Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Costa Mesa, CA and Montreal

For one person, living is cheaper in Montreal: $2,018 a month against $3,959 in Costa Mesa, CA, rent and utilities included – about $23,300 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

192

Cost of Living Index in Costa Mesa, CA
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Costa Mesa, CA Living Index
99

Cost of Living Index in Montreal
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Montreal Living Index

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Costa Mesa, CA

🇺🇸 United States

$3,959

/mo nomad

Montreal

🇨🇦 Canada

$2,018

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

A single person spends $3,959 per month in Costa Mesa, CA vs $2,018 in Montreal, rent included.

Costa Mesa, CA $3,959
Montreal $2,018

A couple spends around $5,540 per month in Costa Mesa, CA vs $3,085 in Montreal, rent included.

Costa Mesa, CA $5,540
Montreal $3,085

A family of three spends $7,121 per month in Costa Mesa, CA vs $4,152 in Montreal, rent included.

Costa Mesa, CA $7,121
Montreal $4,152

Costa Mesa, CA costs about 96% more than Montreal, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Both Costa Mesa, CA and Montreal sit above the global median – Costa Mesa, CA by 193%, Montreal by 49%.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$19.85 $19.85

$18.82 CA$26.61

5.47%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$78.6 $78.6

$70.3 CA$99.4

11.85%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$14.90 $14.90

$10.66 CA$15.06

39.77%

Cappuccino

$5.59 $5.59

$3.84 CA$5.43

45.57%

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

$3.40 $3.40

$1.92 CA$2.71

77.08%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.50 $2.50

$1.54 CA$2.18

62.34%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$7.32 $7.32

$6.23 CA$8.81

17.50%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$9.73 $9.73

$7.10 CA$10.03

37.04%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.12 $1.12

$2.31 CA$3.27

-51.52%

White Bread (500g)

$4.01 $4.01

$3.14 CA$4.44

27.71%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$4.69 $4.69

$3.21 CA$4.54

46.11%

Eggs

$5.09 $5.09

$3.52 CA$4.97

44.60%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$12.82 $12.82

$12.81 CA$18.11

0.08%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$20.19 $20.19

$11.46 CA$16.20

76.18%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$21.58 $21.58

$13.39 CA$18.92

61.17%

Apples (1kg)

$5.01 $5.01

$3.14 CA$4.43

59.55%

Banana (1kg)

$2.48 $2.48

$1.44 CA$2.03

72.22%

Oranges (1kg)

$4.53 $4.53

$3.47 CA$4.91

30.55%

Tomato (1kg)

$5.80 $5.80

$3.07 CA$4.34

88.93%

Potato (1kg)

$4.53 $4.53

$1.90 CA$2.69

138.42%

Onion (1kg)

$2.32 $2.32

$1.77 CA$2.50

31.07%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.16 $2.16

$2.34 CA$3.31

-7.69%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.90 $1.90

$1.55 CA$2.19

22.58%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$11.60 $11.60

$11.38 CA$16.09

1.93%

Wine (Bottle)

$15.06 $15.06

$10.63 CA$15.03

41.67%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.01 $2.01

$2.27 CA$3.21

-11.45%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.18 $4.18

$2.82 CA$3.99

48.23%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.95 $1.95

$2.66 CA$3.76

-26.69%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$69.9 $69.9

$77.3 CA$109

-9.59%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$6.10 $6.10

$3.20 CA$4.53

90.62%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.48 CA$2.09

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$32.88 CA$46.48

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)

$37.2K $37.2K

$28.2K CA$39.8K

32.16%

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

$25.6K $25.6K

$19.6K CA$27.8K

30.27%

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

$218 $218

$76.0 CA$107

186.48%

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

$68.5 $68.5

$33.95 CA$48.00

101.83%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$71.5 $71.5

$42.31 CA$59.8

68.99%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$39.81 $39.81

$29.76 CA$42.07

33.77%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$12.21 $12.21

$20.28 CA$28.67

-39.79%

Cinema Ticket

$16.67 $16.67

$11.15 CA$15.77

49.51%

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

$1,196 $1,196

$507 CA$717

135.77%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$16.1K CA$22.7K

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$57.1 $57.1

$57.6 CA$81.4

-0.85%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$47.38 $47.38

$37.58 CA$53.1

26.08%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$93.2 $93.2

$91.9 CA$130

1.39%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$128 $128

$110 CA$155

17.09%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,726 $2,726

$1,260 CA$1,782

116.30%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,467 $2,467

$948 CA$1,340

160.36%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$4,187 $4,187

$2,137 CA$3,021

95.95%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$3,833 $3,833

$1,614 CA$2,281

137.56%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$9,284 $9,284

$4,960 CA$7,011

87.19%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$7,077 $7,077

$3,838 CA$5,425

84.41%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$6,286 $6,286

$2,827 CA$3,997

122.33%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

6.39

4.48

42.63%

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

Last update for Costa Mesa, CA: October 13, 2026

Last update for Montreal: October 12, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Costa Mesa, CA

$2.5K 62.3%

Montreal

$948 47% 61.6% $1.5K

Groceries & Markets

Costa Mesa, CA

$480 12.1%

Montreal

$346 17.2% 27.8% $133

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Costa Mesa, CA

$358 9%

Montreal

$152 7.5% 57.4% $205

Eating Out

Costa Mesa, CA

$350 8.9%

Montreal

$288 14.3% 17.8% $62

Clothing & Footwear

Costa Mesa, CA

$147 3.7%

Montreal

$133 6.6% 9% $13

Getting Around

Costa Mesa, CA

$84 * 2.1%

Montreal

$99 4.9% 17.6% $15

Sport & Entertainment

Costa Mesa, CA

$73 1.9%

Montreal

$52 2.6% 28.8% $21

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

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $2,726 in Costa Mesa, 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 122% higher in Costa Mesa, 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 $79.0 in Costa Mesa, CA versus $70.0 in Montreal. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $480 vs $346 – making Montreal the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇺🇸 Costa Mesa, CA

🇨🇦 Montreal

🕒 Local time

13:30 1:30 PM

16:30 4:30 PM

3 h ahead of Costa Mesa, CA

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

109,960

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 18, 2026: 1 EUR = 1.12 USD (1 USD = 0.89 EUR).

Canadian Dollar exchange rates as of October 18, 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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Costa Mesa, CA Montreal 3,960 km ≈ 5 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

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

Costa Mesa, CA costs about 96% more than Montreal, and outside of rent the gap comes mainly from groceries. That's enough to noticeably affect everyday spending and lifestyle for anyone choosing between the two.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $5,938 per month in Costa Mesa, 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.

Groceries cost about 39% more in Costa Mesa, CA, 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 $79.0 in Costa Mesa, CA 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 Costa Mesa, CA at $3,959. In Montreal it covers expenses comfortably, while in Costa Mesa, CA it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.

For digital nomads, it depends on budget. Montreal costs $2,018 versus $3,959 in Costa Mesa, CA. Both have workable remote work infrastructure, but the cost gap matters when income varies month to month.

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