Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Montreal and Montanita

For one person, living is cheaper in Montanita: $903 a month against $2,003 in Montreal, rent and utilities included – about $13,200 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

99

Cost of Living Index in Montreal
Learn more

Montreal Living Index
43

Cost of Living Index in Montanita
Learn more

Montanita Living Index

Jump to prices

Montreal

🇨🇦 Canada

$2,003

/mo nomad

Montanita

🇪🇨 Ecuador

$903

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Montreal and in Montanita

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $2,003 in Montreal versus $903 in Montanita.

Montreal $2,003
Montanita $903

Estimated couple costs with rent: $3,048 in Montreal versus $1,360 in Montanita.

Montreal $3,048
Montanita $1,360

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $4,092 in Montreal versus $1,817 in Montanita.

Montreal $4,092
Montanita $1,817

Living in Montreal is roughly 122% more expensive than in Montanita, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

The two cities straddle the global median: Montreal is 49% above, Montanita is 33% below.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$19.31 CA$27.57

$3.40 $3.40

467.94%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$75.5 CA$108

$28.19 $28.19

167.83%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$10.63 CA$15.17

$7.27 $7.27

46.22%

Cappuccino

$3.93 CA$5.61

$2.42 $2.42

62.40%

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

$1.92 CA$2.74

$0.84 $0.84

128.57%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.48 CA$2.11

$0.66 $0.66

124.24%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$6.30 CA$8.99

$2.01 $2.01

213.43%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$7.19 CA$10.26

$3.40 $3.40

111.47%

Milk (1 liter)

$2.22 CA$3.17

$1.09 $1.09

103.67%

White Bread (500g)

$3.06 CA$4.37

$1.63 $1.63

87.73%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.94 CA$4.20

$1.50 $1.50

96.00%

Eggs

$3.53 CA$5.04

$2.11 $2.11

67.30%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$13.19 CA$18.83

$5.53 $5.53

138.52%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$11.24 CA$16.05

$5.65 $5.65

98.94%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$13.81 CA$19.72

$6.16 $6.16

124.19%

Apples (1kg)

$3.40 CA$4.86

$2.07 $2.07

64.25%

Banana (1kg)

$1.44 CA$2.06

$1.16 $1.16

24.14%

Oranges (1kg)

$3.26 CA$4.66

$1.05 $1.05

210.48%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.88 CA$4.11

$1.04 $1.04

176.92%

Potato (1kg)

$1.86 CA$2.65

$1.43 $1.43

30.07%

Onion (1kg)

$1.82 CA$2.61

$1.03 $1.03

76.70%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.43 CA$3.46

$0.49 $0.49

395.92%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.52 CA$2.18

$1.02 $1.02

49.02%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$11.45 CA$16.35

$5.87 $5.87

95.06%

Wine (Bottle)

$10.36 CA$14.79

$10.02 $10.02

3.39%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.22 CA$3.16

$1.47 $1.47

51.02%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.82 CA$4.02

$2.45 $2.45

15.10%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.58 CA$3.68

$0.33 $0.33

681.82%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$76.9 CA$110

$23.80 $23.80

223.07%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.25 CA$4.64

$1.49 $1.49

118.12%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.48 CA$2.12

$1.03 $1.03

43.69%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$33.04 CA$47.18

$10.10 $10.10

227.13%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.36 CA$1.94

$0.62 $0.62

119.35%

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

$27.4K CA$39.2K

$24.6K $24.6K

11.60%

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

$20.0K CA$28.5K

$28.2K $28.2K

-29.25%

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

$76.1 CA$109

$39.94 $39.94

90.59%

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

$34.68 CA$49.52

$13.91 $13.91

149.32%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$42.69 CA$61.0

$31.23 $31.23

36.70%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$28.94 CA$41.33

$30.41 $30.41

-4.83%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$20.33 CA$29.03

$14.55 $14.55

39.73%

Cinema Ticket

$11.21 CA$16.01

$7.21 $7.21

55.48%

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

$505 CA$721

$253 $253

99.43%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$16.0K CA$22.9K

$5,665 $5,665

182.62%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$58.5 CA$83.5

$56.5 $56.5

3.47%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$38.00 CA$54.3

$43.23 $43.23

-12.10%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$92.7 CA$132

$100 $100

-7.46%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$106 CA$151

$75.1 $75.1

40.93%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,240 CA$1,771

$336 $336

268.82%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$986 CA$1,408

$315 $315

212.57%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,102 CA$3,002

$628 $628

234.97%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,615 CA$2,306

$494 $494

226.76%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$5,043 CA$7,202

$1,236 $1,236

308.07%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$3,830 CA$5,469

$1,015 $1,015

277.45%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$2,920 CA$4,170

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

4.46

-55.40%

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

Last update for Montreal: October 6, 2026

Last update for Montanita: October 5, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Montreal

$986 47.9%

Montanita

$315 35.6% 68% $671

Groceries & Markets

Montreal

$344 16.7%

Montanita

$184 20.8% 46.3% $159

Eating Out

Montreal

$293 14.2%

Montanita

$101 11.4% 65.5% $192

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Montreal

$154 7.5%

Montanita

$85 9.6% 44.6% $68

Clothing & Footwear

Montreal

$133 6.5%

Montanita

$124 14% 6.8% $9

Getting Around

Montreal

$98 4.8%

Montanita

$32 3.6% 67.5% $66

Sport & Entertainment

Montreal

$51 2.5%

Montanita

$45 5.1% 12.7% $6.5

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,240 in Montreal and $336 in Montanita. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Dining out: $75.0 in Montreal vs $28.00 in Montanita for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $344 vs $184 per month, with Montanita cheaper across the board.

Good to know

🇨🇦 Montreal

🇪🇨 Montanita

🕒 Local time

04:43 4:43 AM

03:43 3:43 AM

1 h behind Montreal

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

1,762,949

5,000

💱 Currency

Canadian Dollar CAD $

United States Dollar USD $

📈 Exchange rate

1 CAD = 0.7 USD

1 CAD = 0.625 EUR

1 USD = 0.892 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 13, 2026: 1 USD = 1.43 CAD (1 CAD = 0.7 USD). 1 EUR = 1.6 CAD (1 CAD = 0.625 EUR).

United States Dollar exchange rates as of October 13, 2026: 1 EUR = 1.12 USD (1 USD = 0.892 EUR).

USD to CAD in detail →

On the map

Lowest

Highest

Between locations

Montreal Montanita 5,310 km ≈ 7 h nonstop flight

From you

Montreal
Montanita

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 Montanita: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Montanita is cheaper overall, especially in groceries, eating out, and clothing. The 122% gap adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

You'd need roughly $3,005 in Montreal and $1,355 in Montanita to live well. The gap comes down to housing and overall price levels. Both cities are liveable on less, but these numbers represent actual comfort.

Rent for a central apartment: $1,240 in Montreal versus $336 in Montanita. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $505 in Montreal versus $253 in Montanita. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Supermarket bills run roughly 86% higher in Montreal. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

At $903 in Montanita versus $2,003 in Montreal, a $1,500 budget is realistic in Montanita but tight or insufficient in Montreal. The gap between the two cities makes Montanita the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

For families, Montanita 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 Montanita 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 Montanita gentler on the wallet – expenses run 122% less than in Montreal. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.