Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Montreal and San Rafael

For one person, living is cheaper in San Rafael: $1,318 a month against $2,003 in Montreal, rent and utilities included – about $8,200 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
63

Cost of Living Index in San Rafael
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San Rafael Living Index

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Montreal

🇨🇦 Canada

$2,003

/mo nomad

San Rafael

🇦🇷 Argentina

$1,318

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

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

A single person spends $2,003 per month in Montreal vs $1,318 in San Rafael, rent included.

Montreal $2,003
San Rafael $1,318

A couple spends around $3,048 per month in Montreal vs $2,096 in San Rafael, rent included.

Montreal $3,048
San Rafael $2,096

A family of three spends $4,092 per month in Montreal vs $2,875 in San Rafael, rent included.

Montreal $4,092
San Rafael $2,875

Montreal costs about 52% more than San Rafael, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in clothing.

Montreal sits 49% above the global median, while San Rafael is 2% below – they fall on opposite sides of the world average.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$19.31 CA$27.52

$11.20 ARS 17.0K

72.41%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$75.5 CA$108

$49.65 ARS 75.3K

52.06%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$10.63 CA$15.15

$14.69 ARS 22.3K

-27.64%

Cappuccino

$3.93 CA$5.60

$4.34 ARS 6,580

-9.45%

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

$1.92 CA$2.73

$2.42 ARS 3,663

-20.66%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.48 CA$2.11

$1.98 ARS 3,006

-25.25%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$6.30 CA$8.98

$3.94 ARS 5,969

59.90%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$7.19 CA$10.24

$4.42 ARS 6,701

62.67%

Milk (1 liter)

$2.22 CA$3.17

$1.35 ARS 2,046

64.44%

White Bread (500g)

$3.06 CA$4.36

$2.27 ARS 3,435

34.80%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.94 CA$4.19

$2.67 ARS 4,052

10.11%

Eggs

$3.53 CA$5.03

$3.18 ARS 4,820

11.01%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$13.19 CA$18.79

$14.56 ARS 22.1K

-9.41%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$11.24 CA$16.02

$6.21 ARS 9,418

81.00%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$13.81 CA$19.69

$11.16 ARS 16.9K

23.75%

Apples (1kg)

$3.40 CA$4.85

$2.38 ARS 3,604

42.86%

Banana (1kg)

$1.44 CA$2.06

$2.21 ARS 3,347

-34.84%

Oranges (1kg)

$3.26 CA$4.65

$1.35 ARS 2,048

141.48%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.88 CA$4.10

$3.30 ARS 5,012

-12.73%

Potato (1kg)

$1.86 CA$2.65

$2.01 ARS 3,055

-7.46%

Onion (1kg)

$1.82 CA$2.60

$1.45 ARS 2,203

25.52%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.43 CA$3.46

$1.94 ARS 2,935

25.26%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.52 CA$2.17

$2.46 ARS 3,725

-38.21%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$11.45 CA$16.32

$2.82 ARS 4,279

306.03%

Wine (Bottle)

