Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Playa del Coco and Montreal

For one person, living is cheaper in Playa del Coco: $1,765 a month against $2,003 in Montreal, rent and utilities included – about $2,900 less a year. Higher rent and utilities in Montreal outweigh lower spending on other living expenses.

85

Cost of Living Index in Playa del Coco
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Playa del Coco Living Index
99

Cost of Living Index in Montreal
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Montreal Living Index

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Playa del Coco

🇨🇷 Costa Rica

$1,765

/mo nomad

Montreal

🇨🇦 Canada

$2,003

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Playa del Coco 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 Playa del Coco and in Montreal actually costs, broken down by who's living it.

A single person spends $1,765 per month in Playa del Coco vs $2,003 in Montreal, rent included.

Playa del Coco $1,765
Montreal $2,003

A couple spends around $2,806 per month in Playa del Coco vs $3,048 in Montreal, rent included.

Playa del Coco $2,806
Montreal $3,048

A family of three spends $3,847 per month in Playa del Coco vs $4,092 in Montreal, rent included.

Playa del Coco $3,847
Montreal $4,092

Playa del Coco is about 12% cheaper than Montreal, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in transport.

Both Playa del Coco and Montreal sit above the global median – Playa del Coco by 32%, Montreal by 49%.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$18.05 ₡8,137

$19.31 CA$27.52

-6.53%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$57.5 ₡25.9K

$75.5 CA$108

-23.91%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$11.25 ₡5,070

$10.63 CA$15.15

5.83%

Cappuccino

$4.08 ₡1,839

$3.93 CA$5.60

3.82%

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

$2.52 ₡1,138

$1.92 CA$2.73

31.25%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.63 ₡736

$1.48 CA$2.11

10.14%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.56 ₡1,605

$6.30 CA$8.98

-43.49%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$6.15 ₡2,774

$7.19 CA$10.24

-14.46%

Milk (1 liter)

$2.42 ₡1,089

$2.22 CA$3.17

9.01%

White Bread (500g)

$2.88 ₡1,298

$3.06 CA$4.36

-5.88%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.46 ₡1,107

$2.94 CA$4.19

-16.33%

Eggs

$3.44 ₡1,553

$3.53 CA$5.03

-2.55%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$10.86 ₡4,894

$13.19 CA$18.79

-17.66%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$10.65 ₡4,800

$11.24 CA$16.02

-5.25%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$14.23 ₡6,417

$13.81 CA$19.69

3.04%

Apples (1kg)

$5.11 ₡2,302

$3.40 CA$4.85

50.29%

Banana (1kg)

$1.65 ₡744

$1.44 CA$2.06

14.58%

Oranges (1kg)

$3.37 ₡1,520

$3.26 CA$4.65

3.37%

Tomato (1kg)

$3.38 ₡1,522

$2.88 CA$4.10

17.36%

Potato (1kg)

$3.00 ₡1,351

$1.86 CA$2.65

61.29%

Onion (1kg)

$3.21 ₡1,446

$1.82 CA$2.60

76.37%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.08 ₡487

$2.43 CA$3.46

-55.56%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$2.70 ₡1,219

$1.52 CA$2.17

77.63%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$5.59 ₡2,521

$11.45 CA$16.32

-51.18%

Wine (Bottle)

