Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Santa Ana and Montreal

For one person, living costs are similar in Santa Ana and in Montreal: $2,018 and $2,018 a month, rent and utilities included.

97

Cost of Living Index in Santa Ana
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Santa Ana Living Index
99

Cost of Living Index in Montreal
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Montreal Living Index

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Santa Ana

🇨🇷 Costa Rica

$2,018

/mo nomad

Montreal

🇨🇦 Canada

$2,018

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

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

Santa Ana $2,018
Montreal $2,018

A couple spends around $3,233 per month in Santa Ana vs $3,085 in Montreal, rent included.

Santa Ana $3,233
Montreal $3,085

A family of three spends $4,447 per month in Santa Ana vs $4,152 in Montreal, rent included.

Santa Ana $4,447
Montreal $4,152

Santa Ana and Montreal have comparable living costs – the differences are in the details.

Both Santa Ana and Montreal sit above the global median – Santa Ana by 49%, Montreal by 49%.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$12.04 ₡5,401

$18.82 CA$26.61

-36.03%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$62.6 ₡28.1K

$70.3 CA$99.4

-10.94%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$11.78 ₡5,285

$10.66 CA$15.06

10.51%

Cappuccino

$4.40 ₡1,975

$3.84 CA$5.43

14.58%

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

$2.14 ₡959

$1.92 CA$2.71

11.46%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.37 ₡613

$1.54 CA$2.18

-11.04%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.36 ₡1,508

$6.23 CA$8.81

-46.07%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.27 ₡1,917

$7.10 CA$10.03

-39.86%

Milk (1 liter)

$2.21 ₡993

$2.31 CA$3.27

-4.33%

White Bread (500g)

$3.12 ₡1,400

$3.14 CA$4.44

-0.64%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.51 ₡1,127

$3.21 CA$4.54

-21.81%

Eggs

$3.47 ₡1,554

$3.52 CA$4.97

-1.42%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$10.87 ₡4,876

$12.81 CA$18.11

-15.14%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$10.40 ₡4,664

$11.46 CA$16.20

-9.25%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$14.19 ₡6,364

$13.39 CA$18.92

5.97%

Apples (1kg)

$5.10 ₡2,289

$3.14 CA$4.43

62.42%

Banana (1kg)

$1.65 ₡742

$1.44 CA$2.03

14.58%

Oranges (1kg)

$4.65 ₡2,086

$3.47 CA$4.91

34.01%

Tomato (1kg)

$3.98 ₡1,785

$3.07 CA$4.34

29.64%

Potato (1kg)

$3.93 ₡1,761

$1.90 CA$2.69

106.84%

Onion (1kg)

$3.60 ₡1,615

$1.77 CA$2.50

103.39%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.12 ₡500

$2.34 CA$3.31

-52.14%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.80 ₡808

$1.55 CA$2.19

16.13%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$6.11 ₡2,738

$11.38 CA$16.09

-46.31%

Wine (Bottle)

