Last update: Nov 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Montreal and Isabela

For one person, living is cheaper in Isabela: $1,258 a month against $2,067 in Montreal, rent and utilities included – about $9,700 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

100

Cost of Living Index in Montreal
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Montreal Living Index
61

Cost of Living Index in Isabela
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Isabela Living Index

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Montreal

🇨🇦 Canada

$2,067

/mo nomad

Isabela

🇵🇷 Puerto Rico

$1,258

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Montreal and in Isabela

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $2,067 in Montreal versus $1,258 in Isabela.

Montreal $2,067
Isabela $1,258

Estimated couple costs with rent: $3,179 in Montreal versus $1,974 in Isabela.

Montreal $3,179
Isabela $1,974

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $4,291 in Montreal versus $2,690 in Isabela.

Montreal $4,291
Isabela $2,690

Living in Montreal is roughly 64% more expensive than in Isabela, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in transport.

The two cities straddle the global median: Montreal is 53% above, Isabela is 7% below.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$18.89 CA$26.48

$19.01 $19.01

-0.63%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$72.6 CA$102

$81.5 $81.5

-10.95%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$10.79 CA$15.13

$8.95 $8.95

20.56%

Cappuccino

$3.98 CA$5.58

$3.62 $3.62

9.94%

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

$2.02 CA$2.83

$1.91 $1.91

5.76%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.63 CA$2.29

$1.51 $1.51

7.95%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$6.32 CA$8.86

$3.02 $3.02

109.27%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$7.06 CA$9.90

$5.09 $5.09

38.70%

Milk (1 liter)

$2.33 CA$3.27

$1.97 $1.97

18.27%

White Bread (500g)

$3.25 CA$4.55

$2.81 $2.81

15.66%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$3.26 CA$4.58

$1.21 $1.21

169.42%

Eggs

$3.48 CA$4.87

$2.95 $2.95

17.97%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$13.73 CA$19.25

$10.82 $10.82

26.89%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$11.48 CA$16.09

$6.46 $6.46

77.71%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$14.26 CA$19.99

$13.50 $13.50

5.63%

Apples (1kg)

$3.52 CA$4.94

$4.37 $4.37

-19.45%

Banana (1kg)

$1.46 CA$2.04

$2.62 $2.62

-44.27%

Oranges (1kg)

$3.41 CA$4.78

$4.89 $4.89

-30.27%

Tomato (1kg)

$3.20 CA$4.49

$4.71 $4.71

-32.06%

Potato (1kg)

$1.94 CA$2.71

$3.85 $3.85

-49.61%

Onion (1kg)

$1.78 CA$2.50

$4.07 $4.07

-56.27%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.52 CA$3.53

$3.52 $3.52

-28.41%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.58 CA$2.22

$1.64 $1.64

-3.66%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$11.51 CA$16.13

$11.76 $11.76

-2.13%

Wine (Bottle)

$10.57 CA$14.82

$15.43 $15.43

-31.50%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.35 CA$3.29

$2.99 $2.99

-21.40%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.90 CA$4.06

$3.96 $3.96

-26.77%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.61 CA$3.66

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$78.5 CA$110

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.17 CA$4.45

$2.46 $2.46

28.86%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.49 CA$2.09

$1.54 $1.54

-3.25%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$33.49 CA$46.94

$41.55 $41.55

-19.40%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.36 CA$1.91

$0.88 $0.88

54.55%

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

$28.0K CA$39.3K

$34.8K $34.8K

-19.43%

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

$21.1K CA$29.6K

$28.1K $28.1K

-24.74%

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

$77.6 CA$109

$315 $315

-75.36%

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

$35.63 CA$49.94

$68.8 $68.8

-48.22%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$43.73 CA$61.3

$70.2 $70.2

-37.73%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$30.07 CA$42.16

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$19.97 CA$27.99

Cinema Ticket

$11.27 CA$15.80

$10.38 $10.38

8.57%

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

$522 CA$732

$837 $837

-37.65%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$17.8K CA$24.9K

$12.7K $12.7K

40.18%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$59.0 CA$82.7

$56.7 $56.7

3.95%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$39.01 CA$54.7

$61.7 $61.7

-36.75%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$99.8 CA$140

$110 $110

-8.98%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$110 CA$154

$115 $115

-4.37%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,298 CA$1,820

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$970 CA$1,360

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,323 CA$3,257

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,689 CA$2,368

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$5,004 CA$7,014

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$3,736 CA$5,237

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$2,943 CA$4,125

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

4.51

6.55

-31.15%

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

Last update for Montreal: November 3, 2026

Last update for Isabela: November 3, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Montreal

$970 47%

Isabela

- * 0% 100%

Groceries & Markets

Montreal

$357 17.3%

Isabela

$358 28.4% 0.1% $0.3

Eating Out

Montreal

$292 14.1%

Isabela

$261 20.8% 10.4% $30

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Montreal

$157 7.6%

Isabela

$454 36.1% 189% $297

Clothing & Footwear

Montreal

$138 6.7%

Isabela

$154 12.3% 11.5% $16

Getting Around

Montreal

$100 4.8%

Isabela

$10 * 0.8% 89.8% $89

Sport & Entertainment

Montreal

$53 2.6%

Isabela

$21 * 1.7% 60.6% $32

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

Cost Breakdown

Dining out: $73 in Montreal vs $81 in Isabela for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $357 vs $358 per month, with Montreal cheaper across the board.

Good to know

🇨🇦 Montreal

🇵🇷 Isabela

🕒 Local time

00:34 12:34 AM

01:34 1:34 AM

1 h ahead of Montreal

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

1,762,949

45,000

💱 Currency

Canadian Dollar CAD $

United States Dollar USD $

📈 Exchange rate

1 CAD = 0.713 USD

1 CAD = 0.635 EUR

1 USD = 0.891 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

USD, EUR to CAD – Canadian Dollar Converter

🇺🇸 United States Dollar ($)

🇨🇦 Canadian Dollar ($)

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).

United States Dollar exchange rates as of November 6, 2026: 1 EUR = 1.12 USD (1 USD = 0.891 EUR).

USD to CAD in detail →

On the map

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Between locations

Montreal Isabela 3,060 km ≈ 4 h 15 min nonstop flight

From you

Montreal
Isabela

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 Isabela: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Isabela wins on cost – living expenses run 39% lower than in Montreal. Housing and daily spending are where you’ll feel the difference most, making Isabela the obvious pick if budget is a priority.

You’d need roughly $3,100 in Montreal and $1,887 in Isabela 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.

All in, you’ll spend $2,067 per month in Montreal versus $1,258 in Isabela – Isabela is about 39% cheaper, which adds up to real savings over time.

Dining out is cheaper in Montreal – a meal for two runs $73 versus $81 in Isabela. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

Both cities are expensive relative to $1,000. Isabela is the more realistic option, but even there you’ll need to be disciplined with housing, food, and fun money.

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.

Safety-wise, Montreal and Isabela are both considered safe, so it’s unlikely to be the deciding factor between them.