Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Montreal and Perez Zeledon

For one person, living is cheaper in Perez Zeledon: $1,328 a month against $2,059 in Montreal, rent and utilities included – about $8,800 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
64

Cost of Living Index in Perez Zeledon
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Perez Zeledon Living Index

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Montreal

🇨🇦 Canada

$2,059

/mo nomad

Perez Zeledon

🇨🇷 Costa Rica

$1,328

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Montreal and in Perez Zeledon

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

A single person spends $2,059 per month in Montreal vs $1,328 in Perez Zeledon, rent included.

Montreal $2,059
Perez Zeledon $1,328

A couple spends around $3,123 per month in Montreal vs $2,371 in Perez Zeledon, rent included.

Montreal $3,123
Perez Zeledon $2,371

A family of three spends $4,187 per month in Montreal vs $3,414 in Perez Zeledon, rent included.

Montreal $4,187
Perez Zeledon $3,414

Montreal costs about 55% more than Perez Zeledon, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

Montreal sits 52% above the global median, while Perez Zeledon is 2% below – they fall on opposite sides of the world average.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$18.84 CA$26.63

$9.34 ₡4,188

101.71%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$73.2 CA$104

$36.62 ₡16.4K

99.95%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$10.54 CA$14.90

$8.23 ₡3,689

28.07%

Cappuccino

$3.97 CA$5.61

$2.70 ₡1,210

47.04%

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

$1.94 CA$2.74

$1.96 ₡880

-1.02%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.57 CA$2.22

$1.71 ₡766

-8.19%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$6.42 CA$9.08

$1.79 ₡804

258.66%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$7.20 CA$10.19

$3.08 ₡1,380

133.77%

Milk (1 liter)

$2.32 CA$3.28

$1.64 ₡735

41.46%

White Bread (500g)

$3.19 CA$4.51

$3.03 ₡1,357

5.28%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$3.19 CA$4.50

$2.47 ₡1,109

29.15%

Eggs

$3.68 CA$5.20

$2.48 ₡1,113

48.39%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$13.24 CA$18.72

$10.62 ₡4,763

24.67%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$11.69 CA$16.53

$10.36 ₡4,646

12.84%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$13.98 CA$19.76

$13.82 ₡6,196

1.16%

Apples (1kg)

$3.14 CA$4.44

$4.99 ₡2,238

-37.07%

Banana (1kg)

$1.45 CA$2.05

$1.08 ₡483

34.26%

Oranges (1kg)

$3.38 CA$4.78

$4.85 ₡2,174

-30.31%

Tomato (1kg)

$3.11 CA$4.40

$3.96 ₡1,777

-21.46%

Potato (1kg)

$1.93 CA$2.72

$3.86 ₡1,730

-50.00%

Onion (1kg)

$1.83 CA$2.58

$3.78 ₡1,693

-51.59%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.36 CA$3.34

$0.46 ₡205

413.04%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.50 CA$2.12

$3.21 ₡1,441

-53.27%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$11.12 CA$15.73

$5.76 ₡2,582

93.06%

Wine (Bottle)

