Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Montreal and Loja

For one person, living is cheaper in Loja: $676 a month against $2,018 in Montreal, rent and utilities included – about $16,100 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
33

Cost of Living Index in Loja
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Loja Living Index

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Montreal

🇨🇦 Canada

$2,018

/mo nomad

Loja

🇪🇨 Ecuador

$676

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Montreal and in Loja

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

A single person spends $2,018 per month in Montreal vs $676 in Loja, rent included.

Montreal $2,018
Loja $676

A couple spends around $3,085 per month in Montreal vs $1,067 in Loja, rent included.

Montreal $3,085
Loja $1,067

A family of three spends $4,152 per month in Montreal vs $1,459 in Loja, rent included.

Montreal $4,152
Loja $1,459

Montreal costs about 198% more than Loja, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

Montreal sits 49% above the global median, while Loja is 50% below – they fall on opposite sides of the world average.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$18.82 CA$26.61

$3.08 $3.08

511.04%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$70.3 CA$99.4

$20.71 $20.71

239.40%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$10.66 CA$15.06

$5.44 $5.44

95.96%

Cappuccino

$3.84 CA$5.43

$2.22 $2.22

72.97%

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

$1.92 CA$2.71

$0.77 $0.77

149.35%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.54 CA$2.18

$0.45 $0.45

242.22%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$6.23 CA$8.81

$1.22 $1.22

410.66%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$7.10 CA$10.03

$3.17 $3.17

123.97%

Milk (1 liter)

$2.31 CA$3.27

$0.99 $0.99

133.33%

White Bread (500g)

$3.14 CA$4.44

$1.51 $1.51

107.95%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$3.21 CA$4.54

$1.32 $1.32

143.18%

Eggs

$3.52 CA$4.97

$1.92 $1.92

83.33%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$12.81 CA$18.11

$5.79 $5.79

121.24%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$11.46 CA$16.20

$4.15 $4.15

176.14%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$13.39 CA$18.92

$5.96 $5.96

124.66%

Apples (1kg)

$3.14 CA$4.43

$1.69 $1.69

85.80%

Banana (1kg)

$1.44 CA$2.03

$1.05 $1.05

37.14%

Oranges (1kg)

$3.47 CA$4.91

$1.18 $1.18

194.07%

Tomato (1kg)

$3.07 CA$4.34

$1.07 $1.07

186.92%

Potato (1kg)

$1.90 CA$2.69

$1.06 $1.06

79.25%

Onion (1kg)

$1.77 CA$2.50

$1.07 $1.07

65.42%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.34 CA$3.31

$0.51 $0.51

358.82%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.55 CA$2.19

$1.13 $1.13

37.17%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$11.38 CA$16.09

$5.23 $5.23

117.59%

Wine (Bottle)

$10.63 CA$15.03

$6.86 $6.86

54.96%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.27 CA$3.21

$1.52 $1.52

49.34%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.82 CA$3.99

$3.05 $3.05

-7.54%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.66 CA$3.76

$0.31 $0.31

758.06%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$77.3 CA$109

$30.33 $30.33

154.83%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.20 CA$4.53

$1.27 $1.27

151.97%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.48 CA$2.09

$1.09 $1.09

35.78%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$32.88 CA$46.48

$9.88 $9.88

232.79%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.34 CA$1.90

$0.78 $0.78

71.79%

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

$28.2K CA$39.8K

$14.8K $14.8K

89.89%

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

$19.6K CA$27.8K

$28.7K $28.7K

-31.64%

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

$76.0 CA$107

$19.65 $19.65

286.56%

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

$33.95 CA$48.00

$11.63 $11.63

191.92%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$42.31 CA$59.8

$26.57 $26.57

59.24%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$29.76 CA$42.07

$30.27 $30.27

-1.68%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$20.28 CA$28.67

$14.88 $14.88

36.29%

Cinema Ticket

$11.15 CA$15.77

$7.46 $7.46

49.46%

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

$507 CA$717

$183 $183

177.04%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$16.1K CA$22.7K

$2,017 $2,017

695.81%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$57.6 CA$81.4

$52.8 $52.8

9.02%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$37.58 CA$53.1

$47.03 $47.03

-20.09%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$91.9 CA$130

$79.1 $79.1

16.12%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$110 CA$155

$71.2 $71.2

54.01%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,260 CA$1,782

$237 $237

431.82%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$948 CA$1,340

$170 $170

457.00%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,137 CA$3,021

$389 $389

449.07%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,614 CA$2,281

$310 $310

420.11%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$4,960 CA$7,011

$554 $554

796.04%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$3,838 CA$5,425

$323 $323

1086.94%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$2,827 CA$3,997

$496 $496

469.59%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

4.48

8.5

-47.29%

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

Last update for Montreal: October 12, 2026

Last update for Loja: October 12, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Montreal

$948 47%

Loja

$170 25.2% 82% $777

Groceries & Markets

Montreal

$346 17.2%

Loja

$167 24.7% 51.7% $179

Eating Out

Montreal

$288 14.3%

Loja

$85 12.6% 70.5% $203

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Montreal

$152 7.5%

Loja

$58 8.6% 62% $94

Clothing & Footwear

Montreal

$133 6.6%

Loja

$113 16.7% 15.7% $21

Getting Around

Montreal

$99 4.9%

Loja

$38 5.7% 61.2% $60

Sport & Entertainment

Montreal

$52 2.6%

Loja

$45 6.7% 13.2% $6.9

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $1,260 in Montreal versus $237 in Loja. 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 470% 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 $21.00 in Loja. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $346 vs $167 – making Loja the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇨🇦 Montreal

🇪🇨 Loja

🕒 Local time

01:24 1:24 AM

00:24 12:24 AM

1 h behind Montreal

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

1,762,949

180,617

💱 Currency

Canadian Dollar CAD $

United States Dollar USD $

📈 Exchange rate

1 CAD = 0.707 USD

1 CAD = 0.629 EUR

1 USD = 0.89 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

USD, EUR to CAD – Canadian Dollar Converter

🇺🇸 United States Dollar ($)

🇨🇦 Canadian Dollar ($)

Canadian Dollar exchange rates as of October 19, 2026: 1 USD = 1.41 CAD (1 CAD = 0.707 USD). 1 EUR = 1.59 CAD (1 CAD = 0.629 EUR).

United States Dollar exchange rates as of October 19, 2026: 1 EUR = 1.12 USD (1 USD = 0.89 EUR).

USD to CAD in detail →

On the map

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Between locations

Montreal Loja 5,530 km ≈ 7 h nonstop flight

From you

Montreal
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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 Loja: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Monthly costs with rent: $2,018 in Montreal, $676 in Loja – roughly 198% apart. Outside of rent, the biggest gap is in eating out.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $3,027 per month in Montreal and $1,014 in Loja. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

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

Public transport costs about 155% less in Loja. For daily commuters, that gap adds up to noticeable savings over a year.

Kindergarten costs $507 per month in Montreal and $183 in Loja. For families with young kids, this one expense can tip the scales when choosing between the two cities.

A $2,000 monthly budget goes further in Loja, where all-in costs run around $676, than in Montreal at $2,018. In Loja it covers expenses comfortably, while in Montreal it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.

It depends on your priorities. Montreal has an edge in some lifestyle areas, with costs from $676 in Loja to $2,018 in Montreal. Climate, culture, job market, and personal taste all factor in.

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 Loja. 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.