Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Montreal and Zaragoza

For one person, living is cheaper in Zaragoza: $635 a month against $2,018 in Montreal, rent and utilities included – about $16,600 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
31

Cost of Living Index in Zaragoza
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Zaragoza Living Index

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Montreal

🇨🇦 Canada

$2,018

/mo nomad

Zaragoza

🇸🇻 El Salvador

$635

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Montreal and in Zaragoza

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

A single person spends $2,018 per month in Montreal vs $635 in Zaragoza, rent included.

Montreal $2,018
Zaragoza $635

A couple spends around $3,085 per month in Montreal vs $1,039 in Zaragoza, rent included.

Montreal $3,085
Zaragoza $1,039

A family of three spends $4,152 per month in Montreal vs $1,443 in Zaragoza, rent included.

Montreal $4,152
Zaragoza $1,443

Montreal costs about 218% more than Zaragoza, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

Montreal sits 49% above the global median, while Zaragoza is 53% below – they fall on opposite sides of the world average.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$18.82 CA$26.61

$6.73 $6.73

179.64%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$70.3 CA$99.4

$30.58 $30.58

129.86%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$10.66 CA$15.06

$7.19 $7.19

48.26%

Cappuccino

$3.84 CA$5.43

$1.46 $1.46

163.01%

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

$1.92 CA$2.71

$1.13 $1.13

69.91%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.54 CA$2.18

$0.84 $0.84

83.33%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$6.23 CA$8.81

$1.21 $1.21

414.88%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$7.10 CA$10.03

$2.13 $2.13

233.33%

Milk (1 liter)

$2.31 CA$3.27

$1.77 $1.77

30.51%

White Bread (500g)

$3.14 CA$4.44

$2.30 $2.30

36.52%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$3.21 CA$4.54

$0.95 $0.95

237.89%

Eggs

$3.52 CA$4.97

$2.49 $2.49

41.37%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$12.81 CA$18.11

$7.64 $7.64

67.67%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$11.46 CA$16.20

$3.96 $3.96

189.39%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$13.39 CA$18.92

$5.46 $5.46

145.24%

Apples (1kg)

$3.14 CA$4.43

$4.03 $4.03

-22.08%

Banana (1kg)

$1.44 CA$2.03

$1.44 $1.44

Oranges (1kg)

$3.47 CA$4.91

$2.66 $2.66

30.45%

Tomato (1kg)

$3.07 CA$4.34

$2.17 $2.17

41.47%

Potato (1kg)

$1.90 CA$2.69

$2.99 $2.99

-36.45%

Onion (1kg)

$1.77 CA$2.50

$1.86 $1.86

-4.84%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.34 CA$3.31

$0.95 $0.95

146.32%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.55 CA$2.19

$0.72 $0.72

115.28%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$11.38 CA$16.09

$3.80 $3.80

199.47%

Wine (Bottle)

$10.63 CA$15.03

$8.04 $8.04

32.21%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.27 CA$3.21

$1.55 $1.55

46.45%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.82 CA$3.99

$2.31 $2.31

22.08%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.66 CA$3.76

$1.53 $1.53

73.86%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$77.3 CA$109

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.20 CA$4.53

$4.96 $4.96

-35.48%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.48 CA$2.09

$3.03 $3.03

-51.16%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$32.88 CA$46.48

$20.38 $20.38

61.33%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.34 CA$1.90

$1.12 $1.12

19.64%

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

$28.2K CA$39.8K

$25.0K $25.0K

12.50%

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

$19.6K CA$27.8K

$24.8K $24.8K

-20.90%

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

$76.0 CA$107

$44.91 $44.91

69.14%

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

$33.95 CA$48.00

$21.66 $21.66

56.74%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$42.31 CA$59.8

$35.58 $35.58

18.92%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$29.76 CA$42.07

$35.04 $35.04

-15.07%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$20.28 CA$28.67

Cinema Ticket

$11.15 CA$15.77

$5.05 $5.05

120.79%

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

$507 CA$717

$153 $153

231.84%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$16.1K CA$22.7K

$4,701 $4,701

241.45%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$57.6 CA$81.4

$68.1 $68.1

-15.53%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$37.58 CA$53.1

$46.09 $46.09

-18.46%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$91.9 CA$130

$111 $111

-17.51%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$110 CA$155

$69.1 $69.1

58.51%

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

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,614 CA$2,281

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

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

4.48

8.5

-47.29%

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

Last update for Montreal: October 12, 2026

Last update for Zaragoza: October 10, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Montreal

$948 47%

Zaragoza

- * 0% 100%

Groceries & Markets

Montreal

$346 17.2%

Zaragoza

$217 34.3% 37.2% $129

Eating Out

Montreal

$288 14.3%

Zaragoza

$111 17.5% 61.4% $177

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Montreal

$152 7.5%

Zaragoza

$102 16.1% 32.9% $50

Clothing & Footwear

Montreal

$133 6.6%

Zaragoza

$133 20.9% 0.6% $0.8

Getting Around

Montreal

$99 4.9%

Zaragoza

$26 * 4.1% 73.3% $72

Sport & Entertainment

Montreal

$52 2.6%

Zaragoza

$45 7.1% 13.3% $6.9

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

Cost Breakdown

A mid-range dinner for two costs $70.0 in Montreal versus $31.00 in Zaragoza. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $346 vs $217 – making Zaragoza the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇨🇦 Montreal

🇸🇻 Zaragoza

🕒 Local time

19:33 7:33 PM

17:33 5:33 PM

2 h behind Montreal

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

1,762,949

11,749

💱 Currency

Canadian Dollar CAD $

United States Dollar USD $

📈 Exchange rate

1 CAD = 0.707 USD

1 CAD = 0.629 EUR

1 USD = 0.89 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 17, 2026: 1 USD = 1.41 CAD (1 CAD = 0.707 USD). 1 EUR = 1.59 CAD (1 CAD = 0.629 EUR).

United States Dollar exchange rates as of October 17, 2026: 1 EUR = 1.12 USD (1 USD = 0.89 EUR).

USD to CAD in detail →

On the map

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Between locations

Montreal Zaragoza 3,840 km ≈ 5 h nonstop flight

From you

Montreal
Zaragoza

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 Zaragoza: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Montreal costs about 218% more than Zaragoza, 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 $3,027 per month in Montreal and $952 in Zaragoza. 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 $31.00 in Zaragoza. That's a good indicator of the overall restaurant and café pricing gap between the two cities.

Groceries cost about 59% 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 $1,000 monthly budget goes further in Zaragoza, where all-in costs run around $635, than in Montreal at $2,018. In Zaragoza it covers expenses comfortably, while in Montreal it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.

For digital nomads, it depends on budget. Zaragoza costs $635 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 Zaragoza. 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.