Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Montreal and Puerto Viejo - de Talamanca, Limon

For one person, living is cheaper in Puerto Viejo - de Talamanca, Limon: $1,596 a month against $2,018 in Montreal, rent and utilities included – about $5,100 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
76

Cost of Living Index in Puerto Viejo - de Talamanca, Limon
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Puerto Viejo - de Talamanca, Limon Living Index

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Montreal

🇨🇦 Canada

$2,018

/mo nomad

Puerto Viejo - de Talamanca, Limon

🇨🇷 Costa Rica

$1,596

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Montreal and in Puerto Viejo - de Talamanca, Limon

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 Viejo - de Talamanca, Limon actually costs, broken down by who's living it.

A single person spends $2,018 per month in Montreal vs $1,596 in Puerto Viejo - de Talamanca, Limon, rent included.

Montreal $2,018
Puerto Viejo - de Talamanca, Limon $1,596

A couple spends around $3,085 per month in Montreal vs $2,398 in Puerto Viejo - de Talamanca, Limon, rent included.

Montreal $3,085
Puerto Viejo - de Talamanca, Limon $2,398

A family of three spends $4,152 per month in Montreal vs $3,200 in Puerto Viejo - de Talamanca, Limon, rent included.

Montreal $4,152
Puerto Viejo - de Talamanca, Limon $3,200

Montreal costs about 26% more than Puerto Viejo - de Talamanca, Limon, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

Both Montreal and Puerto Viejo - de Talamanca, Limon sit above the global median – Montreal by 49%, Puerto Viejo - de Talamanca, Limon by 18%.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$18.82 CA$26.61

$11.94 ₡5,353

57.62%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$70.3 CA$99.4

$44.58 ₡20.0K

57.67%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$10.66 CA$15.06

$10.82 ₡4,855

-1.48%

Cappuccino

$3.84 CA$5.43

$4.03 ₡1,808

-4.71%

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

$1.92 CA$2.71

$2.38 ₡1,067

-19.33%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.54 CA$2.18

$1.83 ₡819

-15.85%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$6.23 CA$8.81

$3.37 ₡1,510

84.87%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$7.10 CA$10.03

$4.01 ₡1,800

77.06%

Milk (1 liter)

$2.31 CA$3.27

$2.08 ₡931

11.06%

White Bread (500g)

$3.14 CA$4.44

$3.16 ₡1,418

-0.63%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$3.21 CA$4.54

$2.43 ₡1,089

32.10%

Eggs

$3.52 CA$4.97

$3.07 ₡1,378

14.66%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$12.81 CA$18.11

$6.56 ₡2,942

95.27%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$11.46 CA$16.20

$7.76 ₡3,479

47.68%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$13.39 CA$18.92

$14.16 ₡6,350

-5.44%

Apples (1kg)

$3.14 CA$4.43

$2.59 ₡1,161

21.24%

Banana (1kg)

$1.44 CA$2.03

$1.12 ₡504

28.57%

Oranges (1kg)

$3.47 CA$4.91

$1.29 ₡576

168.99%

Tomato (1kg)

$3.07 CA$4.34

$1.74 ₡781

76.44%

Potato (1kg)

$1.90 CA$2.69

$2.60 ₡1,165

-26.92%

Onion (1kg)

$1.77 CA$2.50

$1.97 ₡881

-10.15%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.34 CA$3.31

$0.69 ₡311

239.13%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.55 CA$2.19

$2.00 ₡898

-22.50%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$11.38 CA$16.09

$3.12 ₡1,398

264.74%

Wine (Bottle)

