Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Montreal and San Juan

For one person, living is cheaper in San Juan: $890 a month against $2,018 in Montreal, rent and utilities included – about $13,500 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

99

Cost of Living Index in Montreal
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Montreal Living Index
43

Cost of Living Index in San Juan
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San Juan Living Index

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Montreal

🇨🇦 Canada

$2,018

/mo nomad

San Juan

🇦🇷 Argentina

$890

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Montreal and in San Juan

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

A single person spends $2,018 per month in Montreal vs $890 in San Juan, rent included.

Montreal $2,018
San Juan $890

A couple spends around $3,085 per month in Montreal vs $1,389 in San Juan, rent included.

Montreal $3,085
San Juan $1,389

A family of three spends $4,152 per month in Montreal vs $1,888 in San Juan, rent included.

Montreal $4,152
San Juan $1,888

Montreal costs about 127% more than San Juan, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Montreal sits 49% above the global median, while San Juan is 34% below – they fall on opposite sides of the world average.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$18.82 CA$26.61

$6.76 ARS 10.3K

178.40%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$70.3 CA$99.4

$39.31 ARS 59.7K

78.81%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$10.66 CA$15.06

$12.08 ARS 18.3K

-11.75%

Cappuccino

$3.84 CA$5.43

$2.59 ARS 3,938

48.26%

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

$1.92 CA$2.71

$2.11 ARS 3,202

-9.00%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.54 CA$2.18

$1.82 ARS 2,761

-15.38%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$6.23 CA$8.81

$3.91 ARS 5,930

59.34%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$7.10 CA$10.03

$4.48 ARS 6,799

58.48%

Milk (1 liter)

$2.31 CA$3.27

$1.38 ARS 2,101

67.39%

White Bread (500g)

$3.14 CA$4.44

$1.45 ARS 2,195

116.55%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$3.21 CA$4.54

$1.40 ARS 2,124

129.29%

Eggs

$3.52 CA$4.97

$1.44 ARS 2,184

144.44%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$12.81 CA$18.11

$2.84 ARS 4,305

351.06%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$11.46 CA$16.20

$6.23 ARS 9,448

83.95%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$13.39 CA$18.92

$10.90 ARS 16.5K

22.84%

Apples (1kg)

$3.14 CA$4.43

$1.40 ARS 2,129

124.29%

Banana (1kg)

$1.44 CA$2.03

$1.39 ARS 2,108

3.60%

Oranges (1kg)

$3.47 CA$4.91

$1.34 ARS 2,037

158.96%

Tomato (1kg)

$3.07 CA$4.34

$1.45 ARS 2,193

111.72%

Potato (1kg)

$1.90 CA$2.69

$1.40 ARS 2,128

35.71%

Onion (1kg)

$1.77 CA$2.50

$1.38 ARS 2,098

28.26%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.34 CA$3.31

$1.40 ARS 2,129

67.14%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.55 CA$2.19

$1.44 ARS 2,183

7.64%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$11.38 CA$16.09

$2.71 ARS 4,117

319.93%

Wine (Bottle)

