Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Montreal and Tamarindo

For one person, living is cheaper in Montreal: $2,018 a month against $2,127 in Tamarindo, rent and utilities included – about $1,300 less a year. Other living expenses account for most of the difference.

99

Cost of Living Index in Montreal
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Montreal Living Index
103

Cost of Living Index in Tamarindo
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Tamarindo Living Index

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Montreal

🇨🇦 Canada

$2,018

/mo nomad

Tamarindo

🇨🇷 Costa Rica

$2,127

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Montreal and in Tamarindo

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

A single person spends $2,018 per month in Montreal vs $2,127 in Tamarindo, rent included.

Montreal $2,018
Tamarindo $2,127

A couple spends around $3,085 per month in Montreal vs $3,081 in Tamarindo, rent included.

Montreal $3,085
Tamarindo $3,081

A family of three spends $4,152 per month in Montreal vs $4,035 in Tamarindo, rent included.

Montreal $4,152
Tamarindo $4,035

Montreal is about 5% cheaper than Tamarindo, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in leisure.

Both Montreal and Tamarindo sit above the global median – Montreal by 49%, Tamarindo by 58%.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$18.82 CA$26.61

$12.18 ₡5,463

54.52%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$70.3 CA$99.4

$62.3 ₡28.0K

12.77%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$10.66 CA$15.06

$11.87 ₡5,324

-10.19%

Cappuccino

$3.84 CA$5.43

$4.34 ₡1,948

-11.52%

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

$1.92 CA$2.71

$2.65 ₡1,188

-27.55%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.54 CA$2.18

$1.91 ₡856

-19.37%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$6.23 CA$8.81

$3.27 ₡1,465

90.52%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$7.10 CA$10.03

$4.56 ₡2,043

55.70%

Milk (1 liter)

$2.31 CA$3.27

$2.42 ₡1,085

-4.55%

White Bread (500g)

$3.14 CA$4.44

$3.12 ₡1,400

0.64%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$3.21 CA$4.54

$2.42 ₡1,088

32.64%

Eggs

$3.52 CA$4.97

$3.47 ₡1,556

1.44%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$12.81 CA$18.11

$10.53 ₡4,721

21.65%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$11.46 CA$16.20

$10.52 ₡4,716

8.94%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$13.39 CA$18.92

$14.17 ₡6,354

-5.50%

Apples (1kg)

$3.14 CA$4.43

$5.21 ₡2,336

-39.73%

Banana (1kg)

$1.44 CA$2.03

$1.60 ₡717

-10.00%

Oranges (1kg)

$3.47 CA$4.91

$3.54 ₡1,588

-1.98%

Tomato (1kg)

$3.07 CA$4.34

$3.90 ₡1,747

-21.28%

Potato (1kg)

$1.90 CA$2.69

$2.55 ₡1,141

-25.49%

Onion (1kg)

$1.77 CA$2.50

$3.71 ₡1,665

-52.29%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.34 CA$3.31

$1.09 ₡487

114.68%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.55 CA$2.19

$3.07 ₡1,376

-49.51%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$11.38 CA$16.09

$5.20 ₡2,331

118.85%

Wine (Bottle)

