Cost of Living Comparison Between Montreal and Ras al-Khaimah Cost of Living Comparison Between Montreal and Ras al-Khaimah

Monthly Cost of Living

A single person spends $2,056 per month in Montreal vs $1,745 in Ras al-Khaimah, rent included.

A couple spends around $3,112 per month in Montreal vs $2,761 in Ras al-Khaimah, rent included.

A family of three spends $4,167 per month in Montreal vs $3,777 in Ras al-Khaimah, rent included.

Montreal costs about 18% more than Ras al-Khaimah, driven mainly by Groceries & Markets.

Both Montreal and Ras al-Khaimah sit above the global median – Montreal by 50%, Ras al-Khaimah by 27%.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$17.85 CA$24.62

$12.04 AED 44.22

48.26%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$72.3 CA$99.7

$45.52 AED 167

58.85%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$10.92 CA$15.06

$7.48 AED 27.45

45.99%

Cappuccino

$3.97 CA$5.47

$5.51 AED 20.24

-27.95%

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

$2.07 CA$2.86

$1.11 AED 4.07

86.49%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.55 CA$2.13

$0.44 AED 1.60

252.27%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$6.41 CA$8.85

$10.06 AED 36.94

-36.28%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$7.29 CA$10.05

$9.78 AED 35.93

-25.46%

Milk (1 liter)

$2.39 CA$3.29

$1.71 AED 6.29

39.77%

White Bread (500g)

$3.21 CA$4.42

$2.06 AED 7.56

55.83%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$3.07 CA$4.23

$1.88 AED 6.91

63.30%

Eggs

$3.68 CA$5.07

$2.42 AED 8.88

52.07%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$13.57 CA$18.72

$12.50 AED 45.90

8.56%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$11.63 CA$16.03

$9.68 AED 35.56

20.14%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$13.97 CA$19.27

$15.75 AED 57.9

-11.30%

Apples (1kg)

$3.68 CA$5.08

$1.99 AED 7.30

84.92%

Banana (1kg)

$1.56 CA$2.15

$1.59 AED 5.85

-1.89%

Oranges (1kg)

$3.41 CA$4.70

$1.50 AED 5.51

127.33%

Tomato (1kg)

$3.03 CA$4.17

$1.34 AED 4.93

126.12%

Potato (1kg)

$1.98 CA$2.74

$0.97 AED 3.56

104.12%

Onion (1kg)

$1.82 CA$2.52

$0.92 AED 3.38

97.83%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.56 CA$3.53

$1.75 AED 6.44

46.29%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.39 CA$1.92

$0.48 AED 1.75

189.58%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$11.49 CA$15.85

$6.77 AED 24.87

69.72%

Wine (Bottle)

$10.92 CA$15.06

$13.66 AED 50.2

-20.06%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.26 CA$3.12

$2.52 AED 9.25

-10.32%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.01 CA$4.15

$2.86 AED 10.49

5.24%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.69 CA$3.71

$2.13 AED 7.82

26.29%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$75.3 CA$104

$112 AED 411

-32.73%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.35 CA$4.62

$1.72 AED 6.30

94.77%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.50 CA$2.07

$0.79 AED 2.89

89.87%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$33.70 CA$46.47

$7.96 AED 29.23

323.37%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.29 CA$1.78

$0.89 AED 3.26

44.94%

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

$28.3K CA$39.0K

$46.3K AED 169.9K

-38.87%

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

$20.0K CA$27.5K

$21.8K AED 80.2K

-8.59%

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

$80.4 CA$111

$124 AED 456

-35.34%

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

$34.23 CA$47.21

$45.14 AED 166

-24.17%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$41.39 CA$57.1

$79.6 AED 292

-47.98%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$29.24 CA$40.32

$57.5 AED 211

-49.10%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$19.89 CA$27.43

$40.71 AED 150

-51.14%

Cinema Ticket

$11.71 CA$16.15

$13.07 AED 48.00

-10.41%

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

$564 CA$778

$296 AED 1,086

90.85%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$16.8K CA$23.2K

$4,411 AED 16.2K

281.90%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$59.5 CA$82.1

$82.5 AED 303

-27.83%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$42.13 CA$58.1

$52.4 AED 192

-19.55%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$107 CA$148

$127 AED 466

-15.60%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$111 CA$153

$115 AED 422

-3.53%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,284 CA$1,770

$754 AED 2,768

70.35%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$990 CA$1,365

$581 AED 2,135

70.34%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,260 CA$3,116

$1,642 AED 6,029

37.66%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,667 CA$2,299

$1,268 AED 4,655

31.53%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$5,287 CA$7,291

$4,911 AED 18.0K

7.67%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$3,813 CA$5,258

$1,949 AED 7,157

95.66%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$3,019 CA$4,163

$1,584 AED 5,818

90.57%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

4.41

4.92

-10.37%

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

Last update for Montreal: August 31, 2026

Last update for Ras al-Khaimah: August 30, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $1,284 in Montreal versus $754 in Ras al-Khaimah. 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 91% 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 $72.0 in Montreal versus $46.00 in Ras al-Khaimah. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $356 vs $283 – making Ras al-Khaimah the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

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 Ras al-Khaimah: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Montreal costs about 18% more than Ras al-Khaimah, with the gap driven mainly by Groceries & Markets. That's enough to noticeably affect everyday spending and lifestyle for anyone choosing between the two.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $3,084 per month in Montreal and $2,617 in Ras al-Khaimah. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

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

Groceries cost about 26% 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 $72.0 in Montreal and $46.00 in Ras al-Khaimah. That's a good indicator of the overall restaurant and café pricing gap between the two cities.

A $2,500 monthly budget goes further in Ras al-Khaimah, where all-in costs run around $1,745, than in Montreal at $2,056. In Ras al-Khaimah it covers expenses comfortably, while in Montreal it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.

For digital nomads, it depends on budget. Ras al-Khaimah costs $1,745 versus $2,056 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 Ras al-Khaimah. 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.