Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Santa Cruz and Montreal

For one person, living is cheaper in Santa Cruz: $1,758 a month against $2,018 in Montreal, rent and utilities included – about $3,100 less a year. Higher rent and utilities in Montreal outweigh lower spending on other living expenses.

84

Cost of Living Index in Santa Cruz
Learn more

Santa Cruz Living Index
99

Cost of Living Index in Montreal
Learn more

Montreal Living Index

Jump to prices

Santa Cruz

🇨🇷 Costa Rica

$1,758

/mo nomad

Montreal

🇨🇦 Canada

$2,018

/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 $1,758 per month in Santa Cruz vs $2,018 in Montreal, rent included.

Santa Cruz $1,758
Montreal $2,018

A couple spends around $2,778 per month in Santa Cruz vs $3,085 in Montreal, rent included.

Santa Cruz $2,778
Montreal $3,085

A family of three spends $3,798 per month in Santa Cruz vs $4,152 in Montreal, rent included.

Santa Cruz $3,798
Montreal $4,152

Santa Cruz is about 13% cheaper than Montreal, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in transport.

Both Santa Cruz and Montreal sit above the global median – Santa Cruz by 30%, Montreal by 49%.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$12.29 ₡5,523

$18.82 CA$26.75

-34.70%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$62.6 ₡28.1K

$70.3 CA$99.9

-10.95%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$10.81 ₡4,856

$10.66 CA$15.14

1.41%

Cappuccino

$4.58 ₡2,059

$3.84 CA$5.46

19.27%

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

$2.20 ₡989

$1.92 CA$2.72

14.58%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.90 ₡854

$1.54 CA$2.19

23.38%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.31 ₡1,489

$6.23 CA$8.86

-46.87%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.36 ₡1,958

$7.10 CA$10.08

-38.59%

Milk (1 liter)

$2.38 ₡1,070

$2.31 CA$3.29

3.03%

White Bread (500g)

$3.16 ₡1,422

$3.14 CA$4.47

0.64%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.48 ₡1,113

$3.21 CA$4.57

-22.74%

Eggs

$3.56 ₡1,599

$3.52 CA$5.00

1.14%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$10.50 ₡4,717

$12.81 CA$18.21

-18.03%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$10.51 ₡4,722

$11.46 CA$16.29

-8.29%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$14.15 ₡6,359

$13.39 CA$19.03

5.68%

Apples (1kg)

$5.20 ₡2,336

$3.14 CA$4.46

65.61%

Banana (1kg)

$1.07 ₡482

$1.44 CA$2.04

-25.69%

Oranges (1kg)

$4.83 ₡2,170

$3.47 CA$4.94

39.19%

Tomato (1kg)

$3.91 ₡1,758

$3.07 CA$4.37

27.36%

Potato (1kg)

$3.87 ₡1,741

$1.90 CA$2.70

103.68%

Onion (1kg)

$3.64 ₡1,636

$1.77 CA$2.52

105.65%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.13 ₡508

$2.34 CA$3.33

-51.71%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$3.08 ₡1,383

$1.55 CA$2.21

98.71%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$5.78 ₡2,596

$11.38 CA$16.17

-49.21%

Wine (Bottle)

