Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Montreal and Ras al-Khaimah

For one person, living is cheaper in Ras al-Khaimah: $1,840 a month against $2,018 in Montreal, rent and utilities included – about $2,100 less a year. Higher rent and utilities in Montreal outweigh lower spending on other living expenses.

99

Cost of Living Index in Montreal
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Montreal Living Index
89

Cost of Living Index in Ras al-Khaimah
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Ras al-Khaimah Living Index

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Montreal

🇨🇦 Canada

$2,018

/mo nomad

Ras al-Khaimah

🇦🇪 United Arab Emirates

$1,840

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Montreal and in Ras al-Khaimah

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 Ras al-Khaimah actually costs, broken down by who's living it.

A single person spends $2,018 per month in Montreal vs $1,840 in Ras al-Khaimah, rent included.

Montreal $2,018
Ras al-Khaimah $1,840

A couple spends around $3,085 per month in Montreal vs $2,803 in Ras al-Khaimah, rent included.

Montreal $3,085
Ras al-Khaimah $2,803

A family of three spends $4,152 per month in Montreal vs $3,767 in Ras al-Khaimah, rent included.

Montreal $4,152
Ras al-Khaimah $3,767

Montreal costs about 10% more than Ras al-Khaimah, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Both Montreal and Ras al-Khaimah sit above the global median – Montreal by 49%, Ras al-Khaimah by 36%.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$18.82 CA$26.61

$13.76 AED 50.5

36.77%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$70.3 CA$99.4

$40.26 AED 148

74.59%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$10.66 CA$15.06

$7.53 AED 27.64

41.57%

Cappuccino

$3.84 CA$5.43

$5.51 AED 20.22

-30.31%

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

$1.92 CA$2.71

$1.11 AED 4.08

72.97%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.54 CA$2.18

$0.48 AED 1.76

220.83%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$6.23 CA$8.81

$10.16 AED 37.32

-38.68%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$7.10 CA$10.03

$9.70 AED 35.63

-26.80%

Milk (1 liter)

$2.31 CA$3.27

$1.63 AED 6.00

41.72%

White Bread (500g)

$3.14 CA$4.44

$2.08 AED 7.65

50.96%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$3.21 CA$4.54

$1.96 AED 7.20

63.78%

Eggs

$3.52 CA$4.97

$2.35 AED 8.62

49.79%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$12.81 CA$18.11

$12.68 AED 46.57

1.03%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$11.46 CA$16.20

$9.95 AED 36.56

15.18%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$13.39 CA$18.92

$15.46 AED 56.8

-13.39%

Apples (1kg)

$3.14 CA$4.43

$2.01 AED 7.39

56.22%

Banana (1kg)

$1.44 CA$2.03

$1.67 AED 6.14

-13.77%

Oranges (1kg)

$3.47 CA$4.91

$1.55 AED 5.69

123.87%

Tomato (1kg)

$3.07 CA$4.34

$1.36 AED 4.98

125.74%

Potato (1kg)

$1.90 CA$2.69

$0.96 AED 3.54

97.92%

Onion (1kg)

$1.77 CA$2.50

$0.87 AED 3.20

103.45%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.34 CA$3.31

$1.74 AED 6.39

34.48%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.55 CA$2.19

$0.44 AED 1.61

252.27%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$11.38 CA$16.09

$6.97 AED 25.61

63.27%

Wine (Bottle)

