Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Montreal and Spanish Town

For one person, living is cheaper in Spanish Town: $994 a month against $2,018 in Montreal, rent and utilities included – about $12,300 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
49

Cost of Living Index in Spanish Town
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Spanish Town Living Index

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Montreal

🇨🇦 Canada

$2,018

/mo nomad

Spanish Town

🇯🇲 Jamaica

$994

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Montreal and in Spanish Town

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

A single person spends $2,018 per month in Montreal vs $994 in Spanish Town, rent included.

Montreal $2,018
Spanish Town $994

A couple spends around $3,085 per month in Montreal vs $1,895 in Spanish Town, rent included.

Montreal $3,085
Spanish Town $1,895

A family of three spends $4,152 per month in Montreal vs $2,796 in Spanish Town, rent included.

Montreal $4,152
Spanish Town $2,796

Montreal costs about 103% more than Spanish Town, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in transport.

Montreal sits 49% above the global median, while Spanish Town is 26% below – they fall on opposite sides of the world average.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$18.82 CA$26.61

$13.25 JMD 2,094

42.04%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$70.3 CA$99.4

$74.2 JMD 11.7K

-5.26%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$10.66 CA$15.06

$8.01 JMD 1,265

33.08%

Cappuccino

$3.84 CA$5.43

$5.31 JMD 840

-27.68%

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

$1.92 CA$2.71

$1.14 JMD 179

68.42%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.54 CA$2.18

$0.74 JMD 117

108.11%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$6.23 CA$8.81

$2.25 JMD 355

176.89%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$7.10 CA$10.03

$3.06 JMD 483

132.03%

Milk (1 liter)

$2.31 CA$3.27

$4.14 JMD 655

-44.20%

White Bread (500g)

$3.14 CA$4.44

$3.76 JMD 594

-16.49%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$3.21 CA$4.54

$1.65 JMD 260

94.55%

Eggs

$3.52 CA$4.97

$3.56 JMD 562

-1.12%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$12.81 CA$18.11

$11.22 JMD 1,773

14.17%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$11.46 CA$16.20

$6.38 JMD 1,008

79.62%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$13.39 CA$18.92

$10.21 JMD 1,614

31.15%

Apples (1kg)

$3.14 CA$4.43

$6.16 JMD 973

-49.03%

Banana (1kg)

$1.44 CA$2.03

$3.85 JMD 609

-62.60%

Oranges (1kg)

$3.47 CA$4.91

$7.38 JMD 1,166

-52.98%

Tomato (1kg)

$3.07 CA$4.34

$3.06 JMD 483

0.33%

Potato (1kg)

$1.90 CA$2.69

$3.17 JMD 500

-40.06%

Onion (1kg)

$1.77 CA$2.50

$2.13 JMD 336

-16.90%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.34 CA$3.31

$3.09 JMD 489

-24.27%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.55 CA$2.19

$1.45 JMD 228

6.90%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$11.38 CA$16.09

$9.46 JMD 1,494

20.30%

Wine (Bottle)

$10.63 CA$15.03

$11.20 JMD 1,769

-5.09%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.27 CA$3.21

$2.78 JMD 439

-18.35%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.82 CA$3.99

$3.95 JMD 624

-28.61%

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

$1.16 JMD 183

175.86%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.48 CA$2.09

$3.05 JMD 483

-51.48%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$32.88 CA$46.48

$6.21 JMD 981

429.47%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.34 CA$1.90

$1.46 JMD 231

-8.22%

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

$28.2K CA$39.8K

$43.9K JMD 6.9M

-35.89%

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

$19.6K CA$27.8K

$32.2K JMD 5.1M

-39.04%

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

$76.0 CA$107

$165 JMD 26.1K

-54.07%

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

$33.95 CA$48.00

$29.30 JMD 4,629

15.87%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$42.31 CA$59.8

$51.8 JMD 8,179

-18.27%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$29.76 CA$42.07

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$20.28 CA$28.67

Cinema Ticket

$11.15 CA$15.77

$12.95 JMD 2,047

-13.90%

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

$507 CA$717

$356 JMD 56.3K

42.25%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$16.1K CA$22.7K

$8,212 JMD 1.3M

95.46%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$57.6 CA$81.4

$23.80 JMD 3,760

141.81%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$37.58 CA$53.1

$31.13 JMD 4,918

20.72%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$91.9 CA$130

$76.3 JMD 12.1K

20.48%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$110 CA$155

$100 JMD 15.9K

9.13%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,260 CA$1,782

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$948 CA$1,340

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,137 CA$3,021

$633 JMD 100.0K

237.67%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,614 CA$2,281

$499 JMD 78.9K

223.24%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$4,960 CA$7,011

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$3,838 CA$5,425

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$2,827 CA$3,997

$1,155 JMD 182.5K

144.82%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

4.48

9.45

-52.59%

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

Last update for Montreal: October 12, 2026

Last update for Spanish Town: October 11, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Montreal

$948 47%

Spanish Town

- * 0% 100%

Groceries & Markets

Montreal

$346 17.2%

Spanish Town

$382 38.5% 10.4% $36

Eating Out

Montreal

$288 14.3%

Spanish Town

$219 22% 24% $69

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Montreal

$152 7.5%

Spanish Town

$246 24.8% 61.9% $94

Clothing & Footwear

Montreal

$133 6.6%

Spanish Town

$104 10.5% 21.9% $29

Getting Around

Montreal

$99 4.9%

Spanish Town

$16 * 1.7% 83.3% $82

Sport & Entertainment

Montreal

$52 2.6%

Spanish Town

$26 * 2.6% 50.2% $26

Categories marked with * are only partly priced – their share counts the items that do have prices.

Cost Breakdown

Salaries run about 145% 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 $74.0 in Spanish Town. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $346 vs $382 – making Montreal the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇨🇦 Montreal

🇯🇲 Spanish Town

🕒 Local time

02:08 2:08 AM

01:08 1:08 AM

1 h behind Montreal

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

1,762,949

131,056

💱 Currency

Canadian Dollar CAD $

Jamaican Dollar JMD $

📈 Exchange rate

1 CAD = 0.707 USD

1 CAD = 0.629 EUR

1,000 JMD = 6.33 USD

1,000 JMD = 5.63 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

JMD, 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).

Jamaican Dollar exchange rates as of October 18, 2026: 1 USD = 158 JMD (1,000 JMD = 6.33 USD). 1 EUR = 178 JMD (1,000 JMD = 5.63 EUR).

USD to CAD in detail →

On the map

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Highest

Between locations

Montreal Spanish Town 3,070 km ≈ 4 h 15 min nonstop flight

From you

Montreal
Spanish Town

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 Spanish Town: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Montreal costs about 103% more than Spanish Town, and outside of rent the gap comes mainly from transport. 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 $1,491 in Spanish Town. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $70.0 in Montreal and $74.0 in Spanish Town. That's a good indicator of the overall restaurant and café pricing gap between the two cities.

Interestingly, groceries are about 10% cheaper in Montreal – one category where the pricier city actually offers better value, probably thanks to stronger retail competition or local farming.

A $1,000 monthly budget goes further in Spanish Town, where all-in costs run around $994, than in Montreal at $2,018. In Spanish Town it covers expenses comfortably, while in Montreal it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.

For digital nomads, it depends on budget. Spanish Town costs $994 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 Spanish Town. 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.