Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Montreal and Rosario

For one person, living is cheaper in Rosario: $947 a month against $2,018 in Montreal, rent and utilities included – about $12,900 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

Montreal
🇨🇦 Canada
$2,018
/mo nomad
Rosario
🇦🇷 Argentina
$947
/mo nomad
Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Montreal and in Rosario

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

A single person spends $2,018 per month in Montreal vs $947 in Rosario, rent included.

  • Montreal $2,018
  • Rosario $947

A couple spends around $3,085 per month in Montreal vs $1,653 in Rosario, rent included.

  • Montreal $3,085
  • Rosario $1,653

A family of three spends $4,152 per month in Montreal vs $2,358 in Rosario, rent included.

  • Montreal $4,152
  • Rosario $2,358

Montreal costs about 113% more than Rosario, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Montreal sits 49% above the global median, while Rosario is 30% below – they fall on opposite sides of the world average.

Currency
🍽 Eating Out
Montreal
Rosario
Difference
Meal at Budget Restaurant
$18.82 CA$26.81
$10.10 ARS 15.3K
86.34%
Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range
$70.3 CA$100
$37.96 ARS 57.6K
85.17%
Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)
$10.66 CA$15.18
$11.72 ARS 17.8K
-9.04%
Cappuccino
$3.84 CA$5.47
$3.06 ARS 4,635
25.49%
Coke/Pepsi/Fanta/Sprite (0.33 liter bottle)
$1.92 CA$2.73
$1.76 ARS 2,670
9.09%
Water (0.33 liter bottle)
$1.54 CA$2.19
$1.56 ARS 2,359
-1.28%
Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)
$6.23 CA$8.88
$3.86 ARS 5,857
61.40%
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$7.10 CA$10.11
$2.19 ARS 3,324
224.20%
🛒 Groceries & Markets
Montreal
Rosario
Difference
Milk (1 liter)
$2.31 CA$3.30
$1.31 ARS 1,993
76.34%
White Bread (500g)
$3.14 CA$4.48
$1.65 ARS 2,498
90.30%
Rice (white) (1kg)
$3.21 CA$4.58
$1.59 ARS 2,405
101.89%
Eggs
$3.52 CA$5.01
$2.26 ARS 3,420
55.75%
Local Cheese (1kg)
$12.81 CA$18.25
$8.49 ARS 12.9K
50.88%
Chicken Fillets (1kg)
$11.46 CA$16.33
$6.10 ARS 9,257
87.87%
Beef Round Steak (1kg)
$13.39 CA$19.07
$10.58 ARS 16.0K
26.56%
Apples (1kg)
$3.14 CA$4.47
$2.00 ARS 3,035
57.00%
Banana (1kg)
$1.44 CA$2.05
$1.53 ARS 2,316
-5.88%
Oranges (1kg)
$3.47 CA$4.95
$1.06 ARS 1,605
227.36%
Tomato (1kg)
$3.07 CA$4.38
$2.05 ARS 3,112
49.76%
Potato (1kg)
$1.90 CA$2.71
$0.98 ARS 1,493
93.88%
Onion (1kg)
$1.77 CA$2.52
$0.65 ARS 984
172.31%
Lettuce (1 head)
$2.34 CA$3.34
$1.47 ARS 2,225
59.18%
Water (1.5 liter bottle)
$1.55 CA$2.21
$1.78 ARS 2,692
-12.92%
Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)
$11.38 CA$16.21
$3.36 ARS 5,090
238.69%
Wine (Bottle)
$10.63 CA$15.14
$4.69 ARS 7,113
126.65%
Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)
$2.27 CA$3.24
$1.27 ARS 1,926
78.74%
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$2.82 CA$4.02
$2.72 ARS 4,127
3.68%
🚌 Getting Around
Montreal
Rosario
Difference
One-way Ticket (Public Transport)
$2.66 CA$3.79
$1.02 ARS 1,545
160.78%
Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)
$77.3 CA$110
-
-
Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)
$3.20 CA$4.56
$1.63 ARS 2,468
96.32%
Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)
$1.48 CA$2.10
$1.02 ARS 1,547
45.10%
Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)
$32.88 CA$46.83
$8.07 ARS 12.2K
307.43%
Gasoline (1 liter)
$1.34 CA$1.92
$1.09 ARS 1,656
22.94%
Midsize Hatchback 1.4l (Volkswagen Golf, Toyota Prius, Honda Civic, etc)
$28.2K CA$40.1K
$28.5K ARS 43.2M
-1.11%
Compact Sedan 1.6l (Toyota Corolla, Mazda3, Kia K4, Hyundai Elantra, etc)
$19.6K CA$28.0K
$29.5K ARS 44.8M
-33.55%
🧾 Monthly Utilities & Internet
Montreal
Rosario
Difference
Utilities for 2 People in 2-bedroom Apartment (Heating, Electricity, Gas, Water, Garbage) (85m2)
$76.0 CA$108
$59.4 ARS 90.1K
27.92%
SIM Card Monthly Plan (Calls and 10GB+ Data)
$33.95 CA$48.36
$20.33 ARS 30.8K
66.99%
Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)
$42.31 CA$60.3
$27.78 ARS 42.1K
52.30%
🎉 Sport & Entertainment
Montreal
Rosario
Difference
Gym Membership (Monthly)
$29.76 CA$42.38
$29.22 ARS 44.3K
1.85%
Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)
$20.28 CA$28.89
-
-
Cinema Ticket
$11.15 CA$15.88
$4.88 ARS 7,394
128.48%
🧸 Childcare & Education
Montreal
Rosario
Difference
Preschool or Kindergarten, Full Day, Private, 1 Child (Monthly)
$507 CA$722
$471 ARS 714.7K
7.60%
International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)
$16.1K CA$22.9K
$8,757 ARS 13.3M
83.28%
👕👟 Clothing & Footwear
Montreal
Rosario
Difference
Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)
$57.6 CA$82.0
$90.2 ARS 136.8K
-36.18%
Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)
$37.58 CA$53.5
$60.7 ARS 92.1K
-38.11%
Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)
$91.9 CA$131
$116 ARS 175.8K
-20.70%
Men's Leather Business Shoes
$110 CA$156
$140 ARS 212.7K
-21.87%
🏠 Accommodation & Living
Montreal
Rosario
Difference
1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$1,260 CA$1,795
$254 ARS 385.9K
395.35%
1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$948 CA$1,350
$199 ARS 301.1K
377.29%
3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$2,137 CA$3,044
$711 ARS 1.1M
200.40%
3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$1,614 CA$2,298
$655 ARS 993.1K
146.42%
Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)
$4,960 CA$7,064
$2,031 ARS 3.1M
144.14%
Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)
$3,838 CA$5,466
-
-
💵 Salaries & Financials
Montreal
Rosario
Difference
Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)
$2,827 CA$4,027
$702 ARS 1.1M
302.96%
20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)
4.48
57.25
-92.17%

