Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Montreal and La Serena

For one person, living is cheaper in La Serena: $1,094 a month against $2,003 in Montreal, rent and utilities included – about $10,900 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
54

Cost of Living Index in La Serena
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La Serena Living Index

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Montreal

🇨🇦 Canada

$2,003

/mo nomad

La Serena

🇨🇱 Chile

$1,094

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

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

A single person spends $2,003 per month in Montreal vs $1,094 in La Serena, rent included.

Montreal $2,003
La Serena $1,094

A couple spends around $3,048 per month in Montreal vs $1,814 in La Serena, rent included.

Montreal $3,048
La Serena $1,814

A family of three spends $4,092 per month in Montreal vs $2,534 in La Serena, rent included.

Montreal $4,092
La Serena $2,534

Montreal costs about 83% more than La Serena, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

Montreal sits 49% above the global median, while La Serena is 18% below – they fall on opposite sides of the world average.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$19.31 CA$27.52

$7.53 CLP 7,339

156.44%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$75.5 CA$108

$48.88 CLP 47.7K

54.46%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$10.63 CA$15.15

$8.16 CLP 7,956

30.27%

Cappuccino

$3.93 CA$5.60

$2.91 CLP 2,835

35.05%

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

$1.92 CA$2.73

$1.10 CLP 1,074

74.55%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.48 CA$2.11

$0.64 CLP 626

131.25%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$6.30 CA$8.98

$2.11 CLP 2,053

198.58%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$7.19 CA$10.24

$3.82 CLP 3,727

88.22%

Milk (1 liter)

$2.22 CA$3.17

$1.25 CLP 1,216

77.60%

White Bread (500g)

$3.06 CA$4.36

$2.38 CLP 2,320

28.57%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.94 CA$4.19

$1.53 CLP 1,492

92.16%

Eggs

$3.53 CA$5.03

$3.86 CLP 3,761

-8.55%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$13.19 CA$18.79

$12.43 CLP 12.1K

6.11%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$11.24 CA$16.02

$5.99 CLP 5,836

87.65%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$13.81 CA$19.69

$12.72 CLP 12.4K

8.57%

Apples (1kg)

$3.40 CA$4.85

$1.82 CLP 1,777

86.81%

Banana (1kg)

$1.44 CA$2.06

$1.78 CLP 1,733

-19.10%

Oranges (1kg)

$3.26 CA$4.65

$1.28 CLP 1,251

154.69%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.88 CA$4.10

$1.43 CLP 1,391

101.40%

Potato (1kg)

$1.86 CA$2.65

$1.15 CLP 1,118

61.74%

Onion (1kg)

$1.82 CA$2.60

$1.22 CLP 1,191

49.18%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.43 CA$3.46

$1.02 CLP 999

138.24%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.52 CA$2.17

$0.92 CLP 896

65.22%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$11.45 CA$16.32

$5.30 CLP 5,164

116.04%

Wine (Bottle)

