Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Aliso Viejo, CA and Montreal

For one person, living is cheaper in Montreal: $2,059 a month against $3,964 in Aliso Viejo, CA, rent and utilities included – about $22,900 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

194

Cost of Living Index in Aliso Viejo, CA
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Aliso Viejo, CA Living Index
99

Cost of Living Index in Montreal
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Montreal Living Index

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Aliso Viejo, CA

🇺🇸 United States

$3,964

/mo nomad

Montreal

🇨🇦 Canada

$2,059

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $3,964 in Aliso Viejo, CA versus $2,059 in Montreal.

Aliso Viejo, CA $3,964
Montreal $2,059

Estimated couple costs with rent: $6,003 in Aliso Viejo, CA versus $3,123 in Montreal.

Aliso Viejo, CA $6,003
Montreal $3,123

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $8,043 in Aliso Viejo, CA versus $4,187 in Montreal.

Aliso Viejo, CA $8,043
Montreal $4,187

Living in Aliso Viejo, CA is roughly 93% more expensive than in Montreal, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Aliso Viejo, CA 193% above, Montreal 52% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$24.73 $24.73

$18.84 CA$26.63

31.26%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$98.4 $98.4

$73.2 CA$104

34.39%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$14.32 $14.32

$10.54 CA$14.90

35.86%

Cappuccino

$5.91 $5.91

$3.97 CA$5.61

48.87%

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

$3.51 $3.51

$1.94 CA$2.74

80.93%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.80 $2.80

$1.57 CA$2.22

78.34%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$8.22 $8.22

$6.42 CA$9.08

28.04%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$9.94 $9.94

$7.20 CA$10.19

38.06%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.15 $1.15

$2.32 CA$3.28

-50.43%

White Bread (500g)

$4.77 $4.77

$3.19 CA$4.51

49.53%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$4.72 $4.72

$3.19 CA$4.50

47.96%

Eggs

$5.08 $5.08

$3.68 CA$5.20

38.04%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$11.33 $11.33

$13.24 CA$18.72

-14.43%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$16.09 $16.09

$11.69 CA$16.53

37.64%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$17.67 $17.67

$13.98 CA$19.76

26.39%

Apples (1kg)

$5.50 $5.50

$3.14 CA$4.44

75.16%

Banana (1kg)

$1.73 $1.73

$1.45 CA$2.05

19.31%

Oranges (1kg)

$4.68 $4.68

$3.38 CA$4.78

38.46%

Tomato (1kg)

$6.62 $6.62

$3.11 CA$4.40

112.86%

Potato (1kg)

$3.61 $3.61

$1.93 CA$2.72

87.05%

Onion (1kg)

$2.81 $2.81

$1.83 CA$2.58

53.55%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.20 $2.20

$2.36 CA$3.34

-6.78%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$2.43 $2.43

$1.50 CA$2.12

62.00%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$11.92 $11.92

$11.12 CA$15.73

7.19%

Wine (Bottle)