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

Last update for Montreal: October 12, 2026

Last update for Rosario: October 12, 2026

Monthly budget structure
Share of the monthly basket for one person, rent included.
Accommodation & Living
Montreal
$948
Rosario
$199 79% $749
Groceries & Markets
Montreal
$346
Rosario
$219 36.8% $127
Eating Out
Montreal
$288
Rosario
$190 34.2% $98
Monthly Utilities & Internet
Montreal
$152
Rosario
$107 29.4% $45
Clothing & Footwear
Montreal
$133
Rosario
$183 37.2% $50
Getting Around
Montreal
$99
Rosario
$11 * 89% $88
Sport & Entertainment
Montreal
$52
Rosario
$39 25.1% $13

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

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $1,260 in Montreal versus $254 in Rosario. 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 303% 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 $38.00 in Rosario. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $346 vs $219 – making Rosario the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know
🇨🇦 Montreal
🇦🇷 Rosario
🕒 Local time
13:51 1:51 PM
14:51 2:51 PM
1 h ahead of Montreal
🌤 Weather
👥 Population
1,762,949
1,029,619
💱 Currency
Exchange rates and currency converter

ARS, USD, EUR to CAD – Canadian Dollar Converter

Canadian Dollar exchange rates as of October 13, 2026: 1 USD = 1.42 CAD (1 CAD = 0.702 USD). 1 EUR = 1.59 CAD (1 CAD = 0.629 EUR).

Argentine Peso exchange rates as of October 13, 2026: 1 USD = 1,517 ARS (10,000 ARS = 6.59 USD). 1 EUR = 1,693 ARS (10,000 ARS = 5.91 EUR).

On the map
Between locations
  • Montreal Rosario 8,820 km ≈ 12 h nonstop flight
From you
  • Montreal
  • Rosario

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 Rosario: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions
Which city is more expensive, Montreal or Rosario?
Montreal costs about 113% more than Rosario, 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.
How much do you need to earn to live comfortably in Montreal and in Rosario?
For a comfortable life, plan on about $3,027 per month in Montreal and $1,421 in Rosario. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.
Where is rent cheaper, Montreal or Rosario?
Rent is clearly cheaper in Rosario, especially for central apartments. Housing is actually the single biggest factor behind the overall cost gap between these two cities.
How do dining costs compare in Montreal and in Rosario?
A mid-range dinner for two costs $70.0 in Montreal and $38.00 in Rosario. That's a good indicator of the overall restaurant and café pricing gap between the two cities.
Are groceries more expensive in Montreal or in Rosario?
Groceries cost about 58% more in Montreal, though it depends on what you buy. Local produce may be comparable; imported and premium items show the biggest price gap.
Can you live on $2,000/month in Montreal or in Rosario?
A $2,000 monthly budget goes further in Rosario, where all-in costs run around $947, than in Montreal at $2,018. In Rosario 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 Rosario?
For digital nomads, it depends on budget. Rosario costs $947 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 Rosario?
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 Rosario?
If budget matters most, go with Rosario. 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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