Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between San Jose and Montreal

For one person, living costs are similar in San Jose and in Montreal: $1,949 and $2,003 a month, rent and utilities included.

93

Cost of Living Index in San Jose
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San Jose Living Index
99

Cost of Living Index in Montreal
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Montreal Living Index

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San Jose

🇨🇷 Costa Rica

$1,949

/mo nomad

Montreal

🇨🇦 Canada

$2,003

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

A single person spends $1,949 per month in San Jose vs $2,003 in Montreal, rent included.

San Jose $1,949
Montreal $2,003

A couple spends around $2,903 per month in San Jose vs $3,048 in Montreal, rent included.

San Jose $2,903
Montreal $3,048

A family of three spends $3,857 per month in San Jose vs $4,092 in Montreal, rent included.

San Jose $3,857
Montreal $4,092

San Jose is about 3% cheaper than Montreal, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

Both San Jose and Montreal sit above the global median – San Jose by 45%, Montreal by 49%.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$12.22 ₡5,510

$19.31 CA$27.46

-36.72%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$60.1 ₡27.1K

$75.5 CA$107

-20.36%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$11.77 ₡5,305

$10.63 CA$15.11

10.72%

Cappuccino

$4.30 ₡1,939

$3.93 CA$5.58

9.41%

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

$2.72 ₡1,226

$1.92 CA$2.73

41.67%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.84 ₡830

$1.48 CA$2.11

24.32%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.28 ₡1,480

$6.30 CA$8.96

-47.94%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.36 ₡1,966

$7.19 CA$10.22

-39.36%

Milk (1 liter)

$2.38 ₡1,074

$2.22 CA$3.16

7.21%

White Bread (500g)

$3.12 ₡1,408

$3.06 CA$4.35

1.96%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.41 ₡1,086

$2.94 CA$4.18

-18.03%

Eggs

$3.47 ₡1,564

$3.53 CA$5.02

-1.70%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$10.57 ₡4,767

$13.19 CA$18.76

-19.86%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$10.56 ₡4,758

$11.24 CA$15.98

-6.05%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$13.75 ₡6,196

$13.81 CA$19.65

-0.43%

Apples (1kg)

$5.04 ₡2,274

$3.40 CA$4.84

48.24%

Banana (1kg)

$1.61 ₡727

$1.44 CA$2.05

11.81%

Oranges (1kg)

$4.59 ₡2,069

$3.26 CA$4.64

40.80%

Tomato (1kg)

$3.84 ₡1,731

$2.88 CA$4.09

33.33%

Potato (1kg)

$3.77 ₡1,700

$1.86 CA$2.64

102.69%

Onion (1kg)

$3.76 ₡1,693

$1.82 CA$2.60

106.59%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.12 ₡506

$2.43 CA$3.45

-53.91%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$3.20 ₡1,441

$1.52 CA$2.17

110.53%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$5.84 ₡2,632

$11.45 CA$16.29

-49.00%

Wine (Bottle)

$19.73 ₡8,897

$10.36 CA$14.73

90.44%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.75 ₡1,240

$2.22 CA$3.15

23.87%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.66 ₡1,650

$2.82 CA$4.01

29.79%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.12 ₡503

$2.58 CA$3.66

-56.59%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$65.1 ₡29.4K

$76.9 CA$109

-15.32%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$2.46 ₡1,110

$3.25 CA$4.63

-24.31%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.54 ₡692

$1.48 CA$2.11

4.05%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$8.46 ₡3,815

$33.04 CA$46.99

-74.39%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.55 ₡699

$1.36 CA$1.93

13.97%

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

$21.7K ₡9.8M

$27.4K CA$39.0K

-20.87%

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

$34.9K ₡15.7M

$20.0K CA$28.4K

74.58%

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

$94.7 ₡42.7K

$76.1 CA$108

24.38%

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

$35.11 ₡15.8K

$34.68 CA$49.32

1.24%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$58.6 ₡26.4K

$42.69 CA$60.7

37.15%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$72.2 ₡32.5K

$28.94 CA$41.17

149.34%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$25.19 ₡11.4K

$20.33 CA$28.91

23.91%

Cinema Ticket

$7.83 ₡3,532

$11.21 CA$15.94

-30.15%

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

$971 ₡437.9K

$505 CA$718

92.32%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$17.0K ₡7.7M

$16.0K CA$22.8K

6.18%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$71.6 ₡32.3K

$58.5 CA$83.2

22.32%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$54.9 ₡24.7K

$38.00 CA$54.1

44.34%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$129 ₡58.2K

$92.7 CA$132

39.17%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$133 ₡60.0K

$106 CA$150

25.89%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$934 ₡420.9K

$1,240 CA$1,764

-24.70%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$770 ₡347.2K

$986 CA$1,402

-21.89%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,945 ₡876.7K

$2,102 CA$2,990

-7.48%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,316 ₡593.5K

$1,615 CA$2,297

-18.48%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$2,277 ₡1.0M

$5,043 CA$7,173

-54.85%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,795 ₡809.1K

$3,830 CA$5,447

-53.14%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,006 ₡453.5K

$2,920 CA$4,154

-65.55%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

8.62

4.46

93.27%

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

Last update for San Jose: October 3, 2026

Last update for Montreal: October 6, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

San Jose

$770 39.9%

Montreal

$986 47.9% 28% $216

Groceries & Markets

San Jose

$399 20.7%

Montreal

$344 16.7% 13.9% $55

Eating Out

San Jose

$228 11.8%

Montreal

$293 14.2% 28.4% $65

Monthly Utilities & Internet

San Jose

$188 9.8%

Montreal

$154 7.5% 18.5% $35

Clothing & Footwear

San Jose

$175 9.1%

Montreal

$133 6.5% 24.1% $42

Sport & Entertainment

San Jose

$88 4.6%

Montreal

$51 2.5% 41.5% $36

Getting Around

San Jose

$80 4.1%

Montreal

$98 4.8% 22.7% $18

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $934 in San Jose 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 190% 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 $60.0 in San Jose versus $75.0 in Montreal. Groceries tell a different story – $399 in San Jose vs $344 in Montreal – so Montreal wins on supermarket bills even if dining out costs more.

Good to know

🇨🇷 San Jose

🇨🇦 Montreal

🕒 Local time

04:46 4:46 AM

06:46 6:46 AM

2 h ahead of San Jose

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

342,188 Capital

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 = 0.703 USD

1 CAD = 0.627 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 = 505 CRC (1,000 CRC = 1.98 EUR).

Canadian Dollar exchange rates as of October 10, 2026: 1 USD = 1.42 CAD (1 CAD = 0.703 USD). 1 EUR = 1.59 CAD (1 CAD = 0.627 EUR).

USD to CRC in detail →

On the map

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Between locations

San Jose Montreal 4,080 km ≈ 6 h nonstop flight

From you

San Jose
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

San Jose vs Montreal: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Montreal costs about 3% more than San Jose, 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 $2,924 per month in San Jose 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 San Jose, especially for central apartments. Housing is actually the single biggest factor behind the overall cost gap between these two cities.

Interestingly, groceries are about 16% cheaper in Montreal – one category where the pricier city actually offers better value, probably thanks to stronger retail competition or local farming.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $60.0 in San Jose and $75.0 in Montreal. That's a good indicator of the overall restaurant and café pricing gap between the two cities.

A $2,500 monthly budget goes further in San Jose, where all-in costs run around $1,949, than in Montreal at $2,003. In San Jose it covers expenses comfortably, while in Montreal it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.

For digital nomads, it depends on budget. San Jose costs $1,949 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 San Jose. 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.