Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Montreal and Jaco Beach

For one person, living is cheaper in Jaco Beach: $1,447 a month against $2,059 in Montreal, rent and utilities included – about $7,300 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
70

Cost of Living Index in Jaco Beach
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Jaco Beach Living Index

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Montreal

🇨🇦 Canada

$2,059

/mo nomad

Jaco Beach

🇨🇷 Costa Rica

$1,447

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Montreal and in Jaco Beach

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $2,059 in Montreal versus $1,447 in Jaco Beach.

Montreal $2,059
Jaco Beach $1,447

Estimated couple costs with rent: $3,123 in Montreal versus $2,313 in Jaco Beach.

Montreal $3,123
Jaco Beach $2,313

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $4,187 in Montreal versus $3,180 in Jaco Beach.

Montreal $4,187
Jaco Beach $3,180

Living in Montreal is roughly 42% more expensive than in Jaco Beach, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in transport.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Montreal 52% above, Jaco Beach 7% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$18.84 CA$26.63

$11.77 ₡5,278

60.07%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$73.2 CA$104

$43.49 ₡19.5K

68.36%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$10.54 CA$14.90

$10.05 ₡4,505

4.88%

Cappuccino

$3.97 CA$5.61

$3.94 ₡1,768

0.76%

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

$1.94 CA$2.74

$2.38 ₡1,065

-18.49%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.57 CA$2.22

$1.86 ₡833

-15.59%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$6.42 CA$9.08

$3.29 ₡1,475

95.14%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$7.20 CA$10.19

$4.33 ₡1,943

66.28%

Milk (1 liter)

$2.32 CA$3.28

$1.90 ₡853

22.11%

White Bread (500g)

$3.19 CA$4.51

$2.22 ₡997

43.69%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$3.19 CA$4.50

$2.43 ₡1,092

31.28%

Eggs

$3.68 CA$5.20

$2.61 ₡1,171

41.00%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$13.24 CA$18.72

$10.62 ₡4,764

24.67%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$11.69 CA$16.53

$9.19 ₡4,123

27.20%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$13.98 CA$19.76

$11.90 ₡5,338

17.48%

Apples (1kg)

$3.14 CA$4.44

$5.08 ₡2,278

-38.19%

Banana (1kg)

$1.45 CA$2.05

$1.66 ₡742

-12.65%

Oranges (1kg)

$3.38 CA$4.78

$4.53 ₡2,033

-25.39%

Tomato (1kg)

$3.11 CA$4.40

$3.54 ₡1,590

-12.15%

Potato (1kg)

$1.93 CA$2.72

$1.56 ₡701

23.72%

Onion (1kg)

$1.83 CA$2.58

$1.42 ₡637

28.87%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.36 CA$3.34

$1.01 ₡454

133.66%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.50 CA$2.12

$1.99 ₡894

-24.62%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$11.12 CA$15.73

$5.79 ₡2,598

92.06%

Wine (Bottle)

$10.60 CA$14.98

$14.20 ₡6,366

-25.35%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.22 CA$3.14

$2.65 ₡1,188

-16.23%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.84 CA$4.01

$2.26 ₡1,012

25.66%

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

$2.42 ₡1,087

33.47%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.48 CA$2.10

$1.55 ₡696

-4.52%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$32.22 CA$45.55

$8.91 ₡3,994

261.62%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.36 CA$1.92

$1.55 ₡696

-12.26%

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

$27.6K CA$39.1K

$34.1K ₡15.3M

-19.02%

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

$21.2K CA$30.0K

$41.6K ₡18.7M

-49.09%

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

$77.0 CA$109

$80.2 ₡36.0K

-3.98%

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

$34.14 CA$48.26

$24.70 ₡11.1K

38.22%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$42.19 CA$59.7

$46.61 ₡20.9K

-9.48%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$30.81 CA$43.56

$53.3 ₡23.9K

-42.15%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$19.66 CA$27.79

Cinema Ticket

$11.47 CA$16.22

$7.57 ₡3,395

51.52%

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

$506 CA$716

$492 ₡220.8K

2.80%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$16.2K CA$23.0K

$7,283 ₡3.3M

122.94%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$57.3 CA$81.0

$24.70 ₡11.1K

131.82%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$38.10 CA$53.9

$57.2 ₡25.6K

-33.38%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$91.9 CA$130

$131 ₡58.8K

-29.93%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$110 CA$155

$133 ₡59.5K

-17.25%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,237 CA$1,748

$766 ₡343.4K

61.49%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$977 CA$1,381

$520 ₡233.2K

87.84%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,180 CA$3,082

$1,987 ₡891.0K

9.72%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,608 CA$2,273

$1,113 ₡499.1K

44.48%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$5,113 CA$7,228

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$3,744 CA$5,293

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$2,957 CA$4,180

$399 ₡178.8K

641.81%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

4.48

8.62

-48.03%

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

Last update for Montreal: October 20, 2026

Last update for Jaco Beach: October 19, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Montreal

$977 47.4%

Jaco Beach

$520 35.9% 46.8% $457

Groceries & Markets

Montreal

$351 17.1%

Jaco Beach

$328 22.7% 6.6% $23

Eating Out

Montreal

$290 14.1%

Jaco Beach

$214 14.8% 26.5% $77

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Montreal

$153 7.5%

Jaco Beach

$152 10.5% 1.2% $1.8

Clothing & Footwear

Montreal

$134 6.5%

Jaco Beach

$156 10.8% 16.4% $22

Getting Around

Montreal

$100 4.9%

Jaco Beach

$10 * 0.7% 89.8% $90

Sport & Entertainment

Montreal

$54 2.6%

Jaco Beach

$68 4.7% 27.2% $15

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

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,237 in Montreal and $766 in Jaco Beach. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Montreal pays 642% 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: $73.0 in Montreal vs $43.00 in Jaco Beach for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $351 vs $328 per month, with Jaco Beach cheaper across the board.

Good to know

🇨🇦 Montreal

🇨🇷 Jaco Beach

🕒 Local time

20:25 8:25 PM

18:25 6:25 PM

2 h behind Montreal

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

1,762,949

💱 Currency

Canadian Dollar CAD $

Costa Rican Colón CRC ₡

📈 Exchange rate

1 CAD = 0.707 USD

1 CAD = 0.629 EUR

1,000 CRC = 2.23 USD

1,000 CRC = 1.98 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

CRC, USD, EUR to CAD – Canadian Dollar Converter

🇺🇸 United States Dollar ($)

🇨🇦 Canadian Dollar ($)

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).

Costa Rican Colón exchange rates as of October 21, 2026: 1 USD = 448 CRC (1,000 CRC = 2.23 USD). 1 EUR = 504 CRC (1,000 CRC = 1.98 EUR).

USD to CAD in detail →

On the map

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Between locations

Montreal Jaco Beach 4,130 km ≈ 6 h nonstop flight

From you

Montreal
Jaco Beach

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 Jaco Beach: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Jaco Beach is cheaper overall, especially in groceries, eating out, and transport. The 42% gap adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

Average pay runs 642% 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: $1,237 in Montreal versus $766 in Jaco Beach. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $506 in Montreal versus $492 in Jaco Beach. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Dining out is cheaper in Jaco Beach – a meal for two runs $43.00 versus $73.0 in Montreal. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

At $1,447 in Jaco Beach versus $2,059 in Montreal, a $1,500 budget is realistic in Jaco Beach but tight or insufficient in Montreal. The gap between the two cities makes Jaco Beach the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

For families, Jaco Beach 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 Jaco Beach 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 Jaco Beach gentler on the wallet – expenses run 42% less than in Montreal. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.