Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Montreal and Santa Fe

For one person, living is cheaper in Santa Fe: $1,071 a month against $2,018 in Montreal, rent and utilities included – about $11,400 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
52

Cost of Living Index in Santa Fe
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Santa Fe Living Index

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Montreal

🇨🇦 Canada

$2,018

/mo nomad

Santa Fe

🇦🇷 Argentina

$1,071

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

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

A single person spends $2,018 per month in Montreal vs $1,071 in Santa Fe, rent included.

Montreal $2,018
Santa Fe $1,071

A couple spends around $3,085 per month in Montreal vs $1,655 in Santa Fe, rent included.

Montreal $3,085
Santa Fe $1,655

A family of three spends $4,152 per month in Montreal vs $2,239 in Santa Fe, rent included.

Montreal $4,152
Santa Fe $2,239

Montreal costs about 88% more than Santa Fe, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Montreal sits 49% above the global median, while Santa Fe is 21% below – they fall on opposite sides of the world average.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$18.82 CA$26.81

$9.93 ARS 15.1K

89.53%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$70.3 CA$100

$37.60 ARS 57.0K

86.94%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$10.66 CA$15.18

$12.68 ARS 19.2K

-15.93%

Cappuccino

$3.84 CA$5.47

$1.69 ARS 2,556

127.22%

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

$1.92 CA$2.73

$1.55 ARS 2,348

23.87%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.54 CA$2.19

$1.33 ARS 2,020

15.79%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$6.23 CA$8.88

$3.43 ARS 5,208

81.63%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$7.10 CA$10.11

$4.99 ARS 7,572

42.28%

Milk (1 liter)

$2.31 CA$3.30

$1.01 ARS 1,526

128.71%

White Bread (500g)

$3.14 CA$4.48

$1.64 ARS 2,481

91.46%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$3.21 CA$4.58

$1.04 ARS 1,572

208.65%

Eggs

$3.52 CA$5.01

$1.54 ARS 2,341

128.57%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$12.81 CA$18.25

$8.60 ARS 13.0K

48.95%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$11.46 CA$16.33

$6.07 ARS 9,200

88.80%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$13.39 CA$19.07

$10.68 ARS 16.2K

25.37%

Apples (1kg)

$3.14 CA$4.47

$1.99 ARS 3,016

57.79%

Banana (1kg)

$1.44 CA$2.05

$1.52 ARS 2,298

-5.26%

Oranges (1kg)

$3.47 CA$4.95

$0.87 ARS 1,316

298.85%

Tomato (1kg)

$3.07 CA$4.38

$2.38 ARS 3,602

28.99%

Potato (1kg)

$1.90 CA$2.71

$0.57 ARS 867

233.33%

Onion (1kg)

$1.77 CA$2.52

$0.63 ARS 955

180.95%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.34 CA$3.34

$1.02 ARS 1,553

129.41%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.55 CA$2.21

$1.02 ARS 1,546

51.96%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$11.38 CA$16.21

$3.11 ARS 4,715

265.92%

Wine (Bottle)

$10.63 CA$15.14

$4.87 ARS 7,389

118.28%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.27 CA$3.24

$1.23 ARS 1,861

84.55%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.82 CA$4.02

$2.05 ARS 3,109

37.56%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.66 CA$3.79

$1.04 ARS 1,570

155.77%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$77.3 CA$110

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.20 CA$4.56

$1.01 ARS 1,538

216.83%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.48 CA$2.10

$0.98 ARS 1,479

51.02%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$32.88 CA$46.83

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.34 CA$1.92

$1.14 ARS 1,736

17.54%

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

$28.2K CA$40.1K

$20.0K ARS 30.3M

40.96%

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

$19.6K CA$28.0K

$29.8K ARS 45.2M

-34.17%

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

$76.0 CA$108

$60.1 ARS 91.2K

26.37%

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

$33.95 CA$48.36

$19.86 ARS 30.1K

70.95%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$42.31 CA$60.3

$20.95 ARS 31.8K

101.96%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$29.76 CA$42.38

$33.96 ARS 51.5K

-12.37%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$20.28 CA$28.89

Cinema Ticket

$11.15 CA$15.88

$4.83 ARS 7,327

130.85%

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

$507 CA$722

$238 ARS 361.5K

112.71%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$16.1K CA$22.9K

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$57.6 CA$82.0

$88.2 ARS 133.7K

-34.71%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$37.58 CA$53.5

$60.4 ARS 91.6K

-37.79%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$91.9 CA$131

$115 ARS 173.7K

-19.75%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$110 CA$156

$140 ARS 212.8K

-21.92%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,260 CA$1,795

$513 ARS 777.2K

145.94%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$948 CA$1,350

$360 ARS 545.9K

163.23%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,137 CA$3,044

$931 ARS 1.4M

129.59%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,614 CA$2,298

$609 ARS 923.1K

165.09%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$4,960 CA$7,064

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$3,838 CA$5,466

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$2,827 CA$4,027

$847 ARS 1.3M

233.89%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

4.48

100

-95.52%

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

Last update for Montreal: October 12, 2026

Last update for Santa Fe: October 11, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Montreal

$948 47%

Santa Fe

$360 33.6% 62% $588

Groceries & Markets

Montreal

$346 17.2%

Santa Fe

$199 18.5% 42.7% $148

Eating Out

Montreal

$288 14.3%

Santa Fe

$176 16.5% 38.7% $111

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Montreal

$152 7.5%

Santa Fe

$101 9.4% 33.7% $51

Clothing & Footwear

Montreal

$133 6.6%

Santa Fe

$182 17% 36% $48

Getting Around

Montreal

$99 4.9%

Santa Fe

$10 * 0.9% 89.8% $88

Sport & Entertainment

Montreal

$52 2.6%

Santa Fe

$44 4.1% 16.2% $8.4

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 $513 in Santa Fe. 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 234% 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 $70.0 in Montreal versus $38.00 in Santa Fe. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $346 vs $199 – making Santa Fe the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇨🇦 Montreal

🇦🇷 Santa Fe

🕒 Local time

15:53 3:53 PM

16:53 4:53 PM

1 h ahead of Montreal

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

1,762,949

391,164

💱 Currency

Canadian Dollar CAD $

Argentine Peso ARS $

📈 Exchange rate

1 CAD = 0.702 USD

1 CAD = 0.629 EUR

10,000 ARS = 6.59 USD

10,000 ARS = 5.91 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 13, 2026: 1 USD = 1.42 CAD (1 CAD = 0.702 USD). 1 EUR = 1.59 CAD (1 CAD = 0.629 EUR).

Argentine Peso exchange rates as of October 13, 2026: 1 USD = 1,517 ARS (10,000 ARS = 6.59 USD). 1 EUR = 1,693 ARS (10,000 ARS = 5.91 EUR).

USD to CAD in detail →

On the map

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Between locations

Montreal Santa Fe 8,680 km ≈ 11 h nonstop flight

From you

Montreal
Santa Fe

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 Fe: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Montreal costs about 88% more than Santa Fe, and outside of rent the gap comes mainly from groceries. 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 $1,607 in Santa Fe. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

Rent is clearly cheaper in Santa Fe, 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 $38.00 in Santa Fe. That's a good indicator of the overall restaurant and café pricing gap between the two cities.

Groceries cost about 74% 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 $2,000 monthly budget goes further in Santa Fe, where all-in costs run around $1,071, than in Montreal at $2,018. In Santa Fe it covers expenses comfortably, while in Montreal it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.

For digital nomads, it depends on budget. Santa Fe costs $1,071 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 Santa Fe. 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.