Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Montreal and Playa del Coco

For one person, living is cheaper in Playa del Coco: $1,765 a month against $2,003 in Montreal, rent and utilities included – about $2,900 less a year. Higher rent and utilities in Montreal outweigh lower spending on other living expenses.

99

Cost of Living Index in Montreal
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Montreal Living Index
85

Cost of Living Index in Playa del Coco
Learn more

Playa del Coco Living Index

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Montreal

🇨🇦 Canada

$2,003

/mo nomad

Playa del Coco

🇨🇷 Costa Rica

$1,765

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Montreal and in Playa del Coco

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 Playa del Coco actually costs, broken down by who's living it.

A single person spends $2,003 per month in Montreal vs $1,765 in Playa del Coco, rent included.

Montreal $2,003
Playa del Coco $1,765

A couple spends around $3,048 per month in Montreal vs $2,806 in Playa del Coco, rent included.

Montreal $3,048
Playa del Coco $2,806

A family of three spends $4,092 per month in Montreal vs $3,847 in Playa del Coco, rent included.

Montreal $4,092
Playa del Coco $3,847

Montreal costs about 13% more than Playa del Coco, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in transport.

Both Montreal and Playa del Coco sit above the global median – Montreal by 49%, Playa del Coco by 32%.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$19.31 CA$27.52

$18.05 ₡8,137

6.98%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$75.5 CA$108

$57.5 ₡25.9K

31.42%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$10.63 CA$15.15

$11.25 ₡5,070

-5.51%

Cappuccino

$3.93 CA$5.60

$4.08 ₡1,839

-3.68%

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

$1.92 CA$2.73

$2.52 ₡1,138

-23.81%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.48 CA$2.11

$1.63 ₡736

-9.20%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$6.30 CA$8.98

$3.56 ₡1,605

76.97%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$7.19 CA$10.24

$6.15 ₡2,774

16.91%

Milk (1 liter)

$2.22 CA$3.17

$2.42 ₡1,089

-8.26%

White Bread (500g)

$3.06 CA$4.36

$2.88 ₡1,298

6.25%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.94 CA$4.19

$2.46 ₡1,107

19.51%

Eggs

$3.53 CA$5.03

$3.44 ₡1,553

2.62%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$13.19 CA$18.79

$10.86 ₡4,894

21.45%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$11.24 CA$16.02

$10.65 ₡4,800

5.54%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$13.81 CA$19.69

$14.23 ₡6,417

-2.95%

Apples (1kg)

$3.40 CA$4.85

$5.11 ₡2,302

-33.46%

Banana (1kg)

$1.44 CA$2.06

$1.65 ₡744

-12.73%

Oranges (1kg)

$3.26 CA$4.65

$3.37 ₡1,520

-3.26%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.88 CA$4.10

$3.38 ₡1,522

-14.79%

Potato (1kg)

$1.86 CA$2.65

$3.00 ₡1,351

-38.00%

Onion (1kg)

$1.82 CA$2.60

$3.21 ₡1,446

-43.30%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.43 CA$3.46

$1.08 ₡487

125.00%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.52 CA$2.17

$2.70 ₡1,219

-43.70%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$11.45 CA$16.32

$5.59 ₡2,521

104.83%

Wine (Bottle)

