Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Tena and Montreal

For one person, living is cheaper in Tena: $831 a month against $2,018 in Montreal, rent and utilities included – about $14,200 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

41

Cost of Living Index in Tena
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Tena Living Index
99

Cost of Living Index in Montreal
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Montreal Living Index

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Tena

🇪🇨 Ecuador

$831

/mo nomad

Montreal

🇨🇦 Canada

$2,018

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

A single person spends $831 per month in Tena vs $2,018 in Montreal, rent included.

Tena $831
Montreal $2,018

A couple spends around $1,425 per month in Tena vs $3,085 in Montreal, rent included.

Tena $1,425
Montreal $3,085

A family of three spends $2,018 per month in Tena vs $4,152 in Montreal, rent included.

Tena $2,018
Montreal $4,152

Tena is about 59% cheaper than Montreal, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Tena sits 38% below the global median, while Montreal is 49% above – they fall on opposite sides of the world average.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$6.03 $6.03

$18.82 CA$26.61

-67.96%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$54.9 $54.9

$70.3 CA$99.4

-21.94%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$7.61 $7.61

$10.66 CA$15.06

-28.61%

Cappuccino

$3.39 $3.39

$3.84 CA$5.43

-11.72%

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

$1.38 $1.38

$1.92 CA$2.71

-28.13%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.10 $1.10

$1.54 CA$2.18

-28.57%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.45 $3.45

$6.23 CA$8.81

-44.62%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$6.09 $6.09

$7.10 CA$10.03

-14.23%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.15 $1.15

$2.31 CA$3.27

-50.22%

White Bread (500g)

$1.53 $1.53

$3.14 CA$4.44

-51.27%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.56 $1.56

$3.21 CA$4.54

-51.40%

Eggs

$2.16 $2.16

$3.52 CA$4.97

-38.64%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$6.41 $6.41

$12.81 CA$18.11

-49.96%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$5.63 $5.63

$11.46 CA$16.20

-50.87%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$7.77 $7.77

$13.39 CA$18.92

-41.97%

Apples (1kg)

$2.22 $2.22

$3.14 CA$4.43

-29.30%

Banana (1kg)

$1.18 $1.18

$1.44 CA$2.03

-18.06%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.27 $1.27

$3.47 CA$4.91

-63.40%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.13 $1.13

$3.07 CA$4.34

-63.19%

Potato (1kg)

$1.19 $1.19

$1.90 CA$2.69

-37.37%

Onion (1kg)

$1.07 $1.07

$1.77 CA$2.50

-39.55%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.92 $0.92

$2.34 CA$3.31

-60.68%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.05 $1.05

$1.55 CA$2.19

-32.26%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$5.87 $5.87

$11.38 CA$16.09

-48.42%

Wine (Bottle)

$9.91 $9.91

$10.63 CA$15.03

-6.77%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.59 $1.59

$2.27 CA$3.21

-29.96%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.17 $3.17

$2.82 CA$3.99

12.41%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.33 $0.33

$2.66 CA$3.76

-87.59%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$16.94 $16.94

$77.3 CA$109

-78.08%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.51 $1.51

$3.20 CA$4.53

-52.81%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.76 $0.76

$1.48 CA$2.09

-48.65%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$9.95 $9.95

$32.88 CA$46.48

-69.74%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$0.80 $0.80

$1.34 CA$1.90

-40.30%

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

$21.3K $21.3K

$28.2K CA$39.8K

-24.45%

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

$28.5K $28.5K

$19.6K CA$27.8K

45.24%

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

$29.16 $29.16

$76.0 CA$107

-61.61%

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

$17.66 $17.66

$33.95 CA$48.00

-47.98%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$28.72 $28.72

$42.31 CA$59.8

-32.12%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$32.43 $32.43

$29.76 CA$42.07

8.97%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$15.44 $15.44

$20.28 CA$28.67

-23.87%

Cinema Ticket

$6.45 $6.45

$11.15 CA$15.77

-42.15%

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

$226 $226

$507 CA$717

-55.38%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$8,840 $8,840

$16.1K CA$22.7K

-44.92%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$69.8 $69.8

$57.6 CA$81.4

21.23%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$50.4 $50.4

$37.58 CA$53.1

34.06%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$114 $114

$91.9 CA$130

23.94%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$106 $106

$110 CA$155

-3.30%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$300 $300

$1,260 CA$1,782

-76.18%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$186 $186

$948 CA$1,340

-80.42%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$728 $728

$2,137 CA$3,021

-65.94%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$417 $417

$1,614 CA$2,281

-74.17%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$1,120 $1,120

$4,960 CA$7,011

-77.42%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$717 $717

$3,838 CA$5,425

-81.31%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$2,827 CA$3,997

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

10.12

4.48

125.89%

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

Last update for Tena: October 10, 2026

Last update for Montreal: October 12, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Groceries & Markets

Tena

$197 23.8%

Montreal

$346 17.2% 75.5% $149

Accommodation & Living

Tena

$186 22.3%

Montreal

$948 47% 411% $762

Clothing & Footwear

Tena

$153 18.4%

Montreal

$133 6.6% 12.8% $20

Eating Out

Tena

$151 18.2%

Montreal

$288 14.3% 90.5% $137

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Tena

$76 9.1%

Montreal

$152 7.5% 102% $77

Sport & Entertainment

Tena

$45 5.5%

Montreal

$52 2.6% 14.8% $6.7

Getting Around

Tena

$24 2.8%

Montreal

$99 4.9% 318% $75

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $300 in Tena 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 $55.0 in Tena versus $70.0 in Montreal. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $197 vs $346 – making Tena the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇪🇨 Tena

🇨🇦 Montreal

🕒 Local time

08:11 8:11 AM

09:11 9:11 AM

1 h ahead of Tena

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

16,669

1,762,949

💱 Currency

United States Dollar USD $

Canadian Dollar CAD $

📈 Exchange rate

1 USD = 0.89 EUR

1 CAD = 0.707 USD

1 CAD = 0.629 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

CAD, EUR to USD – United States Dollar Converter

🇨🇦 Canadian Dollar ($)

🇺🇸 United States Dollar ($)

United States Dollar exchange rates as of October 18, 2026: 1 EUR = 1.12 USD (1 USD = 0.89 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).

CAD to USD in detail →

On the map

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Between locations

Tena Montreal 5,190 km ≈ 7 h nonstop flight

From you

Tena
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

Tena vs Montreal: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Montreal costs about 143% more than Tena, and outside of rent the gap comes mainly from groceries. That's enough to noticeably affect everyday spending and lifestyle for anyone choosing between the two.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $1,247 per month in Tena 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 Tena, especially for central apartments. Housing is actually the single biggest factor behind the overall cost gap between these two cities.

Groceries cost about 76% 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 mid-range dinner for two costs $55.0 in Tena and $70.0 in Montreal. That's a good indicator of the overall restaurant and café pricing gap between the two cities.

A $1,500 monthly budget goes further in Tena, where all-in costs run around $831, than in Montreal at $2,018. In Tena it covers expenses comfortably, while in Montreal it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.

For digital nomads, it depends on budget. Tena costs $831 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 Tena. 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.