$20.18 ₡9,068

$10.63 CA$15.11

89.84%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.88 ₡1,294

$2.27 CA$3.23

26.87%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.68 ₡1,654

$2.82 CA$4.01

30.50%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.29 ₡581

$2.66 CA$3.78

-51.50%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$77.3 CA$110

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$2.50 ₡1,125

$3.20 CA$4.55

-21.88%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.56 ₡701

$1.48 CA$2.10

5.41%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$8.60 ₡3,864

$32.88 CA$46.73

-73.84%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.56 ₡702

$1.34 CA$1.91

16.42%

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

$22.1K ₡9.9M

$28.2K CA$40.0K

-21.64%

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

$34.5K ₡15.5M

$19.6K CA$27.9K

75.83%

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

$94.5 ₡42.4K

$76.0 CA$108

24.37%

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

$35.98 ₡16.2K

$33.95 CA$48.26

5.98%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$59.8 ₡26.9K

$42.31 CA$60.1

41.31%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$71.7 ₡32.2K

$29.76 CA$42.29

140.86%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$20.28 CA$28.83

Cinema Ticket

$6.75 ₡3,034

$11.15 CA$15.85

-39.46%

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

$978 ₡439.3K

$507 CA$721

92.79%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$17.2K ₡7.7M

$16.1K CA$22.8K

7.00%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$72.2 ₡32.4K

$57.6 CA$81.8

25.42%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$56.1 ₡25.2K

$37.58 CA$53.4

49.28%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$129 ₡58.0K

$91.9 CA$131

40.50%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$132 ₡59.1K

$110 CA$156

20.11%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$912 ₡409.8K

$1,260 CA$1,792

-27.65%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$665 ₡298.7K

$948 CA$1,347

-29.85%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,689 ₡759.1K

$2,137 CA$3,037

-20.95%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,310 ₡588.5K

$1,614 CA$2,293

-18.84%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$4,960 CA$7,049

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$3,838 CA$5,454

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$2,827 CA$4,019

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 Cruz: 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 Cruz

$665 37.8%

Montreal

$948 47% 42.5% $283

Groceries & Markets

Santa Cruz

$400 22.8%

Montreal

$346 17.2% 13.4% $53

Eating Out

Santa Cruz

$227 12.9%

Montreal

$288 14.3% 26.6% $60

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Santa Cruz

$190 10.8%

Montreal

$152 7.5% 20% $38

Clothing & Footwear

Santa Cruz

$175 10%

Montreal

$133 6.6% 23.8% $42

Sport & Entertainment

Santa Cruz

$85 4.9%

Montreal

$52 2.6% 38.9% $33

Getting Around

Santa Cruz

$15 * 0.9%

Montreal

$99 4.9% 537% $83

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

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $912 in Santa Cruz 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.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $63.0 in Santa Cruz versus $70.0 in Montreal. Groceries tell a different story – $400 in Santa Cruz vs $346 in Montreal – so Montreal wins on supermarket bills even if dining out costs more.

Good to know

🇨🇷 Santa Cruz

🇨🇦 Montreal

🕒 Local time

05:11 5:11 AM

07:11 7:11 AM

2 h ahead of Santa Cruz

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

1,665

1,762,949

💱 Currency

Costa Rican Colón CRC ₡

Canadian Dollar CAD $

📈 Exchange rate

1,000 CRC = 2.23 USD

1,000 CRC = 1.99 EUR

1 CAD = 0.704 USD

1 CAD = 0.628 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 15, 2026: 1 USD = 449 CRC (1,000 CRC = 2.23 USD). 1 EUR = 503 CRC (1,000 CRC = 1.99 EUR).

Canadian Dollar exchange rates as of October 15, 2026: 1 USD = 1.42 CAD (1 CAD = 0.704 USD). 1 EUR = 1.59 CAD (1 CAD = 0.628 EUR).

USD to CRC in detail →

On the map

Lowest

Highest

Between locations

Santa Cruz Montreal 4,080 km ≈ 6 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 15% more than Santa Cruz, 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 $2,637 per month in Santa Cruz 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 Santa Cruz, 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 $63.0 in Santa Cruz and $70.0 in Montreal. That's a good indicator of the overall restaurant and café pricing gap between the two cities.

Interestingly, groceries are about 15% cheaper in Montreal – one category where the pricier city actually offers better value, probably thanks to stronger retail competition or local farming.

A $3,000 monthly budget goes further in Santa Cruz, where all-in costs run around $1,758, than in Montreal at $2,018. In Santa Cruz it covers expenses comfortably, while in Montreal it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.

For digital nomads, it depends on budget. Santa Cruz costs $1,758 versus $2,018 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 Santa Cruz. 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.