Last update: Nov 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Santa Cruz, Aruba and Montreal

For one person, living is cheaper in Santa Cruz: $1,886 a month against $2,067 in Montreal, rent and utilities included – about $2,200 less a year. Higher rent and utilities in Montreal outweigh lower spending on other living expenses.

100

Cost of Living Index in Montreal
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Montreal Living Index

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Santa Cruz

🇦🇼 Aruba

$1,886

/mo nomad

Montreal

🇨🇦 Canada

$2,067

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

A single person spends $1,886 per month in Santa Cruz vs $2,067 in Montreal, rent included.

Santa Cruz $1,886
Montreal $2,067

A couple spends around $2,900 per month in Santa Cruz vs $3,179 in Montreal, rent included.

Santa Cruz $2,900
Montreal $3,179

A family of three spends $3,914 per month in Santa Cruz vs $4,291 in Montreal, rent included.

Santa Cruz $3,914
Montreal $4,291

Santa Cruz is about 9% cheaper than Montreal.

Both Santa Cruz and Montreal sit above the global median – Santa Cruz by 40%, Montreal by 53%.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$18.89 CA$26.57

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$72.6 CA$102

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$10.79 CA$15.18

Cappuccino

$3.98 CA$5.60

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

$2.02 CA$2.84

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.63 CA$2.29

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$6.32 CA$8.89

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$7.06 CA$9.93

Milk (1 liter)

$2.20 AWG 3.94

$2.33 CA$3.28

-5.58%

White Bread (500g)

$2.64 AWG 4.73

$3.25 CA$4.57

-18.77%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$4.42 AWG 7.91

$3.26 CA$4.59

35.58%

Eggs

$4.78 AWG 8.55

$3.48 CA$4.89

37.36%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$8.14 AWG 14.57

$13.73 CA$19.31

-40.71%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$7.69 AWG 13.77

$11.48 CA$16.14

-33.01%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$6.75 AWG 12.08

$14.26 CA$20.05

-52.66%

Apples (1kg)

$4.52 AWG 8.08

$3.52 CA$4.95

28.41%

Banana (1kg)

$4.57 AWG 8.17

$1.46 CA$2.05

213.01%

Oranges (1kg)

$8.12 AWG 14.54

$3.41 CA$4.80

138.12%

Tomato (1kg)

$6.87 AWG 12.29

$3.20 CA$4.50

114.69%

Potato (1kg)

$6.70 AWG 11.99

$1.94 CA$2.72

245.36%

Onion (1kg)

$1.89 AWG 3.39

$1.78 CA$2.50

6.18%

Lettuce (1 head)

$3.00 AWG 5.37

$2.52 CA$3.54

19.05%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$4.54 AWG 8.13

$1.58 CA$2.22

187.34%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$10.34 AWG 18.51

$11.51 CA$16.18

-10.17%

Wine (Bottle)

$19.59 AWG 35.05

$10.57 CA$14.87

85.34%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.55 AWG 4.56

$2.35 CA$3.30

8.51%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.09 AWG 5.54

$2.90 CA$4.07

6.55%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.96 AWG 3.50

$2.61 CA$3.68

-24.90%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$154 AWG 276

$78.5 CA$110

96.30%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$19.32 AWG 34.57

$3.17 CA$4.46

509.46%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.49 CA$2.10

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$19.75 AWG 35.34

$33.49 CA$47.10

-41.03%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.36 CA$1.92

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

$28.0K CA$39.4K

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

$21.1K CA$29.7K

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

$141 AWG 252

$77.6 CA$109

81.18%

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

$71.3 AWG 128

$35.63 CA$50.1

99.97%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$207 AWG 371

$43.73 CA$61.5

373.50%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$68.5 AWG 123

$30.07 CA$42.29

127.70%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$46.44 AWG 83.1

$19.97 CA$28.08

132.55%

Cinema Ticket

$8.39 AWG 15.02

$11.27 CA$15.85

-25.55%

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

$141 AWG 252

$522 CA$734

-73.01%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$17.8K CA$25.0K

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$78.8 AWG 141

$59.0 CA$82.9

33.64%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$110 AWG 197

$39.01 CA$54.9

182.03%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$140 AWG 251

$99.8 CA$140

40.73%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$137 AWG 245

$110 CA$154

24.60%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,268 AWG 2,270

$1,298 CA$1,826

-2.30%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$557 AWG 998

$970 CA$1,365

-42.55%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,534 AWG 2,746

$2,323 CA$3,267

-33.96%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,407 AWG 2,519

$1,689 CA$2,376

-16.68%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$5,004 CA$7,037

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$3,736 CA$5,255

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$3,667 AWG 6,564

$2,943 CA$4,139

24.61%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

4.51

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

Last update for Santa Cruz: November 2, 2026

Last update for Montreal: November 3, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Santa Cruz

–

Montreal

$970 47%

Groceries & Markets

Santa Cruz

–

Montreal

$357 17.3%

Eating Out

Santa Cruz

–

Montreal

$292 14.1%

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Santa Cruz

–

Montreal

$157 7.6%

Clothing & Footwear

Santa Cruz

–

Montreal

$138 6.7%

Getting Around

Santa Cruz

–

Montreal

$100 4.8%

Sport & Entertainment

Santa Cruz

–

Montreal

$53 2.6%

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $1,268 in Santa Cruz versus $1,298 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 25% higher in Santa Cruz, which reinforces the cost advantage – you earn more and spend less. Purchasing power leans clearly in its favor.

Good to know

🇦🇼 Santa Cruz

🇨🇦 Montreal

🕒 Local time

09:01 9:01 AM

08:01 8:01 AM

1 h behind Santa Cruz

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

15,236

1,762,949

💱 Currency

Aruban Florin AWG ƒ

Canadian Dollar CAD $

📈 Exchange rate

1 AWG = 0.559 USD

1 AWG = 0.497 EUR

1 CAD = 0.711 USD

1 CAD = 0.633 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

CAD, USD, EUR to AWG – Aruban Florin Converter

🇺🇸 United States Dollar ($)

🇦🇼 Aruban Florin (ƒ)

Aruban Florin exchange rates as of November 6, 2026: 1 USD = 1.79 AWG (1 AWG = 0.559 USD). 1 EUR = 2.01 AWG (1 AWG = 0.497 EUR).

Canadian Dollar exchange rates as of November 6, 2026: 1 USD = 1.41 CAD (1 CAD = 0.711 USD). 1 EUR = 1.58 CAD (1 CAD = 0.633 EUR).

USD to AWG in detail →

On the map

Lowest

Highest

Between locations

Santa Cruz Montreal 3,680 km ≈ 5 h nonstop flight

From you

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

Montreal costs about 10% more than Santa Cruz, 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 $2,829 per month in Santa Cruz and $3,100 in Montreal. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

A central 1-bedroom goes for about $1,268 in Santa Cruz and $1,298 in Montreal. The gap holds across neighborhoods – outer areas show a similar spread, just at lower price points.

Public transport costs about 49% less in Montreal. For daily commuters, that gap adds up to noticeable savings over a year.

Interestingly, groceries are about 18% cheaper in Montreal – one category where the pricier city actually offers better value.

$3,000 covers both cities comfortably – all-in costs are $1,886 in Santa Cruz and $2,067 in Montreal, leaving budget for savings and extras in both cases.

It depends on your priorities. Montreal has an edge in some lifestyle areas, with costs from $1,886 in Santa Cruz to $2,067 in Montreal. Climate, culture, job market, and personal taste all factor in.

Both cities have a reputation for safety. In either place, the choice of neighborhood matters more than the choice between the two cities.