$10.36 CA$14.76

$16.65 ₡7,504

-37.78%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.22 CA$3.16

$2.66 ₡1,200

-16.54%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.82 CA$4.02

$2.73 ₡1,229

3.30%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.58 CA$3.67

$1.33 ₡602

93.98%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$76.9 CA$110

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.25 CA$4.64

$3.33 ₡1,501

-2.40%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.48 CA$2.11

$1.58 ₡713

-6.33%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$33.04 CA$47.09

$8.90 ₡4,011

271.24%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.36 CA$1.94

$1.93 ₡870

-29.53%

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

$27.4K CA$39.1K

$22.2K ₡10.0M

23.49%

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

$20.0K CA$28.5K

$34.5K ₡15.6M

-42.13%

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

$76.1 CA$109

$94.1 ₡42.4K

-19.14%

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

$34.68 CA$49.43

$29.60 ₡13.3K

17.16%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$42.69 CA$60.9

$60.8 ₡27.4K

-29.82%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$28.94 CA$41.26

$72.1 ₡32.5K

-59.88%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$20.33 CA$28.97

Cinema Ticket

$11.21 CA$15.98

$8.08 ₡3,641

38.74%

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

$505 CA$720

$827 ₡372.9K

-38.95%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$16.0K CA$22.8K

$16.8K ₡7.6M

-4.90%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$58.5 CA$83.4

$71.9 ₡32.4K

-18.67%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$38.00 CA$54.2

$56.6 ₡25.5K

-32.84%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$92.7 CA$132

$130 ₡58.6K

-28.68%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$106 CA$151

$135 ₡60.6K

-21.36%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,240 CA$1,768

$819 ₡369.1K

51.46%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$986 CA$1,405

$638 ₡287.7K

54.48%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,102 CA$2,996

$1,894 ₡854.1K

10.96%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,615 CA$2,302

$1,244 ₡561.0K

29.76%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$5,043 CA$7,188

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$3,830 CA$5,459

$332 ₡149.6K

1053.87%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$2,920 CA$4,163

$765 ₡344.7K

281.95%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

4.46

8.78

-49.20%

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

Last update for Montreal: October 6, 2026

Last update for Playa del Coco: October 4, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Montreal

$986 47.9%

Playa del Coco

$638 36.4% 35.3% $348

Groceries & Markets

Montreal

$344 16.7%

Playa del Coco

$375 21.4% 9.2% $31

Eating Out

Montreal

$293 14.2%

Playa del Coco

$274 15.6% 6.5% $19

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Montreal

$154 7.5%

Playa del Coco

$185 10.5% 20.2% $31

Clothing & Footwear

Montreal

$133 6.5%

Playa del Coco

$177 10.1% 33.2% $44

Getting Around

Montreal

$98 4.8%

Playa del Coco

$17 * 1% 83.1% $81

Sport & Entertainment

Montreal

$51 2.5%

Playa del Coco

$88 5% 71.9% $37

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

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $1,240 in Montreal versus $819 in Playa del Coco. 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 282% 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 $75.0 in Montreal versus $57.0 in Playa del Coco. Groceries tell a different story – $344 in Montreal vs $375 in Playa del Coco – so Montreal wins on supermarket bills even if dining out costs more.

Good to know

🇨🇦 Montreal

🇨🇷 Playa del Coco

🕒 Local time

02:35 2:35 AM

00:35 12:35 AM

2 h behind Montreal

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

1,762,949

💱 Currency

Canadian Dollar CAD $

Costa Rican Colón CRC ₡

📈 Exchange rate

1 CAD = 0.702 USD

1 CAD = 0.626 EUR

1,000 CRC = 2.22 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 10, 2026: 1 USD = 1.43 CAD (1 CAD = 0.702 USD). 1 EUR = 1.6 CAD (1 CAD = 0.626 EUR).

Costa Rican Colón exchange rates as of October 10, 2026: 1 USD = 451 CRC (1,000 CRC = 2.22 USD). 1 EUR = 506 CRC (1,000 CRC = 1.98 EUR).

USD to CAD in detail →

On the map

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Between locations

Montreal Playa del Coco 4,050 km ≈ 6 h nonstop flight

From you

Montreal
Playa del Coco

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 Playa del Coco: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Montreal costs about 13% more than Playa del Coco, 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 $3,005 per month in Montreal and $2,648 in Playa del Coco. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

Rent is clearly cheaper in Playa del Coco, 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 $75.0 in Montreal and $57.0 in Playa del Coco. 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 $2,000 monthly budget goes further in Playa del Coco, where all-in costs run around $1,765, than in Montreal at $2,003. In Playa del Coco it covers expenses comfortably, while in Montreal it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.

For digital nomads, it depends on budget. Playa del Coco costs $1,765 versus $2,003 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 Playa del Coco. 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.