Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between San Rafael and Montreal

For one person, living is cheaper in San Rafael: $1,318 a month against $2,003 in Montreal, rent and utilities included – about $8,200 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

63

Cost of Living Index in San Rafael
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San Rafael Living Index
99

Cost of Living Index in Montreal
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Montreal Living Index

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San Rafael

🇦🇷 Argentina

$1,318

/mo nomad

Montreal

🇨🇦 Canada

$2,003

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

A single person spends $1,318 per month in San Rafael vs $2,003 in Montreal, rent included.

San Rafael $1,318
Montreal $2,003

A couple spends around $2,096 per month in San Rafael vs $3,048 in Montreal, rent included.

San Rafael $2,096
Montreal $3,048

A family of three spends $2,875 per month in San Rafael vs $4,092 in Montreal, rent included.

San Rafael $2,875
Montreal $4,092

San Rafael is about 34% cheaper than Montreal, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in clothing.

San Rafael sits 2% below the global median, while Montreal is 49% above – they fall on opposite sides of the world average.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$11.20 ARS 17.0K

$19.31 CA$27.52

-42.00%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$49.65 ARS 75.3K

$75.5 CA$108

-34.24%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$14.69 ARS 22.3K

$10.63 CA$15.15

38.19%

Cappuccino

$4.34 ARS 6,580

$3.93 CA$5.60

10.43%

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

$2.42 ARS 3,663

$1.92 CA$2.73

26.04%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.98 ARS 3,006

$1.48 CA$2.11

33.78%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.94 ARS 5,969

$6.30 CA$8.98

-37.46%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.42 ARS 6,701

$7.19 CA$10.24

-38.53%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.35 ARS 2,046

$2.22 CA$3.17

-39.19%

White Bread (500g)

$2.27 ARS 3,435

$3.06 CA$4.36

-25.82%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.67 ARS 4,052

$2.94 CA$4.19

-9.18%

Eggs

$3.18 ARS 4,820

$3.53 CA$5.03

-9.92%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$14.56 ARS 22.1K

$13.19 CA$18.79

10.39%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$6.21 ARS 9,418

$11.24 CA$16.02

-44.75%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$11.16 ARS 16.9K

$13.81 CA$19.69

-19.19%

Apples (1kg)

$2.38 ARS 3,604

$3.40 CA$4.85

-30.00%

Banana (1kg)

$2.21 ARS 3,347

$1.44 CA$2.06

53.47%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.35 ARS 2,048

$3.26 CA$4.65

-58.59%

Tomato (1kg)

$3.30 ARS 5,012

$2.88 CA$4.10

14.58%

Potato (1kg)

$2.01 ARS 3,055

$1.86 CA$2.65

8.06%

Onion (1kg)

$1.45 ARS 2,203

$1.82 CA$2.60

-20.33%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.94 ARS 2,935

$2.43 CA$3.46

-20.16%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$2.46 ARS 3,725

$1.52 CA$2.17

61.84%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$2.82 ARS 4,279

$11.45 CA$16.32

-75.37%

Wine (Bottle)

$5.05 ARS 7,656

$10.36 CA$14.76

-51.25%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.73 ARS 2,625

$2.22 CA$3.16

-22.07%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.05 ARS 4,619

$2.82 CA$4.02

8.16%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.00 ARS 1,513

$2.58 CA$3.67

-61.24%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$76.9 CA$110

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.96 ARS 2,966

$3.25 CA$4.64

-39.69%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.02 ARS 1,540

$1.48 CA$2.11

-31.08%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$4.89 ARS 7,412

$33.04 CA$47.09

-85.20%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.27 ARS 1,929

$1.36 CA$1.94

-6.62%

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

$26.6K ARS 40.4M

$27.4K CA$39.1K

-2.84%

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

$32.6K ARS 49.4M

$20.0K CA$28.5K

63.12%

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

$135 ARS 205.3K

$76.1 CA$109

77.82%

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

$17.43 ARS 26.4K

$34.68 CA$49.43

-49.74%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$23.44 ARS 35.6K

$42.69 CA$60.9

-45.09%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$31.21 ARS 47.3K

$28.94 CA$41.26

7.84%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$20.33 CA$28.97

Cinema Ticket

$6.91 ARS 10.5K

$11.21 CA$15.98

-38.36%

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

$177 ARS 268.1K

$505 CA$720

-65.00%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$4,090 ARS 6.2M

$16.0K CA$22.8K

-74.46%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$116 ARS 175.9K

$58.5 CA$83.4

98.26%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$125 ARS 188.9K

$38.00 CA$54.2

227.74%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$136 ARS 206.8K

$92.7 CA$132

47.08%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$125 ARS 189.8K

$106 CA$151

18.35%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$489 ARS 740.9K

$1,240 CA$1,768

-60.60%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$318 ARS 482.7K

$986 CA$1,405

-67.72%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$937 ARS 1.4M

$2,102 CA$2,996

-55.42%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$725 ARS 1.1M

$1,615 CA$2,302

-55.10%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$5,043 CA$7,188

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$3,830 CA$5,459

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$2,920 CA$4,163

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

4.46

1222.87%

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

Last update for San Rafael: October 5, 2026

Last update for Montreal: October 6, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

San Rafael

$318 24.6%

Montreal

$986 47.9% 210% $668

Groceries & Markets

San Rafael

$286 22.1%

Montreal

$344 16.7% 20.2% $58

Eating Out

San Rafael

$232 17.9%

Montreal

$293 14.2% 26.3% $61

Clothing & Footwear

San Rafael

$226 17.5%

Montreal

$133 6.5% 41.2% $93

Monthly Utilities & Internet

San Rafael

$176 13.6%

Montreal

$154 7.5% 12.9% $23

Sport & Entertainment

San Rafael

$45 3.5%

Montreal

$51 2.5% 14.1% $6.3

Getting Around

San Rafael

$11 * 0.9%

Montreal

$98 4.8% 788% $87

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

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $489 in San Rafael 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.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $50.0 in San Rafael versus $75.0 in Montreal. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $286 vs $344 – making San Rafael the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇦🇷 San Rafael

🇨🇦 Montreal

🕒 Local time

09:40 9:40 AM

08:40 8:40 AM

1 h behind San Rafael

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

118,850

1,762,949

💱 Currency

Argentine Peso ARS $

Canadian Dollar CAD $

📈 Exchange rate

10,000 ARS = 6.59 USD

10,000 ARS = 5.88 EUR

1 CAD = 0.702 USD

1 CAD = 0.626 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

CAD, USD, EUR to ARS – Argentine Peso Converter

🇺🇸 United States Dollar ($)

🇦🇷 Argentine Peso ($)

Argentine Peso exchange rates as of October 10, 2026: 1 USD = 1,517 ARS (10,000 ARS = 6.59 USD). 1 EUR = 1,699 ARS (10,000 ARS = 5.88 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 ARS in detail →

On the map

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Between locations

San Rafael Montreal 8,920 km ≈ 12 h nonstop flight

From you

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

Montreal costs about 52% more than San Rafael, and outside of rent the gap comes mainly from clothing. That's enough to noticeably affect everyday spending and lifestyle for anyone choosing between the two.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $1,978 per month in San Rafael 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 Rafael, 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 $50.0 in San Rafael and $75.0 in Montreal. That's a good indicator of the overall restaurant and café pricing gap between the two cities.

Groceries cost about 20% 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 San Rafael, where all-in costs run around $1,318, than in Montreal at $2,003. In San Rafael 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 Rafael costs $1,318 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 Rafael. 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.