$10.36 CA$14.76

$5.05 ARS 7,656

105.15%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.22 CA$3.16

$1.73 ARS 2,625

28.32%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.82 CA$4.02

$3.05 ARS 4,619

-7.54%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.58 CA$3.67

$1.00 ARS 1,513

158.00%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$76.9 CA$110

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.25 CA$4.64

$1.96 ARS 2,966

65.82%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.48 CA$2.11

$1.02 ARS 1,540

45.10%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$33.04 CA$47.09

$4.89 ARS 7,412

575.66%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.36 CA$1.94

$1.27 ARS 1,929

7.09%

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

$27.4K CA$39.1K

$26.6K ARS 40.4M

2.93%

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

$20.0K CA$28.5K

$32.6K ARS 49.4M

-38.69%

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

$76.1 CA$109

$135 ARS 205.3K

-43.76%

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

$34.68 CA$49.43

$17.43 ARS 26.4K

98.97%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$42.69 CA$60.9

$23.44 ARS 35.6K

82.12%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$28.94 CA$41.26

$31.21 ARS 47.3K

-7.27%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$20.33 CA$28.97

Cinema Ticket

$11.21 CA$15.98

$6.91 ARS 10.5K

62.23%

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

$505 CA$720

$177 ARS 268.1K

185.72%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$16.0K CA$22.8K

$4,090 ARS 6.2M

291.51%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$58.5 CA$83.4

$116 ARS 175.9K

-49.56%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$38.00 CA$54.2

$125 ARS 188.9K

-69.49%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$92.7 CA$132

$136 ARS 206.8K

-32.01%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$106 CA$151

$125 ARS 189.8K

-15.50%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,240 CA$1,768

$489 ARS 740.9K

153.82%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$986 CA$1,405

$318 ARS 482.7K

209.75%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,102 CA$2,996

$937 ARS 1.4M

124.33%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,615 CA$2,302

$725 ARS 1.1M

122.70%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$5,043 CA$7,188

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$3,830 CA$5,459

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$2,920 CA$4,163

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

4.46

-92.44%

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

Last update for Montreal: October 6, 2026

Last update for San Rafael: October 5, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Montreal

$986 47.9%

San Rafael

$318 24.6% 67.7% $668

Groceries & Markets

Montreal

$344 16.7%

San Rafael

$286 22.1% 16.8% $58

Eating Out

Montreal

$293 14.2%

San Rafael

$232 17.9% 20.8% $61

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Montreal

$154 7.5%

San Rafael

$176 13.6% 14.8% $23

Clothing & Footwear

Montreal

$133 6.5%

San Rafael

$226 17.5% 70.2% $93

Getting Around

Montreal

$98 4.8%

San Rafael

$11 * 0.9% 88.7% $87

Sport & Entertainment

Montreal

$51 2.5%

San Rafael

$45 3.5% 12.3% $6.3

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

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $1,240 in Montreal versus $489 in San Rafael. Rent is usually the largest line item in a monthly budget, so the gap here sets the tone for the overall comparison.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $75.0 in Montreal versus $50.0 in San Rafael. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $344 vs $286 – making San Rafael the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇨🇦 Montreal

🇦🇷 San Rafael

🕒 Local time

10:26 10:26 AM

11:26 11:26 AM

1 h ahead of Montreal

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

1,762,949

118,850

💱 Currency

Canadian Dollar CAD $

Argentine Peso ARS $

📈 Exchange rate

1 CAD = 0.702 USD

1 CAD = 0.626 EUR

10,000 ARS = 6.59 USD

10,000 ARS = 5.88 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 10, 2026: 1 USD = 1.43 CAD (1 CAD = 0.702 USD). 1 EUR = 1.6 CAD (1 CAD = 0.626 EUR).

Argentine Peso exchange rates as of October 10, 2026: 1 USD = 1,517 ARS (10,000 ARS = 6.59 USD). 1 EUR = 1,699 ARS (10,000 ARS = 5.88 EUR).

USD to CAD in detail →

On the map

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Between locations

Montreal San Rafael 8,920 km ≈ 12 h nonstop flight

From you

Montreal
San Rafael

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 Rafael: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Montreal costs about 52% more than San Rafael, and outside of rent the gap comes mainly from clothing. That's enough to noticeably affect everyday spending and lifestyle for anyone choosing between the two.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $3,005 per month in Montreal and $1,978 in San Rafael. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

Rent is clearly cheaper in San Rafael, 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 $75.0 in Montreal and $50.0 in San Rafael. That's a good indicator of the overall restaurant and café pricing gap between the two cities.

Groceries cost about 20% 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 Rafael, where all-in costs run around $1,318, than in Montreal at $2,003. In San Rafael 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 Rafael costs $1,318 versus $2,003 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 Rafael. 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.