Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Dublin, CA and Montreal

For one person, living is cheaper in Montreal: $2,059 a month against $3,813 in Dublin, CA, rent and utilities included – about $21,000 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

Dublin, CA
🇺🇸 United States
$3,813
/mo nomad
Montreal
🇨🇦 Canada
$2,059
/mo nomad
Monthly Cost of Living

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $3,813 in Dublin, CA versus $2,059 in Montreal.

  • Dublin, CA $3,813
  • Montreal $2,059

Estimated couple costs with rent: $5,432 in Dublin, CA versus $3,123 in Montreal.

  • Dublin, CA $5,432
  • Montreal $3,123

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $7,050 in Dublin, CA versus $4,187 in Montreal.

  • Dublin, CA $7,050
  • Montreal $4,187

Living in Dublin, CA is roughly 85% more expensive than in Montreal, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Dublin, CA 181% above, Montreal 52% above.

Currency
🍽 Eating Out
Dublin, CA
Montreal
Difference
Meal at Budget Restaurant
$20.80 $20.80
$18.84 CA$26.63
10.40%
Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range
$65.0 $65.0
$73.2 CA$104
-11.28%
Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)
$11.14 $11.14
$10.54 CA$14.90
5.69%
Cappuccino
$5.28 $5.28
$3.97 CA$5.61
33.00%
Coke/Pepsi/Fanta/Sprite (0.33 liter bottle)
$2.67 $2.67
$1.94 CA$2.74
37.63%
Water (0.33 liter bottle)
$2.39 $2.39
$1.57 CA$2.22
52.23%
Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)
$7.09 $7.09
$6.42 CA$9.08
10.44%
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$6.90 $6.90
$7.20 CA$10.19
-4.17%
🛒 Groceries & Markets
Dublin, CA
Montreal
Difference
Milk (1 liter)
$1.65 $1.65
$2.32 CA$3.28
-28.88%
White Bread (500g)
$4.43 $4.43
$3.19 CA$4.51
38.87%
Rice (white) (1kg)
$4.07 $4.07
$3.19 CA$4.50
27.59%
Eggs
$5.86 $5.86
$3.68 CA$5.20
59.24%
Local Cheese (1kg)
$6.65 $6.65
$13.24 CA$18.72
-49.77%
Chicken Fillets (1kg)
$14.16 $14.16
$11.69 CA$16.53
21.13%
Beef Round Steak (1kg)
$22.22 $22.22
$13.98 CA$19.76
58.94%
Apples (1kg)
$5.25 $5.25
$3.14 CA$4.44
67.20%
Banana (1kg)
$2.02 $2.02
$1.45 CA$2.05
39.31%
Oranges (1kg)
$5.52 $5.52
$3.38 CA$4.78
63.31%
Tomato (1kg)
$4.48 $4.48
$3.11 CA$4.40
44.05%
Potato (1kg)
$3.60 $3.60
$1.93 CA$2.72
86.53%
Onion (1kg)
$2.15 $2.15
$1.83 CA$2.58
17.49%
Lettuce (1 head)
$2.04 $2.04
$2.36 CA$3.34
-13.56%
Water (1.5 liter bottle)
$2.55 $2.55
$1.50 CA$2.12
70.00%
Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)
$11.57 $11.57
$11.12 CA$15.73
4.05%
Wine (Bottle)
$15.73 $15.73
$10.60 CA$14.98
48.40%
Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)
$2.46 $2.46
$2.22 CA$3.14
10.81%
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$3.31 $3.31
$2.84 CA$4.01
16.55%
🚌 Getting Around
Dublin, CA
Montreal
Difference
One-way Ticket (Public Transport)
$3.09 $3.09
$2.62 CA$3.71
17.94%
Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)
$89.7 $89.7
$79.1 CA$112
13.33%
Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)
$3.56 $3.56
$3.23 CA$4.56
10.22%
Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)
$3.03 $3.03
$1.48 CA$2.10
104.73%
Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)
$30.19 $30.19
$32.22 CA$45.55
-6.30%
Gasoline (1 liter)
$1.41 $1.41
$1.36 CA$1.92
3.68%
Midsize Hatchback 1.4l (Volkswagen Golf, Toyota Prius, Honda Civic, etc)
$36.6K $36.6K
$27.6K CA$39.1K
32.31%
Compact Sedan 1.6l (Toyota Corolla, Mazda3, Kia K4, Hyundai Elantra, etc)
$26.1K $26.1K
$21.2K CA$30.0K
23.38%
🧾 Monthly Utilities & Internet
Dublin, CA
Montreal
Difference
Utilities for 2 People in 2-bedroom Apartment (Heating, Electricity, Gas, Water, Garbage) (85m2)
$124 $124
$77.0 CA$109
60.79%
SIM Card Monthly Plan (Calls and 10GB+ Data)
$48.57 $48.57
$34.14 CA$48.26
42.27%
Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)
$81.6 $81.6
$42.19 CA$59.7
93.36%
🎉 Sport & Entertainment
Dublin, CA
Montreal
Difference
Gym Membership (Monthly)
$34.51 $34.51
$30.81 CA$43.56
12.01%
Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)
$34.94 $34.94
$19.66 CA$27.79
77.72%
Cinema Ticket
$15.11 $15.11
$11.47 CA$16.22
31.73%
🧸 Childcare & Education
Dublin, CA
Montreal
Difference
Preschool or Kindergarten, Full Day, Private, 1 Child (Monthly)
$1,797 $1,797
$506 CA$716
255.13%
International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)
$39.0K $39.0K
$16.2K CA$23.0K
140.26%
👕👟 Clothing & Footwear
Dublin, CA
Montreal
Difference
Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)
$59.1 $59.1
$57.3 CA$81.0
3.16%
Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)
$52.0 $52.0
$38.10 CA$53.9
36.59%
Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)
$79.2 $79.2
$91.9 CA$130
-13.79%
Men's Leather Business Shoes
$119 $119
$110 CA$155
8.77%
🏠 Accommodation & Living
Dublin, CA
Montreal
Difference
1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$2,822 $2,822
$1,237 CA$1,748
128.20%
1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$2,457 $2,457
$977 CA$1,381
151.56%
3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$4,530 $4,530
$2,180 CA$3,082
107.81%
3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$4,002 $4,002
$1,608 CA$2,273
148.91%
Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)
$12.9K $12.9K
$5,113 CA$7,228
151.98%
Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)
$10.8K $10.8K
$3,744 CA$5,293
188.11%
💵 Salaries & Financials
Dublin, CA
Montreal
Difference
Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)
$6,418 $6,418
$2,957 CA$4,180
117.05%
20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)
6.67
4.48
48.88%

