Last update: Nov 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Montreal and Oranjestad

For one person, living is cheaper in Montreal: $2,067 a month against $2,311 in Oranjestad, rent and utilities included – about $2,900 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

Montreal, Canada
Oranjestad, Aruba
Montreal
🇨🇦 Canada
$2,067
/mo nomad
Oranjestad
🇦🇼 Aruba
$2,311
/mo nomad
Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Montreal and in Oranjestad

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

A single person spends $2,067 per month in Montreal vs $2,311 in Oranjestad, rent included.

  • Montreal $2,067
  • Oranjestad $2,311

A couple spends around $3,179 per month in Montreal vs $4,184 in Oranjestad, rent included.

  • Montreal $3,179
  • Oranjestad $4,184

A family of three spends $4,291 per month in Montreal vs $6,058 in Oranjestad, rent included.

  • Montreal $4,291
  • Oranjestad $6,058

Montreal is about 11% cheaper than Oranjestad, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in utilities.

Both Montreal and Oranjestad sit above the global median – Montreal by 53%, Oranjestad by 71%.

Currency
🍽 Eating Out
Montreal
Oranjestad
Difference
Meal at Budget Restaurant
$18.89 CA$26.57
$22.12 AWG 39.59
-14.60%
Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range
$72.6 CA$102
$79.1 AWG 142
-8.24%
Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)
$10.79 CA$15.18
$10.43 AWG 18.67
3.45%
Cappuccino
$3.98 CA$5.60
$4.43 AWG 7.93
-10.16%
Coke/Pepsi/Fanta/Sprite (0.33 liter bottle)
$2.02 CA$2.84
$1.46 AWG 2.62
38.36%
Water (0.33 liter bottle)
$1.63 CA$2.29
$1.59 AWG 2.85
2.52%
Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)
$6.32 CA$8.89
$3.02 AWG 5.40
109.27%
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$7.06 CA$9.93
$3.98 AWG 7.12
77.39%
🛒 Groceries & Markets
Montreal
Oranjestad
Difference
Milk (1 liter)
$2.33 CA$3.28
$1.87 AWG 3.35
24.60%
White Bread (500g)
$3.25 CA$4.57
$2.95 AWG 5.27
10.17%
Rice (white) (1kg)
$3.26 CA$4.59
$2.81 AWG 5.03
16.01%
Eggs
$3.48 CA$4.89
$5.21 AWG 9.33
-33.21%
Local Cheese (1kg)
$13.73 CA$19.31
$12.51 AWG 22.40
9.75%
Chicken Fillets (1kg)
$11.48 CA$16.14
$9.36 AWG 16.76
22.65%
Beef Round Steak (1kg)
$14.26 CA$20.05
$12.21 AWG 21.85
16.79%
Apples (1kg)
$3.52 CA$4.95
$4.59 AWG 8.22
-23.31%
Banana (1kg)
$1.46 CA$2.05
$2.30 AWG 4.12
-36.52%
Oranges (1kg)
$3.41 CA$4.80
$5.02 AWG 8.98
-32.07%
Tomato (1kg)
$3.20 CA$4.50
$3.47 AWG 6.21
-7.78%
Potato (1kg)
$1.94 CA$2.72
$2.17 AWG 3.89
-10.60%
Onion (1kg)
$1.78 CA$2.50
$2.05 AWG 3.66
-13.17%
Lettuce (1 head)
$2.52 CA$3.54
$2.56 AWG 4.59
-1.56%
Water (1.5 liter bottle)
$1.58 CA$2.22
$1.53 AWG 2.75
3.27%
Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)
$11.51 CA$16.18
$10.07 AWG 18.02
14.30%
Wine (Bottle)
$10.57 CA$14.87
$10.11 AWG 18.09
4.55%
Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)
$2.35 CA$3.30
$4.07 AWG 7.29
-42.26%
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$2.90 CA$4.07
$4.35 AWG 7.79
-33.33%
🚌 Getting Around
Montreal
Oranjestad
Difference
One-way Ticket (Public Transport)
$2.61 CA$3.68
$2.24 AWG 4.00
16.52%
Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)
$78.5 CA$110
$29.50 AWG 52.8
165.93%
Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)
$3.17 CA$4.46
$17.04 AWG 30.49
-81.40%
Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)
$1.49 CA$2.10
$3.97 AWG 7.10
-62.47%
Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)
$33.49 CA$47.10
$25.04 AWG 44.81
33.75%
Gasoline (1 liter)
$1.36 CA$1.92
$1.96 AWG 3.51
-30.61%
Midsize Hatchback 1.4l (Volkswagen Golf, Toyota Prius, Honda Civic, etc)
$28.0K CA$39.4K
$25.6K AWG 45.8K
9.51%
Compact Sedan 1.6l (Toyota Corolla, Mazda3, Kia K4, Hyundai Elantra, etc)
$21.1K CA$29.7K
$34.8K AWG 62.2K
-39.20%
🧾 Monthly Utilities & Internet
Montreal
Oranjestad
Difference
Utilities for 2 People in 2-bedroom Apartment (Heating, Electricity, Gas, Water, Garbage) (85m2)
$77.6 CA$109
$254 AWG 455
-69.50%
SIM Card Monthly Plan (Calls and 10GB+ Data)
$35.63 CA$50.1
$48.18 AWG 86.2
-26.05%
Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)
$43.73 CA$61.5
$104 AWG 185
-57.78%
🎉 Sport & Entertainment
Montreal
Oranjestad
Difference
Gym Membership (Monthly)
$30.07 CA$42.29
$63.0 AWG 113
-52.27%
Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)
$19.97 CA$28.08
$25.68 AWG 45.96
-22.24%
Cinema Ticket
$11.27 CA$15.85
$12.05 AWG 21.57
-6.47%
🧸 Childcare & Education
Montreal
Oranjestad
Difference
Preschool or Kindergarten, Full Day, Private, 1 Child (Monthly)
$522 CA$734
$254 AWG 455
105.17%
International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)
$17.8K CA$25.0K
$8,669 AWG 15.5K
105.28%
👕👟 Clothing & Footwear
Montreal
Oranjestad
Difference
Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)
$59.0 CA$82.9
$59.2 AWG 106
-0.37%
Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)
$39.01 CA$54.9
$51.2 AWG 91.6
-23.81%
Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)
$99.8 CA$140
$109 AWG 195
-8.62%
Men's Leather Business Shoes
$110 CA$154
$104 AWG 186
5.53%
🏠 Accommodation & Living
Montreal
Oranjestad
Difference
1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$1,298 CA$1,826
$930 AWG 1,664
39.62%
1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$970 CA$1,365
$936 AWG 1,676
3.66%
3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$2,323 CA$3,267
$2,711 AWG 4,852
-14.30%
3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$1,689 CA$2,376
$3,082 AWG 5,515
-45.18%
Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)
$5,004 CA$7,037
$2,276 AWG 4,073
119.88%
Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)
$3,736 CA$5,255
$1,699 AWG 3,041
119.92%
💵 Salaries & Financials
Montreal
Oranjestad
Difference
Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)
$2,943 CA$4,139
$1,715 AWG 3,069
71.64%
20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)
4.51
6.25
-27.84%

