Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Montreal and Pilar

For one person, living is cheaper in Pilar: $1,188 a month against $2,018 in Montreal, rent and utilities included – about $10,000 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
59

Cost of Living Index in Pilar
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Pilar Living Index

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Montreal

🇨🇦 Canada

$2,018

/mo nomad

Pilar

🇦🇷 Argentina

$1,188

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Montreal and in Pilar

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

A single person spends $2,018 per month in Montreal vs $1,188 in Pilar, rent included.

Montreal $2,018
Pilar $1,188

A couple spends around $3,085 per month in Montreal vs $2,031 in Pilar, rent included.

Montreal $3,085
Pilar $2,031

A family of three spends $4,152 per month in Montreal vs $2,875 in Pilar, rent included.

Montreal $4,152
Pilar $2,875

Montreal costs about 70% more than Pilar, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Montreal sits 49% above the global median, while Pilar is 12% below – they fall on opposite sides of the world average.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$18.82 CA$26.61

$18.73 ARS 28.4K

0.48%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$70.3 CA$99.4

$59.8 ARS 90.7K

17.56%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$10.66 CA$15.06

$13.19 ARS 20.0K

-19.18%

Cappuccino

$3.84 CA$5.43

$3.97 ARS 6,027

-3.27%

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

$1.92 CA$2.71

$1.99 ARS 3,021

-3.52%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.54 CA$2.18

$1.57 ARS 2,383

-1.91%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$6.23 CA$8.81

$4.05 ARS 6,149

53.83%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$7.10 CA$10.03

$4.63 ARS 7,031

53.35%

Milk (1 liter)

$2.31 CA$3.27

$1.50 ARS 2,269

54.00%

White Bread (500g)

$3.14 CA$4.44

$2.50 ARS 3,800

25.60%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$3.21 CA$4.54

$1.59 ARS 2,420

101.89%

Eggs

$3.52 CA$4.97

$2.28 ARS 3,458

54.39%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$12.81 CA$18.11

$10.68 ARS 16.2K

19.94%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$11.46 CA$16.20

$2.95 ARS 4,474

288.47%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$13.39 CA$18.92

$10.19 ARS 15.5K

31.40%

Apples (1kg)

$3.14 CA$4.43

$2.86 ARS 4,340

9.79%

Banana (1kg)

$1.44 CA$2.03

$2.19 ARS 3,325

-34.25%

Oranges (1kg)

$3.47 CA$4.91

$1.44 ARS 2,192

140.97%

Tomato (1kg)

$3.07 CA$4.34

$1.97 ARS 2,989

55.84%

Potato (1kg)

$1.90 CA$2.69

$1.26 ARS 1,917

50.79%

Onion (1kg)

$1.77 CA$2.50

$1.21 ARS 1,831

46.28%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.34 CA$3.31

$1.64 ARS 2,484

42.68%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.55 CA$2.19

$1.77 ARS 2,689

-12.43%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$11.38 CA$16.09

$4.17 ARS 6,333

172.90%

Wine (Bottle)