$10.36 CA$14.76

$5.18 CLP 5,055

100.00%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.22 CA$3.16

$0.96 CLP 939

131.25%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.82 CA$4.02

$2.08 CLP 2,028

35.58%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.58 CA$3.67

$1.04 CLP 1,015

148.08%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$76.9 CA$110

$35.64 CLP 34.8K

115.74%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.25 CA$4.64

$0.70 CLP 680

364.29%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.48 CA$2.11

$2.04 CLP 1,994

-27.45%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$33.04 CA$47.09

$12.37 CLP 12.1K

167.10%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.36 CA$1.94

$1.43 CLP 1,391

-4.90%

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

$27.4K CA$39.1K

$20.4K CLP 19.9M

34.32%

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

$20.0K CA$28.5K

$12.6K CLP 12.3M

57.97%

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

$76.1 CA$109

$89.2 CLP 86.9K

-14.63%

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

$34.68 CA$49.43

$11.07 CLP 10.8K

213.28%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$42.69 CA$60.9

$21.51 CLP 21.0K

98.47%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$28.94 CA$41.26

$86.5 CLP 84.3K

-66.54%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$20.33 CA$28.97

$20.92 CLP 20.4K

-2.82%

Cinema Ticket

$11.21 CA$15.98

$8.13 CLP 7,929

37.88%

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

$505 CA$720

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$16.0K CA$22.8K

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$58.5 CA$83.4

$44.32 CLP 43.2K

31.99%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$38.00 CA$54.2

$61.4 CLP 59.9K

-38.14%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$92.7 CA$132

$92.2 CLP 89.9K

0.56%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$106 CA$151

$105 CLP 102.0K

1.10%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,240 CA$1,768

$429 CLP 418.2K

189.10%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$986 CA$1,405

$323 CLP 314.8K

205.42%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,102 CA$2,996

$898 CLP 876.1K

133.96%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,615 CA$2,302

$728 CLP 709.8K

121.82%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$5,043 CA$7,188

$2,070 CLP 2.0M

143.58%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$3,830 CA$5,459

$1,353 CLP 1.3M

183.11%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$2,920 CA$4,163

$718 CLP 700.2K

306.71%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

4.46

6.5

-31.38%

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

Last update for Montreal: October 6, 2026

Last update for La Serena: October 4, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Montreal

$986 47.9%

La Serena

$323 29% 67.3% $663

Groceries & Markets

Montreal

$344 16.7%

La Serena

$236 21.1% 31.4% $108

Eating Out

Montreal

$293 14.2%

La Serena

$145 13% 50.6% $148

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Montreal

$154 7.5%

La Serena

$122 10.9% 20.7% $32

Clothing & Footwear

Montreal

$133 6.5%

La Serena

$136 12.2% 2.6% $3.4

Getting Around

Montreal

$98 4.8%

La Serena

$51 4.6% 48.2% $47

Sport & Entertainment

Montreal

$51 2.5%

La Serena

$103 9.2% 100% $51

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $1,240 in Montreal versus $429 in La Serena. 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 307% 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 $75.0 in Montreal versus $49.00 in La Serena. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $344 vs $236 – making La Serena the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇨🇦 Montreal

🇨🇱 La Serena

🕒 Local time

06:31 6:31 AM

07:31 7:31 AM

1 h ahead of Montreal

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

1,762,949

195,382

💱 Currency

Canadian Dollar CAD $

Chilean Peso CLP $

📈 Exchange rate

1 CAD = 0.702 USD

1 CAD = 0.626 EUR

10,000 CLP = 10.26 USD

10,000 CLP = 9.15 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

CLP, 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).

Chilean Peso exchange rates as of October 10, 2026: 1 USD = 975 CLP (1,000 CLP = 1.03 USD). 1 EUR = 1,093 CLP (10,000 CLP = 9.15 EUR).

USD to CAD in detail →

On the map

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Between locations

Montreal La Serena 8,390 km ≈ 11 h nonstop flight

From you

Montreal
La Serena

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 Serena: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Yes – Montreal is pricier by about 83%, and outside of rent the gap shows up most in eating out.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $3,005 per month in Montreal and $1,642 in La Serena. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

Rent is clearly cheaper in La Serena, especially for central apartments. Housing is actually the single biggest factor behind the overall cost gap between these two cities.

Monthly expenses with rent come to $2,003 in Montreal and $1,094 in La Serena. That's a gap of about 83%.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $75.0 in Montreal and $49.00 in La Serena. That's a good indicator of the overall restaurant and café pricing gap between the two cities.

A $1,500 monthly budget goes further in La Serena, where all-in costs run around $1,094, than in Montreal at $2,003. In La Serena it covers expenses comfortably, while in Montreal it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.

Families tend to lean toward La Serena – lower housing and cheaper childcare make a real difference, especially on a single income or when paying for private education.

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.

If budget matters most, go with La Serena. 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.