Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Montreal and Machala

For one person, living is cheaper in Machala: $654 a month against $2,018 in Montreal, rent and utilities included – about $16,400 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
32

Cost of Living Index in Machala
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Machala Living Index

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Montreal

🇨🇦 Canada

$2,018

/mo nomad

Machala

🇪🇨 Ecuador

$654

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Montreal and in Machala

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $2,018 in Montreal versus $654 in Machala.

Montreal $2,018
Machala $654

Estimated couple costs with rent: $3,085 in Montreal versus $1,045 in Machala.

Montreal $3,085
Machala $1,045

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $4,152 in Montreal versus $1,436 in Machala.

Montreal $4,152
Machala $1,436

Living in Montreal is roughly 208% more expensive than in Machala, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

The two cities straddle the global median: Montreal is 49% above, Machala is 52% below.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$18.82 CA$26.61

$2.69 $2.69

599.63%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$70.3 CA$99.4

$25.09 $25.09

180.15%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$10.66 CA$15.06

$5.21 $5.21

104.61%

Cappuccino

$3.84 CA$5.43

$2.70 $2.70

42.22%

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

$1.92 CA$2.71

$0.84 $0.84

128.57%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.54 CA$2.18

$0.75 $0.75

105.33%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$6.23 CA$8.81

$1.94 $1.94

221.13%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$7.10 CA$10.03

$3.80 $3.80

86.84%

Milk (1 liter)

$2.31 CA$3.27

$1.10 $1.10

110.00%

White Bread (500g)

$3.14 CA$4.44

$1.05 $1.05

199.05%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$3.21 CA$4.54

$0.96 $0.96

234.38%

Eggs

$3.52 CA$4.97

$1.50 $1.50

134.67%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$12.81 CA$18.11

$3.34 $3.34

283.53%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$11.46 CA$16.20

$4.12 $4.12

178.16%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$13.39 CA$18.92

$4.80 $4.80

178.96%

Apples (1kg)

$3.14 CA$4.43

$1.54 $1.54

103.90%

Banana (1kg)

$1.44 CA$2.03

$0.64 $0.64

125.00%

Oranges (1kg)

$3.47 CA$4.91

$0.74 $0.74

368.92%

Tomato (1kg)

$3.07 CA$4.34

$0.53 $0.53

479.25%

Potato (1kg)

$1.90 CA$2.69

$0.38 $0.38

400.00%

Onion (1kg)

$1.77 CA$2.50

$0.49 $0.49

261.22%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.34 CA$3.31

$0.37 $0.37

532.43%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.55 CA$2.19

$0.99 $0.99

56.57%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$11.38 CA$16.09

$4.39 $4.39

159.23%

Wine (Bottle)

$10.63 CA$15.03

$7.59 $7.59

40.05%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.27 CA$3.21

$1.51 $1.51

50.33%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.82 CA$3.99

$2.11 $2.11

33.65%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.66 CA$3.76

$0.33 $0.33

706.06%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$77.3 CA$109

$22.38 $22.38

245.35%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.20 CA$4.53

$1.47 $1.47

117.69%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.48 CA$2.09

$1.80 $1.80

-17.78%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$32.88 CA$46.48

$7.98 $7.98

312.03%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.34 CA$1.90

$0.59 $0.59

127.12%

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

$28.2K CA$39.8K

$18.1K $18.1K

55.49%

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

$19.6K CA$27.8K

$21.9K $21.9K

-10.26%

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

$76.0 CA$107

$50.8 $50.8

49.44%

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

$33.95 CA$48.00

$15.01 $15.01

126.18%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$42.31 CA$59.8

$26.60 $26.60

59.06%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$29.76 CA$42.07

$43.11 $43.11

-30.97%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$20.28 CA$28.67

$30.17 $30.17

-32.78%

Cinema Ticket

$11.15 CA$15.77

$4.91 $4.91

127.09%

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

$507 CA$717

$133 $133

280.41%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$16.1K CA$22.7K

$5,667 $5,667

183.24%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$57.6 CA$81.4

$65.9 $65.9

-12.63%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$37.58 CA$53.1

$39.72 $39.72

-5.39%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$91.9 CA$130

$79.8 $79.8

15.12%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$110 CA$155

$67.6 $67.6

62.20%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,260 CA$1,782

$193 $193

551.78%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$948 CA$1,340

$132 $132

618.45%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,137 CA$3,021

$349 $349

512.46%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,614 CA$2,281

$265 $265

509.08%

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

$458 $458

517.91%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

4.48

-10.40%

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

Last update for Montreal: October 12, 2026

Last update for Machala: October 11, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Montreal

$948 47%

Machala

$132 20.2% 86.1% $816

Groceries & Markets

Montreal

$346 17.2%

Machala

$136 20.7% 60.8% $211

Eating Out

Montreal

$288 14.3%

Machala

$93 14.3% 67.6% $195

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Montreal

$152 7.5%

Machala

$92 14.1% 39.3% $60

Clothing & Footwear

Montreal

$133 6.6%

Machala

$114 17.4% 14.7% $20

Getting Around

Montreal

$99 4.9%

Machala

$34 5.2% 65.3% $64

Sport & Entertainment

Montreal

$52 2.6%

Machala

$53 8.1% 1.7% $0.9

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,260 in Montreal and $193 in Machala. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Montreal pays 518% 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 $25.00 in Machala for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $346 vs $136 per month, with Machala cheaper across the board.

Good to know

🇨🇦 Montreal

🇪🇨 Machala

🕒 Local time

03:25 3:25 AM

02:25 2:25 AM

1 h behind Montreal

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

1,762,949

231,260

💱 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 18, 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 18, 2026: 1 EUR = 1.12 USD (1 USD = 0.89 EUR).

USD to CAD in detail →

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Between locations

Montreal Machala 5,460 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 Machala: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Machala is cheaper overall, especially in groceries, eating out, and clothing. The 208% gap adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

Average pay runs 518% 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 $193 in Machala. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Dining out is cheaper in Machala – a meal for two runs $25.00 versus $70.0 in Montreal. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

All in, you'll spend $2,018 per month in Montreal versus $654 in Machala – a 208% gap that adds up to real savings over time for anyone picking the cheaper option.

At $654 in Machala versus $2,018 in Montreal, a $1,500 budget is realistic in Machala but tight or insufficient in Montreal. The gap between the two cities makes Machala the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

For families, Machala 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 Machala 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 Machala gentler on the wallet – expenses run 208% less than in Montreal. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.