Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Berkeley, CA and Montreal

For one person, living is cheaper in Montreal: $2,018 a month against $3,878 in Berkeley, CA, rent and utilities included – about $22,300 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

188

Cost of Living Index in Berkeley, CA
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Berkeley, CA Living Index
99

Cost of Living Index in Montreal
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Montreal Living Index

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Berkeley, CA

🇺🇸 United States

$3,878

/mo nomad

Montreal

🇨🇦 Canada

$2,018

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

A single person spends $3,878 per month in Berkeley, CA vs $2,018 in Montreal, rent included.

Berkeley, CA $3,878
Montreal $2,018

A couple spends around $5,546 per month in Berkeley, CA vs $3,085 in Montreal, rent included.

Berkeley, CA $5,546
Montreal $3,085

A family of three spends $7,215 per month in Berkeley, CA vs $4,152 in Montreal, rent included.

Berkeley, CA $7,215
Montreal $4,152

Berkeley, CA costs about 92% more than Montreal, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Both Berkeley, CA and Montreal sit above the global median – Berkeley, CA by 187%, Montreal by 49%.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$22.39 $22.39

$18.82 CA$26.61

18.97%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$80.3 $80.3

$70.3 CA$99.4

14.27%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$10.52 $10.52

$10.66 CA$15.06

-1.31%

Cappuccino

$6.07 $6.07

$3.84 CA$5.43

58.07%

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

$3.25 $3.25

$1.92 CA$2.71

69.27%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.08 $3.08

$1.54 CA$2.18

100.00%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$5.90 $5.90

$6.23 CA$8.81

-5.30%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$7.65 $7.65

$7.10 CA$10.03

7.75%

Milk (1 liter)

$2.00 $2.00

$2.31 CA$3.27

-13.42%

White Bread (500g)

$4.54 $4.54

$3.14 CA$4.44

44.59%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$5.74 $5.74

$3.21 CA$4.54

78.82%

Eggs

$6.07 $6.07

$3.52 CA$4.97

72.44%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$26.78 $26.78

$12.81 CA$18.11

109.06%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$16.58 $16.58

$11.46 CA$16.20

44.68%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$21.69 $21.69

$13.39 CA$18.92

61.99%

Apples (1kg)

$7.14 $7.14

$3.14 CA$4.43

127.39%

Banana (1kg)

$2.57 $2.57

$1.44 CA$2.03

78.47%

Oranges (1kg)

$6.21 $6.21

$3.47 CA$4.91

78.96%

Tomato (1kg)

$10.45 $10.45

$3.07 CA$4.34

240.39%

Potato (1kg)

$3.58 $3.58

$1.90 CA$2.69

88.42%

Onion (1kg)

$4.84 $4.84

$1.77 CA$2.50

173.45%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.53 $2.53

$2.34 CA$3.31

8.12%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$3.08 $3.08

$1.55 CA$2.19

98.71%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$11.57 $11.57

$11.38 CA$16.09

1.67%

Wine (Bottle)

$12.82 $12.82

$10.63 CA$15.03

20.60%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.06 $2.06

$2.27 CA$3.21

-9.25%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.78 $2.78

$2.82 CA$3.99

-1.42%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.47 $2.47

$2.66 CA$3.76

-7.14%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$93.1 $93.1

$77.3 CA$109

20.46%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.41 $3.41

$3.20 CA$4.53

6.56%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.89 $1.89

$1.48 CA$2.09

27.70%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$39.52 $39.52

$32.88 CA$46.48

20.19%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.47 $1.47

$1.34 CA$1.90

9.70%

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

$37.7K $37.7K

$28.2K CA$39.8K

33.75%

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

$26.1K $26.1K

$19.6K CA$27.8K

32.77%

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

$180 $180

$76.0 CA$107

137.27%

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

$61.7 $61.7

$33.95 CA$48.00

81.71%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$76.7 $76.7

$42.31 CA$59.8

81.23%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$49.54 $49.54

$29.76 CA$42.07

66.47%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$7.94 $7.94

$20.28 CA$28.67

-60.85%

Cinema Ticket

$15.27 $15.27

$11.15 CA$15.77

36.95%

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

$2,565 $2,565

$507 CA$717

405.87%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$35.2K $35.2K

$16.1K CA$22.7K

119.36%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$71.2 $71.2

$57.6 CA$81.4

23.77%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$70.5 $70.5

$37.58 CA$53.1

87.55%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$96.2 $96.2

$91.9 CA$130

4.67%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$235 $235

$110 CA$155

114.28%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,594 $2,594

$1,260 CA$1,782

105.83%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,219 $2,219

$948 CA$1,340

134.15%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$4,778 $4,778

$2,137 CA$3,021

123.60%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$3,487 $3,487

$1,614 CA$2,281

116.10%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$8,047 $8,047

$4,960 CA$7,011

62.25%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$7,245 $7,245

$3,838 CA$5,425

88.79%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$6,775 $6,775

$2,827 CA$3,997

139.62%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

6.62

4.48

47.77%

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

Last update for Berkeley, CA: 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

Berkeley, CA

$2.2K 57.2%

Montreal

$948 47% 57.3% $1.3K

Groceries & Markets

Berkeley, CA

$578 14.9%

Montreal

$346 17.2% 40.1% $232

Eating Out

Berkeley, CA

$354 9.1%

Montreal

$288 14.3% 18.6% $66

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Berkeley, CA

$319 8.2%

Montreal

$152 7.5% 52.2% $166

Clothing & Footwear

Berkeley, CA

$213 5.5%

Montreal

$133 6.6% 37.3% $79

Getting Around

Berkeley, CA

$116 3%

Montreal

$99 4.9% 15% $17

Sport & Entertainment

Berkeley, CA

$80 2.1%

Montreal

$52 2.6% 35% $28

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $2,594 in Berkeley, CA 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 140% higher in Berkeley, CA, 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 $80.0 in Berkeley, CA versus $70.0 in Montreal. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $578 vs $346 – making Montreal the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇺🇸 Berkeley, CA

🇨🇦 Montreal

🕒 Local time

11:39 11:39 AM

14:39 2:39 PM

3 h ahead of Berkeley, CA

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

121,363

1,762,949

💱 Currency

United States Dollar USD $

Canadian Dollar CAD $

📈 Exchange rate

1 USD = 0.889 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 17, 2026: 1 EUR = 1.12 USD (1 USD = 0.889 EUR).

Canadian Dollar exchange rates as of October 17, 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 →

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Between locations

Berkeley, CA Montreal 4,070 km ≈ 6 h nonstop flight

From you

Berkeley, 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

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

Yes – Berkeley, CA is pricier by about 92%, and outside of rent the gap shows up most in groceries.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $5,817 per month in Berkeley, CA 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.

Public transport costs about 20% less in Montreal. For daily commuters, that gap adds up to noticeable savings over a year.

Kindergarten costs $2,565 per month in Berkeley, CA and $507 in Montreal. For families with young kids, this one expense can tip the scales when choosing between the two cities.

A $2,000 monthly budget goes further in Montreal, where all-in costs run around $2,018, than in Berkeley, CA at $3,878. In Montreal it covers expenses comfortably, while in Berkeley, CA it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.

Families tend to lean toward Montreal – lower housing and cheaper childcare make a real difference, especially on a single income or when paying for private education.

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, Berkeley, CA makes more sense. Both are solid long-term options with distinct trade-offs.