Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Dana Point, CA and Montreal

For one person, living is cheaper in Montreal: $2,059 a month against $4,372 in Dana Point, CA, rent and utilities included – about $27,800 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

211

Cost of Living Index in Dana Point, CA
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Dana Point, CA Living Index
99

Cost of Living Index in Montreal
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Montreal Living Index

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Dana Point, CA

🇺🇸 United States

$4,372

/mo nomad

Montreal

🇨🇦 Canada

$2,059

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

A single person spends $4,372 per month in Dana Point, CA vs $2,059 in Montreal, rent included.

Dana Point, CA $4,372
Montreal $2,059

A couple spends around $5,964 per month in Dana Point, CA vs $3,123 in Montreal, rent included.

Dana Point, CA $5,964
Montreal $3,123

A family of three spends $7,557 per month in Dana Point, CA vs $4,187 in Montreal, rent included.

Dana Point, CA $7,557
Montreal $4,187

Dana Point, CA costs about 112% more than Montreal, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

Both Dana Point, CA and Montreal sit above the global median – Dana Point, CA by 223%, Montreal by 52%.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$25.21 $25.21

$18.84 CA$26.63

33.81%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$101 $101

$73.2 CA$104

37.65%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$14.52 $14.52

$10.54 CA$14.90

37.76%

Cappuccino

$6.04 $6.04

$3.97 CA$5.61

52.14%

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

$3.68 $3.68

$1.94 CA$2.74

89.69%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.65 $2.65

$1.57 CA$2.22

68.79%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$7.90 $7.90

$6.42 CA$9.08

23.05%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$9.97 $9.97

$7.20 CA$10.19

38.47%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.28 $1.28

$2.32 CA$3.28

-44.83%

White Bread (500g)

$4.83 $4.83

$3.19 CA$4.51

51.41%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$4.71 $4.71

$3.19 CA$4.50

47.65%

Eggs

$3.97 $3.97

$3.68 CA$5.20

7.88%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$11.26 $11.26

$13.24 CA$18.72

-14.95%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$13.49 $13.49

$11.69 CA$16.53

15.40%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$15.71 $15.71

$13.98 CA$19.76

12.37%

Apples (1kg)

$5.02 $5.02

$3.14 CA$4.44

59.87%

Banana (1kg)

$2.21 $2.21

$1.45 CA$2.05

52.41%

Oranges (1kg)

$3.51 $3.51

$3.38 CA$4.78

3.85%

Tomato (1kg)

$5.34 $5.34

$3.11 CA$4.40

71.70%

Potato (1kg)

$2.91 $2.91

$1.93 CA$2.72

50.78%

Onion (1kg)

$2.78 $2.78

$1.83 CA$2.58

51.91%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.99 $1.99

$2.36 CA$3.34

-15.68%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$2.44 $2.44

$1.50 CA$2.12

62.67%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$11.99 $11.99

$11.12 CA$15.73

7.82%

Wine (Bottle)

$15.27 $15.27

$10.60 CA$14.98

44.06%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$3.02 $3.02

$2.22 CA$3.14

36.04%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.78 $2.78

$2.84 CA$4.01

-2.11%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.02 $2.02

$2.62 CA$3.71

-22.90%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$79.1 CA$112

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.16 $3.16

$3.23 CA$4.56

-2.17%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.90 $1.90

$1.48 CA$2.10

28.38%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$32.63 $32.63

$32.22 CA$45.55

1.27%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.28 $1.28

$1.36 CA$1.92

-5.88%

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

$32.8K $32.8K

$27.6K CA$39.1K

18.70%

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

$26.3K $26.3K

$21.2K CA$30.0K

24.30%

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

$255 $255

$77.0 CA$109

230.84%

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

$77.4 $77.4

$34.14 CA$48.26

126.60%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$78.5 $78.5

$42.19 CA$59.7

86.13%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$41.94 $41.94

$30.81 CA$43.56

36.12%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$20.15 $20.15

$19.66 CA$27.79

2.49%

Cinema Ticket

$19.64 $19.64

$11.47 CA$16.22

71.23%

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

$1,690 $1,690

$506 CA$716

233.93%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$32.3K $32.3K

$16.2K CA$23.0K

99.15%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$65.4 $65.4

$57.3 CA$81.0

14.20%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$52.2 $52.2

$38.10 CA$53.9

37.01%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$113 $113

$91.9 CA$130

23.42%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$177 $177

$110 CA$155

61.54%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,986 $2,986

$1,237 CA$1,748

141.46%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,847 $2,847

$977 CA$1,381

191.45%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$5,264 $5,264

$2,180 CA$3,082

141.45%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$4,148 $4,148

$1,608 CA$2,273

157.97%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$2,686 $2,686

$5,113 CA$7,228

-47.46%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,351 $2,351

$3,744 CA$5,293

-37.20%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$7,504 $7,504

$2,957 CA$4,180

153.77%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

6.56

4.48

46.43%

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

Last update for Dana Point, CA: October 20, 2026

Last update for Montreal: October 20, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Dana Point, CA

$2.8K 65.1%

Montreal

$977 47.4% 65.7% $1.9K

Groceries & Markets

Dana Point, CA

$426 9.8%

Montreal

$351 17.1% 17.6% $75

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Dana Point, CA

$411 9.4%

Montreal

$153 7.5% 62.7% $257

Eating Out

Dana Point, CA

$402 9.2%

Montreal

$290 14.1% 27.8% $112

Clothing & Footwear

Dana Point, CA

$184 4.2%

Montreal

$134 6.5% 27.3% $50

Sport & Entertainment

Dana Point, CA

$81 1.9%

Montreal

$54 2.6% 33.8% $27

Getting Around

Dana Point, CA

$21 * 0.5%

Montreal

$100 4.9% 384% $80

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

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $2,986 in Dana Point, CA versus $1,237 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 154% higher in Dana Point, 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 $101 in Dana Point, CA versus $73.0 in Montreal. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $426 vs $351 – making Montreal the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇺🇸 Dana Point, CA

🇨🇦 Montreal

🕒 Local time

03:13 3:13 AM

06:13 6:13 AM

3 h ahead of Dana Point, CA

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

33,351

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 22, 2026: 1 EUR = 1.12 USD (1 USD = 0.89 EUR).

Canadian Dollar exchange rates as of October 22, 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

Dana Point, CA Montreal 3,960 km ≈ 5 h nonstop flight

From you

Dana Point, 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

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

Yes – Dana Point, CA is pricier by about 112%, and outside of rent the gap shows up most in eating out.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $6,557 per month in Dana Point, CA and $3,089 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.

Monthly expenses with rent come to $4,372 in Dana Point, CA and $2,059 in Montreal. That's a gap of about 112%.

Kindergarten costs $1,690 per month in Dana Point, CA and $506 in Montreal. For families with young kids, this one expense can tip the scales when choosing between the two cities.

A $2,000 monthly budget goes further in Montreal, where all-in costs run around $2,059, than in Dana Point, CA at $4,372. In Montreal it covers expenses comfortably, while in Dana Point, CA it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.

Families tend to lean toward Montreal – lower housing and cheaper childcare make a real difference, especially on a single income or when paying for private education.

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