Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Glendale, CA and Montreal

For one person, living is cheaper in Montreal: $2,003 a month against $3,660 in Glendale, CA, rent and utilities included – about $19,900 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

177

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

Cost of Living Index in Montreal
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Montreal Living Index

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Glendale, CA

🇺🇸 United States

$3,660

/mo nomad

Montreal

🇨🇦 Canada

$2,003

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $3,660 in Glendale, CA versus $2,003 in Montreal.

Glendale, CA $3,660
Montreal $2,003

Estimated couple costs with rent: $4,572 in Glendale, CA versus $3,048 in Montreal.

Glendale, CA $4,572
Montreal $3,048

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $5,484 in Glendale, CA versus $4,092 in Montreal.

Glendale, CA $5,484
Montreal $4,092

Living in Glendale, CA is roughly 83% more expensive than in Montreal, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Glendale, CA 173% above, Montreal 49% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$25.31 $25.31

$19.31 CA$27.52

31.07%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$77.7 $77.7

$75.5 CA$108

2.93%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$14.98 $14.98

$10.63 CA$15.15

40.92%

Cappuccino

$5.99 $5.99

$3.93 CA$5.60

52.42%

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

$3.13 $3.13

$1.92 CA$2.73

63.02%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.33 $2.33

$1.48 CA$2.11

57.43%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$7.30 $7.30

$6.30 CA$8.98

15.87%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$9.95 $9.95

$7.19 CA$10.24

38.39%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.40 $1.40

$2.22 CA$3.17

-36.94%

White Bread (500g)

$4.68 $4.68

$3.06 CA$4.36

52.94%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$4.53 $4.53

$2.94 CA$4.19

54.08%

Eggs

$5.93 $5.93

$3.53 CA$5.03

67.99%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$11.51 $11.51

$13.19 CA$18.79

-12.74%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$8.60 $8.60

$11.24 CA$16.02

-23.49%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$19.76 $19.76

$13.81 CA$19.69

43.08%

Apples (1kg)

$4.86 $4.86

$3.40 CA$4.85

42.94%

Banana (1kg)

$2.21 $2.21

$1.44 CA$2.06

53.47%

Oranges (1kg)

$4.09 $4.09

$3.26 CA$4.65

25.46%

Tomato (1kg)

$5.75 $5.75

$2.88 CA$4.10

99.65%

Potato (1kg)

$3.19 $3.19

$1.86 CA$2.65

71.51%

Onion (1kg)

$2.94 $2.94

$1.82 CA$2.60

61.54%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.00 $2.00

$2.43 CA$3.46

-17.70%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$2.55 $2.55

$1.52 CA$2.17

67.76%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$11.58 $11.58

$11.45 CA$16.32

1.14%

Wine (Bottle)

$14.71 $14.71

$10.36 CA$14.76

41.99%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.45 $2.45

$2.22 CA$3.16

10.36%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.67 $2.67

$2.82 CA$4.02

-5.32%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.98 $1.98

$2.58 CA$3.67

-23.26%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$90.3 $90.3

$76.9 CA$110

17.44%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.11 $3.11

$3.25 CA$4.64

-4.31%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.82 $1.82

$1.48 CA$2.11

22.97%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$32.37 $32.37

$33.04 CA$47.09

-2.03%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.55 $1.55

$1.36 CA$1.94

13.97%

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

$36.9K $36.9K

$27.4K CA$39.1K

34.63%

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

$25.8K $25.8K

$20.0K CA$28.5K

29.31%

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

$220 $220

$76.1 CA$109

188.36%

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

$78.7 $78.7

$34.68 CA$49.43

126.79%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$72.7 $72.7

$42.69 CA$60.9

70.20%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$39.01 $39.01

$28.94 CA$41.26

34.80%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$20.33 CA$28.97

Cinema Ticket

$19.61 $19.61

$11.21 CA$15.98

74.93%

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

$1,159 $1,159

$505 CA$720

129.38%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$32.4K $32.4K

$16.0K CA$22.8K

102.23%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$62.1 $62.1

$58.5 CA$83.4

6.19%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$48.28 $48.28

$38.00 CA$54.2

27.05%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$118 $118

$92.7 CA$132

27.22%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$196 $196

$106 CA$151

85.73%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,577 $1,577

$1,240 CA$1,768

27.19%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,051 $2,051

$986 CA$1,405

108.06%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,514 $2,514

$2,102 CA$2,996

19.58%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,123 $2,123

$1,615 CA$2,302

31.48%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$2,423 $2,423

$5,043 CA$7,188

-51.95%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,235 $2,235

$3,830 CA$5,459

-41.63%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$5,078 $5,078

$2,920 CA$4,163

73.89%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

6.53

4.46

46.41%

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

Last update for Glendale, CA: October 4, 2026

Last update for Montreal: October 6, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Glendale, CA

$2.1K 56.6%

Montreal

$986 47.9% 51.9% $1.1K

Groceries & Markets

Glendale, CA

$423 11.7%

Montreal

$344 16.7% 18.8% $80

Eating Out

Glendale, CA

$398 11%

Montreal

$293 14.2% 26.3% $105

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Glendale, CA

$371 10.2%

Montreal

$154 7.5% 58.6% $217

Clothing & Footwear

Glendale, CA

$191 5.3%

Montreal

$133 6.5% 30.6% $58

Getting Around

Glendale, CA

$110 3.1%

Montreal

$98 4.8% 11.4% $13

Sport & Entertainment

Glendale, CA

$78 2.2%

Montreal

$51 2.5% 34.3% $27

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,577 in Glendale, CA and $1,240 in Montreal. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Glendale, CA pays 74% 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: $78.0 in Glendale, CA vs $75.0 in Montreal for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $423 vs $344 per month, with Montreal cheaper across the board.

Good to know

🇺🇸 Glendale, CA

🇨🇦 Montreal

🕒 Local time

21:07 9:07 PM

00:07 12:07 AM

3 h ahead of Glendale, CA

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

200,831

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 11, 2026: 1 EUR = 1.12 USD (1 USD = 0.892 EUR).

Canadian Dollar exchange rates as of October 11, 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 →

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Between locations

Glendale, CA Montreal 3,960 km ≈ 5 h nonstop flight

From you

Glendale, 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

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

Montreal is cheaper overall, especially in groceries, eating out, and clothing. The 83% gap adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

Average pay runs 74% higher in Glendale, CA, which matters when comparing affordability. Whether that higher income actually nets you more depends on your spending habits and housing choices.

Rent for a central apartment: $1,577 in Glendale, CA versus $1,240 in Montreal. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

A monthly transit pass in Montreal runs roughly 17% less than in Glendale, CA. Both cities have functional networks, but the price difference matters if you're watching your budget.

Childcare runs $1,159 in Glendale, CA versus $505 in Montreal. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

At $2,003 in Montreal versus $3,660 in Glendale, CA, a $2,000 budget is realistic in Montreal but tight or insufficient in Glendale, CA. The gap between the two cities makes Montreal the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

For families, Montreal is more practical. Housing and childcare are both notably cheaper than in Glendale, CA, and the savings on those two alone free up budget for education, activities, and family trips.

Safety-wise, Glendale, 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.

Expats usually find Montreal gentler on the wallet – expenses run 83% less than in Glendale, CA. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.