$15.26 $15.26

$10.60 CA$14.98

43.96%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.81 $1.81

$2.22 CA$3.14

-18.47%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.11 $3.11

$2.84 CA$4.01

9.51%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$3.07 $3.07

$2.62 CA$3.71

17.18%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$79.1 CA$112

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$4.47 $4.47

$3.23 CA$4.56

38.39%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.91 $1.91

$1.48 CA$2.10

29.05%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$32.04 $32.04

$32.22 CA$45.55

-0.56%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.59 $1.59

$1.36 CA$1.92

16.91%

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

$35.0K $35.0K

$27.6K CA$39.1K

26.57%

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

$27.0K $27.0K

$21.2K CA$30.0K

27.48%

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

$212 $212

$77.0 CA$109

174.96%

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

$71.5 $71.5

$34.14 CA$48.26

109.40%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$71.3 $71.3

$42.19 CA$59.7

68.95%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$38.84 $38.84

$30.81 CA$43.56

26.06%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$19.66 CA$27.79

Cinema Ticket

$17.19 $17.19

$11.47 CA$16.22

49.87%

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

$1,698 $1,698

$506 CA$716

235.54%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$31.8K $31.8K

$16.2K CA$23.0K

95.84%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$72.5 $72.5

$57.3 CA$81.0

26.67%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$65.1 $65.1

$38.10 CA$53.9

70.84%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$116 $116

$91.9 CA$130

26.24%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$169 $169

$110 CA$155

54.41%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,908 $2,908

$1,237 CA$1,748

135.18%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,466 $2,466

$977 CA$1,381

152.49%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$4,191 $4,191

$2,180 CA$3,082

92.23%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$4,644 $4,644

$1,608 CA$2,273

188.84%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$7,007 $7,007

$5,113 CA$7,228

37.04%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$6,500 $6,500

$3,744 CA$5,293

73.60%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$7,985 $7,985

$2,957 CA$4,180

170.03%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

6.86

4.48

53.12%

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

Last update for Aliso Viejo, CA: October 18, 2026

Last update for Montreal: October 20, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Aliso Viejo, CA

$2.5K 62.2%

Montreal

$977 47.4% 60.4% $1.5K

Groceries & Markets

Aliso Viejo, CA

$456 11.5%

Montreal

$351 17.1% 23% $105

Eating Out

Aliso Viejo, CA

$398 10%

Montreal

$290 14.1% 27% $107

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Aliso Viejo, CA

$355 8.9%

Montreal

$153 7.5% 56.7% $201

Clothing & Footwear

Aliso Viejo, CA

$190 4.8%

Montreal

$134 6.5% 29.8% $57

Sport & Entertainment

Aliso Viejo, CA

$73 1.9%

Montreal

$54 2.6% 26.6% $19

Getting Around

Aliso Viejo, CA

$26 * 0.7%

Montreal

$100 4.9% 281% $74

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

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $2,908 in Aliso Viejo, CA and $1,237 in Montreal. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Aliso Viejo, CA pays 170% more on average. The extra income cushions the higher costs, though housing choices and lifestyle decide how much of the gap is truly closed.

Dining out: $98.0 in Aliso Viejo, CA vs $73.0 in Montreal for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $456 vs $351 per month, with Montreal cheaper across the board.

Good to know

🇺🇸 Aliso Viejo, CA

🇨🇦 Montreal

🕒 Local time

16:33 4:33 PM

19:33 7:33 PM

3 h ahead of Aliso Viejo, CA

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

41,489

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 20, 2026: 1 EUR = 1.12 USD (1 USD = 0.89 EUR).

Canadian Dollar exchange rates as of October 20, 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

Aliso Viejo, CA Montreal 3,960 km ≈ 5 h nonstop flight

From you

Aliso Viejo, CA
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

Aliso Viejo, CA vs Montreal: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Aliso Viejo, CA and Montreal differ by about 93% in total monthly costs ($3,964 vs $2,059 including rent). Montreal is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

Average pay runs 170% higher in Aliso Viejo, CA, which matters when comparing affordability. Whether that higher income actually nets you more depends on your spending habits and housing choices.

Rent for a central apartment: $2,908 in Aliso Viejo, CA versus $1,237 in Montreal. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Supermarket bills run roughly 30% higher in Aliso Viejo, CA. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

All in, you'll spend $3,964 per month in Aliso Viejo, CA versus $2,059 in Montreal – a 93% gap that adds up to real savings over time for anyone picking the cheaper option.

At $2,059 in Montreal versus $3,964 in Aliso Viejo, CA, a $2,000 budget is realistic in Montreal but tight or insufficient in Aliso Viejo, CA. The gap between the two cities makes Montreal the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

Both cities offer a good standard of living with different trade-offs. Neither is objectively better – the right pick depends on what matters most: affordability, career, cultural scene, or climate.

Safety-wise, Aliso Viejo, CA and Montreal are on par. Petty crime is typical for cities this size, and most residents feel comfortable going about their daily routines in either place.

Expats usually find Montreal gentler on the wallet – expenses run 93% less than in Aliso Viejo, CA. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.