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

Last update for Montreal: November 3, 2026

Last update for Oranjestad: November 1, 2026

Monthly budget structure
Share of the monthly basket for one person, rent included.
Accommodation & Living
Montreal
$970
Oranjestad
$936 3.5% $34
Groceries & Markets
Montreal
$357
Oranjestad
$364 1.9% $6.8
Eating Out
Montreal
$292
Oranjestad
$297 1.7% $5.1
Monthly Utilities & Internet
Montreal
$157
Oranjestad
$406 159% $249
Clothing & Footwear
Montreal
$138
Oranjestad
$146 5.2% $7.2
Getting Around
Montreal
$100
Oranjestad
$75 24.3% $24
Sport & Entertainment
Montreal
$53
Oranjestad
$87 65.5% $34

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $1,298 in Montreal versus $930 in Oranjestad. 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 72% higher in Montreal, which reinforces the cost advantage – you earn more and spend less. Purchasing power leans clearly in its favor.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $73 in Montreal versus $79 in Oranjestad. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $357 vs $364 – making Montreal the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know
🇨🇦 Montreal
🇦🇼 Oranjestad
🕒 Local time
16:41 4:41 PM
17:41 5:41 PM
1 h ahead of Montreal
🌤 Weather
👥 Population
1,762,949
35,000 Capital
💱 Currency
Exchange rates and currency converter

AWG, USD, EUR to CAD – Canadian Dollar Converter

Canadian Dollar exchange rates as of November 6, 2026: 1 USD = 1.41 CAD (1 CAD = 0.711 USD). 1 EUR = 1.57 CAD (1 CAD = 0.636 EUR).

Aruban Florin exchange rates as of November 6, 2026: 1 USD = 1.79 AWG (1 AWG = 0.559 USD). 1 EUR = 2 AWG (1 AWG = 0.5 EUR).

On the map
Between locations
  • Montreal Oranjestad 3,680 km ≈ 5 h nonstop flight
From you
  • Montreal
  • Oranjestad

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 Oranjestad: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions
Which city is more expensive, Montreal or Oranjestad?
Oranjestad costs about 12% more than Montreal, and outside of rent the gap comes mainly from utilities. That’s enough to noticeably affect everyday spending and lifestyle for anyone choosing between the two.
How much do you need to earn to live comfortably in Montreal and in Oranjestad?
For a comfortable life, plan on about $3,100 per month in Montreal and $3,466 in Oranjestad. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.
Where is rent cheaper, Montreal or Oranjestad?
Rent is clearly cheaper in Oranjestad, especially for central apartments: a one-bedroom in the center costs $930 there versus $1,298 in Montreal.
How do dining costs compare in Montreal and in Oranjestad?
A mid-range dinner for two costs $73 in Montreal and $79 in Oranjestad. That’s a good indicator of the overall restaurant and café pricing gap between the two cities.
How expensive is transport in Montreal compared to Oranjestad?
Public transport costs about 62% less in Oranjestad. For daily commuters, that gap adds up to noticeable savings over a year.
Can you live on $2,000/month in Montreal or in Oranjestad?
$2,000 is a stretch for both – monthly costs hit $2,067 in Montreal and $2,311 in Oranjestad. You’ll need shared housing and careful budgeting no matter which city you pick.
Which city offers a better quality of life: Montreal or Oranjestad?
It depends on your priorities. Montreal has an edge in some lifestyle areas, with costs from $2,067 in Montreal to $2,311 in Oranjestad. Climate, culture, job market, and personal taste all factor in.
How safe is Montreal compared to Oranjestad?
Both cities have a reputation for safety. In either place, the choice of neighborhood matters more than the choice between the two cities.

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