Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Neuquen and Montreal

For one person, living is cheaper in Neuquen: $1,237 a month against $2,018 in Montreal, rent and utilities included – about $9,400 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

Neuquen
🇦🇷 Argentina
$1,237
/mo nomad
Montreal
🇨🇦 Canada
$2,018
/mo nomad
Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Neuquen and in Montreal

Real prices from locals and on-the-ground checks – rent, groceries, transit and the daily extras. Here's what a month in Neuquen and in Montreal actually costs, broken down by who's living it.

A single person spends $1,237 per month in Neuquen vs $2,018 in Montreal, rent included.

  • Neuquen $1,237
  • Montreal $2,018

A couple spends around $2,072 per month in Neuquen vs $3,085 in Montreal, rent included.

  • Neuquen $2,072
  • Montreal $3,085

A family of three spends $2,907 per month in Neuquen vs $4,152 in Montreal, rent included.

  • Neuquen $2,907
  • Montreal $4,152

Neuquen is about 39% cheaper than Montreal, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in transport.

Neuquen sits 8% below the global median, while Montreal is 49% above – they fall on opposite sides of the world average.

Currency
🍽 Eating Out
Neuquen
Montreal
Difference
Meal at Budget Restaurant
$16.16 ARS 24.5K
$18.82 CA$26.61
-14.13%
Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range
$61.7 ARS 93.6K
$70.3 CA$99.4
-12.24%
Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)
$13.53 ARS 20.5K
$10.66 CA$15.06
26.92%
Cappuccino
$3.72 ARS 5,646
$3.84 CA$5.43
-3.12%
Coke/Pepsi/Fanta/Sprite (0.33 liter bottle)
$1.93 ARS 2,927
$1.92 CA$2.71
0.52%
Water (0.33 liter bottle)
$1.80 ARS 2,733
$1.54 CA$2.18
16.88%
Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)
$4.21 ARS 6,383
$6.23 CA$8.81
-32.42%
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$3.49 ARS 5,289
$7.10 CA$10.03
-50.85%
🛒 Groceries & Markets
Neuquen
Montreal
Difference
Milk (1 liter)
$1.48 ARS 2,244
$2.31 CA$3.27
-35.93%
White Bread (500g)
$2.50 ARS 3,796
$3.14 CA$4.44
-20.38%
Rice (white) (1kg)
$1.82 ARS 2,762
$3.21 CA$4.54
-43.30%
Eggs
$2.40 ARS 3,648
$3.52 CA$4.97
-31.82%
Local Cheese (1kg)
$9.69 ARS 14.7K
$12.81 CA$18.11
-24.36%
Chicken Fillets (1kg)
$8.22 ARS 12.5K
$11.46 CA$16.20
-28.27%
Beef Round Steak (1kg)
$11.14 ARS 16.9K
$13.39 CA$18.92
-16.80%
Apples (1kg)
$2.49 ARS 3,783
$3.14 CA$4.43
-20.70%
Banana (1kg)
$2.34 ARS 3,546
$1.44 CA$2.03
62.50%
Oranges (1kg)
$1.73 ARS 2,622
$3.47 CA$4.91
-50.14%
Tomato (1kg)
$2.92 ARS 4,434
$3.07 CA$4.34
-4.89%
Potato (1kg)
$1.19 ARS 1,804
$1.90 CA$2.69
-37.37%
Onion (1kg)
$0.95 ARS 1,438
$1.77 CA$2.50
-46.33%
Lettuce (1 head)
-
$2.34 CA$3.31
-
Water (1.5 liter bottle)
$1.54 ARS 2,330
$1.55 CA$2.19
-0.65%
Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)
$3.37 ARS 5,109
$11.38 CA$16.09
-70.39%
Wine (Bottle)
$4.33 ARS 6,568
$10.63 CA$15.03
-59.27%
Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)
$2.08 ARS 3,158
$2.27 CA$3.21
-8.37%
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$2.94 ARS 4,458
$2.82 CA$3.99
4.26%
🚌 Getting Around
Neuquen
Montreal
Difference
One-way Ticket (Public Transport)
$0.91 ARS 1,383
$2.66 CA$3.76
-65.79%
Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)
-
$77.3 CA$109
-
Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)
$1.30 ARS 1,979
$3.20 CA$4.53
-59.38%
Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)
-
$1.48 CA$2.09
-
Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)
-
$32.88 CA$46.48
-
Gasoline (1 liter)
$1.37 ARS 2,085
$1.34 CA$1.90
2.24%
Midsize Hatchback 1.4l (Volkswagen Golf, Toyota Prius, Honda Civic, etc)
$24.1K ARS 36.5M
$28.2K CA$39.8K
-14.47%
Compact Sedan 1.6l (Toyota Corolla, Mazda3, Kia K4, Hyundai Elantra, etc)
$35.3K ARS 53.6M
$19.6K CA$27.8K
79.85%
🧾 Monthly Utilities & Internet
Neuquen
Montreal
Difference
Utilities for 2 People in 2-bedroom Apartment (Heating, Electricity, Gas, Water, Garbage) (85m2)
$141 ARS 213.8K
$76.0 CA$107
85.51%
SIM Card Monthly Plan (Calls and 10GB+ Data)
$16.56 ARS 25.1K
$33.95 CA$48.00
-51.22%
Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)
$26.26 ARS 39.8K
$42.31 CA$59.8
-37.93%
🎉 Sport & Entertainment
Neuquen
Montreal
Difference
Gym Membership (Monthly)
$28.80 ARS 43.7K
$29.76 CA$42.07
-3.23%
Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)
-
$20.28 CA$28.67
-
Cinema Ticket
$8.43 ARS 12.8K
$11.15 CA$15.77
-24.39%
🧸 Childcare & Education
Neuquen
Montreal
Difference
Preschool or Kindergarten, Full Day, Private, 1 Child (Monthly)
$248 ARS 376.8K
$507 CA$717
-51.03%
International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)
-
$16.1K CA$22.7K
-
👕👟 Clothing & Footwear
Neuquen
Montreal
Difference
Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)
$92.1 ARS 139.8K
$57.6 CA$81.4
60.03%
Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)
-
$37.58 CA$53.1
-
Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)
$109 ARS 165.8K
$91.9 CA$130
18.91%
Men's Leather Business Shoes
$155 ARS 234.5K
$110 CA$155
41.04%
🏠 Accommodation & Living
Neuquen
Montreal
Difference
1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$509 ARS 772.2K
$1,260 CA$1,782
-59.63%
1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$328 ARS 497.2K
$948 CA$1,340
-65.42%
3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$981 ARS 1.5M
$2,137 CA$3,021
-54.08%
3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$824 ARS 1.3M
$1,614 CA$2,281
-48.94%
Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)
-
$4,960 CA$7,011
-
Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)
-
$3,838 CA$5,425
-
💵 Salaries & Financials
Neuquen
Montreal
Difference
Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)
-
$2,827 CA$3,997
-
20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)
0
4.48
-

