Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Montreal and La Rioja

For one person, living is cheaper in La Rioja: $1,201 a month against $2,018 in Montreal, rent and utilities included – about $9,800 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
60

Cost of Living Index in La Rioja
Learn more

La Rioja Living Index

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Montreal

🇨🇦 Canada

$2,018

/mo nomad

La Rioja

🇦🇷 Argentina

$1,201

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $2,018 in Montreal versus $1,201 in La Rioja.

Montreal $2,018
La Rioja $1,201

Estimated couple costs with rent: $3,085 in Montreal versus $2,068 in La Rioja.

Montreal $3,085
La Rioja $2,068

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $4,152 in Montreal versus $2,935 in La Rioja.

Montreal $4,152
La Rioja $2,935

Living in Montreal is roughly 68% more expensive than in La Rioja, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in transport.

The two cities straddle the global median: Montreal is 49% above, La Rioja is 11% below.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$18.82 CA$26.61

$17.39 ARS 26.4K

8.22%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$70.3 CA$99.4

$59.1 ARS 89.7K

18.91%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$10.66 CA$15.06

$14.15 ARS 21.5K

-24.66%

Cappuccino

$3.84 CA$5.43

$3.35 ARS 5,081

14.63%

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

$1.92 CA$2.71

$2.12 ARS 3,215

-9.43%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.54 CA$2.18

$1.95 ARS 2,954

-21.03%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$6.23 CA$8.81

$3.49 ARS 5,298

78.51%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$7.10 CA$10.03

$4.46 ARS 6,765

59.19%

Milk (1 liter)

$2.31 CA$3.27

$1.39 ARS 2,114

66.19%

White Bread (500g)

$3.14 CA$4.44

$2.28 ARS 3,461

37.72%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$3.21 CA$4.54

$1.88 ARS 2,849

70.74%

Eggs

$3.52 CA$4.97

$2.78 ARS 4,221

26.62%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$12.81 CA$18.11

$10.40 ARS 15.8K

23.17%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$11.46 CA$16.20

$7.71 ARS 11.7K

48.64%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$13.39 CA$18.92

$11.39 ARS 17.3K

17.56%

Apples (1kg)

$3.14 CA$4.43

$2.68 ARS 4,066

17.16%

Banana (1kg)

$1.44 CA$2.03

$1.93 ARS 2,935

-25.39%

Oranges (1kg)

$3.47 CA$4.91

$1.57 ARS 2,382

121.02%

Tomato (1kg)

$3.07 CA$4.34

$2.80 ARS 4,252

9.64%

Potato (1kg)

$1.90 CA$2.69

$1.05 ARS 1,588

80.95%

Onion (1kg)

$1.77 CA$2.50

$0.96 ARS 1,451

84.38%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.34 CA$3.31

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.55 CA$2.19

$1.59 ARS 2,415

-2.52%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$11.38 CA$16.09

$3.33 ARS 5,059

241.74%

Wine (Bottle)

$10.63 CA$15.03

$5.32 ARS 8,079

99.81%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.27 CA$3.21

$2.17 ARS 3,290

4.61%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.82 CA$3.99

$3.53 ARS 5,359

-20.11%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.66 CA$3.76

$1.03 ARS 1,570

158.25%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$77.3 CA$109

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.20 CA$4.53

$1.44 ARS 2,181

122.22%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.48 CA$2.09

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$32.88 CA$46.48

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.34 CA$1.90

$1.37 ARS 2,076

-2.19%

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

$28.2K CA$39.8K

$30.1K ARS 45.8M

-6.63%

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

$19.6K CA$27.8K

$32.6K ARS 49.5M

-39.83%

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

$76.0 CA$107

$122 ARS 184.9K

-37.67%

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

$33.95 CA$48.00

$18.17 ARS 27.6K

86.85%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$42.31 CA$59.8

$24.42 ARS 37.1K

73.26%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$29.76 CA$42.07

$28.60 ARS 43.4K

4.06%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$20.28 CA$28.67

Cinema Ticket

$11.15 CA$15.77

$10.56 ARS 16.0K

5.59%

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

$507 CA$717

$317 ARS 481.6K

59.77%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$16.1K CA$22.7K

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$57.6 CA$81.4

$122 ARS 185.0K

-52.79%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$37.58 CA$53.1

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$91.9 CA$130

$116 ARS 175.8K

-20.68%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$110 CA$155

$140 ARS 212.2K

-21.62%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,260 CA$1,782

$570 ARS 864.6K

121.22%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$948 CA$1,340

$290 ARS 440.0K

226.77%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,137 CA$3,021

$1,073 ARS 1.6M

99.24%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,614 CA$2,281

$837 ARS 1.3M

92.78%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$4,960 CA$7,011

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$3,838 CA$5,425

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$2,827 CA$3,997

$608 ARS 922.7K

365.02%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

4.48

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

Last update for Montreal: October 12, 2026

Last update for La Rioja: October 12, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Montreal

$948 47%

La Rioja

$290 24.1% 69.4% $658

Groceries & Markets

Montreal

$346 17.2%

La Rioja

$257 * 21.4% 25.7% $89

Eating Out

Montreal

$288 14.3%

La Rioja

$264 22% 8.2% $24

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Montreal

$152 7.5%

La Rioja

$164 13.7% 8% $12

Clothing & Footwear

Montreal

$133 6.6%

La Rioja

$170 * 14.1% 27.3% $36

Getting Around

Montreal

$99 4.9%

La Rioja

$5.6 * 0.5% 94.3% $93

Sport & Entertainment

Montreal

$52 2.6%

La Rioja

$50 4.1% 4.5% $2.3

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 $1,260 in Montreal and $570 in La Rioja. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Montreal pays 365% 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 $59.0 in La Rioja for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $346 vs $257 per month, with La Rioja cheaper across the board.

Good to know

🇨🇦 Montreal

🇦🇷 La Rioja

🕒 Local time

16:28 4:28 PM

17:28 5:28 PM

1 h ahead of Montreal

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

1,762,949

180,219

💱 Currency

Canadian Dollar CAD $

Argentine Peso ARS $

📈 Exchange rate

1 CAD = 0.707 USD

1 CAD = 0.629 EUR

10,000 ARS = 6.59 USD

10,000 ARS = 5.86 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

ARS, USD, EUR to CAD – Canadian Dollar Converter

🇺🇸 United States Dollar ($)

🇨🇦 Canadian Dollar ($)

Canadian Dollar exchange rates as of October 17, 2026: 1 USD = 1.41 CAD (1 CAD = 0.707 USD). 1 EUR = 1.59 CAD (1 CAD = 0.629 EUR).

Argentine Peso exchange rates as of October 17, 2026: 1 USD = 1,517 ARS (10,000 ARS = 6.59 USD). 1 EUR = 1,706 ARS (10,000 ARS = 5.86 EUR).

USD to CAD in detail →

On the map

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Between locations

Montreal La Rioja 8,360 km ≈ 11 h nonstop flight

From you

Montreal
La Rioja

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 Rioja: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Montreal and La Rioja differ by about 68% in total monthly costs ($2,018 vs $1,201 including rent). La Rioja is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

Average pay runs 365% 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 $570 in La Rioja. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $507 in Montreal versus $317 in La Rioja. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Dining out is cheaper in La Rioja – a meal for two runs $59.0 versus $70.0 in Montreal. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

At $1,201 in La Rioja versus $2,018 in Montreal, a $2,000 budget is realistic in La Rioja but tight or insufficient in Montreal. The gap between the two cities makes La Rioja the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

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 La Rioja 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 La Rioja gentler on the wallet – expenses run 68% less than in Montreal. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.