$10.60 CA$14.98

$19.78 ₡8,870

-46.41%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.22 CA$3.14

$2.77 ₡1,240

-19.86%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.84 CA$4.01

$3.50 ₡1,572

-18.86%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.62 CA$3.71

$0.77 ₡344

240.26%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$79.1 CA$112

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.23 CA$4.56

$2.51 ₡1,125

28.69%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.48 CA$2.10

$1.61 ₡720

-8.07%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$32.22 CA$45.55

$8.81 ₡3,952

265.72%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.36 CA$1.92

$1.54 ₡689

-11.69%

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

$27.6K CA$39.1K

$22.3K ₡10.0M

23.91%

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

$21.2K CA$30.0K

$34.8K ₡15.6M

-39.04%

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

$77.0 CA$109

$92.9 ₡41.7K

-17.06%

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

$34.14 CA$48.26

$23.91 ₡10.7K

42.79%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$42.19 CA$59.7

$58.7 ₡26.3K

-28.11%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$30.81 CA$43.56

$72.4 ₡32.5K

-57.44%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$19.66 CA$27.79

Cinema Ticket

$11.47 CA$16.22

$7.46 ₡3,346

53.75%

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

$506 CA$716

$508 ₡227.7K

-0.33%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$16.2K CA$23.0K

$16.9K ₡7.6M

-3.94%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$57.3 CA$81.0

$72.9 ₡32.7K

-21.44%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$38.10 CA$53.9

$56.8 ₡25.5K

-32.90%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$91.9 CA$130

$129 ₡58.0K

-28.96%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$110 CA$155

$130 ₡58.1K

-15.34%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,237 CA$1,748

$401 ₡180.0K

208.17%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$977 CA$1,381

$333 ₡149.4K

193.16%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,180 CA$3,082

$1,898 ₡851.1K

14.87%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,608 CA$2,273

$1,258 ₡564.0K

27.86%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$5,113 CA$7,228

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$3,744 CA$5,293

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$2,957 CA$4,180

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

4.48

8.62

-48.03%

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

Last update for Montreal: October 20, 2026

Last update for Perez Zeledon: October 20, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Montreal

$977 47.4%

Perez Zeledon

$333 25.1% 65.9% $644

Groceries & Markets

Montreal

$351 17.1%

Perez Zeledon

$382 28.8% 8.8% $31

Eating Out

Montreal

$290 14.1%

Perez Zeledon

$162 12.2% 44.4% $129

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Montreal

$153 7.5%

Perez Zeledon

$176 13.2% 14.4% $22

Clothing & Footwear

Montreal

$134 6.5%

Perez Zeledon

$175 13.2% 30.9% $41

Getting Around

Montreal

$100 4.9%

Perez Zeledon

$14 * 1% 86.4% $87

Sport & Entertainment

Montreal

$54 2.6%

Perez Zeledon

$87 6.6% 62.4% $34

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

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $1,237 in Montreal versus $401 in Perez Zeledon. Rent is usually the largest line item in a monthly budget, so the gap here sets the tone for the overall comparison.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $73.0 in Montreal versus $37.00 in Perez Zeledon. Groceries tell a different story – $351 in Montreal vs $382 in Perez Zeledon – so Montreal wins on supermarket bills even if dining out costs more.

Good to know

🇨🇦 Montreal

🇨🇷 Perez Zeledon

🕒 Local time

20:51 8:51 PM

18:51 6:51 PM

2 h behind Montreal

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

1,762,949

135,000

💱 Currency

Canadian Dollar CAD $

Costa Rican Colón CRC ₡

📈 Exchange rate

1 CAD = 0.707 USD

1 CAD = 0.629 EUR

1,000 CRC = 2.23 USD

1,000 CRC = 1.98 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

CRC, USD, EUR to CAD – Canadian Dollar Converter

🇺🇸 United States Dollar ($)

🇨🇦 Canadian Dollar ($)

Canadian Dollar exchange rates as of October 21, 2026: 1 USD = 1.41 CAD (1 CAD = 0.707 USD). 1 EUR = 1.59 CAD (1 CAD = 0.629 EUR).

Costa Rican Colón exchange rates as of October 21, 2026: 1 USD = 448 CRC (1,000 CRC = 2.23 USD). 1 EUR = 504 CRC (1,000 CRC = 1.98 EUR).

USD to CAD in detail →

On the map

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Between locations

Montreal Perez Zeledon 4,140 km ≈ 6 h nonstop flight

From you

Montreal
Perez Zeledon

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 Perez Zeledon: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Montreal costs about 55% more than Perez Zeledon, and outside of rent the gap comes mainly from eating out. That's enough to noticeably affect everyday spending and lifestyle for anyone choosing between the two.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $3,089 per month in Montreal and $1,992 in Perez Zeledon. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

Rent is clearly cheaper in Perez Zeledon, especially for central apartments. Housing is actually the single biggest factor behind the overall cost gap between these two cities.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $73.0 in Montreal and $37.00 in Perez Zeledon. That's a good indicator of the overall restaurant and café pricing gap between the two cities.

Interestingly, groceries are about 9% cheaper in Montreal – one category where the pricier city actually offers better value, probably thanks to stronger retail competition or local farming.

A $1,500 monthly budget goes further in Perez Zeledon, where all-in costs run around $1,328, than in Montreal at $2,059. In Perez Zeledon it covers expenses comfortably, while in Montreal it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.

For digital nomads, it depends on budget. Perez Zeledon costs $1,328 versus $2,059 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 Perez Zeledon. 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.