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

Last update for Neuquen: October 11, 2026

Last update for Montreal: October 12, 2026

Monthly budget structure
Share of the monthly basket for one person, rent included.
Accommodation & Living
Neuquen
$328
Montreal
$948 189% $620
Eating Out
Neuquen
$257
Montreal
$288 11.8% $30
Groceries & Markets
Neuquen
$257 *
Montreal
$346 34.8% $89
Monthly Utilities & Internet
Neuquen
$184
Montreal
$152 17.2% $32
Clothing & Footwear
Neuquen
$160 *
Montreal
$133 16.7% $27
Sport & Entertainment
Neuquen
$46
Montreal
$52 14% $6.4
Getting Around
Neuquen
$5 *
Montreal
$99 1890% $94

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

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $509 in Neuquen versus $1,260 in Montreal. Rent is usually the largest line item in a monthly budget, so the gap here sets the tone for the overall comparison.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $62.0 in Neuquen versus $70.0 in Montreal. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $257 vs $346 – making Neuquen the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know
🇦🇷 Neuquen
🇨🇦 Montreal
🕒 Local time
14:37 2:37 PM
13:37 1:37 PM
1 h behind Neuquen
🌤 Weather
👥 Population
288,896
1,762,949
💱 Currency
Exchange rates and currency converter

CAD, USD, EUR to ARS – Argentine Peso Converter

Argentine Peso exchange rates as of October 17, 2026: 1 USD = 1,517 ARS (10,000 ARS = 6.59 USD). 1 EUR = 1,706 ARS (10,000 ARS = 5.86 EUR).

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).

On the map
Between locations
  • Neuquen Montreal 9,410 km ≈ 12 h nonstop flight
From you
  • Neuquen
  • Montreal

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
Neuquen vs Montreal: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions
Which city is more expensive, Neuquen or Montreal?
Montreal costs about 63% more than Neuquen, 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.
How much do you need to earn to live comfortably in Neuquen and in Montreal?
For a comfortable life, plan on about $1,855 per month in Neuquen and $3,027 in Montreal. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.
Where is rent cheaper, Neuquen or Montreal?
Rent is clearly cheaper in Neuquen, especially for central apartments. Housing is actually the single biggest factor behind the overall cost gap between these two cities.
How do dining costs compare in Neuquen and in Montreal?
A mid-range dinner for two costs $62.0 in Neuquen and $70.0 in Montreal. That's a good indicator of the overall restaurant and café pricing gap between the two cities.
Are groceries more expensive in Neuquen or in Montreal?
Groceries cost about 35% more in Montreal, though it depends on what you buy. Local produce may be comparable; imported and premium items show the biggest price gap.
Can you live on $2,000/month in Neuquen or in Montreal?
A $2,000 monthly budget goes further in Neuquen, where all-in costs run around $1,237, than in Montreal at $2,018. In Neuquen it covers expenses comfortably, while in Montreal it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.
Which city is better for digital nomads, Neuquen or Montreal?
For digital nomads, it depends on budget. Neuquen costs $1,237 versus $2,018 in Montreal. Both have workable remote work infrastructure, but the cost gap matters when income varies month to month.
How safe is Neuquen compared to Montreal?
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.
Should I move to Neuquen or to Montreal?
If budget matters most, go with Neuquen. 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.

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