Last update: Nov 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Montreal and Santa Cruz, Aruba

For one person, living is cheaper in Santa Cruz: $1,886 a month against $2,067 in Montreal, rent and utilities included – about $2,200 less a year. Higher rent and utilities in Montreal outweigh lower spending on other living expenses.

100

Cost of Living Index in Montreal
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Montreal Living Index

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Montreal

🇨🇦 Canada

$2,067

/mo nomad

Santa Cruz

🇦🇼 Aruba

$1,886

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

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

A single person spends $2,067 per month in Montreal vs $1,886 in Santa Cruz, rent included.

Montreal $2,067
Santa Cruz $1,886

A couple spends around $3,179 per month in Montreal vs $2,900 in Santa Cruz, rent included.

Montreal $3,179
Santa Cruz $2,900

A family of three spends $4,291 per month in Montreal vs $3,914 in Santa Cruz, rent included.

Montreal $4,291
Santa Cruz $3,914

Montreal costs about 10% more than Santa Cruz.

Both Montreal and Santa Cruz sit above the global median – Montreal by 53%, Santa Cruz by 40%.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$18.89 CA$26.57

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$72.6 CA$102

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$10.79 CA$15.18

Cappuccino

$3.98 CA$5.60

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

$2.02 CA$2.84

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.63 CA$2.29

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$6.32 CA$8.89

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$7.06 CA$9.93

Milk (1 liter)

$2.33 CA$3.28

$2.20 AWG 3.94

5.91%

White Bread (500g)

$3.25 CA$4.57

$2.64 AWG 4.73

23.11%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$3.26 CA$4.59

$4.42 AWG 7.91

-26.24%

Eggs

$3.48 CA$4.89

$4.78 AWG 8.55

-27.20%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$13.73 CA$19.31

$8.14 AWG 14.57

68.67%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$11.48 CA$16.14

$7.69 AWG 13.77

49.28%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$14.26 CA$20.05

$6.75 AWG 12.08

111.26%

Apples (1kg)

$3.52 CA$4.95

$4.52 AWG 8.08

-22.12%

Banana (1kg)

$1.46 CA$2.05

$4.57 AWG 8.17

-68.05%

Oranges (1kg)

$3.41 CA$4.80

$8.12 AWG 14.54

-58.00%

Tomato (1kg)

$3.20 CA$4.50

$6.87 AWG 12.29

-53.42%

Potato (1kg)

$1.94 CA$2.72

$6.70 AWG 11.99

-71.04%

Onion (1kg)

$1.78 CA$2.50

$1.89 AWG 3.39

-5.82%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.52 CA$3.54

$3.00 AWG 5.37

-16.00%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.58 CA$2.22

$4.54 AWG 8.13

-65.20%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$11.51 CA$16.18

$10.34 AWG 18.51

11.32%

Wine (Bottle)

$10.57 CA$14.87

$19.59 AWG 35.05

-46.04%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.35 CA$3.30

$2.55 AWG 4.56

-7.84%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.90 CA$4.07

$3.09 AWG 5.54

-6.15%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.61 CA$3.68

$1.96 AWG 3.50

33.16%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$78.5 CA$110

$154 AWG 276

-49.06%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.17 CA$4.46

$19.32 AWG 34.57

-83.59%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.49 CA$2.10

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$33.49 CA$47.10

$19.75 AWG 35.34

69.57%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.36 CA$1.92

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

$28.0K CA$39.4K

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

$21.1K CA$29.7K

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

$77.6 CA$109

$141 AWG 252

-44.81%

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

$35.63 CA$50.1

$71.3 AWG 128

-49.99%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$43.73 CA$61.5

$207 AWG 371

-78.88%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$30.07 CA$42.29

$68.5 AWG 123

-56.08%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$19.97 CA$28.08

$46.44 AWG 83.1

-57.00%

Cinema Ticket

$11.27 CA$15.85

$8.39 AWG 15.02

34.33%

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

$522 CA$734

$141 AWG 252

270.54%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$17.8K CA$25.0K

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$59.0 CA$82.9

$78.8 AWG 141

-25.17%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$39.01 CA$54.9

$110 AWG 197

-64.54%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$99.8 CA$140

$140 AWG 251

-28.94%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$110 CA$154

$137 AWG 245

-19.75%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,298 CA$1,826

$1,268 AWG 2,270

2.36%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$970 CA$1,365

$557 AWG 998

74.06%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,323 CA$3,267

$1,534 AWG 2,746

51.42%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,689 CA$2,376

$1,407 AWG 2,519

20.02%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$5,004 CA$7,037

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$3,736 CA$5,255

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$2,943 CA$4,139

$3,667 AWG 6,564

-19.75%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

4.51

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

Last update for Montreal: November 3, 2026

Last update for Santa Cruz: November 2, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Montreal

$970 47%

Santa Cruz

–

Groceries & Markets

Montreal

$357 17.3%

Santa Cruz

–

Eating Out

Montreal

$292 14.1%

Santa Cruz

–

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Montreal

$157 7.6%

Santa Cruz

–

Clothing & Footwear

Montreal

$138 6.7%

Santa Cruz

–

Getting Around

Montreal

$100 4.8%

Santa Cruz

–

Sport & Entertainment

Montreal

$53 2.6%

Santa Cruz

–

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $1,298 in Montreal versus $1,268 in Santa Cruz. 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 25% higher in Santa Cruz, which reinforces the cost advantage – you earn more and spend less. Purchasing power leans clearly in its favor.

Good to know

🇨🇦 Montreal

🇦🇼 Santa Cruz

🕒 Local time

08:01 8:01 AM

09:01 9:01 AM

1 h ahead of Montreal

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

1,762,949

15,236

💱 Currency

Canadian Dollar CAD $

Aruban Florin AWG ƒ

📈 Exchange rate

1 CAD = 0.711 USD

1 CAD = 0.633 EUR

1 AWG = 0.559 USD

1 AWG = 0.497 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

AWG, USD, EUR to CAD – Canadian Dollar Converter

🇺🇸 United States Dollar ($)

🇨🇦 Canadian Dollar ($)

Canadian Dollar exchange rates as of November 6, 2026: 1 USD = 1.41 CAD (1 CAD = 0.711 USD). 1 EUR = 1.58 CAD (1 CAD = 0.633 EUR).

Aruban Florin exchange rates as of November 6, 2026: 1 USD = 1.79 AWG (1 AWG = 0.559 USD). 1 EUR = 2.01 AWG (1 AWG = 0.497 EUR).

USD to CAD in detail →

On the map

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Highest

Between locations

Montreal Santa Cruz 3,680 km ≈ 5 h nonstop flight

From you

Montreal
Santa Cruz

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 Cruz: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Montreal costs about 10% more than Santa Cruz, 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 $3,100 per month in Montreal and $2,829 in Santa Cruz. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

A central 1-bedroom goes for about $1,298 in Montreal and $1,268 in Santa Cruz. The gap holds across neighborhoods – outer areas show a similar spread, just at lower price points.

Public transport costs about 49% less in Montreal. For daily commuters, that gap adds up to noticeable savings over a year.

Interestingly, groceries are about 18% cheaper in Montreal – one category where the pricier city actually offers better value.

$3,000 covers both cities comfortably – all-in costs are $2,067 in Montreal and $1,886 in Santa Cruz, leaving budget for savings and extras in both cases.

It depends on your priorities. Montreal has an edge in some lifestyle areas, with costs from $1,886 in Santa Cruz to $2,067 in Montreal. Climate, culture, job market, and personal taste all factor in.

Both cities have a reputation for safety. In either place, the choice of neighborhood matters more than the choice between the two cities.