Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Montreal and Portmore

For one person, living is cheaper in Portmore: $1,246 a month against $2,018 in Montreal, rent and utilities included – about $9,300 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
61

Cost of Living Index in Portmore
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Portmore Living Index

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Montreal

🇨🇦 Canada

$2,018

/mo nomad

Portmore

🇯🇲 Jamaica

$1,246

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Montreal and in Portmore

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

A single person spends $2,018 per month in Montreal vs $1,246 in Portmore, rent included.

Montreal $2,018
Portmore $1,246

A couple spends around $3,085 per month in Montreal vs $2,073 in Portmore, rent included.

Montreal $3,085
Portmore $2,073

A family of three spends $4,152 per month in Montreal vs $2,900 in Portmore, rent included.

Montreal $4,152
Portmore $2,900

Montreal costs about 62% more than Portmore, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

Montreal sits 49% above the global median, while Portmore is 8% below – they fall on opposite sides of the world average.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$18.82 CA$26.61

$10.15 JMD 1,603

85.42%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$70.3 CA$99.4

$63.3 JMD 10.0K

10.97%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$10.66 CA$15.06

$8.04 JMD 1,270

32.59%

Cappuccino

$3.84 CA$5.43

$5.43 JMD 859

-29.28%

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

$1.92 CA$2.71

$0.90 JMD 143

113.33%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.54 CA$2.18

$0.66 JMD 104

133.33%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$6.23 CA$8.81

$2.18 JMD 345

185.78%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$7.10 CA$10.03

$2.16 JMD 342

228.70%

Milk (1 liter)

$2.31 CA$3.27

$3.02 JMD 478

-23.51%

White Bread (500g)

$3.14 CA$4.44

$3.49 JMD 551

-10.03%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$3.21 CA$4.54

$1.02 JMD 161

214.71%

Eggs

$3.52 CA$4.97

$3.61 JMD 571

-2.49%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$12.81 CA$18.11

$11.52 JMD 1,821

11.20%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$11.46 CA$16.20

$6.30 JMD 996

81.90%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$13.39 CA$18.92

$9.43 JMD 1,490

41.99%

Apples (1kg)

$3.14 CA$4.43

$5.99 JMD 946

-47.58%

Banana (1kg)

$1.44 CA$2.03

$3.93 JMD 620

-63.36%

Oranges (1kg)

$3.47 CA$4.91

$2.96 JMD 468

17.23%

Tomato (1kg)

$3.07 CA$4.34

$3.01 JMD 476

1.99%

Potato (1kg)

$1.90 CA$2.69

$3.30 JMD 521

-42.42%

Onion (1kg)

$1.77 CA$2.50

$2.60 JMD 411

-31.92%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.34 CA$3.31

$1.59 JMD 251

47.17%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.55 CA$2.19

$1.26 JMD 199

23.02%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$11.38 CA$16.09

$9.64 JMD 1,523

18.05%

Wine (Bottle)

$10.63 CA$15.03

$11.24 JMD 1,776

-5.43%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.27 CA$3.21

$2.81 JMD 444

-19.22%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.82 CA$3.99

$2.26 JMD 356

24.78%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.66 CA$3.76

$2.29 JMD 361

16.16%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$77.3 CA$109

$50.2 JMD 7,931

53.96%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.20 CA$4.53

$0.96 JMD 152

233.33%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.48 CA$2.09

$3.09 JMD 488

-52.10%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$32.88 CA$46.48

$6.24 JMD 985

426.92%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.34 CA$1.90

$1.18 JMD 187

13.56%

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

$28.2K CA$39.8K

$43.1K JMD 6.8M

-34.66%

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

$19.6K CA$27.8K

$32.3K JMD 5.1M

-39.26%

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

$76.0 CA$107

$155 JMD 24.5K

-50.94%

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

$33.95 CA$48.00

$29.01 JMD 4,583

17.03%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$42.31 CA$59.8

$52.7 JMD 8,322

-19.67%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$29.76 CA$42.07

$60.2 JMD 9,503

-50.52%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$20.28 CA$28.67

Cinema Ticket

$11.15 CA$15.77

$13.38 JMD 2,114

-16.67%

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

$507 CA$717

$285 JMD 45.1K

77.78%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$16.1K CA$22.7K

$3,143 JMD 496.5K

410.70%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$57.6 CA$81.4

$23.25 JMD 3,674

147.53%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$37.58 CA$53.1

$30.94 JMD 4,889

21.46%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$91.9 CA$130

$78.7 JMD 12.4K

16.77%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$110 CA$155

$94.5 JMD 14.9K

15.91%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,260 CA$1,782

$307 JMD 48.6K

309.92%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$948 CA$1,340

$216 JMD 34.1K

338.81%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,137 CA$3,021

$656 JMD 103.7K

225.51%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,614 CA$2,281

$590 JMD 93.3K

173.28%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$4,960 CA$7,011

$7,466 JMD 1.2M

-33.57%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$3,838 CA$5,425

$5,702 JMD 900.9K

-32.70%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$2,827 CA$3,997

$1,301 JMD 205.5K

117.34%

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 Portmore: October 10, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Montreal

$948 47%

Portmore

$216 17.3% 77.2% $732

Groceries & Markets

Montreal

$346 17.2%

Portmore

$336 27% 3% $10

Eating Out

Montreal

$288 14.3%

Portmore

$192 15.4% 33.3% $96

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Montreal

$152 7.5%

Portmore

$237 19% 55.4% $84

Clothing & Footwear

Montreal

$133 6.6%

Portmore

$102 8.2% 23.3% $31

Getting Around

Montreal

$99 4.9%

Portmore

$76 6.1% 23.1% $23

Sport & Entertainment

Montreal

$52 2.6%

Portmore

$87 7% 66.9% $35

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $1,260 in Montreal versus $307 in Portmore. 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 117% 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 $63.0 in Portmore. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $346 vs $336 – making Portmore the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇨🇦 Montreal

🇯🇲 Portmore

🕒 Local time

17:49 5:49 PM

16:49 4:49 PM

1 h behind Montreal

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

1,762,949

170,000

💱 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

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Between locations

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

From you

Montreal
Portmore

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 Portmore: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Montreal costs about 62% more than Portmore, 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 $3,027 per month in Montreal and $1,868 in Portmore. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

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

Groceries cost about 3% 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 mid-range dinner for two costs $70.0 in Montreal and $63.0 in Portmore. That's a good indicator of the overall restaurant and café pricing gap between the two cities.

A $1,000 monthly budget goes further in Portmore, where all-in costs run around $1,246, than in Montreal at $2,018. In Portmore it covers expenses comfortably, while in Montreal it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.

For digital nomads, it depends on budget. Portmore costs $1,246 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 Portmore. 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.