Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Montreal and Santo Domingo

For one person, living is cheaper in Santo Domingo: $660 a month against $2,018 in Montreal, rent and utilities included – about $16,300 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
32

Cost of Living Index in Santo Domingo
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Santo Domingo Living Index

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Montreal

🇨🇦 Canada

$2,018

/mo nomad

Santo Domingo

🇪🇨 Ecuador

$660

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Montreal and in Santo Domingo

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

A single person spends $2,018 per month in Montreal vs $660 in Santo Domingo, rent included.

Montreal $2,018
Santo Domingo $660

A couple spends around $3,085 per month in Montreal vs $1,141 in Santo Domingo, rent included.

Montreal $3,085
Santo Domingo $1,141

A family of three spends $4,152 per month in Montreal vs $1,622 in Santo Domingo, rent included.

Montreal $4,152
Santo Domingo $1,622

Montreal costs about 206% more than Santo Domingo, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Montreal sits 49% above the global median, while Santo Domingo is 51% below – they fall on opposite sides of the world average.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$18.82 CA$26.64

$4.02 $4.02

368.16%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$70.3 CA$99.5

$53.2 $53.2

32.10%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$10.66 CA$15.08

$9.14 $9.14

16.63%

Cappuccino

$3.84 CA$5.44

$1.97 $1.97

94.92%

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

$1.92 CA$2.71

$0.91 $0.91

110.99%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.54 CA$2.18

$0.70 $0.70

120.00%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$6.23 CA$8.82

$1.97 $1.97

216.24%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$7.10 CA$10.04

$4.16 $4.16

70.67%

Milk (1 liter)

$2.31 CA$3.27

$0.99 $0.99

133.33%

White Bread (500g)

$3.14 CA$4.45

$1.92 $1.92

63.54%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$3.21 CA$4.55

$1.29 $1.29

148.84%

Eggs

$3.52 CA$4.98

$1.99 $1.99

76.88%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$12.81 CA$18.13

$4.34 $4.34

195.16%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$11.46 CA$16.22

$3.05 $3.05

275.74%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$13.39 CA$18.94

$3.41 $3.41

292.67%

Apples (1kg)

$3.14 CA$4.44

$1.48 $1.48

112.16%

Banana (1kg)

$1.44 CA$2.04

$1.01 $1.01

42.57%

Oranges (1kg)

$3.47 CA$4.92

$0.99 $0.99

250.51%

Tomato (1kg)

$3.07 CA$4.35

$0.89 $0.89

244.94%

Potato (1kg)

$1.90 CA$2.69

$0.98 $0.98

93.88%

Onion (1kg)

$1.77 CA$2.51

$0.96 $0.96

84.38%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.34 CA$3.31

$0.88 $0.88

165.91%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.55 CA$2.20

$0.94 $0.94

64.89%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$11.38 CA$16.10

$5.98 $5.98

90.30%

Wine (Bottle)

$10.63 CA$15.04

$4.87 $4.87

118.28%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.27 CA$3.22

$1.50 $1.50

51.33%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.82 CA$3.99

$2.14 $2.14

31.78%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.66 CA$3.77

$0.36 $0.36

638.89%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$77.3 CA$109

$17.55 $17.55

340.40%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.20 CA$4.53

$1.39 $1.39

130.22%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.48 CA$2.09

$1.78 $1.78

-16.85%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$32.88 CA$46.53

$12.05 $12.05

172.86%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.34 CA$1.90

$0.87 $0.87

54.02%

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

$28.2K CA$39.8K

$20.7K $20.7K

36.04%

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

$19.6K CA$27.8K

$30.8K $30.8K

-36.33%

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

$76.0 CA$107

$40.18 $40.18

89.05%

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

$33.95 CA$48.05

$9.86 $9.86

244.32%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$42.31 CA$59.9

$22.82 $22.82

85.41%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$29.76 CA$42.11

$33.64 $33.64

-11.53%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$20.28 CA$28.70

$16.85 $16.85

20.36%

Cinema Ticket

$11.15 CA$15.78

$7.45 $7.45

49.66%

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

$507 CA$718

$371 $371

36.54%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$16.1K CA$22.7K

$5,686 $5,686

182.30%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$57.6 CA$81.4

$19.91 $19.91

189.05%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$37.58 CA$53.2

$29.90 $29.90

25.69%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$91.9 CA$130

$50.9 $50.9

80.62%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$110 CA$155

$49.14 $49.14

123.00%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,260 CA$1,784

$305 $305

313.78%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$948 CA$1,341

$191 $191

396.65%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,137 CA$3,024

$712 $712

200.30%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,614 CA$2,283

$420 $420

284.47%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$4,960 CA$7,018

$1,353 $1,353

266.54%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$3,838 CA$5,431

$781 $781

391.55%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$2,827 CA$4,001

$404 $404

600.27%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

4.48

10.05

-55.42%

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

Last update for Montreal: October 12, 2026

Last update for Santo Domingo: October 10, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Montreal

$948 47%

Santo Domingo

$191 28.9% 79.9% $757

Groceries & Markets

Montreal

$346 17.2%

Santo Domingo

$144 21.8% 58.5% $203

Eating Out

Montreal

$288 14.3%

Santo Domingo

$108 16.3% 62.5% $180

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Montreal

$152 7.5%

Santo Domingo

$73 11% 52.1% $79

Clothing & Footwear

Montreal

$133 6.6%

Santo Domingo

$67 10.2% 49.5% $66

Getting Around

Montreal

$99 4.9%

Santo Domingo

$29 4.4% 70.3% $69

Sport & Entertainment

Montreal

$52 2.6%

Santo Domingo

$49 7.4% 6.8% $3.5

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $1,260 in Montreal versus $305 in Santo Domingo. 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 600% 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 $53.0 in Santo Domingo. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $346 vs $144 – making Santo Domingo the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇨🇦 Montreal

🇪🇨 Santo Domingo

🕒 Local time

18:41 6:41 PM

17:41 5:41 PM

1 h behind Montreal

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

1,762,949

270,875

💱 Currency

Canadian Dollar CAD $

United States Dollar USD $

📈 Exchange rate

1 CAD = 0.707 USD

1 CAD = 0.628 EUR

1 USD = 0.888 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 16, 2026: 1 USD = 1.42 CAD (1 CAD = 0.707 USD). 1 EUR = 1.59 CAD (1 CAD = 0.628 EUR).

United States Dollar exchange rates as of October 16, 2026: 1 EUR = 1.13 USD (1 USD = 0.888 EUR).

USD to CAD in detail →

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Montreal Santo Domingo 5,120 km ≈ 7 h nonstop flight

From you

Montreal
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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 Santo Domingo: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Montreal costs about 206% more than Santo Domingo, 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 $991 in Santo Domingo. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

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

Groceries cost about 141% 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 $70.0 in Montreal and $53.0 in Santo Domingo. That's a good indicator of the overall restaurant and café pricing gap between the two cities.

A $1,500 monthly budget goes further in Santo Domingo, where all-in costs run around $660, than in Montreal at $2,018. In Santo Domingo it covers expenses comfortably, while in Montreal it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.

For digital nomads, it depends on budget. Santo Domingo costs $660 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 Santo Domingo. 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.