Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Chico, CA and Montreal

For one person, living is cheaper in Montreal: $2,059 a month against $2,530 in Chico, CA, rent and utilities included – about $5,700 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

122

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

Cost of Living Index in Montreal
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Montreal Living Index

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Chico, CA

🇺🇸 United States

$2,530

/mo nomad

Montreal

🇨🇦 Canada

$2,059

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $2,530 in Chico, CA versus $2,059 in Montreal.

Chico, CA $2,530
Montreal $2,059

Estimated couple costs with rent: $4,021 in Chico, CA versus $3,123 in Montreal.

Chico, CA $4,021
Montreal $3,123

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $5,513 in Chico, CA versus $4,187 in Montreal.

Chico, CA $5,513
Montreal $4,187

Living in Chico, CA is roughly 23% more expensive than in Montreal, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Chico, CA 87% above, Montreal 52% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$25.29 $25.29

$18.84 CA$26.63

34.24%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$49.38 $49.38

$73.2 CA$104

-32.56%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$11.96 $11.96

$10.54 CA$14.90

13.47%

Cappuccino

$5.65 $5.65

$3.97 CA$5.61

42.32%

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

$2.56 $2.56

$1.94 CA$2.74

31.96%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.19 $2.19

$1.57 CA$2.22

39.49%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$7.34 $7.34

$6.42 CA$9.08

14.33%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$7.90 $7.90

$7.20 CA$10.19

9.72%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.09 $1.09

$2.32 CA$3.28

-53.02%

White Bread (500g)

$3.11 $3.11

$3.19 CA$4.51

-2.51%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$3.62 $3.62

$3.19 CA$4.50

13.48%

Eggs

$4.63 $4.63

$3.68 CA$5.20

25.82%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$11.17 $11.17

$13.24 CA$18.72

-15.63%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$12.36 $12.36

$11.69 CA$16.53

5.73%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$22.39 $22.39

$13.98 CA$19.76

60.16%

Apples (1kg)

$5.63 $5.63

$3.14 CA$4.44

79.30%

Banana (1kg)

$2.27 $2.27

$1.45 CA$2.05

56.55%

Oranges (1kg)

$3.84 $3.84

$3.38 CA$4.78

13.61%

Tomato (1kg)

$5.66 $5.66

$3.11 CA$4.40

81.99%

Potato (1kg)

$4.92 $4.92

$1.93 CA$2.72

154.92%

Onion (1kg)

$3.14 $3.14

$1.83 CA$2.58

71.58%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.48 $2.48

$2.36 CA$3.34

5.08%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$2.53 $2.53

$1.50 CA$2.12

68.67%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$11.84 $11.84

$11.12 CA$15.73

6.47%

Wine (Bottle)

$15.17 $15.17

$10.60 CA$14.98

43.11%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.70 $1.70

$2.22 CA$3.14

-23.42%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.59 $3.59

$2.84 CA$4.01

26.41%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$3.06 $3.06

$2.62 CA$3.71

16.79%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$35.63 $35.63

$79.1 CA$112

-54.98%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.14 $3.14

$3.23 CA$4.56

-2.79%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.44 $2.44

$1.48 CA$2.10

64.86%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$39.89 $39.89

$32.22 CA$45.55

23.81%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.40 $1.40

$1.36 CA$1.92

2.94%

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

$27.9K $27.9K

$27.6K CA$39.1K

0.88%

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

$26.2K $26.2K

$21.2K CA$30.0K

23.76%

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

$185 $185

$77.0 CA$109

140.12%

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

$49.53 $49.53

$34.14 CA$48.26

45.08%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$68.4 $68.4

$42.19 CA$59.7

62.15%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$76.6 $76.6

$30.81 CA$43.56

148.69%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$19.66 CA$27.79

Cinema Ticket

$12.91 $12.91

$11.47 CA$16.22

12.55%

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

$1,837 $1,837

$506 CA$716

262.95%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$37.4K $37.4K

$16.2K CA$23.0K

130.35%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$51.0 $51.0

$57.3 CA$81.0

-10.90%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$32.06 $32.06

$38.10 CA$53.9

-15.85%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$69.1 $69.1

$91.9 CA$130

-24.79%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$100 $100

$110 CA$155

-8.76%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,491 $1,491

$1,237 CA$1,748

20.54%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,140 $1,140

$977 CA$1,381

16.68%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,884 $2,884

$2,180 CA$3,082

32.29%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,557 $2,557

$1,608 CA$2,273

59.01%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,012 $3,012

$5,113 CA$7,228

-41.10%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,837 $2,837

$3,744 CA$5,293

-24.24%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$3,887 $3,887

$2,957 CA$4,180

31.45%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

6.28

4.48

40.18%

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

Last update for Chico, CA: October 19, 2026

Last update for Montreal: October 20, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Chico, CA

$1.1K 45.1%

Montreal

$977 47.4% 14.3% $163

Groceries & Markets

Chico, CA

$430 17%

Montreal

$351 17.1% 18.4% $79

Eating Out

Chico, CA

$378 14.9%

Montreal

$290 14.1% 23.1% $87

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Chico, CA

$303 12%

Montreal

$153 7.5% 49.4% $150

Clothing & Footwear

Chico, CA

$114 4.5%

Montreal

$134 6.5% 17.7% $20

Sport & Entertainment

Chico, CA

$102 4.1%

Montreal

$54 2.6% 47.5% $49

Getting Around

Chico, CA

$63 2.5%

Montreal

$100 4.9% 58.7% $37

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,491 in Chico, CA and $1,237 in Montreal. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Chico, CA pays 31% 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: $49.00 in Chico, CA vs $73.0 in Montreal. Groceries flip the comparison at $430 vs $351, with Montreal cheaper for home cooking.

Good to know

🇺🇸 Chico, CA

🇨🇦 Montreal

🕒 Local time

03:46 3:46 AM

06:46 6:46 AM

3 h ahead of Chico, CA

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

90,316

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

Chico, CA Montreal 3,940 km ≈ 5 h nonstop flight

From you

Chico, 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

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

Montreal is cheaper overall, especially in groceries, eating out, and utilities. The 23% gap adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

Average pay runs 31% higher in Chico, 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: $1,491 in Chico, CA versus $1,237 in Montreal. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Dining out is cheaper in Montreal – a meal for two runs $73.0 versus $49.00 in Chico, CA. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

All in, you'll spend $2,530 per month in Chico, CA versus $2,059 in Montreal – a 23% gap that adds up to real savings over time for anyone picking the cheaper option.

At $2,059 in Montreal versus $2,530 in Chico, CA, a $2,000 budget is realistic in Montreal but tight or insufficient in Chico, CA. The gap between the two cities makes Montreal the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

For families, Montreal is more practical. Housing and childcare are both notably cheaper than in Chico, CA, and the savings on those two alone free up budget for education, activities, and family trips.

Safety-wise, Chico, 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 23% less than in Chico, CA. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.