Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Carbondale, IL and Montreal

For one person, living is cheaper in Carbondale, IL: $1,764 a month against $2,003 in Montreal, rent and utilities included – about $2,900 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

85

Cost of Living Index in Carbondale, IL
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Carbondale, IL Living Index
99

Cost of Living Index in Montreal
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Montreal Living Index

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Carbondale, IL

🇺🇸 United States

$1,764

/mo nomad

Montreal

🇨🇦 Canada

$2,003

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,764 in Carbondale, IL versus $2,003 in Montreal.

Carbondale, IL $1,764
Montreal $2,003

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,118 in Carbondale, IL versus $3,048 in Montreal.

Carbondale, IL $2,118
Montreal $3,048

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $2,473 in Carbondale, IL versus $4,092 in Montreal.

Carbondale, IL $2,473
Montreal $4,092

Living in Carbondale, IL costs roughly 12% less than in Montreal, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in transport.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Carbondale, IL 32% above, Montreal 49% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$18.32 $18.32

$19.31 CA$27.52

-5.13%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$38.75 $38.75

$75.5 CA$108

-48.68%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$8.87 $8.87

$10.63 CA$15.15

-16.56%

Cappuccino

$5.10 $5.10

$3.93 CA$5.60

29.77%

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

$2.23 $2.23

$1.92 CA$2.73

16.15%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.95 $1.95

$1.48 CA$2.11

31.76%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$4.38 $4.38

$6.30 CA$8.98

-30.48%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$8.03 $8.03

$7.19 CA$10.24

11.68%

Milk (1 liter)

$0.90 $0.90

$2.22 CA$3.17

-59.46%

White Bread (500g)

$3.03 $3.03

$3.06 CA$4.36

-0.98%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$4.16 $4.16

$2.94 CA$4.19

41.50%

Eggs

$3.80 $3.80

$3.53 CA$5.03

7.65%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$13.12 $13.12

$13.19 CA$18.79

-0.53%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$11.45 $11.45

$11.24 CA$16.02

1.87%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$18.75 $18.75

$13.81 CA$19.69

35.77%

Apples (1kg)

$5.73 $5.73

$3.40 CA$4.85

68.53%

Banana (1kg)

$1.72 $1.72

$1.44 CA$2.06

19.44%

Oranges (1kg)

$6.03 $6.03

$3.26 CA$4.65

84.97%

Tomato (1kg)

$4.92 $4.92

$2.88 CA$4.10

70.83%

Potato (1kg)

$1.66 $1.66

$1.86 CA$2.65

-10.75%

Onion (1kg)

$2.40 $2.40

$1.82 CA$2.60

31.87%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.60 $2.60

$2.43 CA$3.46

7.00%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$2.14 $2.14

$1.52 CA$2.17

40.79%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$10.66 $10.66

$11.45 CA$16.32

-6.90%

Wine (Bottle)