$16.65 ₡7,504

$10.36 CA$14.76

60.71%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.66 ₡1,200

$2.22 CA$3.16

19.82%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.73 ₡1,229

$2.82 CA$4.02

-3.19%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.33 ₡602

$2.58 CA$3.67

-48.45%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$76.9 CA$110

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.33 ₡1,501

$3.25 CA$4.64

2.46%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.58 ₡713

$1.48 CA$2.11

6.76%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$8.90 ₡4,011

$33.04 CA$47.09

-73.06%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.93 ₡870

$1.36 CA$1.94

41.91%

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

$22.2K ₡10.0M

$27.4K CA$39.1K

-19.02%

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

$34.5K ₡15.6M

$20.0K CA$28.5K

72.81%

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

$94.1 ₡42.4K

$76.1 CA$109

23.67%

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

$29.60 ₡13.3K

$34.68 CA$49.43

-14.65%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$60.8 ₡27.4K

$42.69 CA$60.9

42.49%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$72.1 ₡32.5K

$28.94 CA$41.26

149.24%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$20.33 CA$28.97

Cinema Ticket

$8.08 ₡3,641

$11.21 CA$15.98

-27.92%

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

$827 ₡372.9K

$505 CA$720

63.79%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$16.8K ₡7.6M

$16.0K CA$22.8K

5.15%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$71.9 ₡32.4K

$58.5 CA$83.4

22.96%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$56.6 ₡25.5K

$38.00 CA$54.2

48.89%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$130 ₡58.6K

$92.7 CA$132

40.22%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$135 ₡60.6K

$106 CA$151

27.16%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$819 ₡369.1K

$1,240 CA$1,768

-33.98%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$638 ₡287.7K

$986 CA$1,405

-35.27%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,894 ₡854.1K

$2,102 CA$2,996

-9.88%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,244 ₡561.0K

$1,615 CA$2,302

-22.93%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$5,043 CA$7,188

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$332 ₡149.6K

$3,830 CA$5,459

-91.33%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$765 ₡344.7K

$2,920 CA$4,163

-73.82%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

8.78

4.46

96.86%

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

Last update for Playa del Coco: October 4, 2026

Last update for Montreal: October 6, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Playa del Coco

$638 36.4%

Montreal

$986 47.9% 54.5% $348

Groceries & Markets

Playa del Coco

$375 21.4%

Montreal

$344 16.7% 8.4% $31

Eating Out

Playa del Coco

$274 15.6%

Montreal

$293 14.2% 7% $19

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Playa del Coco

$185 10.5%

Montreal

$154 7.5% 16.8% $31

Clothing & Footwear

Playa del Coco

$177 10.1%

Montreal

$133 6.5% 24.9% $44

Sport & Entertainment

Playa del Coco

$88 5%

Montreal

$51 2.5% 41.8% $37

Getting Around

Playa del Coco

$17 * 1%

Montreal

$98 4.8% 490% $81

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

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $819 in Playa del Coco versus $1,240 in Montreal. 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 282% 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 $57.0 in Playa del Coco versus $75.0 in Montreal. Groceries tell a different story – $375 in Playa del Coco vs $344 in Montreal – so Montreal wins on supermarket bills even if dining out costs more.

Good to know

🇨🇷 Playa del Coco

🇨🇦 Montreal

🕒 Local time

23:36 11:36 PM

01:36 1:36 AM

2 h ahead of Playa del Coco

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

1,762,949

💱 Currency

Costa Rican Colón CRC ₡

Canadian Dollar CAD $

📈 Exchange rate

1,000 CRC = 2.22 USD

1,000 CRC = 1.98 EUR

1 CAD = 0.702 USD

1 CAD = 0.626 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

CAD, USD, EUR to CRC – Costa Rican Colón Converter

🇺🇸 United States Dollar ($)

🇨🇷 Costa Rican Colón (₡)

Costa Rican Colón exchange rates as of October 10, 2026: 1 USD = 451 CRC (1,000 CRC = 2.22 USD). 1 EUR = 506 CRC (1,000 CRC = 1.98 EUR).

Canadian Dollar exchange rates as of October 10, 2026: 1 USD = 1.43 CAD (1 CAD = 0.702 USD). 1 EUR = 1.6 CAD (1 CAD = 0.626 EUR).

USD to CRC in detail →

On the map

Lowest

Highest

Between locations

Playa del Coco Montreal 4,050 km ≈ 6 h nonstop flight

From you

Playa del Coco
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

Playa del Coco vs Montreal: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Montreal costs about 13% more than Playa del Coco, 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 $2,648 per month in Playa del Coco and $3,005 in Montreal. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

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

A mid-range dinner for two costs $57.0 in Playa del Coco and $75.0 in Montreal. That's a good indicator of the overall restaurant and café pricing gap between the two cities.

Interestingly, groceries are about 9% cheaper in Montreal – one category where the pricier city actually offers better value, probably thanks to stronger retail competition or local farming.

A $2,000 monthly budget goes further in Playa del Coco, where all-in costs run around $1,765, than in Montreal at $2,003. In Playa del Coco it covers expenses comfortably, while in Montreal it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.

For digital nomads, it depends on budget. Playa del Coco costs $1,765 versus $2,003 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 Playa del Coco. 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.