$10.63 CA$15.03

$5.81 ARS 8,818

82.96%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.27 CA$3.21

$2.06 ARS 3,124

10.19%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.82 CA$3.99

$2.86 ARS 4,345

-1.40%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.66 CA$3.76

$1.06 ARS 1,610

150.94%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$77.3 CA$109

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.20 CA$4.53

$1.62 ARS 2,460

97.53%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.48 CA$2.09

$1.02 ARS 1,551

45.10%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$32.88 CA$46.48

$8.19 ARS 12.4K

301.47%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.34 CA$1.90

$1.08 ARS 1,645

24.07%

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

$28.2K CA$39.8K

$28.0K ARS 42.4M

0.69%

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

$19.6K CA$27.8K

$34.8K ARS 52.8M

-43.59%

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

$76.0 CA$107

$64.2 ARS 97.4K

18.39%

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

$33.95 CA$48.00

$9.91 ARS 15.0K

242.58%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$42.31 CA$59.8

$20.04 ARS 30.4K

111.13%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$29.76 CA$42.07

$31.61 ARS 48.0K

-5.85%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$20.28 CA$28.67

Cinema Ticket

$11.15 CA$15.77

$10.32 ARS 15.7K

8.04%

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

$507 CA$717

$466 ARS 707.0K

8.84%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$16.1K CA$22.7K

$8,783 ARS 13.3M

82.75%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$57.6 CA$81.4

$121 ARS 183.6K

-52.44%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$37.58 CA$53.1

$93.9 ARS 142.5K

-59.99%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$91.9 CA$130

$118 ARS 178.6K

-21.91%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$110 CA$155

$141 ARS 214.0K

-22.31%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,260 CA$1,782

$521 ARS 790.2K

142.07%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$948 CA$1,340

$299 ARS 453.2K

217.30%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,137 CA$3,021

$1,001 ARS 1.5M

113.45%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,614 CA$2,281

$757 ARS 1.1M

113.13%

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

$1,011 ARS 1.5M

179.56%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

4.48

57.25

-92.17%

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

Last update for Montreal: October 12, 2026

Last update for Pilar: October 13, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Montreal

$948 47%

Pilar

$299 25.2% 68.5% $649

Groceries & Markets

Montreal

$346 17.2%

Pilar

$238 20% 31.4% $109

Eating Out

Montreal

$288 14.3%

Pilar

$281 23.7% 2.4% $7

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Montreal

$152 7.5%

Pilar

$94 7.9% 38.2% $58

Clothing & Footwear

Montreal

$133 6.6%

Pilar

$213 18% 59.7% $80

Getting Around

Montreal

$99 4.9%

Pilar

$11 * 0.9% 88.9% $88

Sport & Entertainment

Montreal

$52 2.6%

Pilar

$52 4.4% 0.4% $0.2

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

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $1,260 in Montreal versus $521 in Pilar. 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 180% higher in Montreal, which partly offsets the higher cost of living there. Purchasing power depends on which expenses matter most to you.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $70.0 in Montreal versus $60.0 in Pilar. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $346 vs $238 – making Pilar the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇨🇦 Montreal

🇦🇷 Pilar

🕒 Local time

18:06 6:06 PM

19:06 7:06 PM

1 h ahead of Montreal

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

1,762,949

81,120

💱 Currency

Canadian Dollar CAD $

Argentine Peso ARS $

📈 Exchange rate

1 CAD = 0.707 USD

1 CAD = 0.629 EUR

10,000 ARS = 6.59 USD

10,000 ARS = 5.86 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

ARS, USD, EUR to CAD – Canadian Dollar Converter

🇺🇸 United States Dollar ($)

🇨🇦 Canadian Dollar ($)

Canadian Dollar exchange rates as of October 17, 2026: 1 USD = 1.41 CAD (1 CAD = 0.707 USD). 1 EUR = 1.59 CAD (1 CAD = 0.629 EUR).

Argentine Peso exchange rates as of October 17, 2026: 1 USD = 1,517 ARS (10,000 ARS = 6.59 USD). 1 EUR = 1,706 ARS (10,000 ARS = 5.86 EUR).

USD to CAD in detail →

On the map

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Between locations

Montreal Pilar 9,010 km ≈ 12 h nonstop flight

From you

Montreal
Pilar

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 Pilar: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Montreal costs about 70% more than Pilar, and outside of rent the gap comes mainly from groceries. 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 $1,781 in Pilar. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

Rent is clearly cheaper in Pilar, 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 $70.0 in Montreal and $60.0 in Pilar. That's a good indicator of the overall restaurant and café pricing gap between the two cities.

Groceries cost about 46% more in Montreal, though it depends on what you buy. Local produce may be comparable; imported and premium items show the biggest price gap.

A $2,000 monthly budget goes further in Pilar, where all-in costs run around $1,188, than in Montreal at $2,018. In Pilar it covers expenses comfortably, while in Montreal it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.

For digital nomads, it depends on budget. Pilar costs $1,188 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 Pilar. 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.