Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Montreal and Santa Rita

For one person, living is cheaper in Santa Rita: $932 a month against $2,003 in Montreal, rent and utilities included – about $12,900 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

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Cost of Living Index in Montreal
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Montreal Living Index

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Montreal

🇨🇦 Canada

$2,003

/mo nomad

Santa Rita

🇵🇾 Paraguay

$932

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

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

A single person spends $2,003 per month in Montreal vs $932 in Santa Rita, rent included.

Montreal $2,003
Santa Rita $932

A couple spends around $3,048 per month in Montreal vs $1,412 in Santa Rita, rent included.

Montreal $3,048
Santa Rita $1,412

A family of three spends $4,092 per month in Montreal vs $1,893 in Santa Rita, rent included.

Montreal $4,092
Santa Rita $1,893

Montreal costs about 115% more than Santa Rita, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

Montreal sits 49% above the global median, while Santa Rita is 30% below – they fall on opposite sides of the world average.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$19.31 CA$27.52

$3.43 ₲19.5K

462.97%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$75.5 CA$108

$33.54 ₲190.4K

125.10%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$10.63 CA$15.15

Cappuccino

$3.93 CA$5.60

$3.33 ₲18.9K

18.02%

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

$1.92 CA$2.73

$0.87 ₲4,948

120.69%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.48 CA$2.11

$0.49 ₲2,783

202.04%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$6.30 CA$8.98

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$7.19 CA$10.24

$1.34 ₲7,583

436.57%

Milk (1 liter)

$2.22 CA$3.17

$1.12 ₲6,371

98.21%

White Bread (500g)

$3.06 CA$4.36

$1.82 ₲10.3K

68.13%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.94 CA$4.19

$1.15 ₲6,553

155.65%

Eggs

$3.53 CA$5.03

$2.74 ₲15.6K

28.83%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$13.19 CA$18.79

$7.86 ₲44.6K

67.81%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$11.24 CA$16.02

$4.33 ₲24.6K

159.58%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$13.81 CA$19.69

$11.25 ₲63.9K

22.76%

Apples (1kg)

$3.40 CA$4.85

$5.25 ₲29.8K

-35.24%

Banana (1kg)

$1.44 CA$2.06

Oranges (1kg)

$3.26 CA$4.65

$3.43 ₲19.5K

-4.96%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.88 CA$4.10

$3.09 ₲17.5K

-6.80%

Potato (1kg)

$1.86 CA$2.65

$3.30 ₲18.7K

-43.64%

Onion (1kg)

$1.82 CA$2.60

$2.61 ₲14.8K

-30.27%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.43 CA$3.46

$0.81 ₲4,606

200.00%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.52 CA$2.17

$1.40 ₲7,950

8.57%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$11.45 CA$16.32

Wine (Bottle)

$10.36 CA$14.76

$5.07 ₲28.8K

104.34%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.22 CA$3.16

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.82 CA$4.02

$2.75 ₲15.6K

2.55%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.58 CA$3.67

$1.33 ₲7,530

93.98%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$76.9 CA$110

$40.55 ₲230.2K

89.62%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.25 CA$4.64

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.48 CA$2.11

$4.37 ₲24.8K

-66.13%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$33.04 CA$47.09

$3.83 ₲21.7K

762.66%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.36 CA$1.94

$1.42 ₲8,087

-4.23%

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

$27.4K CA$39.1K

$9,647 ₲54.8M

184.32%

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

$20.0K CA$28.5K

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

$76.1 CA$109

$105 ₲594.6K

-27.33%

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

$34.68 CA$49.43

$23.85 ₲135.4K

45.41%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$42.69 CA$60.9

$37.63 ₲213.6K

13.45%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$28.94 CA$41.26

$43.27 ₲245.6K

-33.12%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$20.33 CA$28.97

$25.68 ₲145.8K

-20.83%

Cinema Ticket

$11.21 CA$15.98

$8.31 ₲47.2K

34.90%

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

$505 CA$720

$77.2 ₲437.9K

554.69%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$16.0K CA$22.8K

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$58.5 CA$83.4

$50.9 ₲288.9K

14.95%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$38.00 CA$54.2

$83.6 ₲474.7K

-54.56%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$92.7 CA$132

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$106 CA$151

$68.9 ₲391.2K

53.48%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,240 CA$1,768

$346 ₲2.0M

258.79%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$986 CA$1,405

$254 ₲1.4M

288.95%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,102 CA$2,996

$421 ₲2.4M

399.08%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,615 CA$2,302

$340 ₲1.9M

375.37%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$5,043 CA$7,188

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$3,830 CA$5,459

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$2,920 CA$4,163

$514 ₲2.9M

468.37%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

4.46

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

Last update for Montreal: October 6, 2026

Last update for Santa Rita: October 3, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Montreal

$986 47.9%

Santa Rita

–

Groceries & Markets

Montreal

$344 16.7%

Santa Rita

–

Eating Out

Montreal

$293 14.2%

Santa Rita

–

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Montreal

$154 7.5%

Santa Rita

–

Clothing & Footwear

Montreal

$133 6.5%

Santa Rita

–

Getting Around

Montreal

$98 4.8%

Santa Rita

–

Sport & Entertainment

Montreal

$51 2.5%

Santa Rita

–

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $1,240 in Montreal versus $346 in Santa Rita. 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 468% 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 $34.00 in Santa Rita. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $344 vs $230 – making Santa Rita the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇨🇦 Montreal

🇵🇾 Santa Rita

🕒 Local time

09:47 9:47 AM

10:47 10:47 AM

1 h ahead of Montreal

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

1,762,949

35,000

💱 Currency

Canadian Dollar CAD $

Paraguayan Guarani PYG ₲

📈 Exchange rate

1 CAD = 0.702 USD

1 CAD = 0.626 EUR

10,000 PYG = 1.76 USD

10,000 PYG = 1.57 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

PYG, 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).

Paraguayan Guarani exchange rates as of October 10, 2026: 1 USD = 5,676 PYG (10,000 PYG = 1.76 USD). 1 EUR = 6,361 PYG (10,000 PYG = 1.57 EUR).

USD to CAD in detail →

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Montreal Santa Rita 8,150 km ≈ 11 h nonstop flight

From you

Montreal
Santa Rita

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 Rita: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Montreal costs about 115% more than Santa Rita, 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 $1,397 in Santa Rita. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

Rent is clearly cheaper in Santa Rita, especially for central apartments. Housing is actually the single biggest factor behind the overall cost gap between these two cities.

Groceries cost about 49% 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 $34.00 in Santa Rita. 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 Santa Rita, where all-in costs run around $932, than in Montreal at $2,003. In Santa Rita 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 Rita costs $932 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 Santa Rita. 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.