Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Fullerton, CA and Montreal

For one person, living is cheaper in Montreal: $2,059 a month against $3,507 in Fullerton, CA, rent and utilities included – about $17,400 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

169

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

Cost of Living Index in Montreal
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Montreal Living Index

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Fullerton, CA

🇺🇸 United States

$3,507

/mo nomad

Montreal

🇨🇦 Canada

$2,059

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

A single person spends $3,507 per month in Fullerton, CA vs $2,059 in Montreal, rent included.

Fullerton, CA $3,507
Montreal $2,059

A couple spends around $5,392 per month in Fullerton, CA vs $3,123 in Montreal, rent included.

Fullerton, CA $5,392
Montreal $3,123

A family of three spends $7,276 per month in Fullerton, CA vs $4,187 in Montreal, rent included.

Fullerton, CA $7,276
Montreal $4,187

Fullerton, CA costs about 70% more than Montreal, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

Both Fullerton, CA and Montreal sit above the global median – Fullerton, CA by 159%, Montreal by 52%.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$25.09 $25.09

$18.84 CA$26.63

33.17%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$78.9 $78.9

$73.2 CA$104

7.78%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$11.35 $11.35

$10.54 CA$14.90

7.69%

Cappuccino

$5.72 $5.72

$3.97 CA$5.61

44.08%

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

$2.81 $2.81

$1.94 CA$2.74

44.85%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.05 $2.05

$1.57 CA$2.22

30.57%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$7.88 $7.88

$6.42 CA$9.08

22.74%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$9.81 $9.81

$7.20 CA$10.19

36.25%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.41 $1.41

$2.32 CA$3.28

-39.22%

White Bread (500g)

$5.10 $5.10

$3.19 CA$4.51

59.87%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$4.34 $4.34

$3.19 CA$4.50

36.05%

Eggs

$5.06 $5.06

$3.68 CA$5.20

37.50%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$12.26 $12.26

$13.24 CA$18.72

-7.40%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$8.63 $8.63

$11.69 CA$16.53

-26.18%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$15.69 $15.69

$13.98 CA$19.76

12.23%

Apples (1kg)

$4.70 $4.70

$3.14 CA$4.44

49.68%

Banana (1kg)

$1.72 $1.72

$1.45 CA$2.05

18.62%

Oranges (1kg)

$4.02 $4.02

$3.38 CA$4.78

18.93%

Tomato (1kg)

$6.40 $6.40

$3.11 CA$4.40

105.79%

Potato (1kg)

$3.57 $3.57

$1.93 CA$2.72

84.97%

Onion (1kg)

$3.31 $3.31

$1.83 CA$2.58

80.87%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.11 $2.11

$2.36 CA$3.34

-10.59%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$2.55 $2.55

$1.50 CA$2.12

70.00%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$11.66 $11.66

$11.12 CA$15.73

4.86%

Wine (Bottle)

$15.13 $15.13

$10.60 CA$14.98

42.74%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.74 $1.74

$2.22 CA$3.14

-21.62%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.25 $3.25

$2.84 CA$4.01

14.44%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.30 $2.30

$2.62 CA$3.71

-12.21%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$64.6 $64.6

$79.1 CA$112

-18.42%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$4.44 $4.44

$3.23 CA$4.56

37.46%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.89 $1.89

$1.48 CA$2.10

27.70%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$36.21 $36.21

$32.22 CA$45.55

12.38%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.48 $1.48

$1.36 CA$1.92

8.82%

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

$27.2K $27.2K

$27.6K CA$39.1K

-1.49%

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

$26.2K $26.2K

$21.2K CA$30.0K

23.86%

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

$213 $213

$77.0 CA$109

176.35%

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

$84.5 $84.5

$34.14 CA$48.26

147.60%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$73.2 $73.2

$42.19 CA$59.7

73.55%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$40.78 $40.78

$30.81 CA$43.56

32.36%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$19.66 CA$27.79

Cinema Ticket

$12.13 $12.13

$11.47 CA$16.22

5.75%

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

$1,391 $1,391

$506 CA$716

174.86%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$43.3K $43.3K

$16.2K CA$23.0K

166.58%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$75.0 $75.0

$57.3 CA$81.0

31.00%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$40.26 $40.26

$38.10 CA$53.9

5.67%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$88.4 $88.4

$91.9 CA$130

-3.86%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$120 $120

$110 CA$155

9.25%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,588 $2,588

$1,237 CA$1,748

109.24%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,043 $2,043

$977 CA$1,381

109.16%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$4,005 $4,005

$2,180 CA$3,082

83.71%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$4,069 $4,069

$1,608 CA$2,273

153.08%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$5,472 $5,472

$5,113 CA$7,228

7.02%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$3,744 CA$5,293

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$4,578 $4,578

$2,957 CA$4,180

54.83%

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 Fullerton, CA: October 18, 2026

Last update for Montreal: October 20, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Fullerton, CA

$2K 58.3%

Montreal

$977 47.4% 52.2% $1.1K

Groceries & Markets

Fullerton, CA

$413 11.8%

Montreal

$351 17.1% 15.1% $62

Eating Out

Fullerton, CA

$382 10.9%

Montreal

$290 14.1% 23.9% $91

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Fullerton, CA

$371 10.6%

Montreal

$153 7.5% 58.6% $217

Clothing & Footwear

Fullerton, CA

$146 4.2%

Montreal

$134 6.5% 8.2% $12

Getting Around

Fullerton, CA

$88 2.5%

Montreal

$100 4.9% 14.5% $13

Sport & Entertainment

Fullerton, CA

$65 1.9%

Montreal

$54 2.6% 17.4% $11

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $2,588 in Fullerton, 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 55% higher in Fullerton, 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 $79.0 in Fullerton, CA versus $73.0 in Montreal. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $413 vs $351 – making Montreal the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇺🇸 Fullerton, CA

🇨🇦 Montreal

🕒 Local time

10:46 10:46 AM

13:46 1:46 PM

3 h ahead of Fullerton, CA

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

135,161

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

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Between locations

Fullerton, CA Montreal 3,950 km ≈ 5 h nonstop flight

From you

Fullerton, 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

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

Monthly costs with rent: $3,507 in Fullerton, CA, $2,059 in Montreal – roughly 70% apart. Outside of rent, the biggest gap is in eating out.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $5,260 per month in Fullerton, 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.

Kindergarten costs $1,391 per month in Fullerton, CA and $506 in Montreal. For families with young kids, this one expense can tip the scales when choosing between the two cities.

Groceries cost about 18% more in Fullerton, CA, though it depends on what you buy. Local produce may be comparable; imported and premium items show the biggest price gap.

A $2,000 monthly budget goes further in Montreal, where all-in costs run around $2,059, than in Fullerton, CA at $3,507. In Montreal it covers expenses comfortably, while in Fullerton, CA it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.

It depends on your priorities. Fullerton, CA has an edge in some lifestyle areas, with costs from $2,059 in Montreal to $3,507 in Fullerton, CA. Climate, culture, job market, and personal taste all factor in.

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