Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Montreal and La Plata

For one person, living is cheaper in La Plata: $959 a month against $2,018 in Montreal, rent and utilities included – about $12,700 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

Montreal
🇨🇦 Canada
$2,018
/mo nomad
La Plata
🇦🇷 Argentina
$959
/mo nomad
Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Montreal and in La Plata

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

A single person spends $2,018 per month in Montreal vs $959 in La Plata, rent included.

  • Montreal $2,018
  • La Plata $959

A couple spends around $3,085 per month in Montreal vs $1,711 in La Plata, rent included.

  • Montreal $3,085
  • La Plata $1,711

A family of three spends $4,152 per month in Montreal vs $2,464 in La Plata, rent included.

  • Montreal $4,152
  • La Plata $2,464

Montreal costs about 110% more than La Plata, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Montreal sits 49% above the global median, while La Plata is 29% below – they fall on opposite sides of the world average.

Currency
🍽 Eating Out
Montreal
La Plata
Difference
Meal at Budget Restaurant
$18.82 CA$26.81
$15.43 ARS 23.4K
21.97%
Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range
$70.3 CA$100
$49.89 ARS 75.7K
40.89%
Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)
$10.66 CA$15.18
$9.82 ARS 14.9K
8.55%
Cappuccino
$3.84 CA$5.47
$3.84 ARS 5,826
-
Coke/Pepsi/Fanta/Sprite (0.33 liter bottle)
$1.92 CA$2.73
$1.54 ARS 2,342
24.68%
Water (0.33 liter bottle)
$1.54 CA$2.19
$0.91 ARS 1,385
69.23%
Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)
$6.23 CA$8.88
$4.04 ARS 6,121
54.21%
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$7.10 CA$10.11
$3.60 ARS 5,455
97.22%
🛒 Groceries & Markets
Montreal
La Plata
Difference
Milk (1 liter)
$2.31 CA$3.30
$1.04 ARS 1,579
122.12%
White Bread (500g)
$3.14 CA$4.48
$2.18 ARS 3,301
44.04%
Rice (white) (1kg)
$3.21 CA$4.58
$0.88 ARS 1,327
264.77%
Eggs
$3.52 CA$5.01
$2.23 ARS 3,385
57.85%
Local Cheese (1kg)
$12.81 CA$18.25
$9.00 ARS 13.7K
42.33%
Chicken Fillets (1kg)
$11.46 CA$16.33
$5.40 ARS 8,182
112.22%
Beef Round Steak (1kg)
$13.39 CA$19.07
$9.44 ARS 14.3K
41.84%
Apples (1kg)
$3.14 CA$4.47
$2.08 ARS 3,155
50.96%
Banana (1kg)
$1.44 CA$2.05
$1.94 ARS 2,941
-25.77%
Oranges (1kg)
$3.47 CA$4.95
$0.74 ARS 1,121
368.92%
Tomato (1kg)
$3.07 CA$4.38
$1.55 ARS 2,355
98.06%
Potato (1kg)
$1.90 CA$2.71
$0.52 ARS 789
265.38%
Onion (1kg)
$1.77 CA$2.52
$0.60 ARS 916
195.00%
Lettuce (1 head)
$2.34 CA$3.34
$1.01 ARS 1,534
131.68%
Water (1.5 liter bottle)
$1.55 CA$2.21
$1.01 ARS 1,537
53.47%
Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)
$11.38 CA$16.21
$3.23 ARS 4,900
252.32%
Wine (Bottle)
$10.63 CA$15.14
$4.99 ARS 7,573
113.03%
Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)
$2.27 CA$3.24
$2.09 ARS 3,176
8.61%
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$2.82 CA$4.02
$2.83 ARS 4,285
-0.35%
🚌 Getting Around
Montreal
La Plata
Difference
One-way Ticket (Public Transport)
$2.66 CA$3.79
$0.73 ARS 1,107
264.38%
Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)
$77.3 CA$110
$4.59 ARS 6,961
1583.88%
Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)
$3.20 CA$4.56
$1.55 ARS 2,350
106.45%
Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)
$1.48 CA$2.10
$0.67 ARS 1,020
120.90%
Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)
$32.88 CA$46.83
$7.76 ARS 11.8K
323.71%
Gasoline (1 liter)
$1.34 CA$1.92
$1.16 ARS 1,755
15.52%
Midsize Hatchback 1.4l (Volkswagen Golf, Toyota Prius, Honda Civic, etc)
$28.2K CA$40.1K
$22.0K ARS 33.4M
27.87%
Compact Sedan 1.6l (Toyota Corolla, Mazda3, Kia K4, Hyundai Elantra, etc)
$19.6K CA$28.0K
$34.5K ARS 52.4M
-43.15%
🧾 Monthly Utilities & Internet
Montreal
La Plata
Difference
Utilities for 2 People in 2-bedroom Apartment (Heating, Electricity, Gas, Water, Garbage) (85m2)
$76.0 CA$108
$70.9 ARS 107.6K
7.09%
SIM Card Monthly Plan (Calls and 10GB+ Data)
$33.95 CA$48.36
$11.14 ARS 16.9K
204.76%
Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)
$42.31 CA$60.3
$24.13 ARS 36.6K
75.34%
🎉 Sport & Entertainment
Montreal
La Plata
Difference
Gym Membership (Monthly)
$29.76 CA$42.38
$26.16 ARS 39.7K
13.76%
Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)
$20.28 CA$28.89
$10.80 ARS 16.4K
87.78%
Cinema Ticket
$11.15 CA$15.88
$5.36 ARS 8,121
108.02%
🧸 Childcare & Education
Montreal
La Plata
Difference
Preschool or Kindergarten, Full Day, Private, 1 Child (Monthly)
$507 CA$722
$138 ARS 209.5K
267.08%
International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)
$16.1K CA$22.9K
$4,189 ARS 6.4M
283.14%
👕👟 Clothing & Footwear
Montreal
La Plata
Difference
Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)
$57.6 CA$82.0
$108 ARS 163.1K
-46.50%
Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)
$37.58 CA$53.5
$20.87 ARS 31.6K
80.07%
Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)
$91.9 CA$131
$94.5 ARS 143.3K
-2.71%
Men's Leather Business Shoes
$110 CA$156
$54.1 ARS 82.0K
102.59%
🏠 Accommodation & Living
Montreal
La Plata
Difference
1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$1,260 CA$1,795
$346 ARS 524.8K
264.20%
1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$948 CA$1,350
$238 ARS 361.1K
297.97%
3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$2,137 CA$3,044
$1,207 ARS 1.8M
77.09%
3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$1,614 CA$2,298
$758 ARS 1.1M
112.80%
Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)
$4,960 CA$7,064
$2,009 ARS 3.0M
146.92%
Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)
$3,838 CA$5,466
$1,190 ARS 1.8M
222.49%
💵 Salaries & Financials
Montreal
La Plata
Difference
Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)
$2,827 CA$4,027
$716 ARS 1.1M
294.67%
20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)
4.48
42
-89.33%

