Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Chicago, IL and Montreal

For one person, living is cheaper in Montreal: $2,003 a month against $3,169 in Chicago, IL, rent and utilities included – about $14,000 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

153

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

Cost of Living Index in Montreal
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Montreal Living Index

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Chicago, IL

🇺🇸 United States

$3,169

/mo nomad

Montreal

🇨🇦 Canada

$2,003

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

A single person spends $3,169 per month in Chicago, IL vs $2,003 in Montreal, rent included.

Chicago, IL $3,169
Montreal $2,003

A couple spends around $4,682 per month in Chicago, IL vs $3,048 in Montreal, rent included.

Chicago, IL $4,682
Montreal $3,048

A family of three spends $6,196 per month in Chicago, IL vs $4,092 in Montreal, rent included.

Chicago, IL $6,196
Montreal $4,092

Chicago, IL costs about 58% more than Montreal, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Both Chicago, IL and Montreal sit above the global median – Chicago, IL by 136%, Montreal by 49%.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$21.62 $21.62

$19.31 CA$27.46

11.96%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$91.2 $91.2

$75.5 CA$107

20.79%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$13.09 $13.09

$10.63 CA$15.11

23.14%

Cappuccino

$5.78 $5.78

$3.93 CA$5.58

47.07%

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

$2.64 $2.64

$1.92 CA$2.73

37.50%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.28 $2.28

$1.48 CA$2.11

54.05%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$6.94 $6.94

$6.30 CA$8.96

10.16%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$8.93 $8.93

$7.19 CA$10.22

24.20%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.27 $1.27

$2.22 CA$3.16

-42.79%

White Bread (500g)

$3.94 $3.94

$3.06 CA$4.35

28.76%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$4.96 $4.96

$2.94 CA$4.18

68.71%

Eggs

$4.64 $4.64

$3.53 CA$5.02

31.44%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$13.97 $13.97

$13.19 CA$18.76

5.91%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$14.37 $14.37

$11.24 CA$15.98

27.85%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$18.59 $18.59

$13.81 CA$19.65

34.61%

Apples (1kg)

$5.37 $5.37

$3.40 CA$4.84

57.94%

Banana (1kg)

$1.93 $1.93

$1.44 CA$2.05

34.03%

Oranges (1kg)

$4.01 $4.01

$3.26 CA$4.64

23.01%

Tomato (1kg)

$4.94 $4.94

$2.88 CA$4.09

71.53%

Potato (1kg)

$2.80 $2.80

$1.86 CA$2.64

50.54%

Onion (1kg)

$2.76 $2.76

$1.82 CA$2.60

51.65%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.16 $2.16

$2.43 CA$3.45

-11.11%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$3.12 $3.12

$1.52 CA$2.17

105.26%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$15.71 $15.71

$11.45 CA$16.29

37.21%

Wine (Bottle)

$15.23 $15.23

$10.36 CA$14.73

47.01%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.57 $2.57

$2.22 CA$3.15

15.77%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.48 $3.48

$2.82 CA$4.01

23.40%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.48 $2.48

$2.58 CA$3.66

-3.88%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$74.4 $74.4

$76.9 CA$109

-3.25%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.23 $3.23

$3.25 CA$4.63

-0.62%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.43 $1.43

$1.48 CA$2.11

-3.38%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$24.33 $24.33

$33.04 CA$46.99

-26.36%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.25 $1.25

$1.36 CA$1.93

-8.09%

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

$35.9K $35.9K

$27.4K CA$39.0K

30.81%

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

$26.0K $26.0K

$20.0K CA$28.4K

30.08%

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

$195 $195

$76.1 CA$108

155.62%

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

$69.0 $69.0

$34.68 CA$49.32

99.08%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$62.1 $62.1

$42.69 CA$60.7

45.37%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$54.5 $54.5

$28.94 CA$41.17

88.29%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$27.80 $27.80

$20.33 CA$28.91

36.74%

Cinema Ticket

$17.84 $17.84

$11.21 CA$15.94

59.14%

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

$1,513 $1,513

$505 CA$718

199.52%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$31.1K $31.1K

$16.0K CA$22.8K

94.19%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$68.1 $68.1

$58.5 CA$83.2

16.39%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$51.6 $51.6

$38.00 CA$54.1

35.89%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$101 $101

$92.7 CA$132

9.45%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$141 $141

$106 CA$150

33.41%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,437 $2,437

$1,240 CA$1,764

96.57%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,662 $1,662

$986 CA$1,402

68.59%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$4,644 $4,644

$2,102 CA$2,990

120.93%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,751 $2,751

$1,615 CA$2,297

70.35%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$4,036 $4,036

$5,043 CA$7,173

-19.96%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,677 $2,677

$3,830 CA$5,447

-30.10%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$4,861 $4,861

$2,920 CA$4,154

66.45%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

6.77

4.46

51.79%

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

Last update for Chicago, IL: October 6, 2026

Last update for Montreal: October 6, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Chicago, IL

$1.7K 53%

Montreal

$986 47.9% 40.7% $676

Groceries & Markets

Chicago, IL

$450 14.3%

Montreal

$344 16.7% 23.6% $106

Eating Out

Chicago, IL

$354 11.3%

Montreal

$293 14.2% 17.2% $61

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Chicago, IL

$326 10.4%

Montreal

$154 7.5% 52.9% $172

Clothing & Footwear

Chicago, IL

$163 5.2%

Montreal

$133 6.5% 18.6% $30

Getting Around

Chicago, IL

$95 3%

Montreal

$98 4.8% 3.3% $3.1

Sport & Entertainment

Chicago, IL

$90 2.9%

Montreal

$51 2.5% 43% $39

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $2,437 in Chicago, IL versus $1,240 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 66% higher in Chicago, 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 $91.0 in Chicago, IL versus $75.0 in Montreal. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $450 vs $344 – making Montreal the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇺🇸 Chicago, IL

🇨🇦 Montreal

🕒 Local time

00:38 12:38 AM

01:38 1:38 AM

1 h ahead of Chicago, IL

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

2,746,388

1,762,949

💱 Currency

United States Dollar USD $

Canadian Dollar CAD $

📈 Exchange rate

1 USD = 0.892 EUR

1 CAD = 0.703 USD

1 CAD = 0.627 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 = 1.42 CAD (1 CAD = 0.703 USD). 1 EUR = 1.6 CAD (1 CAD = 0.627 EUR).

CAD to USD in detail →

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Chicago, IL Montreal 1,200 km ≈ 2 h nonstop flight

From you

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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

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

Monthly costs with rent: $3,169 in Chicago, IL, $2,003 in Montreal – roughly 58% apart. Outside of rent, the biggest gap is in groceries.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $4,753 per month in Chicago, IL and $3,005 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.

Groceries cost about 31% more in Chicago, IL, though it depends on what you buy. Local produce may be comparable; imported and premium items show the biggest price gap.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $91.0 in Chicago, IL and $75.0 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 $2,003, than in Chicago, IL at $3,169. In Montreal it covers expenses comfortably, while in Chicago, IL it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.

It depends on your priorities. Chicago, IL has an edge in some lifestyle areas, with costs from $2,003 in Montreal to $3,169 in Chicago, 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, Chicago, IL makes more sense. Both are solid long-term options with distinct trade-offs.