Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Montreal and Old Harbour

For one person, living is cheaper in Old Harbour: $998 a month against $2,018 in Montreal, rent and utilities included – about $12,200 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

99

Cost of Living Index in Montreal
Learn more

Montreal Living Index
49

Cost of Living Index in Old Harbour
Learn more

Old Harbour Living Index

Jump to prices

Montreal

🇨🇦 Canada

$2,018

/mo nomad

Old Harbour

🇯🇲 Jamaica

$998

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Montreal and in Old Harbour

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

A single person spends $2,018 per month in Montreal vs $998 in Old Harbour, rent included.

Montreal $2,018
Old Harbour $998

A couple spends around $3,085 per month in Montreal vs $1,652 in Old Harbour, rent included.

Montreal $3,085
Old Harbour $1,652

A family of three spends $4,152 per month in Montreal vs $2,305 in Old Harbour, rent included.

Montreal $4,152
Old Harbour $2,305

Montreal costs about 102% more than Old Harbour, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in transport.

Montreal sits 49% above the global median, while Old Harbour is 26% below – they fall on opposite sides of the world average.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$18.82 CA$26.61

$13.53 JMD 2,138

39.10%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$70.3 CA$99.4

$74.1 JMD 11.7K

-5.08%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$10.66 CA$15.06

$7.93 JMD 1,253

34.43%

Cappuccino

$3.84 CA$5.43

$5.24 JMD 828

-26.72%

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

$1.92 CA$2.71

$1.20 JMD 190

60.00%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.54 CA$2.18

$0.73 JMD 115

110.96%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$6.23 CA$8.81

$2.17 JMD 343

187.10%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$7.10 CA$10.03

$3.17 JMD 500

123.97%

Milk (1 liter)

$2.31 CA$3.27

$4.03 JMD 636

-42.68%

White Bread (500g)

$3.14 CA$4.44

$3.77 JMD 595

-16.71%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$3.21 CA$4.54

$1.59 JMD 251

101.89%

Eggs

$3.52 CA$4.97

$3.47 JMD 548

1.44%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$12.81 CA$18.11

$11.28 JMD 1,783

13.56%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$11.46 CA$16.20

$6.38 JMD 1,008

79.62%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$13.39 CA$18.92

$10.30 JMD 1,628

30.00%

Apples (1kg)

$3.14 CA$4.43

$6.09 JMD 963

-48.44%

Banana (1kg)

$1.44 CA$2.03

$3.80 JMD 601

-62.11%

Oranges (1kg)

$3.47 CA$4.91

$7.45 JMD 1,177

-53.42%

Tomato (1kg)

$3.07 CA$4.34

$3.06 JMD 484

0.33%

Potato (1kg)

$1.90 CA$2.69

$3.28 JMD 519

-42.07%

Onion (1kg)

$1.77 CA$2.50

$2.70 JMD 427

-34.44%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.34 CA$3.31

$3.03 JMD 479

-22.77%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.55 CA$2.19

$1.45 JMD 229

6.90%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$11.38 CA$16.09

$9.24 JMD 1,459

23.16%

Wine (Bottle)

$10.63 CA$15.03

$11.41 JMD 1,803

-6.84%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.27 CA$3.21

$2.80 JMD 442

-18.93%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.82 CA$3.99

$4.00 JMD 633

-29.50%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.66 CA$3.76

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$77.3 CA$109

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.20 CA$4.53

$1.16 JMD 184

175.86%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.48 CA$2.09

$3.07 JMD 486

-51.79%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$32.88 CA$46.48

$6.13 JMD 968

436.38%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.34 CA$1.90

$1.47 JMD 232

-8.84%

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

$28.2K CA$39.8K

$44.8K JMD 7.1M

-37.13%

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

$19.6K CA$27.8K

$32.8K JMD 5.2M

-40.19%

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

$76.0 CA$107

$164 JMD 26.0K

-53.76%

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

$33.95 CA$48.00

$29.43 JMD 4,650

15.36%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$42.31 CA$59.8

$53.0 JMD 8,374

-20.17%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$29.76 CA$42.07

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$20.28 CA$28.67

Cinema Ticket

$11.15 CA$15.77

$13.05 JMD 2,062

-14.56%

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

$507 CA$717

$361 JMD 57.0K

40.55%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$16.1K CA$22.7K

$8,389 JMD 1.3M

91.34%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$57.6 CA$81.4

$23.49 JMD 3,710

145.00%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$37.58 CA$53.1

$31.98 JMD 5,053

17.51%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$91.9 CA$130

$76.2 JMD 12.0K

20.67%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$110 CA$155

$104 JMD 16.4K

5.45%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,260 CA$1,782

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$948 CA$1,340

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,137 CA$3,021

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,614 CA$2,281

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

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

4.48

9.45

-52.59%

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

Last update for Montreal: October 12, 2026

Last update for Old Harbour: October 12, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Montreal

$948 47%

Old Harbour

- * 0% 100%

Groceries & Markets

Montreal

$346 17.2%

Old Harbour

$383 38.4% 10.5% $36

Eating Out

Montreal

$288 14.3%

Old Harbour

$220 22% 23.6% $68

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Montreal

$152 7.5%

Old Harbour

$247 24.7% 62.1% $95

Clothing & Footwear

Montreal

$133 6.6%

Old Harbour

$106 10.6% 20.6% $27

Getting Around

Montreal

$99 4.9%

Old Harbour

$17 * 1.7% 83.2% $82

Sport & Entertainment

Montreal

$52 2.6%

Old Harbour

$26 * 2.6% 49.8% $26

Categories marked with * are only partly priced – their share counts the items that do have prices.

Cost Breakdown

A mid-range dinner for two costs $70.0 in Montreal versus $74.0 in Old Harbour. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $346 vs $383 – making Montreal the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇨🇦 Montreal

🇯🇲 Old Harbour

🕒 Local time

19:21 7:21 PM

18:21 6:21 PM

1 h behind Montreal

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

1,762,949

26,024

💱 Currency

Canadian Dollar CAD $

Jamaican Dollar JMD $

📈 Exchange rate

1 CAD = 0.707 USD

1 CAD = 0.629 EUR

1,000 JMD = 6.33 USD

1,000 JMD = 5.63 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

JMD, 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).

Jamaican Dollar exchange rates as of October 18, 2026: 1 USD = 158 JMD (1,000 JMD = 6.33 USD). 1 EUR = 178 JMD (1,000 JMD = 5.63 EUR).

USD to CAD in detail →

On the map

Lowest

Highest

Between locations

Montreal Old Harbour 3,080 km ≈ 4 h 15 min nonstop flight

From you

Montreal
Old Harbour

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 Old Harbour: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Montreal costs about 102% more than Old Harbour, and outside of rent the gap comes mainly from transport. That's enough to noticeably affect everyday spending and lifestyle for anyone choosing between the two.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $3,027 per month in Montreal and $1,497 in Old Harbour. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $70.0 in Montreal and $74.0 in Old Harbour. That's a good indicator of the overall restaurant and café pricing gap between the two cities.

Interestingly, groceries are about 10% cheaper in Montreal – one category where the pricier city actually offers better value, probably thanks to stronger retail competition or local farming.

A $2,000 monthly budget goes further in Old Harbour, where all-in costs run around $998, than in Montreal at $2,018. In Old Harbour it covers expenses comfortably, while in Montreal it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.

For digital nomads, it depends on budget. Old Harbour costs $998 versus $2,018 in Montreal. Both have workable remote work infrastructure, but the cost gap matters when income varies month to month.

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 Old Harbour. 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.