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

Last update for Montreal: October 12, 2026

Last update for La Plata: October 12, 2026

Monthly budget structure
Share of the monthly basket for one person, rent included.
Accommodation & Living
Montreal
$948
La Plata
$238 74.9% $709
Groceries & Markets
Montreal
$346
La Plata
$205 40.9% $142
Eating Out
Montreal
$288
La Plata
$236 17.9% $52
Monthly Utilities & Internet
Montreal
$152
La Plata
$106 30.2% $46
Clothing & Footwear
Montreal
$133
La Plata
$125 6.6% $8.8
Getting Around
Montreal
$99
La Plata
$12 87.4% $86
Sport & Entertainment
Montreal
$52
La Plata
$37 29.2% $15

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $1,260 in Montreal versus $346 in La Plata. Rent is usually the largest line item in a monthly budget, so the gap here sets the tone for the overall comparison.

Salaries run about 295% higher in Montreal, which partly offsets the higher cost of living there. Purchasing power depends on which expenses matter most to you.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $70.0 in Montreal versus $50.0 in La Plata. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $346 vs $205 – making La Plata the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know
🇨🇦 Montreal
🇦🇷 La Plata
🕒 Local time
13:11 1:11 PM
14:11 2:11 PM
1 h ahead of Montreal
🌤 Weather
👥 Population
1,762,949
193,144
💱 Currency
Exchange rates and currency converter

ARS, USD, EUR to CAD – Canadian Dollar Converter

Canadian Dollar exchange rates as of October 13, 2026: 1 USD = 1.42 CAD (1 CAD = 0.702 USD). 1 EUR = 1.59 CAD (1 CAD = 0.629 EUR).

Argentine Peso exchange rates as of October 13, 2026: 1 USD = 1,517 ARS (10,000 ARS = 6.59 USD). 1 EUR = 1,693 ARS (10,000 ARS = 5.91 EUR).

On the map
Between locations
  • Montreal La Plata 9,080 km ≈ 12 h nonstop flight
From you
  • Montreal
  • La Plata

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 La Plata: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions
How do living costs in Montreal and in La Plata compare overall?
Monthly costs with rent: $2,018 in Montreal, $959 in La Plata – roughly 110% apart. Outside of rent, the biggest gap is in groceries.
What salary covers living expenses in Montreal compared to La Plata?
For a comfortable life, plan on about $3,027 per month in Montreal and $1,439 in La Plata. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.
How do rents compare between Montreal and La Plata?
Rent is clearly cheaper in La Plata, especially for central apartments. Housing is actually the single biggest factor behind the overall cost gap between these two cities.
Which city has cheaper restaurants?
A mid-range dinner for two costs $70.0 in Montreal and $50.0 in La Plata. That's a good indicator of the overall restaurant and café pricing gap between the two cities.
Which city is more expensive overall: Montreal or La Plata?
Monthly expenses with rent come to $2,018 in Montreal and $959 in La Plata. That's a gap of about 110%.
Which city is more doable on $2,000 per month?
A $2,000 monthly budget goes further in La Plata, where all-in costs run around $959, than in Montreal at $2,018. In La Plata it covers expenses comfortably, while in Montreal it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.
How does quality of life compare between Montreal and La Plata?
It depends on your priorities. Montreal has an edge in some lifestyle areas, with costs from $959 in La Plata to $2,018 in Montreal. Climate, culture, job market, and personal taste all factor in.
Is Montreal or La Plata safer for residents?
Both have safer and rougher neighborhoods, but overall safety is comparable to other large cities. Neighborhood choice matters more than the city-level comparison – central, well-trafficked areas feel secure in both.
How do I decide between Montreal and La Plata?
If budget matters most, go with La Plata. If higher salaries, better infrastructure, or specific career opportunities are the priority, Montreal makes more sense. Both are solid long-term options with distinct trade-offs.

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