Last update: Nov 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Montreal and Rio Grande, Puerto Rico

For one person, living is cheaper in Rio Grande: $1,244 a month against $2,067 in Montreal, rent and utilities included – about $9,900 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

100

Cost of Living Index in Montreal
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Montreal Living Index
59

Cost of Living Index in Rio Grande
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Rio Grande Living Index

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Montreal

🇨🇦 Canada

$2,067

/mo nomad

Rio Grande

🇵🇷 Puerto Rico

$1,244

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Montreal and in Rio Grande

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 Rio Grande actually costs, broken down by who's living it.

A single person spends $2,067 per month in Montreal vs $1,244 in Rio Grande, rent included.

Montreal $2,067
Rio Grande $1,244

A couple spends around $3,179 per month in Montreal vs $1,948 in Rio Grande, rent included.

Montreal $3,179
Rio Grande $1,948

A family of three spends $4,291 per month in Montreal vs $2,652 in Rio Grande, rent included.

Montreal $4,291
Rio Grande $2,652

Montreal costs about 66% more than Rio Grande, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in transport.

Montreal sits 53% above the global median, while Rio Grande is 8% below – they fall on opposite sides of the world average.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$18.89 CA$26.57

$19.00 $19.00

-0.58%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$72.6 CA$102

$80.8 $80.8

-10.20%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$10.79 CA$15.18

$9.20 $9.20

17.28%

Cappuccino

$3.98 CA$5.60

$3.68 $3.68

8.15%

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

$2.02 CA$2.84

$1.89 $1.89

6.88%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.63 CA$2.29

$1.46 $1.46

11.64%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$6.32 CA$8.89

$2.91 $2.91

117.18%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$7.06 CA$9.93

$5.03 $5.03

40.36%

Milk (1 liter)

$2.33 CA$3.28

$1.26 $1.26

84.92%

White Bread (500g)

$3.25 CA$4.57

$2.97 $2.97

9.43%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$3.26 CA$4.59

$2.44 $2.44

33.61%

Eggs

$3.48 CA$4.89

$5.48 $5.48

-36.50%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$13.73 CA$19.31

$12.69 $12.69

8.20%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$11.48 CA$16.14

$9.83 $9.83

16.79%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$14.26 CA$20.05

$13.08 $13.08

9.02%

Apples (1kg)

$3.52 CA$4.95

$5.17 $5.17

-31.91%

Banana (1kg)

$1.46 CA$2.05

$2.63 $2.63

-44.49%

Oranges (1kg)

$3.41 CA$4.80

$4.98 $4.98

-31.53%

Tomato (1kg)

$3.20 CA$4.50

$4.93 $4.93

-35.09%

Potato (1kg)

$1.94 CA$2.72

$3.74 $3.74

-48.13%

Onion (1kg)

$1.78 CA$2.50

$2.24 $2.24

-20.54%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.52 CA$3.54

$1.95 $1.95

29.23%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.58 CA$2.22

$1.63 $1.63

-3.07%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$11.51 CA$16.18

$11.82 $11.82

-2.62%

Wine (Bottle)

$10.57 CA$14.87

$14.95 $14.95

-29.30%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.35 CA$3.30

$3.09 $3.09

-23.95%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.90 CA$4.07

$3.95 $3.95

-26.58%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.61 CA$3.68

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$78.5 CA$110

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.17 CA$4.46

$2.45 $2.45

29.39%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.49 CA$2.10

$1.53 $1.53

-2.61%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$33.49 CA$47.10

$42.42 $42.42

-21.05%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.36 CA$1.92

$1.20 $1.20

13.33%

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

$28.0K CA$39.4K

$35.3K $35.3K

-20.51%

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

$21.1K CA$29.7K

$27.8K $27.8K

-23.97%

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

$77.6 CA$109

$324 $324

-76.07%

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

$35.63 CA$50.1

$70.2 $70.2

-49.21%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$43.73 CA$61.5

$68.8 $68.8

-36.40%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$30.07 CA$42.29

$10.83 $10.83

177.65%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$19.97 CA$28.08

Cinema Ticket

$11.27 CA$15.85

$8.04 $8.04

40.17%

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

$522 CA$734

$836 $836

-37.55%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$17.8K CA$25.0K

$12.4K $12.4K

43.07%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$59.0 CA$82.9

$55.2 $55.2

6.91%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$39.01 CA$54.9

$24.98 $24.98

56.16%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$99.8 CA$140

$90.8 $90.8

9.89%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$110 CA$154

$50.1 $50.1

119.06%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,298 CA$1,826

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$970 CA$1,365

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,323 CA$3,267

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,689 CA$2,376

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$5,004 CA$7,037

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$3,736 CA$5,255

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$2,943 CA$4,139

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

4.51

6.55

-31.15%

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

Last update for Montreal: November 3, 2026

Last update for Rio Grande: November 3, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Montreal

$970 47%

Rio Grande

- * 0% 100%

Groceries & Markets

Montreal

$357 17.3%

Rio Grande

$383 30.8% 7.2% $26

Eating Out

Montreal

$292 14.1%

Rio Grande

$262 21% 10.2% $30

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Montreal

$157 7.6%

Rio Grande

$463 37.2% 195% $306

Clothing & Footwear

Montreal

$138 6.7%

Rio Grande

$99 8% 28.1% $39

Getting Around

Montreal

$100 4.8%

Rio Grande

$10 * 0.8% 89.8% $89

Sport & Entertainment

Montreal

$53 2.6%

Rio Grande

$27 2.2% 48.8% $26

Categories marked with * are only partly priced – their share counts the items that do have prices.

Cost Breakdown

A mid-range dinner for two costs $73 in Montreal versus $81 in Rio Grande. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $357 vs $383 – making Montreal the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇨🇦 Montreal

🇵🇷 Rio Grande

🕒 Local time

14:46 2:46 PM

15:46 3:46 PM

1 h ahead of Montreal

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

1,762,949

13,467

💱 Currency

Canadian Dollar CAD $

United States Dollar USD $

📈 Exchange rate

1 CAD = 0.711 USD

1 CAD = 0.636 EUR

1 USD = 0.895 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

USD, EUR to CAD – Canadian Dollar Converter

🇺🇸 United States Dollar ($)

🇨🇦 Canadian Dollar ($)

Canadian Dollar exchange rates as of November 6, 2026: 1 USD = 1.41 CAD (1 CAD = 0.711 USD). 1 EUR = 1.57 CAD (1 CAD = 0.636 EUR).

United States Dollar exchange rates as of November 6, 2026: 1 EUR = 1.12 USD (1 USD = 0.895 EUR).

USD to CAD in detail →

On the map

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Between locations

Montreal Rio Grande 3,100 km ≈ 4 h 15 min nonstop flight

From you

Montreal
Rio Grande

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 Rio Grande: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Montreal costs about 66% more than Rio Grande, and outside of rent the gap comes mainly from transport. That’s enough to noticeably affect everyday spending and lifestyle for anyone choosing between the two.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $3,100 per month in Montreal and $1,867 in Rio Grande. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $73 in Montreal and $81 in Rio Grande. That’s a good indicator of the overall restaurant and café pricing gap between the two cities.

Interestingly, groceries are about 7% cheaper in Montreal – one category where the pricier city actually offers better value.

$1,000 is a stretch for both – monthly costs hit $2,067 in Montreal and $1,244 in Rio Grande. You’ll need shared housing and careful budgeting no matter which city you pick.

It depends on your priorities. Montreal has an edge in some lifestyle areas, with costs from $1,244 in Rio Grande to $2,067 in Montreal. Climate, culture, job market, and personal taste all factor in.