$17.77 ₡7,970

$10.63 CA$15.03

67.17%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.88 ₡1,293

$2.27 CA$3.21

26.87%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.69 ₡1,207

$2.82 CA$3.99

-4.61%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.66 CA$3.76

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$77.3 CA$109

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$2.49 ₡1,116

$3.20 CA$4.53

-22.19%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.56 ₡698

$1.48 CA$2.09

5.41%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$8.59 ₡3,852

$32.88 CA$46.48

-73.87%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.55 ₡694

$1.34 CA$1.90

15.67%

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

$21.6K ₡9.7M

$28.2K CA$39.8K

-23.28%

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

$34.6K ₡15.5M

$19.6K CA$27.8K

76.26%

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

$93.7 ₡42.0K

$76.0 CA$107

23.29%

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

$32.78 ₡14.7K

$33.95 CA$48.00

-3.45%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$50.0 ₡22.4K

$42.31 CA$59.8

18.25%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$157 ₡70.4K

$29.76 CA$42.07

427.45%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$22.25 ₡9,980

$20.28 CA$28.67

9.71%

Cinema Ticket

$7.78 ₡3,490

$11.15 CA$15.77

-30.22%

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

$983 ₡440.6K

$507 CA$717

93.75%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$17.4K ₡7.8M

$16.1K CA$22.7K

8.37%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$65.4 ₡29.3K

$57.6 CA$81.4

13.57%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$56.0 ₡25.1K

$37.58 CA$53.1

48.99%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$127 ₡57.2K

$91.9 CA$130

38.67%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$132 ₡59.0K

$110 CA$155

20.02%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,055 ₡473.0K

$1,260 CA$1,782

-16.33%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$885 ₡396.9K

$948 CA$1,340

-6.59%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,955 ₡1.3M

$2,137 CA$3,021

38.30%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,844 ₡827.1K

$1,614 CA$2,281

14.30%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$2,727 ₡1.2M

$4,960 CA$7,011

-45.03%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,657 ₡743.2K

$3,838 CA$5,425

-56.82%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,402 ₡628.9K

$2,827 CA$3,997

-50.40%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

8.62

4.48

92.41%

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

Last update for Santa Ana: 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

Santa Ana

$885 43.9%

Montreal

$948 47% 7.1% $62

Groceries & Markets

Santa Ana

$379 18.8%

Montreal

$346 17.2% 8.5% $32

Eating Out

Santa Ana

$224 11.1%

Montreal

$288 14.3% 28.6% $64

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Santa Ana

$176 8.7%

Montreal

$152 7.5% 13.7% $24

Sport & Entertainment

Santa Ana

$173 8.6%

Montreal

$52 2.6% 69.8% $120

Clothing & Footwear

Santa Ana

$171 8.5%

Montreal

$133 6.6% 22% $38

Getting Around

Santa Ana

$10 * 0.5%

Montreal

$99 4.9% 859% $88

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

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $1,055 in Santa Ana 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.

Salaries run about 102% higher in Montreal. Purchasing power depends on which expenses matter most to you.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $63.0 in Santa Ana versus $70.0 in Montreal. Groceries tell a different story – $379 in Santa Ana vs $346 in Montreal – so Montreal wins on supermarket bills even if dining out costs more.

Good to know

🇨🇷 Santa Ana

🇨🇦 Montreal

🕒 Local time

06:43 6:43 AM

08:43 8:43 AM

2 h ahead of Santa Ana

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

13,000

1,762,949

💱 Currency

Costa Rican Colón CRC ₡

Canadian Dollar CAD $

📈 Exchange rate

1,000 CRC = 2.23 USD

1,000 CRC = 1.98 EUR

1 CAD = 0.707 USD

1 CAD = 0.629 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 18, 2026: 1 USD = 448 CRC (1,000 CRC = 2.23 USD). 1 EUR = 504 CRC (1,000 CRC = 1.98 EUR).

Canadian Dollar exchange rates as of October 18, 2026: 1 USD = 1.41 CAD (1 CAD = 0.707 USD). 1 EUR = 1.59 CAD (1 CAD = 0.629 EUR).

USD to CRC in detail →

On the map

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Between locations

Santa Ana Montreal 4,080 km ≈ 6 h nonstop flight

From you

Santa Ana
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

Santa Ana vs Montreal: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

For a comfortable life, plan on about $3,027 per month in Santa Ana and $3,027 in Montreal. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

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

Groceries cost about 9% more in Santa Ana, though it depends on what you buy. Local produce may be comparable; imported and premium items show the biggest price gap.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $63.0 in Santa Ana and $70.0 in Montreal. That's a good indicator of the overall restaurant and café pricing gap between the two cities.

A $2,000 monthly budget goes further in Montreal, where all-in costs run around $2,018, than in Santa Ana at $2,018. In Montreal it covers expenses comfortably, while in Santa Ana it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.

For digital nomads, it depends on budget. Montreal costs $2,018 versus $2,018 in Santa Ana. 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 Montreal. If higher salaries, better infrastructure, or specific career opportunities are the priority, Santa Ana makes more sense. Both are solid long-term options with distinct trade-offs.