$13.16 $13.16

$10.36 CA$14.76

27.03%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.70 $1.70

$2.22 CA$3.16

-23.42%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.66 $1.66

$2.82 CA$4.02

-41.13%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.58 CA$3.67

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$76.9 CA$110

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$2.04 $2.04

$3.25 CA$4.64

-37.23%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.39 $1.39

$1.48 CA$2.11

-6.08%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$20.08 $20.08

$33.04 CA$47.09

-39.23%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$0.99 $0.99

$1.36 CA$1.94

-27.21%

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

$37.9K $37.9K

$27.4K CA$39.1K

38.12%

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

$26.9K $26.9K

$20.0K CA$28.5K

34.76%

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

$189 $189

$76.1 CA$109

148.19%

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

$86.1 $86.1

$34.68 CA$49.43

148.39%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$74.7 $74.7

$42.69 CA$60.9

75.03%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$28.94 CA$41.26

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$20.33 CA$28.97

Cinema Ticket

$11.95 $11.95

$11.21 CA$15.98

6.60%

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

$1,731 $1,731

$505 CA$720

242.62%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$24.5K $24.5K

$16.0K CA$22.8K

52.85%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$46.38 $46.38

$58.5 CA$83.4

-20.72%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$33.29 $33.29

$38.00 CA$54.2

-12.39%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$81.7 $81.7

$92.7 CA$132

-11.84%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$150 $150

$106 CA$151

41.97%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$658 $658

$1,240 CA$1,768

-46.97%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$557 $557

$986 CA$1,405

-43.46%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,102 CA$2,996

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,615 CA$2,302

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$840 $840

$5,043 CA$7,188

-83.34%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$836 $836

$3,830 CA$5,459

-78.17%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$3,856 $3,856

$2,920 CA$4,163

32.04%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

6.6

4.46

47.98%

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

Last update for Carbondale, IL: October 5, 2026

Last update for Montreal: October 6, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Carbondale, IL

$557 31.6%

Montreal

$986 47.9% 76.9% $429

Groceries & Markets

Carbondale, IL

$396 22.4%

Montreal

$344 16.7% 13.2% $52

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Carbondale, IL

$350 19.8%

Montreal

$154 7.5% 56.1% $196

Eating Out

Carbondale, IL

$289 16.4%

Montreal

$293 14.2% 1.3% $3.8

Clothing & Footwear

Carbondale, IL

$140 7.9%

Montreal

$133 6.5% 5.3% $7.5

Sport & Entertainment

Carbondale, IL

$24 * 1.4%

Montreal

$51 2.5% 115% $27

Getting Around

Carbondale, IL

$9 * 0.5%

Montreal

$98 4.8% 986% $89

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 $658 in Carbondale, IL and $1,240 in Montreal. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Carbondale, IL pays 32% more on average while also being the cheaper of the two. The combined effect is a noticeably stronger local purchasing power.

Dining out: $39.00 in Carbondale, IL vs $75.0 in Montreal. Groceries flip the comparison at $396 vs $344, with Montreal cheaper for home cooking.

Good to know

🇺🇸 Carbondale, IL

🇨🇦 Montreal

🕒 Local time

15:03 3:03 PM

16:03 4:03 PM

1 h ahead of Carbondale, IL

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

24,881

1,762,949

💱 Currency

United States Dollar USD $

Canadian Dollar CAD $

📈 Exchange rate

1 USD = 0.892 EUR

1 CAD = 0.702 USD

1 CAD = 0.626 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 10, 2026: 1 EUR = 1.12 USD (1 USD = 0.892 EUR).

Canadian Dollar exchange rates as of October 10, 2026: 1 USD = 1.43 CAD (1 CAD = 0.702 USD). 1 EUR = 1.6 CAD (1 CAD = 0.626 EUR).

CAD to USD in detail →

On the map

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Highest

Between locations

Carbondale, IL Montreal 1,560 km ≈ 2 h 30 min nonstop flight

From you

Carbondale, IL
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

Carbondale, IL vs Montreal: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Carbondale, IL wins on cost – living expenses run 14% lower than in Montreal. Housing and daily spending are where you'll feel the difference most, making Carbondale, IL the obvious pick if budget is a priority.

Average pay runs 32% higher in Carbondale, IL, 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: $658 in Carbondale, IL versus $1,240 in Montreal. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Shoppers in Montreal pay roughly 15% less for everyday groceries. It's an unusual reversal that partly offsets higher costs elsewhere.

All in, you'll spend $1,764 per month in Carbondale, IL versus $2,003 in Montreal – a 14% gap that adds up to real savings over time for anyone picking the cheaper option.

At $1,764 in Carbondale, IL versus $2,003 in Montreal, a $2,000 budget is realistic in Carbondale, IL but tight or insufficient in Montreal. The gap between the two cities makes Carbondale, IL the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

Both work as nomad bases, but Carbondale, IL delivers better value – similar infrastructure at $1,764 monthly. If stretching your runway or maximizing savings is the goal, the price difference makes Carbondale, IL hard to pass up.

Safety-wise, Carbondale, IL 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 Carbondale, IL gentler on the wallet – expenses run 14% less than in Montreal. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.