$10.63 CA$15.03

$13.58 AED 49.89

-21.72%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.27 CA$3.21

$2.63 AED 9.66

-13.69%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.82 CA$3.99

$2.88 AED 10.56

-2.08%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.66 CA$3.76

$2.12 AED 7.80

25.47%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$77.3 CA$109

$114 AED 419

-32.33%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.20 CA$4.53

$1.69 AED 6.21

89.35%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.48 CA$2.09

$0.80 AED 2.93

85.00%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$32.88 CA$46.48

$8.16 AED 29.96

302.94%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.34 CA$1.90

$0.93 AED 3.41

44.09%

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

$28.2K CA$39.8K

$45.8K AED 168.2K

-38.54%

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

$19.6K CA$27.8K

$22.3K AED 82.0K

-12.10%

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

$76.0 CA$107

$121 AED 444

-37.20%

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

$33.95 CA$48.00

$44.73 AED 164

-24.10%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$42.31 CA$59.8

$79.4 AED 291

-46.69%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$29.76 CA$42.07

$57.9 AED 213

-48.58%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$20.28 CA$28.67

$40.22 AED 148

-49.58%

Cinema Ticket

$11.15 CA$15.77

$12.72 AED 46.70

-12.34%

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

$507 CA$717

$299 AED 1,099

69.42%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$16.1K CA$22.7K

$4,462 AED 16.4K

259.70%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$57.6 CA$81.4

$80.6 AED 296

-28.61%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$37.58 CA$53.1

$53.1 AED 195

-29.27%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$91.9 CA$130

$119 AED 438

-22.98%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$110 CA$155

$117 AED 430

-6.48%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,260 CA$1,782

$767 AED 2,819

64.24%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$948 CA$1,340

$657 AED 2,413

44.22%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,137 CA$3,021

$1,660 AED 6,095

28.76%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,614 CA$2,281

$1,243 AED 4,563

29.86%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$4,960 CA$7,011

$5,007 AED 18.4K

-0.95%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$3,838 CA$5,425

$1,962 AED 7,207

95.57%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$2,827 CA$3,997

$1,577 AED 5,791

79.31%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

4.48

4.92

-8.94%

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

Last update for Montreal: October 12, 2026

Last update for Ras al-Khaimah: October 13, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Montreal

$948 47%

Ras al-Khaimah

$657 35.7% 30.7% $291

Groceries & Markets

Montreal

$346 17.2%

Ras al-Khaimah

$285 15.5% 17.9% $62

Eating Out

Montreal

$288 14.3%

Ras al-Khaimah

$275 15% 4.4% $13

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Montreal

$152 7.5%

Ras al-Khaimah

$245 13.3% 61% $93

Clothing & Footwear

Montreal

$133 6.6%

Ras al-Khaimah

$167 9.1% 24.8% $33

Getting Around

Montreal

$99 4.9%

Ras al-Khaimah

$128 7% 30.3% $30

Sport & Entertainment

Montreal

$52 2.6%

Ras al-Khaimah

$83 4.5% 60% $31

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $1,260 in Montreal versus $767 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 79% 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 $40.00 in Ras al-Khaimah. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $346 vs $285 – making Ras al-Khaimah the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇨🇦 Montreal

🇦🇪 Ras al-Khaimah

🕒 Local time

21:52 9:52 PM

05:52 5:52 AM

8 h ahead of Montreal

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

1,762,949

241,000

💱 Currency

Canadian Dollar CAD $

UAE Dirham AED د.إ

📈 Exchange rate

1 CAD = 0.707 USD

1 CAD = 0.629 EUR

1 AED = 0.272 USD

1 AED = 0.242 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

AED, USD, EUR to CAD – Canadian Dollar Converter

🇺🇸 United States Dollar ($)

🇨🇦 Canadian Dollar ($)

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).

UAE Dirham exchange rates as of October 19, 2026: 1 USD = 3.67 AED (1 AED = 0.272 USD). 1 EUR = 4.13 AED (1 AED = 0.242 EUR).

USD to CAD in detail →

On the map

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Between locations

Montreal Ras al-Khaimah 10,590 km ≈ 14 h nonstop flight

From you

Montreal
Ras al-Khaimah

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

Montreal costs about 10% more than Ras al-Khaimah, 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.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $3,027 per month in Montreal and $2,760 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 22% 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 $40.00 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 $1,840, than in Montreal at $2,018. 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 $1,840 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 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.