Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Champaign, IL and Montreal

For one person, living is cheaper in Montreal: $2,018 a month against $2,161 in Champaign, IL, rent and utilities included – about $1,700 less a year. Higher rent and utilities in Champaign, IL outweigh lower spending on other living expenses.

104

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

Cost of Living Index in Montreal
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Montreal Living Index

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Champaign, IL

🇺🇸 United States

$2,161

/mo nomad

Montreal

🇨🇦 Canada

$2,018

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

A single person spends $2,161 per month in Champaign, IL vs $2,018 in Montreal, rent included.

Champaign, IL $2,161
Montreal $2,018

A couple spends around $3,133 per month in Champaign, IL vs $3,085 in Montreal, rent included.

Champaign, IL $3,133
Montreal $3,085

A family of three spends $4,106 per month in Champaign, IL vs $4,152 in Montreal, rent included.

Champaign, IL $4,106
Montreal $4,152

Champaign, IL costs about 7% more than Montreal, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in transport.

Both Champaign, IL and Montreal sit above the global median – Champaign, IL by 60%, Montreal by 49%.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$15.25 $15.25

$18.82 CA$26.61

-18.97%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$60.8 $60.8

$70.3 CA$99.4

-13.57%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$10.11 $10.11

$10.66 CA$15.06

-5.16%

Cappuccino

$4.83 $4.83

$3.84 CA$5.43

25.78%

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

$2.15 $2.15

$1.92 CA$2.71

11.98%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.73 $1.73

$1.54 CA$2.18

12.34%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$5.57 $5.57

$6.23 CA$8.81

-10.59%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$5.35 $5.35

$7.10 CA$10.03

-24.65%

Milk (1 liter)

$0.85 $0.85

$2.31 CA$3.27

-63.20%

White Bread (500g)

$3.14 $3.14

$3.14 CA$4.44

Rice (white) (1kg)

$3.13 $3.13

$3.21 CA$4.54

-2.49%

Eggs

$3.88 $3.88

$3.52 CA$4.97

10.23%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$12.19 $12.19

$12.81 CA$18.11

-4.84%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$5.96 $5.96

$11.46 CA$16.20

-47.99%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$12.81 $12.81

$13.39 CA$18.92

-4.33%

Apples (1kg)

$3.45 $3.45

$3.14 CA$4.43

9.87%

Banana (1kg)

$1.38 $1.38

$1.44 CA$2.03

-4.17%

Oranges (1kg)

$3.10 $3.10

$3.47 CA$4.91

-10.66%

Tomato (1kg)

$4.56 $4.56

$3.07 CA$4.34

48.53%

Potato (1kg)

$2.02 $2.02

$1.90 CA$2.69

6.32%

Onion (1kg)

$2.23 $2.23

$1.77 CA$2.50

25.99%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.21 $2.21

$2.34 CA$3.31

-5.56%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.25 $1.25

$1.55 CA$2.19

-19.35%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$10.25 $10.25

$11.38 CA$16.09

-9.93%

Wine (Bottle)

$14.71 $14.71

$10.63 CA$15.03

38.38%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.15 $2.15

$2.27 CA$3.21

-5.29%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.08 $4.08

$2.82 CA$3.99

44.68%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.97 $0.97

$2.66 CA$3.76

-63.53%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$20.38 $20.38

$77.3 CA$109

-73.63%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$2.52 $2.52

$3.20 CA$4.53

-21.25%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.59 $1.59

$1.48 CA$2.09

7.43%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$32.88 CA$46.48

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.16 $1.16

$1.34 CA$1.90

-13.43%

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

$35.1K $35.1K

$28.2K CA$39.8K

24.76%

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

$32.3K $32.3K

$19.6K CA$27.8K

64.30%

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

$240 $240

$76.0 CA$107

215.85%

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

$45.66 $45.66

$33.95 CA$48.00

34.49%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$67.6 $67.6

$42.31 CA$59.8

59.75%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$25.34 $25.34

$29.76 CA$42.07

-14.85%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$11.85 $11.85

$20.28 CA$28.67

-41.57%

Cinema Ticket

$11.09 $11.09

$11.15 CA$15.77

-0.54%

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

$993 $993

$507 CA$717

95.89%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$19.9K $19.9K

$16.1K CA$22.7K

24.17%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$48.98 $48.98

$57.6 CA$81.4

-14.89%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$37.58 CA$53.1

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$116 $116

$91.9 CA$130

26.12%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$122 $122

$110 CA$155

11.35%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,453 $1,453

$1,260 CA$1,782

15.31%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,016 $1,016

$948 CA$1,340

7.21%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,941 $1,941

$2,137 CA$3,021

-9.16%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,691 $1,691

$1,614 CA$2,281

4.79%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$1,688 $1,688

$4,960 CA$7,011

-65.97%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,709 $1,709

$3,838 CA$5,425

-55.47%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$3,674 $3,674

$2,827 CA$3,997

29.94%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

6.82

4.48

52.23%

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

Last update for Champaign, IL: October 11, 2026

Last update for Montreal: October 12, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Champaign, IL

$1K 47%

Montreal

$948 47% 6.7% $68

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Champaign, IL

$353 16.3%

Montreal

$152 7.5% 56.9% $201

Groceries & Markets

Champaign, IL

$316 14.6%

Montreal

$346 17.2% 9.6% $30

Eating Out

Champaign, IL

$264 12.2%

Montreal

$288 14.3% 8.9% $24

Clothing & Footwear

Champaign, IL

$129 * 6%

Montreal

$133 6.6% 3.4% $4.4

Sport & Entertainment

Champaign, IL

$48 2.2%

Montreal

$52 2.6% 9.6% $4.6

Getting Around

Champaign, IL

$35 1.6%

Montreal

$99 4.9% 183% $64

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

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $1,453 in Champaign, IL 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 30% higher in Champaign, IL, 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 $61.0 in Champaign, IL versus $70.0 in Montreal. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $316 vs $346 – making Champaign, IL the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇺🇸 Champaign, IL

🇨🇦 Montreal

🕒 Local time

20:15 8:15 PM

21:15 9:15 PM

1 h ahead of Champaign, IL

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

88,302

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

Champaign, IL Montreal 1,340 km ≈ 2 h 15 min nonstop flight

From you

Champaign, 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

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

Monthly costs with rent: $2,161 in Champaign, IL, $2,018 in Montreal – roughly 7% apart. Outside of rent, the biggest gap is in transport.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $3,241 per month in Champaign, IL 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.

Interestingly, groceries are about 10% cheaper in Champaign, IL – one category where the pricier city actually offers better value, probably thanks to stronger retail competition or local farming.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $61.0 in Champaign, IL and $70.0 in Montreal. That's a good indicator of the overall restaurant and café pricing gap between the two cities.

A $2,000 monthly budget goes further in Montreal, where all-in costs run around $2,018, than in Champaign, IL at $2,161. In Montreal it covers expenses comfortably, while in Champaign, IL it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.

It depends on your priorities. Montreal has an edge in some lifestyle areas, with costs from $2,018 in Montreal to $2,161 in Champaign, IL. Climate, culture, job market, and personal taste all factor in.

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