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Montreal vs San Antonio cost of living 2026
Which is cheaper, what exactly is cheaper, and how it feels on your money ยท Updated October 2026
๐จ๐ฆ Montreal
๐บ๐ธ San Antonio
At a glance
- Where San Antonio is clearly cheaper: Transit (53%โ), Cocktail & wine (25%โ), Half-day tour (18%โ)
- Where Montreal is clearly cheaper: Entry ticket (26%โ), Coffee (19%โ), Convenience store (18%โ)
By category
Salary equivalence
Travel difficulty
Both cities are about equally easy to travel. Biggest gap: rip-offs & haggling โ Montreal 1 vs San Antonio 2. Closer to 1 is easier. Difficulty ranking โบ
Item by item
| Item | Montreal | San Antonio | Cheaper |
|---|---|---|---|
| Local mealper person | C$ 22$16.2 | $ 17$17 | Montreal โ5% |
| Street food1 item | C$ 12$8.82 | $ 10$10 | Montreal โ12% |
| Restaurant dinnerper person | C$ 45$33.1 | $ 32$32 | similar |
| Coffeeone cup | C$ 5.5$4.04 | $ 5$5 | Montreal โ19% |
| Beerone bottle | C$ 9$6.62 | $ 6$6 | San Antonio โ9% |
| Cocktail & wineone cup | C$ 20$14.7 | $ 11$11 | San Antonio โ25% |
| Bottled water | C$ 2.3$1.69 | $ 2$2 | Montreal โ15% |
| Convenience store1 snack or drink | C$ 2.8$2.06 | $ 2.5$2.5 | Montreal โ18% |
| Taxi5 km in town | C$ 17$12.5 | $ 13$13 | similar |
| Tuk-tuk / moto taxishort hop | C$ 10$7.35 | $ 8$8 | Montreal โ8% |
| Transitone ride | C$ 3.75$2.76 | $ 1.3$1.3 | San Antonio โ53% |
| Scooter rentalper day | C$ 40$29.4 | $ 35$35 | Montreal โ16% |
| Hotel night3-star | C$ 190$140 | $ 140$140 | similar |
| Studio rent (month) | C$ 1,680$1,235 | $ 1,200$1,200 | similar |
| Laundry | C$ 6$4.41 | $ 5$5 | Montreal โ12% |
| SIM card1 week data | C$ 35$25.7 | $ 25$25 | similar |
| Haircutcut | C$ 32$23.5 | $ 20$20 | San Antonio โ15% |
| Massage1 hour | C$ 95$69.9 | $ 80$80 | Montreal โ13% |
| Half-day tourper person | C$ 100$73.5 | $ 60$60 | San Antonio โ18% |
| Entry ticketTourist town | C$ 24$17.6 | $ 24$24 | Montreal โ26% |
Reference prices start as estimates from published price levels; items with 3+ traveler reports use the median of real reports. Hostels and local eateries cut both by 30%+.
FAQ
Which is cheaper, Montreal or San Antonio?
Montreal is 5% cheaper than San Antonio. Daily budget $266 vs $269; a month $4,773 vs $5,262.
Which is easier to travel, Montreal or San Antonio?
About the same: Montreal 1.6/5, San Antonio 1.8/5 (average of rip-offs, language, transport, payments and safety).
How do monthly costs compare between Montreal and San Antonio?
With a short-term studio and living costs, Montreal is about $4,773 and San Antonio about $5,262 per month.
Where do the numbers come from?
They start as estimates informed by published price levels; any item with 3+ traveler reports switches to the median of real reports. Live reports are in the app.