Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Montreal and Puerto Varas

For one person, living is cheaper in Puerto Varas: $1,130 a month against $2,018 in Montreal, rent and utilities included – about $10,700 less a year. Other living expenses account for most of the difference.

Montreal
🇨🇦 Canada
$2,018
/mo nomad
Puerto Varas
🇨🇱 Chile
$1,130
/mo nomad
Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Montreal and in Puerto Varas

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

A single person spends $2,018 per month in Montreal vs $1,130 in Puerto Varas, rent included.

  • Montreal $2,018
  • Puerto Varas $1,130

A couple spends around $3,085 per month in Montreal vs $1,624 in Puerto Varas, rent included.

  • Montreal $3,085
  • Puerto Varas $1,624

A family of three spends $4,152 per month in Montreal vs $2,118 in Puerto Varas, rent included.

  • Montreal $4,152
  • Puerto Varas $2,118

Montreal costs about 79% more than Puerto Varas, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Montreal sits 49% above the global median, while Puerto Varas is 16% below – they fall on opposite sides of the world average.

Currency
🍽 Eating Out
Montreal
Puerto Varas
Difference
Meal at Budget Restaurant
$18.82 CA$26.61
$12.47 CLP 12.3K
50.92%
Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range
$70.3 CA$99.4
$41.05 CLP 40.4K
71.23%
Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)
$10.66 CA$15.06
$7.58 CLP 7,462
40.63%
Cappuccino
$3.84 CA$5.43
$3.28 CLP 3,231
17.07%
Coke/Pepsi/Fanta/Sprite (0.33 liter bottle)
$1.92 CA$2.71
$0.99 CLP 977
93.94%
Water (0.33 liter bottle)
$1.54 CA$2.18
$0.80 CLP 785
92.50%
Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)
$6.23 CA$8.81
-
-
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$7.10 CA$10.03
-
-
🛒 Groceries & Markets
Montreal
Puerto Varas
Difference
Milk (1 liter)
$2.31 CA$3.27
$1.09 CLP 1,077
111.93%
White Bread (500g)
$3.14 CA$4.44
$1.86 CLP 1,830
68.82%
Rice (white) (1kg)
$3.21 CA$4.54
$1.61 CLP 1,582
99.38%
Eggs
$3.52 CA$4.97
$3.11 CLP 3,062
13.18%
Local Cheese (1kg)
$12.81 CA$18.11
$8.61 CLP 8,476
48.78%
Chicken Fillets (1kg)
$11.46 CA$16.20
$4.68 CLP 4,609
144.87%
Beef Round Steak (1kg)
$13.39 CA$18.92
$8.50 CLP 8,372
57.53%
Apples (1kg)
$3.14 CA$4.43
$1.78 CLP 1,751
76.40%
Banana (1kg)
$1.44 CA$2.03
$1.95 CLP 1,922
-26.15%
Oranges (1kg)
$3.47 CA$4.91
$2.61 CLP 2,565
32.95%
Tomato (1kg)
$3.07 CA$4.34
$1.89 CLP 1,862
62.43%
Potato (1kg)
$1.90 CA$2.69
$1.50 CLP 1,480
26.67%
Onion (1kg)
$1.77 CA$2.50
$1.25 CLP 1,230
41.60%
Lettuce (1 head)
$2.34 CA$3.31
$1.32 CLP 1,296
77.27%
Water (1.5 liter bottle)
$1.55 CA$2.19
$1.13 CLP 1,117
37.17%
Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)
$11.38 CA$16.09
$4.96 CLP 4,884
129.44%
Wine (Bottle)
$10.63 CA$15.03
$4.63 CLP 4,557
129.59%
Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)
$2.27 CA$3.21
$1.40 CLP 1,379
62.14%
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$2.82 CA$3.99
$1.25 CLP 1,226
125.60%
🚌 Getting Around
Montreal
Puerto Varas
Difference
One-way Ticket (Public Transport)
$2.66 CA$3.76
$1.10 CLP 1,078
141.82%
Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)
$77.3 CA$109
-
-
Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)
$3.20 CA$4.53
-
-
Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)
$1.48 CA$2.09
-
-
Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)
$32.88 CA$46.48
-
-
Gasoline (1 liter)
$1.34 CA$1.90
-
-
Midsize Hatchback 1.4l (Volkswagen Golf, Toyota Prius, Honda Civic, etc)
$28.2K CA$39.8K
-
-
Compact Sedan 1.6l (Toyota Corolla, Mazda3, Kia K4, Hyundai Elantra, etc)
$19.6K CA$27.8K
-
-
🧾 Monthly Utilities & Internet
Montreal
Puerto Varas
Difference
Utilities for 2 People in 2-bedroom Apartment (Heating, Electricity, Gas, Water, Garbage) (85m2)
$76.0 CA$107
$255 CLP 251.2K
-70.23%
SIM Card Monthly Plan (Calls and 10GB+ Data)
$33.95 CA$48.00
$16.06 CLP 15.8K
111.39%
Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)
$42.31 CA$59.8
-
-
🎉 Sport & Entertainment
Montreal
Puerto Varas
Difference
Gym Membership (Monthly)
$29.76 CA$42.07
$30.89 CLP 30.4K
-3.66%
Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)
$20.28 CA$28.67
-
-
Cinema Ticket
$11.15 CA$15.77
-
-
🧸 Childcare & Education
Montreal
Puerto Varas
Difference
Preschool or Kindergarten, Full Day, Private, 1 Child (Monthly)
$507 CA$717
$488 CLP 480.6K
3.86%
International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)
$16.1K CA$22.7K
$6,137 CLP 6.0M
161.52%
👕👟 Clothing & Footwear
Montreal
Puerto Varas
Difference
Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)
$57.6 CA$81.4
$20.37 CLP 20.1K
182.52%
Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)
$37.58 CA$53.1
$15.32 CLP 15.1K
145.30%
Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)
$91.9 CA$130
$61.1 CLP 60.1K
50.46%
Men's Leather Business Shoes
$110 CA$155
-
-
🏠 Accommodation & Living
Montreal
Puerto Varas
Difference
1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$1,260 CA$1,782
$623 CLP 612.8K
102.48%
1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$948 CA$1,340
$402 CLP 396.0K
135.53%
3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$2,137 CA$3,021
$819 CLP 805.9K
161.01%
3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$1,614 CA$2,281
$619 CLP 609.7K
160.51%
Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)
$4,960 CA$7,011
-
-
Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)
$3,838 CA$5,425
-
-
💵 Salaries & Financials
Montreal
Puerto Varas
Difference
Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)
$2,827 CA$3,997
$532 CLP 523.5K
431.62%
20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)
4.48
0
-