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

Last update for Dublin, 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
Dublin, CA
$2.5K
Montreal
$977 60.2% $1.5K
Groceries & Markets
Dublin, CA
$445
Montreal
$351 21.1% $94
Eating Out
Dublin, CA
$333
Montreal
$290 12.7% $42
Monthly Utilities & Internet
Dublin, CA
$254
Montreal
$153 39.6% $101
Clothing & Footwear
Dublin, CA
$139
Montreal
$134 4.1% $5.7
Getting Around
Dublin, CA
$121
Montreal
$100 17% $20
Sport & Entertainment
Dublin, CA
$65
Montreal
$54 16.9% $11

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $2,822 in Dublin, CA and $1,237 in Montreal. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Dublin, CA pays 117% 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: $65.0 in Dublin, CA vs $73.0 in Montreal. Groceries flip the comparison at $445 vs $351, with Montreal cheaper for home cooking.

Good to know
🇺🇸 Dublin, CA
🇨🇦 Montreal
🕒 Local time
14:47 2:47 PM
17:47 5:47 PM
3 h ahead of Dublin, CA
🌤 Weather
👥 Population
49,328
1,762,949
Exchange rates and currency converter

CAD, EUR to USD – United States Dollar Converter

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).

On the map
Between locations
  • Dublin, CA Montreal 4,050 km ≈ 6 h nonstop flight
From you
  • Dublin, 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
Dublin, CA vs Montreal: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions
Which city is more expensive, Dublin, CA or Montreal?
Montreal wins on cost – living expenses run 85% lower than in Dublin, CA. Housing and daily spending are where you'll feel the difference most, making Montreal the obvious pick if budget is a priority.
Are salaries higher in Dublin, CA or in Montreal?
Average pay runs 117% higher in Dublin, CA, which matters when comparing affordability. Whether that higher income actually nets you more depends on your spending habits and housing choices.
How much does a 1-bedroom apartment cost in Dublin, CA compared to Montreal?
Rent for a central apartment: $2,822 in Dublin, CA versus $1,237 in Montreal. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.
Are groceries more expensive in Dublin, CA or in Montreal?
Supermarket bills run roughly 27% higher in Dublin, CA. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.
How do dining costs compare in Dublin, CA and in Montreal?
Dining out is cheaper in Montreal – a meal for two runs $73.0 versus $65.0 in Dublin, CA. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.
Can you live on $2,000/month in Dublin, CA or in Montreal?
At $2,059 in Montreal versus $3,813 in Dublin, CA, a $2,000 budget is realistic in Montreal but tight or insufficient in Dublin, CA. The gap between the two cities makes Montreal the clear choice for anyone on this budget.
Which city is better for digital nomads, Dublin, CA or Montreal?
Both work as nomad bases, but Montreal delivers better value – similar infrastructure at $2,059 monthly. If stretching your runway or maximizing savings is the goal, the price difference makes Montreal hard to pass up.
How safe is Dublin, CA compared to Montreal?
Safety-wise, Dublin, 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.
Which city is more affordable for expats?
Expats usually find Montreal gentler on the wallet – expenses run 85% less than in Dublin, CA. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.

Dublin, CA vs other spots: cost of living compared

Similar cities

Show times on the 12-hour clock, temperatures in °F and distances in miles?