Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Montreal and Manta

For one person, living is cheaper in Manta: $678 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 Manta
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Manta Living Index

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Montreal

🇨🇦 Canada

$2,018

/mo nomad

Manta

🇪🇨 Ecuador

$678

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Montreal and in Manta

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $2,018 in Montreal versus $678 in Manta.

Montreal $2,018
Manta $678

Estimated couple costs with rent: $3,085 in Montreal versus $1,157 in Manta.

Montreal $3,085
Manta $1,157

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $4,152 in Montreal versus $1,636 in Manta.

Montreal $4,152
Manta $1,636

Living in Montreal is roughly 198% more expensive than in Manta, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

The two cities straddle the global median: Montreal is 49% above, Manta is 50% below.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$18.82 CA$26.61

$2.96 $2.96

535.81%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$70.3 CA$99.4

$52.2 $52.2

34.55%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$10.66 CA$15.06

$5.39 $5.39

97.77%

Cappuccino

$3.84 CA$5.43

$2.92 $2.92

31.51%

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

$1.92 CA$2.71

$0.52 $0.52

269.23%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.54 CA$2.18

$0.38 $0.38

305.26%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$6.23 CA$8.81

$2.97 $2.97

109.76%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$7.10 CA$10.03

$3.72 $3.72

90.86%

Milk (1 liter)

$2.31 CA$3.27

$1.03 $1.03

124.27%

White Bread (500g)

$3.14 CA$4.44

$1.91 $1.91

64.40%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$3.21 CA$4.54

$0.98 $0.98

227.55%

Eggs

$3.52 CA$4.97

$2.13 $2.13

65.26%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$12.81 CA$18.11

$2.98 $2.98

329.87%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$11.46 CA$16.20

$2.98 $2.98

284.56%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$13.39 CA$18.92

$6.83 $6.83

96.05%

Apples (1kg)

$3.14 CA$4.43

$0.97 $0.97

223.71%

Banana (1kg)

$1.44 CA$2.03

$0.78 $0.78

84.62%

Oranges (1kg)

$3.47 CA$4.91

$0.71 $0.71

388.73%

Tomato (1kg)

$3.07 CA$4.34

$0.78 $0.78

293.59%

Potato (1kg)

$1.90 CA$2.69

$0.52 $0.52

265.38%

Onion (1kg)

$1.77 CA$2.50

$0.48 $0.48

268.75%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.34 CA$3.31

$0.69 $0.69

239.13%

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

$4.08 $4.08

178.92%

Wine (Bottle)

$10.63 CA$15.03

$6.89 $6.89

54.28%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.27 CA$3.21

$1.03 $1.03

120.39%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.82 CA$3.99

$2.20 $2.20

28.18%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.66 CA$3.76

$0.50 $0.50

432.00%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$77.3 CA$109

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.20 CA$4.53

$1.70 $1.70

88.24%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.48 CA$2.09

$1.74 $1.74

-14.94%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$32.88 CA$46.48

$9.27 $9.27

254.69%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.34 CA$1.90

$0.72 $0.72

86.11%

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

$28.2K CA$39.8K

$20.7K $20.7K

36.22%

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

$19.6K CA$27.8K

$30.8K $30.8K

-36.26%

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

$76.0 CA$107

$97.1 $97.1

-21.80%

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

$33.95 CA$48.00

$11.13 $11.13

205.03%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$42.31 CA$59.8

$25.84 $25.84

63.74%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$29.76 CA$42.07

$20.23 $20.23

47.11%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$20.28 CA$28.67

$34.58 $34.58

-41.35%

Cinema Ticket

$11.15 CA$15.77

$4.89 $4.89

128.02%

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

$507 CA$717

$369 $369

37.38%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$16.1K CA$22.7K

$5,783 $5,783

177.54%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$57.6 CA$81.4

$55.2 $55.2

4.26%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$37.58 CA$53.1

$40.87 $40.87

-8.05%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$91.9 CA$130

$101 $101

-8.76%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$110 CA$155

$61.8 $61.8

77.34%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,260 CA$1,782

$303 $303

315.59%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$948 CA$1,340

$141 $141

570.55%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,137 CA$3,021

$917 $917

133.14%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,614 CA$2,281

$334 $334

382.84%

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

$474 $474

496.93%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

4.48

10.05

-55.42%

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

Last update for Montreal: October 12, 2026

Last update for Manta: October 10, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Montreal

$948 47%

Manta

$141 20.9% 85.1% $806

Groceries & Markets

Montreal

$346 17.2%

Manta

$143 21.1% 58.7% $203

Eating Out

Montreal

$288 14.3%

Manta

$101 14.9% 65% $187

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Montreal

$152 7.5%

Manta

$134 19.8% 11.9% $18

Clothing & Footwear

Montreal

$133 6.6%

Manta

$116 17.2% 12.8% $17

Getting Around

Montreal

$99 4.9%

Manta

$12 * 1.8% 87.4% $86

Sport & Entertainment

Montreal

$52 2.6%

Manta

$30 4.4% 42.3% $22

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 $303 in Manta. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Montreal pays 497% 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 $52.0 in Manta for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $346 vs $143 per month, with Manta cheaper across the board.

Good to know

🇨🇦 Montreal

🇪🇨 Manta

🕒 Local time

20:50 8:50 PM

19:50 7:50 PM

1 h behind Montreal

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

1,762,949

217,553

💱 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 →

On the map

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Between locations

Montreal Manta 5,210 km ≈ 7 h nonstop flight

From you

Montreal
Manta

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 Manta: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Manta is cheaper overall, especially in groceries, eating out, and clothing. The 198% gap adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

Average pay runs 497% 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 $303 in Manta. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $507 in Montreal versus $369 in Manta. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Dining out is cheaper in Manta – a meal for two runs $52.0 versus $70.0 in Montreal. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

At $678 in Manta versus $2,018 in Montreal, a $1,500 budget is realistic in Manta but tight or insufficient in Montreal. The gap between the two cities makes Manta the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

For families, Manta 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 Manta 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 Manta gentler on the wallet – expenses run 198% less than in Montreal. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.