$10.63 CA$15.03

$13.18 ₡5,912

-19.35%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.27 CA$3.21

$2.78 ₡1,249

-18.35%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.82 CA$3.99

$3.09 ₡1,385

-8.74%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.66 CA$3.76

$2.07 ₡929

28.50%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$77.3 CA$109

$85.4 ₡38.3K

-9.45%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.20 CA$4.53

$2.38 ₡1,065

34.45%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.48 CA$2.09

$1.63 ₡729

-9.20%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$32.88 CA$46.48

$6.64 ₡2,978

395.18%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.34 CA$1.90

$1.50 ₡675

-10.67%

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

$28.2K CA$39.8K

$22.4K ₡10.0M

25.89%

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

$19.6K CA$27.8K

$34.7K ₡15.6M

-43.45%

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

$76.0 CA$107

$93.5 ₡41.9K

-18.79%

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

$33.95 CA$48.00

$30.01 ₡13.5K

13.13%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$42.31 CA$59.8

$59.1 ₡26.5K

-28.43%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$29.76 CA$42.07

$101 ₡45.3K

-70.54%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$20.28 CA$28.67

$26.01 ₡11.7K

-22.03%

Cinema Ticket

$11.15 CA$15.77

$7.90 ₡3,543

41.14%

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

$507 CA$717

$575 ₡257.7K

-11.76%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$16.1K CA$22.7K

$9,081 ₡4.1M

76.74%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$57.6 CA$81.4

$71.5 ₡32.1K

-19.50%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$37.58 CA$53.1

$26.29 ₡11.8K

42.94%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$91.9 CA$130

$120 ₡53.7K

-23.20%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$110 CA$155

$131 ₡58.9K

-16.58%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,260 CA$1,782

$1,921 ₡861.5K

-34.38%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$948 CA$1,340

$960 ₡430.6K

-1.30%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,137 CA$3,021

$2,738 ₡1.2M

-21.94%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,614 CA$2,281

$1,371 ₡614.9K

17.69%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$4,960 CA$7,011

$5,341 ₡2.4M

-7.13%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$3,838 CA$5,425

$3,241 ₡1.5M

18.42%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$2,827 CA$3,997

$949 ₡425.7K

197.88%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

4.48

8.62

-48.03%

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

Last update for Montreal: October 12, 2026

Last update for Tamarindo: October 12, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Montreal

$948 47%

Tamarindo

$960 45.1% 1.3% $13

Groceries & Markets

Montreal

$346 17.2%

Tamarindo

$378 17.8% 9% $31

Eating Out

Montreal

$288 14.3%

Tamarindo

$229 10.8% 20.5% $59

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Montreal

$152 7.5%

Tamarindo

$183 8.6% 20% $30

Clothing & Footwear

Montreal

$133 6.6%

Tamarindo

$157 7.4% 17.6% $23

Getting Around

Montreal

$99 4.9%

Tamarindo

$104 4.9% 5.7% $5.6

Sport & Entertainment

Montreal

$52 2.6%

Tamarindo

$117 5.5% 124% $65

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $1,260 in Montreal versus $1,921 in Tamarindo. 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 198% higher in Montreal, which reinforces the cost advantage – you earn more and spend less. Purchasing power leans clearly in its favor.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $70.0 in Montreal versus $62.0 in Tamarindo. Groceries tell a different story – $346 in Montreal vs $378 in Tamarindo – so Montreal wins on supermarket bills even if dining out costs more.

Good to know

🇨🇦 Montreal

🇨🇷 Tamarindo

🕒 Local time

02:50 2:50 AM

00:50 12:50 AM

2 h behind Montreal

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

1,762,949

6,000

💱 Currency

Canadian Dollar CAD $

Costa Rican Colón CRC ₡

📈 Exchange rate

1 CAD = 0.707 USD

1 CAD = 0.629 EUR

1,000 CRC = 2.23 USD

1,000 CRC = 1.98 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

CRC, 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).

Costa Rican Colón exchange rates as of October 18, 2026: 1 USD = 448 CRC (1,000 CRC = 2.23 USD). 1 EUR = 504 CRC (1,000 CRC = 1.98 EUR).

USD to CAD in detail →

On the map

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Highest

Between locations

Montreal Tamarindo 4,090 km ≈ 6 h nonstop flight

From you

Montreal
Tamarindo

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 Tamarindo: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Tamarindo costs about 5% more than Montreal, and outside of rent the gap comes mainly from leisure. 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 $3,191 in Tamarindo. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

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

Groceries cost about 9% more in Tamarindo, 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 $62.0 in Tamarindo. 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 Montreal, where all-in costs run around $2,018, than in Tamarindo at $2,127. In Montreal it covers expenses comfortably, while in Tamarindo it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.

For digital nomads, it depends on budget. Montreal costs $2,018 versus $2,127 in Tamarindo. 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 Montreal. If higher salaries, better infrastructure, or specific career opportunities are the priority, Tamarindo makes more sense. Both are solid long-term options with distinct trade-offs.