Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Montreal and Santa Ana

For one person, living costs are similar in Montreal and in Santa Ana: $2,018 and $2,018 a month, rent and utilities included.

99

Cost of Living Index in Montreal
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Montreal Living Index
97

Cost of Living Index in Santa Ana
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Santa Ana Living Index

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Montreal

🇨🇦 Canada

$2,018

/mo nomad

Santa Ana

🇨🇷 Costa Rica

$2,018

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Montreal and in Santa Ana

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

A single person spends $2,018 per month in Montreal vs $2,018 in Santa Ana, rent included.

Montreal $2,018
Santa Ana $2,018

A couple spends around $3,085 per month in Montreal vs $3,233 in Santa Ana, rent included.

Montreal $3,085
Santa Ana $3,233

A family of three spends $4,152 per month in Montreal vs $4,447 in Santa Ana, rent included.

Montreal $4,152
Santa Ana $4,447

Montreal and Santa Ana have comparable living costs – the differences are in the details.

Both Montreal and Santa Ana sit above the global median – Montreal by 49%, Santa Ana by 49%.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$18.82 CA$26.61

$12.04 ₡5,401

56.31%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$70.3 CA$99.4

$62.6 ₡28.1K

12.28%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$10.66 CA$15.06

$11.78 ₡5,285

-9.51%

Cappuccino

$3.84 CA$5.43

$4.40 ₡1,975

-12.73%

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

$1.92 CA$2.71

$2.14 ₡959

-10.28%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.54 CA$2.18

$1.37 ₡613

12.41%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$6.23 CA$8.81

$3.36 ₡1,508

85.42%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$7.10 CA$10.03

$4.27 ₡1,917

66.28%

Milk (1 liter)

$2.31 CA$3.27

$2.21 ₡993

4.52%

White Bread (500g)

$3.14 CA$4.44

$3.12 ₡1,400

0.64%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$3.21 CA$4.54

$2.51 ₡1,127

27.89%

Eggs

$3.52 CA$4.97

$3.47 ₡1,554

1.44%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$12.81 CA$18.11

$10.87 ₡4,876

17.85%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$11.46 CA$16.20

$10.40 ₡4,664

10.19%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$13.39 CA$18.92

$14.19 ₡6,364

-5.64%

Apples (1kg)

$3.14 CA$4.43

$5.10 ₡2,289

-38.43%

Banana (1kg)

$1.44 CA$2.03

$1.65 ₡742

-12.73%

Oranges (1kg)

$3.47 CA$4.91

$4.65 ₡2,086

-25.38%

Tomato (1kg)

$3.07 CA$4.34

$3.98 ₡1,785

-22.86%

Potato (1kg)

$1.90 CA$2.69

$3.93 ₡1,761

-51.65%

Onion (1kg)

$1.77 CA$2.50

$3.60 ₡1,615

-50.83%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.34 CA$3.31

$1.12 ₡500

108.93%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.55 CA$2.19

$1.80 ₡808

-13.89%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$11.38 CA$16.09

$6.11 ₡2,738

86.25%

Wine (Bottle)

$10.63 CA$15.03

$17.77 ₡7,970

-40.18%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.27 CA$3.21

$2.88 ₡1,293

-21.18%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.82 CA$3.99

$2.69 ₡1,207

4.83%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.66 CA$3.76

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$77.3 CA$109

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.20 CA$4.53

$2.49 ₡1,116

28.51%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.48 CA$2.09

$1.56 ₡698

-5.13%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$32.88 CA$46.48

$8.59 ₡3,852

282.77%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.34 CA$1.90

$1.55 ₡694

-13.55%

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

$28.2K CA$39.8K

$21.6K ₡9.7M

30.35%

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

$19.6K CA$27.8K

$34.6K ₡15.5M

-43.26%

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

$76.0 CA$107

$93.7 ₡42.0K

-18.89%

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

$33.95 CA$48.00

$32.78 ₡14.7K

3.57%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$42.31 CA$59.8

$50.0 ₡22.4K

-15.43%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$29.76 CA$42.07

$157 ₡70.4K

-81.04%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$20.28 CA$28.67

$22.25 ₡9,980

-8.85%

Cinema Ticket

$11.15 CA$15.77

$7.78 ₡3,490

43.32%

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

$507 CA$717

$983 ₡440.6K

-48.39%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$16.1K CA$22.7K

$17.4K ₡7.8M

-7.72%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$57.6 CA$81.4

$65.4 ₡29.3K

-11.95%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$37.58 CA$53.1

$56.0 ₡25.1K

-32.88%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$91.9 CA$130

$127 ₡57.2K

-27.89%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$110 CA$155

$132 ₡59.0K

-16.68%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,260 CA$1,782

$1,055 ₡473.0K

19.52%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$948 CA$1,340

$885 ₡396.9K

7.06%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,137 CA$3,021

$2,955 ₡1.3M

-27.70%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,614 CA$2,281

$1,844 ₡827.1K

-12.51%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$4,960 CA$7,011

$2,727 ₡1.2M

81.90%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$3,838 CA$5,425

$1,657 ₡743.2K

131.57%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$2,827 CA$3,997

$1,402 ₡628.9K

101.61%

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 Santa Ana: October 11, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Montreal

$948 47%

Santa Ana

$885 43.9% 6.6% $62

Groceries & Markets

Montreal

$346 17.2%

Santa Ana

$379 18.8% 9.3% $32

Eating Out

Montreal

$288 14.3%

Santa Ana

$224 11.1% 22.2% $64

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Montreal

$152 7.5%

Santa Ana

$176 8.7% 15.9% $24

Clothing & Footwear

Montreal

$133 6.6%

Santa Ana

$171 8.5% 28.2% $38

Getting Around

Montreal

$99 4.9%

Santa Ana

$10 * 0.5% 89.6% $88

Sport & Entertainment

Montreal

$52 2.6%

Santa Ana

$173 8.6% 231% $120

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 $1,055 in Santa Ana. 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 102% higher in Montreal. Purchasing power depends on which expenses matter most to you.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $70.0 in Montreal versus $63.0 in Santa Ana. Groceries tell a different story – $346 in Montreal vs $379 in Santa Ana – so Montreal wins on supermarket bills even if dining out costs more.

Good to know

🇨🇦 Montreal

🇨🇷 Santa Ana

🕒 Local time

10:21 10:21 AM

08:21 8:21 AM

2 h behind Montreal

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

1,762,949

13,000

💱 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 18, 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 18, 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 Santa Ana 4,080 km ≈ 6 h nonstop flight

From you

Montreal
Santa Ana

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 Santa Ana: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

For a comfortable life, plan on about $3,027 per month in Montreal and $3,027 in Santa Ana. 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 9% more in Santa Ana, 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 $63.0 in Santa Ana. 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 Santa Ana at $2,018. In Montreal it covers expenses comfortably, while in Santa Ana it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.

For digital nomads, it depends on budget. Montreal costs $2,018 versus $2,018 in Santa Ana. 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, Santa Ana makes more sense. Both are solid long-term options with distinct trade-offs.