$10.63 CA$15.03

$4.90 ARS 7,433

116.94%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.27 CA$3.21

$1.41 ARS 2,136

60.99%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.82 CA$3.99

$1.44 ARS 2,178

95.83%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.66 CA$3.76

$0.96 ARS 1,460

177.08%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$77.3 CA$109

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.20 CA$4.53

$1.98 ARS 3,006

61.62%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.48 CA$2.09

$0.99 ARS 1,495

49.49%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$32.88 CA$46.48

$4.84 ARS 7,351

579.34%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.34 CA$1.90

$1.17 ARS 1,782

14.53%

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

$28.2K CA$39.8K

$26.7K ARS 40.6M

5.31%

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

$19.6K CA$27.8K

$33.6K ARS 51.1M

-41.66%

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

$76.0 CA$107

$144 ARS 218.7K

-47.29%

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

$33.95 CA$48.00

$10.04 ARS 15.2K

238.15%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$42.31 CA$59.8

$17.82 ARS 27.0K

137.43%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$29.76 CA$42.07

$30.42 ARS 46.2K

-2.17%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$20.28 CA$28.67

Cinema Ticket

$11.15 CA$15.77

$6.93 ARS 10.5K

60.89%

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

$507 CA$717

$172 ARS 260.5K

195.40%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$16.1K CA$22.7K

$4,122 ARS 6.3M

289.42%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$57.6 CA$81.4

$107 ARS 162.3K

-46.20%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$37.58 CA$53.1

$42.58 ARS 64.6K

-11.74%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$91.9 CA$130

$58.1 ARS 88.1K

58.26%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$110 CA$155

$35.86 ARS 54.4K

205.58%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,260 CA$1,782

$249 ARS 378.2K

405.77%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$948 CA$1,340

$198 ARS 301.1K

377.53%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,137 CA$3,021

$492 ARS 747.1K

334.07%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,614 CA$2,281

$400 ARS 607.2K

303.26%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$4,960 CA$7,011

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$3,838 CA$5,425

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$2,827 CA$3,997

$700 ARS 1.1M

304.00%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

4.48

-91.70%

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

Last update for Montreal: October 12, 2026

Last update for San Juan: October 10, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Montreal

$948 47%

San Juan

$198 22.3% 79.1% $749

Groceries & Markets

Montreal

$346 17.2%

San Juan

$190 21.3% 45.3% $157

Eating Out

Montreal

$288 14.3%

San Juan

$166 18.6% 42.4% $122

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Montreal

$152 7.5%

San Juan

$172 19.3% 13% $20

Clothing & Footwear

Montreal

$133 6.6%

San Juan

$110 12.3% 17.9% $24

Getting Around

Montreal

$99 4.9%

San Juan

$11 * 1.2% 89.1% $88

Sport & Entertainment

Montreal

$52 2.6%

San Juan

$44 5% 15% $7.8

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 $249 in San Juan. 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 304% 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 $39.00 in San Juan. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $346 vs $190 – making San Juan the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇨🇦 Montreal

🇦🇷 San Juan

🕒 Local time

11:52 11:52 AM

12:52 12:52 PM

1 h ahead of Montreal

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

1,762,949

522,029

💱 Currency

Canadian Dollar CAD $

Argentine Peso ARS $

📈 Exchange rate

1 CAD = 0.707 USD

1 CAD = 0.629 EUR

10,000 ARS = 6.59 USD

10,000 ARS = 5.86 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

ARS, USD, EUR to CAD – Canadian Dollar Converter

🇺🇸 United States Dollar ($)

🇨🇦 Canadian Dollar ($)

Canadian Dollar exchange rates as of October 17, 2026: 1 USD = 1.41 CAD (1 CAD = 0.707 USD). 1 EUR = 1.59 CAD (1 CAD = 0.629 EUR).

Argentine Peso exchange rates as of October 17, 2026: 1 USD = 1,517 ARS (10,000 ARS = 6.59 USD). 1 EUR = 1,706 ARS (10,000 ARS = 5.86 EUR).

USD to CAD in detail →

On the map

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Between locations

Montreal San Juan 8,580 km ≈ 11 h nonstop flight

From you

Montreal
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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 San Juan: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Montreal costs about 127% more than San Juan, 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 $1,335 in San Juan. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

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

A mid-range dinner for two costs $70.0 in Montreal and $39.00 in San Juan. That's a good indicator of the overall restaurant and café pricing gap between the two cities.

Groceries cost about 83% 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 $1,000 monthly budget goes further in San Juan, where all-in costs run around $890, than in Montreal at $2,018. In San Juan it covers expenses comfortably, while in Montreal it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.

For digital nomads, it depends on budget. San Juan costs $890 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 San Juan. 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.