Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Fontana, CA and Montreal

For one person, living is cheaper in Montreal: $2,059 a month against $3,399 in Fontana, CA, rent and utilities included – about $16,100 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

165

Cost of Living Index in Fontana, CA
Learn more

Fontana, CA Living Index
99

Cost of Living Index in Montreal
Learn more

Montreal Living Index

Jump to prices

Fontana, CA

🇺🇸 United States

$3,399

/mo nomad

Montreal

🇨🇦 Canada

$2,059

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

A single person spends $3,399 per month in Fontana, CA vs $2,059 in Montreal, rent included.

Fontana, CA $3,399
Montreal $2,059

A couple spends around $5,055 per month in Fontana, CA vs $3,123 in Montreal, rent included.

Fontana, CA $5,055
Montreal $3,123

A family of three spends $6,711 per month in Fontana, CA vs $4,187 in Montreal, rent included.

Fontana, CA $6,711
Montreal $4,187

Fontana, CA costs about 65% more than Montreal, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in utilities.

Both Fontana, CA and Montreal sit above the global median – Fontana, CA by 151%, Montreal by 52%.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$20.01 $20.01

$18.84 CA$26.63

6.21%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$78.4 $78.4

$73.2 CA$104

7.12%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$14.87 $14.87

$10.54 CA$14.90

41.08%

Cappuccino

$5.65 $5.65

$3.97 CA$5.61

42.32%

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

$3.48 $3.48

$1.94 CA$2.74

79.38%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.38 $2.38

$1.57 CA$2.22

51.59%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$7.28 $7.28

$6.42 CA$9.08

13.40%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$9.25 $9.25

$7.20 CA$10.19

28.47%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.06 $1.06

$2.32 CA$3.28

-54.31%

White Bread (500g)

$4.12 $4.12

$3.19 CA$4.51

29.15%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$4.80 $4.80

$3.19 CA$4.50

50.47%

Eggs

$5.03 $5.03

$3.68 CA$5.20

36.68%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$13.18 $13.18

$13.24 CA$18.72

-0.45%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$8.66 $8.66

$11.69 CA$16.53

-25.92%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$15.23 $15.23

$13.98 CA$19.76

8.94%

Apples (1kg)

$4.81 $4.81

$3.14 CA$4.44

53.18%

Banana (1kg)

$2.12 $2.12

$1.45 CA$2.05

46.21%

Oranges (1kg)

$4.00 $4.00

$3.38 CA$4.78

18.34%

Tomato (1kg)

$5.71 $5.71

$3.11 CA$4.40

83.60%

Potato (1kg)

$3.61 $3.61

$1.93 CA$2.72

87.05%

Onion (1kg)

$2.30 $2.30

$1.83 CA$2.58

25.68%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.06 $2.06

$2.36 CA$3.34

-12.71%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.91 $1.91

$1.50 CA$2.12

27.33%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$11.73 $11.73

$11.12 CA$15.73

5.49%

Wine (Bottle)

$14.79 $14.79

$10.60 CA$14.98

39.53%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.94 $1.94

$2.22 CA$3.14

-12.61%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.07 $4.07

$2.84 CA$4.01

43.31%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.62 CA$3.71

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$45.84 $45.84

$79.1 CA$112

-42.08%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$6.39 $6.39

$3.23 CA$4.56

97.83%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.48 CA$2.10

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$32.22 CA$45.55

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.47 $1.47

$1.36 CA$1.92

8.09%

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

$29.3K $29.3K

$27.6K CA$39.1K

5.91%

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

$26.6K $26.6K

$21.2K CA$30.0K

25.52%

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

$220 $220

$77.0 CA$109

185.81%

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

$79.5 $79.5

$34.14 CA$48.26

132.81%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$59.7 $59.7

$42.19 CA$59.7

41.55%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$30.81 CA$43.56

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$19.66 CA$27.79

Cinema Ticket

$15.18 $15.18

$11.47 CA$16.22

32.35%

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

$1,196 $1,196

$506 CA$716

136.27%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$16.2K CA$23.0K

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$58.6 $58.6

$57.3 CA$81.0

2.27%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$39.49 $39.49

$38.10 CA$53.9

3.65%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$91.6 $91.6

$91.9 CA$130

-0.35%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$103 $103

$110 CA$155

-6.37%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,039 $2,039

$1,237 CA$1,748

64.88%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,080 $2,080

$977 CA$1,381

112.93%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$3,222 $3,222

$2,180 CA$3,082

47.80%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$3,818 $3,818

$1,608 CA$2,273

137.42%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$5,113 CA$7,228

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$3,744 CA$5,293

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$4,917 $4,917

$2,957 CA$4,180

66.27%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

6.31

4.48

40.85%

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

Last update for Fontana, CA: October 17, 2026

Last update for Montreal: October 20, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Fontana, CA

$2.1K 61.2%

Montreal

$977 47.4% 53% $1.1K

Groceries & Markets

Fontana, CA

$395 11.6%

Montreal

$351 17.1% 11.1% $44

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Fontana, CA

$359 10.6%

Montreal

$153 7.5% 57.3% $206

Eating Out

Fontana, CA

$351 10.3%

Montreal

$290 14.1% 17.2% $60

Clothing & Footwear

Fontana, CA

$132 3.9%

Montreal

$134 6.5% 1.6% $2.1

Getting Around

Fontana, CA

$52 * 1.5%

Montreal

$100 4.9% 92% $48

Sport & Entertainment

Fontana, CA

$30 * 0.9%

Montreal

$54 2.6% 77.1% $23

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

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $2,039 in Fontana, 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 66% higher in Fontana, 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 $78.0 in Fontana, CA versus $73.0 in Montreal. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $395 vs $351 – making Montreal the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇺🇸 Fontana, CA

🇨🇦 Montreal

🕒 Local time

15:56 3:56 PM

18:56 6:56 PM

3 h ahead of Fontana, CA

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

210,000

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

Lowest

Highest

Between locations

Fontana, CA Montreal 3,900 km ≈ 5 h nonstop flight

From you

Fontana, 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

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

Fontana, CA costs about 65% more than Montreal, and outside of rent the gap comes mainly from utilities. That's enough to noticeably affect everyday spending and lifestyle for anyone choosing between the two.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $5,099 per month in Fontana, 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 $3,399 in Fontana, CA and $2,059 in Montreal. That's a gap of about 65%.

Public transport costs about 73% less in Montreal. For daily commuters, that gap adds up to noticeable savings over a year.

A $2,000 monthly budget goes further in Montreal, where all-in costs run around $2,059, than in Fontana, CA at $3,399. In Montreal it covers expenses comfortably, while in Fontana, CA it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.

For digital nomads, it depends on budget. Montreal costs $2,059 versus $3,399 in Fontana, 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, Fontana, CA makes more sense. Both are solid long-term options with distinct trade-offs.