Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Montreal and Punta Arenas

For one person, living is cheaper in Punta Arenas: $1,303 a month against $2,018 in Montreal, rent and utilities included – about $8,600 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

Montreal
🇨🇦 Canada
$2,018
/mo nomad
Punta Arenas
🇨🇱 Chile
$1,303
/mo nomad
Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Montreal and in Punta Arenas

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

A single person spends $2,018 per month in Montreal vs $1,303 in Punta Arenas, rent included.

  • Montreal $2,018
  • Punta Arenas $1,303

A couple spends around $3,085 per month in Montreal vs $2,026 in Punta Arenas, rent included.

  • Montreal $3,085
  • Punta Arenas $2,026

A family of three spends $4,152 per month in Montreal vs $2,750 in Punta Arenas, rent included.

  • Montreal $4,152
  • Punta Arenas $2,750

Montreal costs about 55% more than Punta Arenas, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

Montreal sits 49% above the global median, while Punta Arenas is 4% below – they fall on opposite sides of the world average.

Currency
🍽 Eating Out
Montreal
Punta Arenas
Difference
Meal at Budget Restaurant
$18.82 CA$26.61
$10.75 CLP 10.6K
75.07%
Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range
$70.3 CA$99.4
$50.5 CLP 49.7K
39.13%
Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)
$10.66 CA$15.06
$8.05 CLP 7,927
32.42%
Cappuccino
$3.84 CA$5.43
$3.87 CLP 3,810
-0.78%
Coke/Pepsi/Fanta/Sprite (0.33 liter bottle)
$1.92 CA$2.71
$2.05 CLP 2,023
-6.34%
Water (0.33 liter bottle)
$1.54 CA$2.18
$1.36 CLP 1,334
13.24%
Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)
$6.23 CA$8.81
$3.45 CLP 3,397
80.58%
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$7.10 CA$10.03
$4.97 CLP 4,892
42.86%
🛒 Groceries & Markets
Montreal
Punta Arenas
Difference
Milk (1 liter)
$2.31 CA$3.27
$1.27 CLP 1,250
81.89%
White Bread (500g)
$3.14 CA$4.44
$1.54 CLP 1,514
103.90%
Rice (white) (1kg)
$3.21 CA$4.54
$1.56 CLP 1,537
105.77%
Eggs
$3.52 CA$4.97
$4.05 CLP 3,982
-13.09%
Local Cheese (1kg)
$12.81 CA$18.11
$14.23 CLP 14.0K
-9.98%
Chicken Fillets (1kg)
$11.46 CA$16.20
$9.14 CLP 9,002
25.38%
Beef Round Steak (1kg)
$13.39 CA$18.92
$13.07 CLP 12.9K
2.45%
Apples (1kg)
$3.14 CA$4.43
$2.47 CLP 2,432
27.13%
Banana (1kg)
$1.44 CA$2.03
$2.18 CLP 2,143
-33.94%
Oranges (1kg)
$3.47 CA$4.91
$2.15 CLP 2,119
61.40%
Tomato (1kg)
$3.07 CA$4.34
$3.25 CLP 3,196
-5.54%
Potato (1kg)
$1.90 CA$2.69
$1.41 CLP 1,385
34.75%
Onion (1kg)
$1.77 CA$2.50
$2.27 CLP 2,231
-22.03%
Lettuce (1 head)
$2.34 CA$3.31
$1.66 CLP 1,636
40.96%
Water (1.5 liter bottle)
$1.55 CA$2.19
$1.73 CLP 1,701
-10.40%
Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)
$11.38 CA$16.09
$5.06 CLP 4,981
124.90%
Wine (Bottle)
$10.63 CA$15.03
$10.10 CLP 9,947
5.25%
Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)
$2.27 CA$3.21
$1.99 CLP 1,956
14.07%
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$2.82 CA$3.99
$2.73 CLP 2,685
3.30%
🚌 Getting Around
Montreal
Punta Arenas
Difference
One-way Ticket (Public Transport)
$2.66 CA$3.76
$0.59 CLP 582
350.85%
Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)
$77.3 CA$109
$20.09 CLP 19.8K
284.72%
Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)
$3.20 CA$4.53
$0.50 CLP 492
540.00%
Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)
$1.48 CA$2.09
$1.98 CLP 1,953
-25.25%
Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)
$32.88 CA$46.48
$12.19 CLP 12.0K
169.73%
Gasoline (1 liter)
$1.34 CA$1.90
$1.39 CLP 1,369
-3.60%
Midsize Hatchback 1.4l (Volkswagen Golf, Toyota Prius, Honda Civic, etc)
$28.2K CA$39.8K
$17.2K CLP 16.9M
63.62%
Compact Sedan 1.6l (Toyota Corolla, Mazda3, Kia K4, Hyundai Elantra, etc)
$19.6K CA$27.8K
$23.9K CLP 23.5M
-17.74%
🧾 Monthly Utilities & Internet
Montreal
Punta Arenas
Difference
Utilities for 2 People in 2-bedroom Apartment (Heating, Electricity, Gas, Water, Garbage) (85m2)
$76.0 CA$107
$150 CLP 147.6K
-49.33%
SIM Card Monthly Plan (Calls and 10GB+ Data)
$33.95 CA$48.00
$10.23 CLP 10.1K
231.87%
Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)
$42.31 CA$59.8
$20.84 CLP 20.5K
103.02%
🎉 Sport & Entertainment
Montreal
Punta Arenas
Difference
Gym Membership (Monthly)
$29.76 CA$42.07
$46.49 CLP 45.8K
-35.99%
Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)
$20.28 CA$28.67
$45.32 CLP 44.6K
-55.25%
Cinema Ticket
$11.15 CA$15.77
$6.52 CLP 6,415
71.01%
🧸 Childcare & Education
Montreal
Punta Arenas
Difference
Preschool or Kindergarten, Full Day, Private, 1 Child (Monthly)
$507 CA$717
$406 CLP 399.7K
24.90%
International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)
$16.1K CA$22.7K
$6,212 CLP 6.1M
158.38%
👕👟 Clothing & Footwear
Montreal
Punta Arenas
Difference
Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)
$57.6 CA$81.4
$58.0 CLP 57.1K
-0.81%
Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)
$37.58 CA$53.1
$40.53 CLP 39.9K
-7.28%
Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)
$91.9 CA$130
$96.1 CLP 94.6K
-4.37%
Men's Leather Business Shoes
$110 CA$155
$127 CLP 124.8K
-13.59%
🏠 Accommodation & Living
Montreal
Punta Arenas
Difference
1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$1,260 CA$1,782
$577 CLP 568.0K
118.44%
1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$948 CA$1,340
$387 CLP 381.1K
144.77%
3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$2,137 CA$3,021
$968 CLP 953.2K
120.68%
3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$1,614 CA$2,281
$664 CLP 653.3K
143.13%
Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)
$4,960 CA$7,011
$384 CLP 378.4K
1190.25%
Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)
$3,838 CA$5,425
-
-
💵 Salaries & Financials
Montreal
Punta Arenas
Difference
Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)
$2,827 CA$3,997
$803 CLP 790.7K
251.99%
20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)
4.48
3.4
31.76%