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

Last update for Montreal: October 12, 2026

Last update for Puerto Varas: October 12, 2026

Monthly budget structure
Share of the monthly basket for one person, rent included.
Accommodation & Living
Montreal
$948
Puerto Varas
$402 57.5% $545
Groceries & Markets
Montreal
$346
Puerto Varas
$208 39.9% $138
Eating Out
Montreal
$288
Puerto Varas
$169 * 41.3% $119
Monthly Utilities & Internet
Montreal
$152
Puerto Varas
$271 * 78.2% $119
Clothing & Footwear
Montreal
$133
Puerto Varas
$44 * 67.4% $90
Getting Around
Montreal
$99
Puerto Varas
$4.4 * 95.6% $94
Sport & Entertainment
Montreal
$52
Puerto Varas
$31 * 40.7% $21

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 $623 in Puerto Varas. 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 432% 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 $41.00 in Puerto Varas. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $346 vs $208 – making Puerto Varas the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know
🇨🇦 Montreal
🇨🇱 Puerto Varas
🕒 Local time
02:57 2:57 AM
03:57 3:57 AM
1 h ahead of Montreal
🌤 Weather
👥 Population
1,762,949
41,255
💱 Currency
Exchange rates and currency converter

CLP, USD, EUR to CAD – Canadian Dollar Converter

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).

Chilean Peso exchange rates as of October 18, 2026: 1 USD = 984 CLP (1,000 CLP = 1.02 USD). 1 EUR = 1,107 CLP (10,000 CLP = 9.04 EUR).

On the map
Between locations
  • Montreal Puerto Varas 9,650 km ≈ 13 h nonstop flight
From you
  • Montreal
  • Puerto Varas

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 Puerto Varas: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions
Which city is more expensive, Montreal or Puerto Varas?
Montreal costs about 79% more than Puerto Varas, 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.
How much do you need to earn to live comfortably in Montreal and in Puerto Varas?
For a comfortable life, plan on about $3,027 per month in Montreal and $1,694 in Puerto Varas. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.
Where is rent cheaper, Montreal or Puerto Varas?
Rent is clearly cheaper in Puerto Varas, especially for central apartments. Housing is actually the single biggest factor behind the overall cost gap between these two cities.
How do dining costs compare in Montreal and in Puerto Varas?
A mid-range dinner for two costs $70.0 in Montreal and $41.00 in Puerto Varas. That's a good indicator of the overall restaurant and café pricing gap between the two cities.
Are groceries more expensive in Montreal or in Puerto Varas?
Groceries cost about 66% more in Montreal, though it depends on what you buy. Local produce may be comparable; imported and premium items show the biggest price gap.
Can you live on $1,000/month in Montreal or in Puerto Varas?
A $1,000 monthly budget goes further in Puerto Varas, where all-in costs run around $1,130, than in Montreal at $2,018. In Puerto Varas it covers expenses comfortably, while in Montreal it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.
Which city is better for digital nomads, Montreal or Puerto Varas?
For digital nomads, it depends on budget. Puerto Varas costs $1,130 versus $2,018 in Montreal. Both have workable remote work infrastructure, but the cost gap matters when income varies month to month.
How safe is Montreal compared to Puerto Varas?
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.
Should I move to Montreal or to Puerto Varas?
If budget matters most, go with Puerto Varas. 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.

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