$10.63 CA$15.03

$15.10 ₡6,773

-29.60%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.27 CA$3.21

$2.86 ₡1,284

-20.63%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.82 CA$3.99

$3.71 ₡1,663

-23.99%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.66 CA$3.76

$1.30 ₡582

104.62%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$77.3 CA$109

$43.11 ₡19.3K

79.29%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.20 CA$4.53

$1.84 ₡825

73.91%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.48 CA$2.09

$1.54 ₡693

-3.90%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$32.88 CA$46.48

$8.50 ₡3,814

286.82%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.34 CA$1.90

$1.50 ₡674

-10.67%

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

$28.2K CA$39.8K

$22.3K ₡10.0M

26.43%

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

$19.6K CA$27.8K

$35.0K ₡15.7M

-44.00%

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

$76.0 CA$107

$95.5 ₡42.8K

-20.49%

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

$33.95 CA$48.00

$35.40 ₡15.9K

-4.10%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$42.31 CA$59.8

$32.86 ₡14.7K

28.76%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$29.76 CA$42.07

$73.5 ₡33.0K

-59.52%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$20.28 CA$28.67

Cinema Ticket

$11.15 CA$15.77

$7.71 ₡3,458

44.62%

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

$507 CA$717

$972 ₡435.8K

-47.82%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$16.1K CA$22.7K

$17.1K ₡7.7M

-5.91%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$57.6 CA$81.4

$64.6 ₡29.0K

-10.97%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$37.58 CA$53.1

$25.92 ₡11.6K

44.98%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$91.9 CA$130

$97.0 ₡43.5K

-5.24%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$110 CA$155

$54.5 ₡24.4K

101.14%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,260 CA$1,782

$690 ₡309.3K

82.78%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$948 CA$1,340

$659 ₡295.6K

43.74%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,137 CA$3,021

$1,981 ₡888.2K

7.90%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,614 CA$2,281

$1,135 ₡508.8K

42.22%

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

$976 ₡437.6K

189.79%

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 12, 2026

Last update for Puerto Viejo - de Talamanca, Limon: October 13, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Montreal

$948 47%

Puerto Viejo - de Talamanca, Limon

$659 41.3% 30.4% $288

Groceries & Markets

Montreal

$346 17.2%

Puerto Viejo - de Talamanca, Limon

$299 18.8% 13.6% $47

Eating Out

Montreal

$288 14.3%

Puerto Viejo - de Talamanca, Limon

$218 13.7% 24.3% $70

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Montreal

$152 7.5%

Puerto Viejo - de Talamanca, Limon

$164 10.3% 7.6% $12

Clothing & Footwear

Montreal

$133 6.6%

Puerto Viejo - de Talamanca, Limon

$109 6.8% 18.4% $25

Getting Around

Montreal

$99 4.9%

Puerto Viejo - de Talamanca, Limon

$58 3.6% 41.3% $41

Sport & Entertainment

Montreal

$52 2.6%

Puerto Viejo - de Talamanca, Limon

$89 5.6% 70.8% $37

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $1,260 in Montreal versus $690 in Puerto Viejo - de Talamanca, Limon. 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 190% 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 $45.00 in Puerto Viejo - de Talamanca, Limon. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $346 vs $299 – making Puerto Viejo - de Talamanca, Limon the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇨🇦 Montreal

🇨🇷 Puerto Viejo - de Talamanca, Limon

🕒 Local time

18:34 6:34 PM

16:34 4:34 PM

2 h behind Montreal

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

1,762,949

💱 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 17, 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 17, 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 Puerto Viejo - de Talamanca, Limon 4,070 km ≈ 6 h nonstop flight

From you

Montreal
Puerto Viejo - de Talamanca, Limon

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 Viejo - de Talamanca, Limon: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Montreal costs about 26% more than Puerto Viejo - de Talamanca, Limon, 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 $2,394 in Puerto Viejo - de Talamanca, Limon. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

Rent is clearly cheaper in Puerto Viejo - de Talamanca, Limon, especially for central apartments. Housing is actually the single biggest factor behind the overall cost gap between these two cities.

Groceries cost about 16% 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 $45.00 in Puerto Viejo - de Talamanca, Limon. That's a good indicator of the overall restaurant and café pricing gap between the two cities.

A $2,000 monthly budget goes further in Puerto Viejo - de Talamanca, Limon, where all-in costs run around $1,596, than in Montreal at $2,018. In Puerto Viejo - de Talamanca, Limon it covers expenses comfortably, while in Montreal it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.

For digital nomads, it depends on budget. Puerto Viejo - de Talamanca, Limon costs $1,596 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 Puerto Viejo - de Talamanca, Limon. 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.