Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Montreal and San Rafael

For one person, living is cheaper in San Rafael: $1,732 a month against $2,018 in Montreal, rent and utilities included – about $3,400 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
84

Cost of Living Index in San Rafael
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San Rafael Living Index

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Montreal

🇨🇦 Canada

$2,018

/mo nomad

San Rafael

🇨🇷 Costa Rica

$1,732

/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 $2,018 per month in Montreal vs $1,732 in San Rafael, rent included.

Montreal $2,018
San Rafael $1,732

A couple spends around $3,085 per month in Montreal vs $2,736 in San Rafael, rent included.

Montreal $3,085
San Rafael $2,736

A family of three spends $4,152 per month in Montreal vs $3,739 in San Rafael, rent included.

Montreal $4,152
San Rafael $3,739

Montreal costs about 16% more than San Rafael, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in transport.

Both Montreal and San Rafael sit above the global median – Montreal by 49%, San Rafael by 28%.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$18.82 CA$26.61

$12.25 ₡5,496

53.63%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$70.3 CA$99.4

$61.7 ₡27.7K

13.90%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$10.66 CA$15.06

$11.42 ₡5,119

-6.65%

Cappuccino

$3.84 CA$5.43

$4.40 ₡1,973

-12.73%

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

$1.92 CA$2.71

$2.73 ₡1,225

-29.67%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.54 CA$2.18

$1.87 ₡841

-17.65%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$6.23 CA$8.81

$3.37 ₡1,510

84.87%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$7.10 CA$10.03

$4.54 ₡2,038

56.39%

Milk (1 liter)

$2.31 CA$3.27

$2.33 ₡1,044

-0.86%

White Bread (500g)

$3.14 CA$4.44

$3.02 ₡1,352

3.97%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$3.21 CA$4.54

$2.42 ₡1,084

32.64%

Eggs

$3.52 CA$4.97

$3.52 ₡1,580

Local Cheese (1kg)

$12.81 CA$18.11

$10.51 ₡4,712

21.88%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$11.46 CA$16.20

$10.25 ₡4,597

11.80%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$13.39 CA$18.92

$14.22 ₡6,378

-5.84%

Apples (1kg)

$3.14 CA$4.43

$5.09 ₡2,282

-38.31%

Banana (1kg)

$1.44 CA$2.03

$1.57 ₡704

-8.28%

Oranges (1kg)

$3.47 CA$4.91

$4.68 ₡2,098

-25.85%

Tomato (1kg)

$3.07 CA$4.34

$3.86 ₡1,730

-20.47%

Potato (1kg)

$1.90 CA$2.69

$3.88 ₡1,741

-51.03%

Onion (1kg)

$1.77 CA$2.50

$3.69 ₡1,653

-52.03%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.34 CA$3.31

$1.09 ₡488

114.68%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.55 CA$2.19

$3.13 ₡1,403

-50.48%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$11.38 CA$16.09

$6.11 ₡2,739

86.25%

Wine (Bottle)

$10.63 CA$15.03

$20.14 ₡9,031

-47.22%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.27 CA$3.21

$2.80 ₡1,254

-18.93%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.82 CA$3.99

$3.58 ₡1,606

-21.23%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.66 CA$3.76

$1.18 ₡527

125.42%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$77.3 CA$109

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.20 CA$4.53

$2.51 ₡1,124

27.49%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.48 CA$2.09

$1.57 ₡703

-5.73%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$32.88 CA$46.48

$8.48 ₡3,803

287.74%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.34 CA$1.90

$1.54 ₡692

-12.99%

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

$28.2K CA$39.8K

$22.3K ₡10.0M

26.11%

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

$19.6K CA$27.8K

$35.5K ₡15.9M

-44.76%

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

$76.0 CA$107

$93.5 ₡41.9K

-18.74%

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

$33.95 CA$48.00

$36.26 ₡16.3K

-6.37%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$42.31 CA$59.8

$58.4 ₡26.2K

-27.60%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$29.76 CA$42.07

$63.0 ₡28.3K

-52.77%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$20.28 CA$28.67

Cinema Ticket

$11.15 CA$15.77

$7.50 ₡3,362

48.67%

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

$507 CA$717

$991 ₡444.6K

-48.85%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$16.1K CA$22.7K

$16.8K ₡7.5M

-4.52%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$57.6 CA$81.4

$70.5 ₡31.6K

-18.35%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$37.58 CA$53.1

$55.6 ₡25.0K

-32.46%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$91.9 CA$130

$129 ₡58.0K

-28.90%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$110 CA$155

$133 ₡59.5K

-17.40%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,260 CA$1,782

$740 ₡332.0K

70.29%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$948 CA$1,340

$649 ₡291.2K

45.93%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,137 CA$3,021

$2,069 ₡927.9K

3.28%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,614 CA$2,281

$1,274 ₡571.5K

26.62%

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

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

4.48

8.62

-48.03%

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

Last update for Montreal: October 12, 2026

Last update for San Rafael: October 11, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Montreal

$948 47%

San Rafael

$649 37.5% 31.5% $298

Groceries & Markets

Montreal

$346 17.2%

San Rafael

$398 23% 14.8% $51

Eating Out

Montreal

$288 14.3%

San Rafael

$229 13.2% 20.3% $58

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Montreal

$152 7.5%

San Rafael

$188 10.9% 23.6% $36

Clothing & Footwear

Montreal

$133 6.6%

San Rafael

$175 10.1% 30.8% $41

Getting Around

Montreal

$99 4.9%

San Rafael

$15 * 0.9% 84.7% $83

Sport & Entertainment

Montreal

$52 2.6%

San Rafael

$78 4.5% 49.8% $26

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 $740 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 $70.0 in Montreal versus $62.0 in San Rafael. Groceries tell a different story – $346 in Montreal vs $398 in San Rafael – so Montreal wins on supermarket bills even if dining out costs more.

Good to know

🇨🇦 Montreal

🇨🇷 San Rafael

🕒 Local time

10:47 10:47 AM

08:47 8:47 AM

2 h behind Montreal

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

1,762,949

30,000

💱 Currency

Canadian Dollar CAD $

Costa Rican Colón CRC ₡

📈 Exchange rate

1 CAD = 0.707 USD

1 CAD = 0.629 EUR

1,000 CRC = 2.23 USD

1,000 CRC = 1.98 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

CRC, USD, EUR to CAD – Canadian Dollar Converter

🇺🇸 United States Dollar ($)

🇨🇦 Canadian Dollar ($)

Canadian Dollar exchange rates as of October 19, 2026: 1 USD = 1.41 CAD (1 CAD = 0.707 USD). 1 EUR = 1.59 CAD (1 CAD = 0.629 EUR).

Costa Rican Colón exchange rates as of October 19, 2026: 1 USD = 448 CRC (1,000 CRC = 2.23 USD). 1 EUR = 504 CRC (1,000 CRC = 1.98 EUR).

USD to CAD in detail →

On the map

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Between locations

Montreal San Rafael 4,080 km ≈ 6 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 16% more than San Rafael, 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 $3,027 per month in Montreal and $2,599 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 $70.0 in Montreal and $62.0 in San Rafael. That's a good indicator of the overall restaurant and café pricing gap between the two cities.

Interestingly, groceries are about 15% cheaper in Montreal – one category where the pricier city actually offers better value, probably thanks to stronger retail competition or local farming.

A $3,000 monthly budget goes further in San Rafael, where all-in costs run around $1,732, than in Montreal at $2,018. 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 $1,732 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 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.