Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Tamarindo and Montreal

For one person, living is cheaper in Montreal: $2,018 a month against $2,127 in Tamarindo, rent and utilities included – about $1,300 less a year. Other living expenses account for most of the difference.

103

Cost of Living Index in Tamarindo
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Tamarindo Living Index
99

Cost of Living Index in Montreal
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Montreal Living Index

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Tamarindo

🇨🇷 Costa Rica

$2,127

/mo nomad

Montreal

🇨🇦 Canada

$2,018

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

A single person spends $2,127 per month in Tamarindo vs $2,018 in Montreal, rent included.

Tamarindo $2,127
Montreal $2,018

A couple spends around $3,081 per month in Tamarindo vs $3,085 in Montreal, rent included.

Tamarindo $3,081
Montreal $3,085

A family of three spends $4,035 per month in Tamarindo vs $4,152 in Montreal, rent included.

Tamarindo $4,035
Montreal $4,152

Tamarindo costs about 5% more than Montreal, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in leisure.

Both Tamarindo and Montreal sit above the global median – Tamarindo by 58%, Montreal by 49%.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$12.18 ₡5,463

$18.82 CA$26.61

-35.28%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$62.3 ₡28.0K

$70.3 CA$99.4

-11.32%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$11.87 ₡5,324

$10.66 CA$15.06

11.35%

Cappuccino

$4.34 ₡1,948

$3.84 CA$5.43

13.02%

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

$2.65 ₡1,188

$1.92 CA$2.71

38.02%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.91 ₡856

$1.54 CA$2.18

24.03%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.27 ₡1,465

$6.23 CA$8.81

-47.51%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.56 ₡2,043

$7.10 CA$10.03

-35.77%

Milk (1 liter)

$2.42 ₡1,085

$2.31 CA$3.27

4.76%

White Bread (500g)

$3.12 ₡1,400

$3.14 CA$4.44

-0.64%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.42 ₡1,088

$3.21 CA$4.54

-24.61%

Eggs

$3.47 ₡1,556

$3.52 CA$4.97

-1.42%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$10.53 ₡4,721

$12.81 CA$18.11

-17.80%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$10.52 ₡4,716

$11.46 CA$16.20

-8.20%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$14.17 ₡6,354

$13.39 CA$18.92

5.83%

Apples (1kg)

$5.21 ₡2,336

$3.14 CA$4.43

65.92%

Banana (1kg)

$1.60 ₡717

$1.44 CA$2.03

11.11%

Oranges (1kg)

$3.54 ₡1,588

$3.47 CA$4.91

2.02%

Tomato (1kg)

$3.90 ₡1,747

$3.07 CA$4.34

27.04%

Potato (1kg)

$2.55 ₡1,141

$1.90 CA$2.69

34.21%

Onion (1kg)

$3.71 ₡1,665

$1.77 CA$2.50

109.60%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.09 ₡487

$2.34 CA$3.31

-53.42%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$3.07 ₡1,376

$1.55 CA$2.19

98.06%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$5.20 ₡2,331

$11.38 CA$16.09

-54.31%

Wine (Bottle)

$13.18 ₡5,912

$10.63 CA$15.03

23.99%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.78 ₡1,249

$2.27 CA$3.21

22.47%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.09 ₡1,385

$2.82 CA$3.99

9.57%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.07 ₡929

$2.66 CA$3.76

-22.18%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$85.4 ₡38.3K

$77.3 CA$109

10.44%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$2.38 ₡1,065

$3.20 CA$4.53

-25.63%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.63 ₡729

$1.48 CA$2.09

10.14%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$6.64 ₡2,978

$32.88 CA$46.48

-79.81%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.50 ₡675

$1.34 CA$1.90

11.94%

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

$22.4K ₡10.0M

$28.2K CA$39.8K

-20.56%

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

$34.7K ₡15.6M

$19.6K CA$27.8K

76.84%

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

$93.5 ₡41.9K

$76.0 CA$107

23.14%

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

$30.01 ₡13.5K

$33.95 CA$48.00

-11.61%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$59.1 ₡26.5K

$42.31 CA$59.8

39.73%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$101 ₡45.3K

$29.76 CA$42.07

239.48%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$26.01 ₡11.7K

$20.28 CA$28.67

28.25%

Cinema Ticket

$7.90 ₡3,543

$11.15 CA$15.77

-29.15%

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

$575 ₡257.7K

$507 CA$717

13.33%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$9,081 ₡4.1M

$16.1K CA$22.7K

-43.42%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$71.5 ₡32.1K

$57.6 CA$81.4

24.22%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$26.29 ₡11.8K

$37.58 CA$53.1

-30.04%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$120 ₡53.7K

$91.9 CA$130

30.21%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$131 ₡58.9K

$110 CA$155

19.88%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,921 ₡861.5K

$1,260 CA$1,782

52.40%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$960 ₡430.6K

$948 CA$1,340

1.32%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,738 ₡1.2M

$2,137 CA$3,021

28.11%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,371 ₡614.9K

$1,614 CA$2,281

-15.03%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$5,341 ₡2.4M

$4,960 CA$7,011

7.68%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$3,241 ₡1.5M

$3,838 CA$5,425

-15.55%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$949 ₡425.7K

$2,827 CA$3,997

-66.43%

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 Tamarindo: October 12, 2026

Last update for Montreal: October 12, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Tamarindo

$960 45.1%

Montreal

$948 47% 1.3% $13

Groceries & Markets

Tamarindo

$378 17.8%

Montreal

$346 17.2% 8.2% $31

Eating Out

Tamarindo

$229 10.8%

Montreal

$288 14.3% 25.8% $59

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Tamarindo

$183 8.6%

Montreal

$152 7.5% 16.7% $30

Clothing & Footwear

Tamarindo

$157 7.4%

Montreal

$133 6.6% 15% $23

Sport & Entertainment

Tamarindo

$117 5.5%

Montreal

$52 2.6% 55.4% $65

Getting Around

Tamarindo

$104 4.9%

Montreal

$99 4.9% 5.4% $5.6

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $1,921 in Tamarindo 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 198% higher in Montreal, which reinforces the cost advantage – you earn more and spend less. Purchasing power leans clearly in its favor.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $62.0 in Tamarindo versus $70.0 in Montreal. Groceries tell a different story – $378 in Tamarindo vs $346 in Montreal – so Montreal wins on supermarket bills even if dining out costs more.

Good to know

🇨🇷 Tamarindo

🇨🇦 Montreal

🕒 Local time

19:40 7:40 PM

21:40 9:40 PM

2 h ahead of Tamarindo

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

6,000

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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Highest

Between locations

Tamarindo Montreal 4,090 km ≈ 6 h nonstop flight

From you

Tamarindo
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

Tamarindo vs Montreal: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Tamarindo costs about 5% more than Montreal, and outside of rent the gap comes mainly from leisure. That's enough to noticeably affect everyday spending and lifestyle for anyone choosing between the two.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $3,191 per month in Tamarindo 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 Tamarindo, 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 $62.0 in Tamarindo 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 Tamarindo at $2,127. In Montreal it covers expenses comfortably, while in Tamarindo it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.

For digital nomads, it depends on budget. Montreal costs $2,018 versus $2,127 in Tamarindo. 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, Tamarindo makes more sense. Both are solid long-term options with distinct trade-offs.