Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Montreal and San Salvador

For one person, living is cheaper in San Salvador: $1,666 a month against $2,003 in Montreal, rent and utilities included – about $4,000 less a year. Other living expenses account for most of the difference.

99

Cost of Living Index in Montreal
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Montreal Living Index
80

Cost of Living Index in San Salvador
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San Salvador Living Index

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Montreal

🇨🇦 Canada

$2,003

/mo nomad

San Salvador

🇸🇻 El Salvador

$1,666

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

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

A single person spends $2,003 per month in Montreal vs $1,666 in San Salvador, rent included.

Montreal $2,003
San Salvador $1,666

A couple spends around $3,048 per month in Montreal vs $2,465 in San Salvador, rent included.

Montreal $3,048
San Salvador $2,465

A family of three spends $4,092 per month in Montreal vs $3,263 in San Salvador, rent included.

Montreal $4,092
San Salvador $3,263

Montreal costs about 20% more than San Salvador, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

Both Montreal and San Salvador sit above the global median – Montreal by 49%, San Salvador by 24%.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$19.31 CA$27.52

$6.72 $6.72

187.35%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$75.5 CA$108

$45.39 $45.39

66.34%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$10.63 CA$15.15

$7.07 $7.07

50.35%

Cappuccino

$3.93 CA$5.60

$3.53 $3.53

11.33%

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

$1.92 CA$2.73

$1.13 $1.13

69.91%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.48 CA$2.11

$0.85 $0.85

74.12%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$6.30 CA$8.98

$2.04 $2.04

208.82%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$7.19 CA$10.24

$3.51 $3.51

104.84%

Milk (1 liter)

$2.22 CA$3.17

$1.87 $1.87

18.72%

White Bread (500g)

$3.06 CA$4.36

$2.89 $2.89

5.88%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.94 CA$4.19

$1.40 $1.40

110.00%

Eggs

$3.53 CA$5.03

$3.09 $3.09

14.24%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$13.19 CA$18.79

$7.88 $7.88

67.39%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$11.24 CA$16.02

$6.93 $6.93

62.19%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$13.81 CA$19.69

$10.05 $10.05

37.41%

Apples (1kg)

$3.40 CA$4.85

$5.08 $5.08

-33.07%

Banana (1kg)

$1.44 CA$2.06

$1.39 $1.39

3.60%

Oranges (1kg)

$3.26 CA$4.65

$2.53 $2.53

28.85%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.88 CA$4.10

$3.40 $3.40

-15.29%

Potato (1kg)

$1.86 CA$2.65

$2.87 $2.87

-35.19%

Onion (1kg)

$1.82 CA$2.60

$3.28 $3.28

-44.51%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.43 CA$3.46

$0.97 $0.97

150.52%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.52 CA$2.17

$0.97 $0.97

56.70%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$11.45 CA$16.32

$4.07 $4.07

181.33%

Wine (Bottle)

$10.36 CA$14.76

$12.21 $12.21

-15.15%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.22 CA$3.16

$2.19 $2.19

1.37%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.82 CA$4.02

$2.86 $2.86

-1.40%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.58 CA$3.67

$0.34 $0.34

658.82%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$76.9 CA$110

$37.66 $37.66

104.17%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.25 CA$4.64

$6.04 $6.04

-46.19%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.48 CA$2.11

$3.03 $3.03

-51.16%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$33.04 CA$47.09

$20.11 $20.11

64.30%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.36 CA$1.94

$1.29 $1.29

5.43%

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

$27.4K CA$39.1K

$24.8K $24.8K

10.81%

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

$20.0K CA$28.5K

$27.0K $27.0K

-25.94%

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

$76.1 CA$109

$130 $130

-41.66%

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

$34.68 CA$49.43

$21.57 $21.57

60.78%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$42.69 CA$60.9

$43.03 $43.03

-0.79%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$28.94 CA$41.26

$31.99 $31.99

-9.53%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$20.33 CA$28.97

$21.57 $21.57

-5.75%

Cinema Ticket

$11.21 CA$15.98

$5.06 $5.06

121.54%

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

$505 CA$720

$165 $165

206.49%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$16.0K CA$22.8K

$4,640 $4,640

245.04%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$58.5 CA$83.4

$68.2 $68.2

-14.17%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$38.00 CA$54.2

$46.79 $46.79

-18.79%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$92.7 CA$132

$120 $120

-22.84%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$106 CA$151

$117 $117

-9.26%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,240 CA$1,768

$906 $906

36.81%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$986 CA$1,405

$755 $755

30.55%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,102 CA$2,996

$1,804 $1,804

16.51%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,615 CA$2,302

$1,343 $1,343

20.21%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$5,043 CA$7,188

$2,813 $2,813

79.27%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$3,830 CA$5,459

$1,845 $1,845

107.61%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$2,920 CA$4,163

$372 $372

684.40%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

4.46

8.5

-47.53%

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

Last update for Montreal: October 6, 2026

Last update for San Salvador: October 6, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Montreal

$986 47.9%

San Salvador

$755 46.1% 23.4% $231

Groceries & Markets

Montreal

$344 16.7%

San Salvador

$287 17.5% 16.6% $57

Eating Out

Montreal

$293 14.2%

San Salvador

$142 8.7% 51.4% $150

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Montreal

$154 7.5%

San Salvador

$195 11.9% 27.1% $42

Clothing & Footwear

Montreal

$133 6.5%

San Salvador

$158 9.7% 19.2% $26

Getting Around

Montreal

$98 4.8%

San Salvador

$60 3.7% 38.5% $38

Sport & Entertainment

Montreal

$51 2.5%

San Salvador

$42 2.6% 18% $9.2

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $1,240 in Montreal versus $906 in San Salvador. 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 684% 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 $75.0 in Montreal versus $45.00 in San Salvador. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $344 vs $287 – making San Salvador the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇨🇦 Montreal

🇸🇻 San Salvador

🕒 Local time

04:01 4:01 AM

02:01 2:01 AM

2 h behind Montreal

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

1,762,949

316,090 Capital

💱 Currency

Canadian Dollar CAD $

United States Dollar USD $

📈 Exchange rate

1 CAD = 0.702 USD

1 CAD = 0.626 EUR

1 USD = 0.892 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 10, 2026: 1 USD = 1.43 CAD (1 CAD = 0.702 USD). 1 EUR = 1.6 CAD (1 CAD = 0.626 EUR).

United States Dollar exchange rates as of October 10, 2026: 1 EUR = 1.12 USD (1 USD = 0.892 EUR).

USD to CAD in detail →

On the map

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Between locations

Montreal San Salvador 3,830 km ≈ 5 h nonstop flight

From you

Montreal
San Salvador

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 Salvador: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Montreal costs about 20% more than San Salvador, and outside of rent the gap comes mainly from eating out. 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 $2,499 in San Salvador. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

Rent is clearly cheaper in San Salvador, 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 Montreal, 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 $75.0 in Montreal and $45.00 in San Salvador. 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 San Salvador, where all-in costs run around $1,666, than in Montreal at $2,003. In San Salvador 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 Salvador costs $1,666 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 Salvador. 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.