Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Montreal and San Juan

For one person, living is cheaper in Montreal: $2,018 a month against $2,253 in San Juan, rent and utilities included – about $2,800 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
108

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

🇵🇷 Puerto Rico

$2,253

/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 $2,253 in San Juan, rent included.

Montreal $2,018
San Juan $2,253

A couple spends around $3,085 per month in Montreal vs $3,373 in San Juan, rent included.

Montreal $3,085
San Juan $3,373

A family of three spends $4,152 per month in Montreal vs $4,494 in San Juan, rent included.

Montreal $4,152
San Juan $4,494

Montreal is about 10% cheaper than San Juan, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Both Montreal and San Juan sit above the global median – Montreal by 49%, San Juan by 67%.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$18.82 CA$26.61

$19.43 $19.43

-3.14%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$70.3 CA$99.4

$82.3 $82.3

-14.59%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$10.66 CA$15.06

$9.43 $9.43

13.04%

Cappuccino

$3.84 CA$5.43

$3.56 $3.56

7.87%

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

$1.92 CA$2.71

$1.83 $1.83

4.92%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.54 CA$2.18

$1.45 $1.45

6.21%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$6.23 CA$8.81

$3.04 $3.04

104.93%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$7.10 CA$10.03

$5.13 $5.13

38.40%

Milk (1 liter)

$2.31 CA$3.27

$2.19 $2.19

5.48%

White Bread (500g)

$3.14 CA$4.44

$3.69 $3.69

-14.91%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$3.21 CA$4.54

$2.36 $2.36

36.02%

Eggs

$3.52 CA$4.97

$7.33 $7.33

-51.98%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$12.81 CA$18.11

$12.75 $12.75

0.47%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$11.46 CA$16.20

$9.55 $9.55

20.00%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$13.39 CA$18.92

$13.21 $13.21

1.36%

Apples (1kg)

$3.14 CA$4.43

$5.13 $5.13

-38.79%

Banana (1kg)

$1.44 CA$2.03

$2.66 $2.66

-45.86%

Oranges (1kg)

$3.47 CA$4.91

$5.00 $5.00

-30.60%

Tomato (1kg)

$3.07 CA$4.34

$4.92 $4.92

-37.60%

Potato (1kg)

$1.90 CA$2.69

$3.71 $3.71

-48.79%

Onion (1kg)

$1.77 CA$2.50

$3.90 $3.90

-54.62%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.34 CA$3.31

$3.53 $3.53

-33.71%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.55 CA$2.19

$1.61 $1.61

-3.73%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$11.38 CA$16.09

$11.78 $11.78

-3.40%

Wine (Bottle)

$10.63 CA$15.03

$15.84 $15.84

-32.89%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.27 CA$3.21

$3.07 $3.07

-26.06%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.82 CA$3.99

$4.10 $4.10

-31.22%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.66 CA$3.76

$0.71 $0.71

274.65%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$77.3 CA$109

$29.97 $29.97

157.89%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.20 CA$4.53

$2.53 $2.53

26.48%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.48 CA$2.09

$1.46 $1.46

1.37%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$32.88 CA$46.48

$42.26 $42.26

-22.20%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.34 CA$1.90

$1.24 $1.24

8.06%

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

$28.2K CA$39.8K

$40.3K $40.3K

-30.20%

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

$19.6K CA$27.8K

$27.7K $27.7K

-29.17%

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

$76.0 CA$107

$327 $327

-76.78%

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

$33.95 CA$48.00

$68.4 $68.4

-50.34%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$42.31 CA$59.8

$70.4 $70.4

-39.91%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$29.76 CA$42.07

$41.46 $41.46

-28.22%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$20.28 CA$28.67

$7.70 $7.70

163.38%

Cinema Ticket

$11.15 CA$15.77

$10.40 $10.40

7.21%

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

$507 CA$717

$821 $821

-38.25%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$16.1K CA$22.7K

$12.5K $12.5K

28.84%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$57.6 CA$81.4

$56.1 $56.1

2.62%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$37.58 CA$53.1

$61.4 $61.4

-38.74%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$91.9 CA$130

$109 $109

-15.46%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$110 CA$155

$116 $116

-5.40%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,260 CA$1,782

$1,802 $1,802

-30.06%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$948 CA$1,340

$846 $846

11.99%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,137 CA$3,021

$2,972 $2,972

-28.09%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,614 CA$2,281

$1,476 $1,476

9.31%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$4,960 CA$7,011

$7,283 $7,283

-31.90%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$3,838 CA$5,425

$3,377 $3,377

13.63%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$2,827 CA$3,997

$2,704 $2,704

4.56%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

4.48

6.55

-31.60%

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 11, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Montreal

$948 47%

San Juan

$846 37.6% 10.7% $101

Groceries & Markets

Montreal

$346 17.2%

San Juan

$417 18.5% 20.4% $71

Eating Out

Montreal

$288 14.3%

San Juan

$265 11.8% 7.9% $23

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Montreal

$152 7.5%

San Juan

$466 20.7% 206% $314

Clothing & Footwear

Montreal

$133 6.6%

San Juan

$154 6.8% 15.3% $20

Getting Around

Montreal

$99 4.9%

San Juan

$43 1.9% 56.7% $56

Sport & Entertainment

Montreal

$52 2.6%

San Juan

$62 2.8% 19.6% $10

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $1,260 in Montreal versus $1,802 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 5% higher in Montreal, which reinforces the cost advantage – you earn more and spend less. Purchasing power leans clearly in its favor.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $70.0 in Montreal versus $82.0 in San Juan. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $346 vs $417 – making Montreal the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇨🇦 Montreal

🇵🇷 San Juan

🕒 Local time

13:28 1:28 PM

Same time as Montreal

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

1,762,949

322,854 Capital

💱 Currency

Canadian Dollar CAD $

United States Dollar USD $

📈 Exchange rate

1 CAD = 0.707 USD

1 CAD = 0.629 EUR

1 USD = 0.889 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

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).

United States Dollar exchange rates as of October 17, 2026: 1 EUR = 1.12 USD (1 USD = 0.889 EUR).

USD to CAD in detail →

On the map

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Between locations

Montreal San Juan 3,080 km ≈ 4 h 15 min nonstop flight

From you

Montreal
San Juan

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

San Juan costs about 12% more than Montreal, 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 $3,379 in San Juan. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

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

Groceries cost about 20% more in San Juan, 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 $82.0 in San Juan. That's a good indicator of the overall restaurant and café pricing gap between the two cities.

A $2,000 monthly budget goes further in Montreal, where all-in costs run around $2,018, than in San Juan at $2,253. In Montreal it covers expenses comfortably, while in San Juan it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.

For digital nomads, it depends on budget. Montreal costs $2,018 versus $2,253 in San Juan. 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 Montreal. If higher salaries, better infrastructure, or specific career opportunities are the priority, San Juan makes more sense. Both are solid long-term options with distinct trade-offs.