Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Downey, CA and Montreal

For one person, living is cheaper in Montreal: $2,018 a month against $3,035 in Downey, CA, rent and utilities included – about $12,200 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

148

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

Cost of Living Index in Montreal
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Montreal Living Index

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Downey, CA

🇺🇸 United States

$3,035

/mo nomad

Montreal

🇨🇦 Canada

$2,018

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $3,035 in Downey, CA versus $2,018 in Montreal.

Downey, CA $3,035
Montreal $2,018

Estimated couple costs with rent: $4,713 in Downey, CA versus $3,085 in Montreal.

Downey, CA $4,713
Montreal $3,085

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $6,391 in Downey, CA versus $4,152 in Montreal.

Downey, CA $6,391
Montreal $4,152

Living in Downey, CA is roughly 50% more expensive than in Montreal, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Downey, CA 125% above, Montreal 49% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$24.83 $24.83

$18.82 CA$26.61

31.93%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$80.2 $80.2

$70.3 CA$99.4

14.14%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$15.21 $15.21

$10.66 CA$15.06

42.68%

Cappuccino

$5.66 $5.66

$3.84 CA$5.43

47.40%

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

$3.16 $3.16

$1.92 CA$2.71

64.58%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.34 $2.34

$1.54 CA$2.18

51.95%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$7.38 $7.38

$6.23 CA$8.81

18.46%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$9.36 $9.36

$7.10 CA$10.03

31.83%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.12 $1.12

$2.31 CA$3.27

-51.52%

White Bread (500g)

$4.10 $4.10

$3.14 CA$4.44

30.57%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$4.70 $4.70

$3.21 CA$4.54

46.42%

Eggs

$4.67 $4.67

$3.52 CA$4.97

32.67%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$12.90 $12.90

$12.81 CA$18.11

0.70%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$13.40 $13.40

$11.46 CA$16.20

16.93%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$15.25 $15.25

$13.39 CA$18.92

13.89%

Apples (1kg)

$4.70 $4.70

$3.14 CA$4.43

49.68%

Banana (1kg)

$1.65 $1.65

$1.44 CA$2.03

14.58%

Oranges (1kg)

$4.13 $4.13

$3.47 CA$4.91

19.02%

Tomato (1kg)

$5.48 $5.48

$3.07 CA$4.34

78.50%

Potato (1kg)

$3.71 $3.71

$1.90 CA$2.69

95.26%

Onion (1kg)

$3.08 $3.08

$1.77 CA$2.50

74.01%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.03 $2.03

$2.34 CA$3.31

-13.25%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$2.23 $2.23

$1.55 CA$2.19

43.87%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$11.68 $11.68

$11.38 CA$16.09

2.64%

Wine (Bottle)

$14.98 $14.98

$10.63 CA$15.03

40.92%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.01 $2.01

$2.27 CA$3.21

-11.45%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.20 $4.20

$2.82 CA$3.99

48.94%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.66 CA$3.76

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$77.3 CA$109

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$6.34 $6.34

$3.20 CA$4.53

98.12%

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)

$37.7K $37.7K

$28.2K CA$39.8K

33.93%

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

$25.7K $25.7K

$19.6K CA$27.8K

31.02%

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

$170 $170

$76.0 CA$107

124.18%

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

$66.6 $66.6

$33.95 CA$48.00

96.23%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$72.3 $72.3

$42.31 CA$59.8

70.95%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$34.92 $34.92

$29.76 CA$42.07

17.34%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$20.28 CA$28.67

Cinema Ticket

$15.11 $15.11

$11.15 CA$15.77

35.52%

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

$1,188 $1,188

$507 CA$717

134.32%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$16.1K CA$22.7K

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$58.6 $58.6

$57.6 CA$81.4

1.79%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$45.89 $45.89

$37.58 CA$53.1

22.11%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$92.0 $92.0

$91.9 CA$130

0.11%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$144 $144

$110 CA$155

31.52%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,946 $1,946

$1,260 CA$1,782

54.42%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,693 $1,693

$948 CA$1,340

78.63%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$3,725 $3,725

$2,137 CA$3,021

74.33%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$3,383 $3,383

$1,614 CA$2,281

109.64%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$5,755 $5,755

$4,960 CA$7,011

16.04%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$5,766 $5,766

$3,838 CA$5,425

50.25%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$4,178 $4,178

$2,827 CA$3,997

47.78%

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 Downey, 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

Downey, CA

$1.7K 55.8%

Montreal

$948 47% 44% $745

Groceries & Markets

Downey, CA

$419 13.8%

Montreal

$346 17.2% 17.3% $72

Eating Out

Downey, CA

$390 12.8%

Montreal

$288 14.3% 26.2% $102

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Downey, CA

$309 10.2%

Montreal

$152 7.5% 50.8% $157

Clothing & Footwear

Downey, CA

$153 5.1%

Montreal

$133 6.6% 12.9% $20

Sport & Entertainment

Downey, CA

$65 2.2%

Montreal

$52 2.6% 20.1% $13

Getting Around

Downey, CA

$6.3 * 0.2%

Montreal

$99 4.9% 1454% $92

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

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,946 in Downey, CA and $1,260 in Montreal. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Downey, CA pays 48% 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: $80.0 in Downey, CA vs $70.0 in Montreal for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $419 vs $346 per month, with Montreal cheaper across the board.

Good to know

🇺🇸 Downey, CA

🇨🇦 Montreal

🕒 Local time

11:42 11:42 AM

14:42 2:42 PM

3 h ahead of Downey, CA

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

114,355

1,762,949

💱 Currency

United States Dollar USD $

Canadian Dollar CAD $

📈 Exchange rate

1 USD = 0.889 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 17, 2026: 1 EUR = 1.12 USD (1 USD = 0.889 EUR).

Canadian Dollar exchange rates as of October 17, 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

Downey, CA Montreal 3,960 km ≈ 5 h nonstop flight

From you

Downey, 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

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

Montreal is cheaper overall, especially in groceries, eating out, and clothing. The 50% gap adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

Average pay runs 48% higher in Downey, 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: $1,946 in Downey, CA versus $1,260 in Montreal. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Supermarket bills run roughly 21% higher in Downey, CA. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

All in, you'll spend $3,035 per month in Downey, CA versus $2,018 in Montreal – a 50% gap that adds up to real savings over time for anyone picking the cheaper option.

At $2,018 in Montreal versus $3,035 in Downey, CA, a $2,000 budget is realistic in Montreal but tight or insufficient in Downey, 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 Downey, CA, and the savings on those two alone free up budget for education, activities, and family trips.

Safety-wise, Downey, 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 50% less than in Downey, CA. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.