Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Montreal and Ilopango

For one person, living is cheaper in Ilopango: $1,625 a month against $2,003 in Montreal, rent and utilities included – about $4,500 less a year. The total is higher in Montreal despite lower rent and utilities.

99

Cost of Living Index in Montreal
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Montreal Living Index
79

Cost of Living Index in Ilopango
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Ilopango Living Index

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Montreal

🇨🇦 Canada

$2,003

/mo nomad

Ilopango

🇸🇻 El Salvador

$1,625

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Montreal and in Ilopango

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $2,003 in Montreal versus $1,625 in Ilopango.

Montreal $2,003
Ilopango $1,625

Estimated couple costs with rent: $3,048 in Montreal versus $1,858 in Ilopango.

Montreal $3,048
Ilopango $1,858

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $4,092 in Montreal versus $2,090 in Ilopango.

Montreal $4,092
Ilopango $2,090

Living in Montreal is roughly 23% more expensive than in Ilopango, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Montreal 49% above, Ilopango 21% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$19.31 CA$27.52

$3.16 $3.16

511.08%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$75.5 CA$108

$44.12 $44.12

71.12%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$10.63 CA$15.15

$5.04 $5.04

110.91%

Cappuccino

$3.93 CA$5.60

$2.94 $2.94

33.67%

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

$1.92 CA$2.73

$0.93 $0.93

106.45%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.48 CA$2.11

$0.97 $0.97

52.58%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$6.30 CA$8.98

$0.91 $0.91

592.31%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$7.19 CA$10.24

$1.75 $1.75

310.86%

Milk (1 liter)

$2.22 CA$3.17

$3.28 $3.28

-32.32%

White Bread (500g)

$3.06 CA$4.36

$1.44 $1.44

112.50%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.94 CA$4.19

$3.07 $3.07

-4.23%

Eggs

$3.53 CA$5.03

$2.92 $2.92

20.89%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$13.19 CA$18.79

$5.02 $5.02

162.75%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$11.24 CA$16.02

$5.86 $5.86

91.81%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$13.81 CA$19.69

$9.86 $9.86

40.06%

Apples (1kg)

$3.40 CA$4.85

$2.92 $2.92

16.44%

Banana (1kg)

$1.44 CA$2.06

$2.02 $2.02

-28.71%

Oranges (1kg)

$3.26 CA$4.65

$2.03 $2.03

60.59%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.88 CA$4.10

$1.95 $1.95

47.69%

Potato (1kg)

$1.86 CA$2.65

$2.02 $2.02

-7.92%

Onion (1kg)

$1.82 CA$2.60

$1.97 $1.97

-7.61%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.43 CA$3.46

$0.93 $0.93

161.29%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.52 CA$2.17

$0.97 $0.97

56.70%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$11.45 CA$16.32

$3.95 $3.95

189.87%

Wine (Bottle)

$10.36 CA$14.76

$12.18 $12.18

-14.94%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.22 CA$3.16

$0.98 $0.98

126.53%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.82 CA$4.02

$2.06 $2.06

36.89%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.58 CA$3.67

$0.88 $0.88

193.18%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$76.9 CA$110

$35.67 $35.67

115.56%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.25 CA$4.64

$7.16 $7.16

-54.61%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.48 CA$2.11

$2.16 $2.16

-31.48%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$33.04 CA$47.09

$4.71 $4.71

601.49%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.36 CA$1.94

$0.67 $0.67

102.99%

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

$27.4K CA$39.1K

$19.9K $19.9K

37.53%

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

$20.0K CA$28.5K

$26.1K $26.1K

-23.37%

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

$76.1 CA$109

$34.38 $34.38

121.41%

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

$34.68 CA$49.43

$9.97 $9.97

247.84%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$42.69 CA$60.9

$39.70 $39.70

7.53%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$28.94 CA$41.26

$39.80 $39.80

-27.29%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$20.33 CA$28.97

$10.04 $10.04

102.49%

Cinema Ticket

$11.21 CA$15.98

$4.97 $4.97

125.55%

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

$505 CA$720

$104 $104

383.62%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$16.0K CA$22.8K

$1,904 $1,904

741.07%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$58.5 CA$83.4

$20.18 $20.18

189.89%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$38.00 CA$54.2

$29.95 $29.95

26.88%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$92.7 CA$132

$75.4 $75.4

23.03%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$106 CA$151

$58.9 $58.9

79.68%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,240 CA$1,768

$677 $677

83.09%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$986 CA$1,405

$1,038 $1,038

-5.05%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,102 CA$2,996

$585 $585

259.54%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,615 CA$2,302

$640 $640

152.31%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$5,043 CA$7,188

$1,747 $1,747

188.64%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$3,830 CA$5,459

$949 $949

303.75%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$2,920 CA$4,163

$976 $976

199.26%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

4.46

-25.67%

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

Last update for Montreal: October 6, 2026

Last update for Ilopango: October 3, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Montreal

$986 47.9%

Ilopango

$1K 62.9% 5.3% $52

Groceries & Markets

Montreal

$344 16.7%

Ilopango

$248 15% 27.7% $95

Eating Out

Montreal

$293 14.2%

Ilopango

$91 5.5% 68.8% $202

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Montreal

$154 7.5%

Ilopango

$84 5.1% 45.2% $69

Clothing & Footwear

Montreal

$133 6.5%

Ilopango

$83 5% 37.5% $50

Getting Around

Montreal

$98 4.8%

Ilopango

$57 3.5% 41.6% $41

Sport & Entertainment

Montreal

$51 2.5%

Ilopango

$50 3% 3.2% $1.6

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,240 in Montreal and $677 in Ilopango. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Montreal pays 199% 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: $75.0 in Montreal vs $44.00 in Ilopango for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $344 vs $248 per month, with Ilopango cheaper across the board.

Good to know

🇨🇦 Montreal

🇸🇻 Ilopango

🕒 Local time

06:08 6:08 AM

04:08 4:08 AM

2 h behind Montreal

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

1,762,949

38,890

💱 Currency

Canadian Dollar CAD $

United States Dollar USD $

📈 Exchange rate

1 CAD = 0.702 USD

1 CAD = 0.626 EUR

1 USD = 0.892 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

USD, EUR to CAD – Canadian Dollar Converter

🇺🇸 United States Dollar ($)

🇨🇦 Canadian Dollar ($)

Canadian Dollar exchange rates as of October 10, 2026: 1 USD = 1.43 CAD (1 CAD = 0.702 USD). 1 EUR = 1.6 CAD (1 CAD = 0.626 EUR).

United States Dollar exchange rates as of October 10, 2026: 1 EUR = 1.12 USD (1 USD = 0.892 EUR).

USD to CAD in detail →

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Between locations

Montreal Ilopango 3,830 km ≈ 5 h nonstop flight

From you

Montreal
Ilopango

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 Ilopango: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Ilopango is cheaper overall, especially in groceries, eating out, and clothing. The 23% gap adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

Average pay runs 199% 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: $1,240 in Montreal versus $677 in Ilopango. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $505 in Montreal versus $104 in Ilopango. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Supermarket bills run roughly 38% higher in Montreal. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

At $1,625 in Ilopango versus $2,003 in Montreal, a $2,500 budget is realistic in Ilopango but tight or insufficient in Montreal. The gap between the two cities makes Ilopango the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

For families, Ilopango 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 Ilopango 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 Ilopango gentler on the wallet – expenses run 23% less than in Montreal. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.