Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Fresno, CA and Montreal

For one person, living is cheaper in Montreal: $2,003 a month against $2,894 in Fresno, CA, rent and utilities included – about $10,700 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

139

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

Cost of Living Index in Montreal
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Montreal Living Index

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Fresno, CA

🇺🇸 United States

$2,894

/mo nomad

Montreal

🇨🇦 Canada

$2,003

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

A single person spends $2,894 per month in Fresno, CA vs $2,003 in Montreal, rent included.

Fresno, CA $2,894
Montreal $2,003

A couple spends around $4,460 per month in Fresno, CA vs $3,048 in Montreal, rent included.

Fresno, CA $4,460
Montreal $3,048

A family of three spends $6,026 per month in Fresno, CA vs $4,092 in Montreal, rent included.

Fresno, CA $6,026
Montreal $4,092

Fresno, CA costs about 44% more than Montreal, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Both Fresno, CA and Montreal sit above the global median – Fresno, CA by 116%, Montreal by 49%.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$20.18 $20.18

$19.31 CA$27.52

4.51%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$70.5 $70.5

$75.5 CA$108

-6.61%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$14.12 $14.12

$10.63 CA$15.15

32.83%

Cappuccino

$5.15 $5.15

$3.93 CA$5.60

31.04%

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

$3.02 $3.02

$1.92 CA$2.73

57.29%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.14 $2.14

$1.48 CA$2.11

44.59%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$6.79 $6.79

$6.30 CA$8.98

7.78%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$9.11 $9.11

$7.19 CA$10.24

26.70%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.12 $1.12

$2.22 CA$3.17

-49.55%

White Bread (500g)

$2.67 $2.67

$3.06 CA$4.36

-12.75%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$4.67 $4.67

$2.94 CA$4.19

58.84%

Eggs

$5.38 $5.38

$3.53 CA$5.03

52.41%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$11.02 $11.02

$13.19 CA$18.79

-16.45%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$9.57 $9.57

$11.24 CA$16.02

-14.86%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$15.58 $15.58

$13.81 CA$19.69

12.82%

Apples (1kg)

$5.06 $5.06

$3.40 CA$4.85

48.82%

Banana (1kg)

$2.03 $2.03

$1.44 CA$2.06

40.97%

Oranges (1kg)

$4.34 $4.34

$3.26 CA$4.65

33.13%

Tomato (1kg)

$3.25 $3.25

$2.88 CA$4.10

12.85%

Potato (1kg)

$7.93 $7.93

$1.86 CA$2.65

326.34%

Onion (1kg)

$2.72 $2.72

$1.82 CA$2.60

49.45%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.44 $2.44

$2.43 CA$3.46

0.41%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$3.03 $3.03

$1.52 CA$2.17

99.34%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$12.19 $12.19

$11.45 CA$16.32

6.46%

Wine (Bottle)

$18.06 $18.06

$10.36 CA$14.76

74.32%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.19 $2.19

$2.22 CA$3.16

-1.35%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$6.40 $6.40

$2.82 CA$4.02

126.95%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.21 $1.21

$2.58 CA$3.67

-53.10%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$47.99 $47.99

$76.9 CA$110

-37.59%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$4.14 $4.14

$3.25 CA$4.64

27.38%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.52 $1.52

$1.48 CA$2.11

2.70%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$27.90 $27.90

$33.04 CA$47.09

-15.56%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.46 $1.46

$1.36 CA$1.94

7.35%

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

$37.5K $37.5K

$27.4K CA$39.1K

36.65%

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

$30.6K $30.6K

$20.0K CA$28.5K

53.07%

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

$238 $238

$76.1 CA$109

212.56%

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

$53.3 $53.3

$34.68 CA$49.43

53.58%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$76.8 $76.8

$42.69 CA$60.9

79.90%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$38.32 $38.32

$28.94 CA$41.26

32.41%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$41.97 $41.97

$20.33 CA$28.97

106.44%

Cinema Ticket

$17.44 $17.44

$11.21 CA$15.98

55.58%

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

$1,206 $1,206

$505 CA$720

138.84%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$12.9K $12.9K

$16.0K CA$22.8K

-19.66%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$60.3 $60.3

$58.5 CA$83.4

3.11%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$43.19 $43.19

$38.00 CA$54.2

13.66%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$97.3 $97.3

$92.7 CA$132

4.95%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$174 $174

$106 CA$151

64.40%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,712 $1,712

$1,240 CA$1,768

38.03%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,462 $1,462

$986 CA$1,405

48.29%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$3,183 $3,183

$2,102 CA$2,996

51.44%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,902 $2,902

$1,615 CA$2,302

79.70%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$2,700 $2,700

$5,043 CA$7,188

-46.46%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$3,120 $3,120

$3,830 CA$5,459

-18.53%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$3,687 $3,687

$2,920 CA$4,163

26.25%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

6.4

4.46

43.50%

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

Last update for Fresno, CA: October 3, 2026

Last update for Montreal: October 6, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Fresno, CA

$1.5K 50.6%

Montreal

$986 47.9% 32.6% $476

Groceries & Markets

Fresno, CA

$412 14.3%

Montreal

$344 16.7% 16.6% $68

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Fresno, CA

$368 12.8%

Montreal

$154 7.5% 58.3% $214

Eating Out

Fresno, CA

$338 11.7%

Montreal

$293 14.2% 13.4% $45

Clothing & Footwear

Fresno, CA

$169 5.8%

Montreal

$133 6.5% 21.3% $36

Sport & Entertainment

Fresno, CA

$73 2.5%

Montreal

$51 2.5% 29.8% $22

Getting Around

Fresno, CA

$65 2.2%

Montreal

$98 4.8% 51.5% $33

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $1,712 in Fresno, CA versus $1,240 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 26% higher in Fresno, 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 $71.0 in Fresno, CA versus $75.0 in Montreal. Groceries tell a different story – $412 in Fresno, CA vs $344 in Montreal – so Montreal wins on supermarket bills even if dining out costs more.

Good to know

🇺🇸 Fresno, CA

🇨🇦 Montreal

🕒 Local time

06:44 6:44 AM

09:44 9:44 AM

3 h ahead of Fresno, CA

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

520,052

1,762,949

💱 Currency

United States Dollar USD $

Canadian Dollar CAD $

📈 Exchange rate

1 USD = 0.892 EUR

1 CAD = 0.702 USD

1 CAD = 0.626 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 10, 2026: 1 EUR = 1.12 USD (1 USD = 0.892 EUR).

Canadian Dollar exchange rates as of October 10, 2026: 1 USD = 1.43 CAD (1 CAD = 0.702 USD). 1 EUR = 1.6 CAD (1 CAD = 0.626 EUR).

CAD to USD in detail →

On the map

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Between locations

Fresno, CA Montreal 3,930 km ≈ 5 h nonstop flight

From you

Fresno, 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

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

Yes – Fresno, CA is pricier by about 44%, and outside of rent the gap shows up most in groceries.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $4,341 per month in Fresno, CA and $3,005 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.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $71.0 in Fresno, CA and $75.0 in Montreal. That's a good indicator of the overall restaurant and café pricing gap between the two cities.

Monthly expenses with rent come to $2,894 in Fresno, CA and $2,003 in Montreal. That's a gap of about 44%.

A $2,000 monthly budget goes further in Montreal, where all-in costs run around $2,003, than in Fresno, CA at $2,894. In Montreal it covers expenses comfortably, while in Fresno, 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, Fresno, CA makes more sense. Both are solid long-term options with distinct trade-offs.