Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Galesburg, IL and Montreal

For one person, living is cheaper in Montreal: $2,059 a month against $2,486 in Galesburg, IL, rent and utilities included – about $5,100 less a year. Higher rent and utilities in Galesburg, IL outweigh lower spending on other living expenses.

121

Cost of Living Index in Galesburg, IL
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Galesburg, IL Living Index
99

Cost of Living Index in Montreal
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Montreal Living Index

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Galesburg, IL

🇺🇸 United States

$2,486

/mo nomad

Montreal

🇨🇦 Canada

$2,059

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

A single person spends $2,486 per month in Galesburg, IL vs $2,059 in Montreal, rent included.

Galesburg, IL $2,486
Montreal $2,059

A couple spends around $3,648 per month in Galesburg, IL vs $3,123 in Montreal, rent included.

Galesburg, IL $3,648
Montreal $3,123

A family of three spends $4,809 per month in Galesburg, IL vs $4,187 in Montreal, rent included.

Galesburg, IL $4,809
Montreal $4,187

Galesburg, IL costs about 21% more than Montreal, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in transport.

Both Galesburg, IL and Montreal sit above the global median – Galesburg, IL by 83%, Montreal by 52%.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$20.56 $20.56

$18.84 CA$26.63

9.13%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$90.1 $90.1

$73.2 CA$104

22.99%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$13.07 $13.07

$10.54 CA$14.90

24.00%

Cappuccino

$5.80 $5.80

$3.97 CA$5.61

46.10%

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

$2.63 $2.63

$1.94 CA$2.74

35.57%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.31 $2.31

$1.57 CA$2.22

47.13%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$6.85 $6.85

$6.42 CA$9.08

6.70%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$8.98 $8.98

$7.20 CA$10.19

24.72%

Milk (1 liter)

$0.85 $0.85

$2.32 CA$3.28

-63.36%

White Bread (500g)

$1.79 $1.79

$3.19 CA$4.51

-43.89%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.07 $2.07

$3.19 CA$4.50

-35.11%

Eggs

$2.88 $2.88

$3.68 CA$5.20

-21.74%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$7.20 $7.20

$13.24 CA$18.72

-45.62%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$8.28 $8.28

$11.69 CA$16.53

-29.17%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$11.51 $11.51

$13.98 CA$19.76

-17.67%

Apples (1kg)

$2.68 $2.68

$3.14 CA$4.44

-14.65%

Banana (1kg)

$1.29 $1.29

$1.45 CA$2.05

-11.03%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.97 $2.97

$3.38 CA$4.78

-12.13%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.72 $2.72

$3.11 CA$4.40

-12.54%

Potato (1kg)

$1.94 $1.94

$1.93 CA$2.72

0.52%

Onion (1kg)

$1.78 $1.78

$1.83 CA$2.58

-2.73%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.88 $1.88

$2.36 CA$3.34

-20.34%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.25 $1.25

$1.50 CA$2.12

-16.67%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$14.25 $14.25

$11.12 CA$15.73

28.15%

Wine (Bottle)

$14.76 $14.76

$10.60 CA$14.98

39.25%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.57 $2.57

$2.22 CA$3.14

15.77%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.51 $3.51

$2.84 CA$4.01

23.59%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.99 $1.99

$2.62 CA$3.71

-24.05%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$79.1 CA$112

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.32 $3.32

$3.23 CA$4.56

2.79%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.37 $1.37

$1.48 CA$2.10

-7.43%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$24.76 $24.76

$32.22 CA$45.55

-23.15%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.20 $1.20

$1.36 CA$1.92

-11.76%

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

$35.2K $35.2K

$27.6K CA$39.1K

27.46%

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

$25.9K $25.9K

$21.2K CA$30.0K

22.29%

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

$192 $192

$77.0 CA$109

148.82%

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

$70.4 $70.4

$34.14 CA$48.26

106.12%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$61.9 $61.9

$42.19 CA$59.7

46.81%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$37.33 $37.33

$30.81 CA$43.56

21.16%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$19.66 CA$27.79

Cinema Ticket

$17.77 $17.77

$11.47 CA$16.22

54.93%

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

$1,692 $1,692

$506 CA$716

234.38%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$31.1K $31.1K

$16.2K CA$23.0K

91.29%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$67.8 $67.8

$57.3 CA$81.0

18.42%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$52.0 $52.0

$38.10 CA$53.9

36.54%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$99.1 $99.1

$91.9 CA$130

7.82%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$146 $146

$110 CA$155

33.14%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,611 $1,611

$1,237 CA$1,748

30.25%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,290 $1,290

$977 CA$1,381

32.09%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,544 $2,544

$2,180 CA$3,082

16.69%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,109 $2,109

$1,608 CA$2,273

31.15%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$1,062 $1,062

$5,113 CA$7,228

-79.22%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,068 $1,068

$3,744 CA$5,293

-71.48%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$2,957 CA$4,180

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

6.81

4.48

52.01%

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

Last update for Galesburg, IL: October 19, 2026

Last update for Montreal: October 20, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Galesburg, IL

$1.3K 51.9%

Montreal

$977 47.4% 24.3% $313

Eating Out

Galesburg, IL

$345 13.9%

Montreal

$290 14.1% 15.9% $55

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Galesburg, IL

$324 13%

Montreal

$153 7.5% 52.7% $171

Groceries & Markets

Galesburg, IL

$272 10.9%

Montreal

$351 17.1% 29.2% $79

Clothing & Footwear

Galesburg, IL

$164 6.6%

Montreal

$134 6.5% 18.6% $31

Sport & Entertainment

Galesburg, IL

$73 2.9%

Montreal

$54 2.6% 26.2% $19

Getting Around

Galesburg, IL

$18 * 0.7%

Montreal

$100 4.9% 453% $82

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

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $1,611 in Galesburg, IL 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.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $90.0 in Galesburg, IL versus $73.0 in Montreal. Groceries tell a different story – $272 in Galesburg, IL vs $351 in Montreal – so Galesburg, IL wins on supermarket bills even if dining out costs more.

Good to know

🇺🇸 Galesburg, IL

🇨🇦 Montreal

🕒 Local time

21:33 9:33 PM

22:33 10:33 PM

1 h ahead of Galesburg, IL

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

30,052

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 22, 2026: 1 EUR = 1.12 USD (1 USD = 0.89 EUR).

Canadian Dollar exchange rates as of October 22, 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

Galesburg, IL Montreal 1,450 km ≈ 2 h 15 min nonstop flight

From you

Galesburg, IL
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

Galesburg, IL vs Montreal: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Yes – Galesburg, IL is pricier by about 21%, and outside of rent the gap shows up most in transport.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $3,729 per month in Galesburg, IL 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 $2,486 in Galesburg, IL and $2,059 in Montreal. That's a gap of about 21%.

Kindergarten costs $1,692 per month in Galesburg, IL and $506 in Montreal. For families with young kids, this one expense can tip the scales when choosing between the two cities.

A $2,000 monthly budget goes further in Montreal, where all-in costs run around $2,059, than in Galesburg, IL at $2,486. In Montreal it covers expenses comfortably, while in Galesburg, IL 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, Galesburg, IL makes more sense. Both are solid long-term options with distinct trade-offs.