47 CA$4.91

$1.41 COP 4,484

146.10%

Tomato (1kg)

$3.07 CA$4.34

$1.80 COP 5,722

70.56%

Potato (1kg)

$1.90 CA$2.69

$0.80 COP 2,532

137.50%

Onion (1kg)

$1.77 CA$2.50

$0.75 COP 2,363

136.00%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.34 CA$3.31

$0.80 COP 2,544

192.50%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.55 CA$2.19

$1.20 COP 3,798

29.17%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$11.38 CA$16.09

$4.34 COP 13.8K

162.21%

Wine (Bottle)

$10.63 CA$15.03

$12.68 COP 40.2K

-16.17%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.27 CA$3.21

$1.39 COP 4,418

63.31%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.82 CA$3.99

$2.87 COP 9,109

-1.74%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.66 CA$3.76

$1.05 COP 3,321

153.33%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$77.3 CA$109

$62.5 COP 198.0K

23.76%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.20 CA$4.53

$1.37 COP 4,340

133.58%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.48 CA$2.09

$0.35 COP 1,118

322.86%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$32.88 CA$46.48

$2.15 COP 6,802

1429.30%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.34 CA$1.90

$1.32 COP 4,185

1.52%

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

$28.2K CA$39.8K

$20.3K COP 64.5M

38.36%

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

$19.6K CA$27.8K

$36.1K COP 114.5M

-45.63%

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

$76.0 CA$107

$40.84 COP 129.5K

85.99%

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

$33.95 CA$48.00

$9.56 COP 30.3K

255.13%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$42.31 CA$59.8

$13.89 COP 44.0K

204.61%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$29.76 CA$42.07

$27.47 COP 87.1K

8.34%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$20.28 CA$28.67

Cinema Ticket

$11.15 CA$15.77

$4.77 COP 15.1K

133.75%

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

$507 CA$717

$502 COP 1.6M

1.05%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$16.1K CA$22.7K

$7,436 COP 23.6M

115.86%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$57.6 CA$81.4

$25.07 COP 79.5K

129.56%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$37.58 CA$53.1

$48.53 COP 153.9K

-22.56%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$91.9 CA$130

$78.6 COP 249.2K

16.94%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$110 CA$155

$105 COP 333.4K

4.20%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,260 CA$1,782

$651 COP 2.1M

93.62%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$948 CA$1,340

$469 COP 1.5M

101.94%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,137 CA$3,021

$1,007 COP 3.2M

112.18%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,614 CA$2,281

$888 COP 2.8M

81.77%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$4,960 CA$7,011

$1,965 COP 6.2M

152.45%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$3,838 CA$5,425

$1,656 COP 5.2M

131.80%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$2,827 CA$3,997

$616 COP 2.0M

358.70%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

4.48

12.81

-65.03%

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

Last update for Montreal: October 12, 2026

Last update for Ibague: October 13, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Montreal

$948 47%

Ibague

$469 42.1% 50.5% $478

Groceries & Markets

Montreal

$346 17.2%

Ibague

$232 20.8% 33% $114

Eating Out

Montreal

$288 14.3%

Ibague

$126 11.4% 56.1% $161

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Montreal

$152 7.5%

Ibague

$64 5.8% 57.8% $88

Clothing & Footwear

Montreal

$133 6.6%

Ibague

$116 10.4% 13.2% $18

Getting Around

Montreal

$99 4.9%

Ibague

$70 6.3% 29.2% $29

Sport & Entertainment

Montreal

$52 2.6%

Ibague

$37 3.3% 28.9% $15

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,260 in Montreal and $651 in Ibague. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Montreal pays 359% more on average. The extra income cushions the higher costs, though housing choices and lifestyle decide how much of the gap is truly closed.

Dining out: $70.0 in Montreal vs $42.00 in Ibague for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $346 vs $232 per month, with Ibague cheaper across the board.

Good to know

🇨🇦 Montreal

🇨🇴 Ibague

🕒 Local time

09:18 9:18 AM

08:18 8:18 AM

1 h behind Montreal

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

1,762,949

530,000

💱 Currency

Canadian Dollar CAD $

Colombian Peso COP $

📈 Exchange rate

1 CAD = 0.707 USD

1 CAD = 0.629 EUR

10,000 COP = 3.15 USD

10,000 COP = 2.81 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

COP, 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).

Colombian Peso exchange rates as of October 19, 2026: 1 USD = 3,171 COP (10,000 COP = 3.15 USD). 1 EUR = 3,565 COP (10,000 COP = 2.81 EUR).

USD to CAD in detail →

On the map

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Between locations

Montreal Ibague 4,570 km ≈ 6 h nonstop flight

From you

Montreal
Ibague

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 Ibague: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Ibague is cheaper overall, especially in groceries, eating out, and clothing. The 81% gap adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

Average pay runs 359% higher in Montreal, which matters when comparing affordability. Whether that higher income actually nets you more depends on your spending habits and housing choices.

Rent for a central apartment: $1,260 in Montreal versus $651 in Ibague. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

All in, you'll spend $2,018 per month in Montreal versus $1,115 in Ibague – a 81% gap that adds up to real savings over time for anyone picking the cheaper option.

A monthly transit pass in Ibague runs roughly 24% less than in Montreal. Both cities have functional networks, but the price difference matters if you're watching your budget.

At $1,115 in Ibague versus $2,018 in Montreal, a $1,500 budget is realistic in Ibague but tight or insufficient in Montreal. The gap between the two cities makes Ibague the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

For families, Ibague 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.

Safety-wise, Montreal and Ibague 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 Ibague gentler on the wallet – expenses run 81% less than in Montreal. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.