Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Tibas and Montreal

For one person, living is cheaper in Tibas: $1,712 a month against $2,018 in Montreal, rent and utilities included – about $3,700 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

83

Cost of Living Index in Tibas
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Tibas Living Index
99

Cost of Living Index in Montreal
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Montreal Living Index

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Tibas

🇨🇷 Costa Rica

$1,712

/mo nomad

Montreal

🇨🇦 Canada

$2,018

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

A single person spends $1,712 per month in Tibas vs $2,018 in Montreal, rent included.

Tibas $1,712
Montreal $2,018

A couple spends around $2,656 per month in Tibas vs $3,085 in Montreal, rent included.

Tibas $2,656
Montreal $3,085

A family of three spends $3,599 per month in Tibas vs $4,152 in Montreal, rent included.

Tibas $3,599
Montreal $4,152

Tibas is about 15% cheaper than Montreal, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in transport.

Both Tibas and Montreal sit above the global median – Tibas by 27%, Montreal by 49%.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$12.27 ₡5,502

$18.82 CA$26.61

-34.80%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$34.09 ₡15.3K

$70.3 CA$99.4

-51.50%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$10.78 ₡4,837

$10.66 CA$15.06

1.13%

Cappuccino

$3.90 ₡1,751

$3.84 CA$5.43

1.56%

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

$2.23 ₡1,001

$1.92 CA$2.71

16.15%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.86 ₡834

$1.54 CA$2.18

20.78%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.78 ₡1,248

$6.23 CA$8.81

-55.38%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.39 ₡1,971

$7.10 CA$10.03

-38.17%

Milk (1 liter)

$2.34 ₡1,051

$2.31 CA$3.27

1.30%

White Bread (500g)

$3.13 ₡1,404

$3.14 CA$4.44

-0.32%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.53 ₡1,136

$3.21 CA$4.54

-21.18%

Eggs

$3.41 ₡1,527

$3.52 CA$4.97

-3.12%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$10.73 ₡4,813

$12.81 CA$18.11

-16.24%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$10.50 ₡4,710

$11.46 CA$16.20

-8.38%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$14.04 ₡6,296

$13.39 CA$18.92

4.85%

Apples (1kg)

$5.10 ₡2,289

$3.14 CA$4.43

62.42%

Banana (1kg)

$1.63 ₡730

$1.44 CA$2.03

13.19%

Oranges (1kg)

$4.68 ₡2,099

$3.47 CA$4.91

34.87%

Tomato (1kg)

$3.89 ₡1,746

$3.07 CA$4.34

26.71%

Potato (1kg)

$3.93 ₡1,763

$1.90 CA$2.69

106.84%

Onion (1kg)

$3.60 ₡1,613

$1.77 CA$2.50

103.39%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.12 ₡504

$2.34 CA$3.31

-52.14%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$3.10 ₡1,389

$1.55 CA$2.19

100.00%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$6.02 ₡2,698

$11.38 CA$16.09

-47.10%

Wine (Bottle)

$20.15 ₡9,035

$10.63 CA$15.03

89.56%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.84 ₡1,275

$2.27 CA$3.21

25.11%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.53 ₡1,582

$2.82 CA$3.99

25.18%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.33 ₡599

$2.66 CA$3.76

-50.00%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$77.3 CA$109

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$2.37 ₡1,064

$3.20 CA$4.53

-25.94%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.63 ₡732

$1.48 CA$2.09

10.14%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$8.59 ₡3,851

$32.88 CA$46.48

-73.87%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.49 ₡666

$1.34 CA$1.90

11.19%

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

$21.8K ₡9.8M

$28.2K CA$39.8K

-22.60%

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

$34.9K ₡15.6M

$19.6K CA$27.8K

77.55%

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

$94.7 ₡42.5K

$76.0 CA$107

24.68%

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

$35.71 ₡16.0K

$33.95 CA$48.00

5.18%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$58.9 ₡26.4K

$42.31 CA$59.8

39.21%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$73.7 ₡33.1K

$29.76 CA$42.07

147.68%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$20.28 CA$28.67

Cinema Ticket

$7.77 ₡3,484

$11.15 CA$15.77

-30.31%

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

$975 ₡437.1K

$507 CA$717

92.20%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$17.3K ₡7.8M

$16.1K CA$22.7K

8.08%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$70.6 ₡31.6K

$57.6 CA$81.4

22.62%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$55.3 ₡24.8K

$37.58 CA$53.1

47.07%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$131 ₡58.7K

$91.9 CA$130

42.37%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$133 ₡59.7K

$110 CA$155

21.42%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$791 ₡354.5K

$1,260 CA$1,782

-37.28%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$625 ₡280.3K

$948 CA$1,340

-34.05%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,884 ₡844.7K

$2,137 CA$3,021

-11.86%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,262 ₡566.1K

$1,614 CA$2,281

-21.77%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$4,960 CA$7,011

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$3,838 CA$5,425

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$980 ₡439.5K

$2,827 CA$3,997

-65.34%

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 Tibas: October 10, 2026

Last update for Montreal: October 12, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Tibas

$625 36.5%

Montreal

$948 47% 51.6% $323

Groceries & Markets

Tibas

$401 23.4%

Montreal

$346 17.2% 13.6% $55

Eating Out

Tibas

$216 12.6%

Montreal

$288 14.3% 33% $71

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Tibas

$189 11.1%

Montreal

$152 7.5% 19.6% $37

Clothing & Footwear

Tibas

$175 10.2%

Montreal

$133 6.6% 23.9% $42

Sport & Entertainment

Tibas

$89 5.2%

Montreal

$52 2.6% 41.7% $37

Getting Around

Tibas

$16 * 0.9%

Montreal

$99 4.9% 521% $83

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

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $791 in Tibas 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 188% higher in Montreal, which partly offsets the higher cost of living there. Purchasing power depends on which expenses matter most to you.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $34.00 in Tibas versus $70.0 in Montreal. Groceries tell a different story – $401 in Tibas vs $346 in Montreal – so Montreal wins on supermarket bills even if dining out costs more.

Good to know

🇨🇷 Tibas

🇨🇦 Montreal

🕒 Local time

07:59 7:59 AM

09:59 9:59 AM

2 h ahead of Tibas

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

64,842

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 19, 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 19, 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

Tibas Montreal 4,060 km ≈ 6 h nonstop flight

From you

Tibas
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

Tibas vs Montreal: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Montreal costs about 18% more than Tibas, 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 $2,568 per month in Tibas 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 Tibas, 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 $34.00 in Tibas 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 16% cheaper in Montreal – one category where the pricier city actually offers better value, probably thanks to stronger retail competition or local farming.

A $2,000 monthly budget goes further in Tibas, where all-in costs run around $1,712, than in Montreal at $2,018. In Tibas it covers expenses comfortably, while in Montreal it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.

For digital nomads, it depends on budget. Tibas costs $1,712 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 Tibas. 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.