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

Last update for Montreal: October 12, 2026

Last update for Punta Arenas: October 11, 2026

Monthly budget structure
Share of the monthly basket for one person, rent included.
Accommodation & Living
Montreal
$948
Punta Arenas
$387 59.1% $560
Groceries & Markets
Montreal
$346
Punta Arenas
$300 13.4% $46
Eating Out
Montreal
$288
Punta Arenas
$197 31.4% $90
Monthly Utilities & Internet
Montreal
$152
Punta Arenas
$181 18.9% $29
Clothing & Footwear
Montreal
$133
Punta Arenas
$145 8.4% $11
Getting Around
Montreal
$99
Punta Arenas
$33 66.6% $66
Sport & Entertainment
Montreal
$52
Punta Arenas
$60 14.3% $7.5

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $1,260 in Montreal versus $577 in Punta Arenas. 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 252% 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 $51.0 in Punta Arenas. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $346 vs $300 – making Punta Arenas the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know
🇨🇦 Montreal
🇨🇱 Punta Arenas
🕒 Local time
08:14 8:14 AM
09:14 9:14 AM
1 h ahead of Montreal
🌤 Weather
👥 Population
1,762,949
123,403
💱 Currency
Exchange rates and currency converter

CLP, USD, EUR to CAD – Canadian Dollar Converter

Canadian Dollar exchange rates as of October 19, 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 19, 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 Punta Arenas 10,970 km ≈ 14 h nonstop flight
From you
  • Montreal
  • Punta Arenas

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 Punta Arenas: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions
Which city is more expensive, Montreal or Punta Arenas?
Montreal costs about 55% more than Punta Arenas, 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.
How much do you need to earn to live comfortably in Montreal and in Punta Arenas?
For a comfortable life, plan on about $3,027 per month in Montreal and $1,954 in Punta Arenas. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.
Where is rent cheaper, Montreal or Punta Arenas?
Rent is clearly cheaper in Punta Arenas, especially for central apartments. Housing is actually the single biggest factor behind the overall cost gap between these two cities.
Are groceries more expensive in Montreal or in Punta Arenas?
Groceries cost about 15% more in Montreal, though it depends on what you buy. Local produce may be comparable; imported and premium items show the biggest price gap.
How do dining costs compare in Montreal and in Punta Arenas?
A mid-range dinner for two costs $70.0 in Montreal and $51.0 in Punta Arenas. That's a good indicator of the overall restaurant and café pricing gap between the two cities.
Can you live on $1,000/month in Montreal or in Punta Arenas?
A $1,000 monthly budget goes further in Punta Arenas, where all-in costs run around $1,303, than in Montreal at $2,018. In Punta Arenas 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 Punta Arenas?
For digital nomads, it depends on budget. Punta Arenas costs $1,303 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 Punta Arenas?
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 Punta Arenas?
If budget matters most, go with Punta Arenas. 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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