Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Hayward, CA and Montreal

For one person, living is cheaper in Montreal: $2,059 a month against $3,419 in Hayward, CA, rent and utilities included – about $16,300 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

166

Cost of Living Index in Hayward, CA
Learn more

Hayward, CA Living Index
99

Cost of Living Index in Montreal
Learn more

Montreal Living Index

Jump to prices

Hayward, CA

🇺🇸 United States

$3,419

/mo nomad

Montreal

🇨🇦 Canada

$2,059

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $3,419 in Hayward, CA versus $2,059 in Montreal.

Hayward, CA $3,419
Montreal $2,059

Estimated couple costs with rent: $4,664 in Hayward, CA versus $3,123 in Montreal.

Hayward, CA $4,664
Montreal $3,123

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $5,908 in Hayward, CA versus $4,187 in Montreal.

Hayward, CA $5,908
Montreal $4,187

Living in Hayward, CA is roughly 66% more expensive than in Montreal, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Hayward, CA 152% above, Montreal 52% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$19.98 $19.98

$18.84 CA$26.63

6.05%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$75.6 $75.6

$73.2 CA$104

3.31%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$10.48 $10.48

$10.54 CA$14.90

-0.57%

Cappuccino

$4.89 $4.89

$3.97 CA$5.61

23.17%

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

$2.99 $2.99

$1.94 CA$2.74

54.12%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.29 $2.29

$1.57 CA$2.22

45.86%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$5.88 $5.88

$6.42 CA$9.08

-8.41%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$7.34 $7.34

$7.20 CA$10.19

1.94%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.26 $1.26

$2.32 CA$3.28

-45.69%

White Bread (500g)

$1.83 $1.83

$3.19 CA$4.51

-42.63%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$5.82 $5.82

$3.19 CA$4.50

82.45%

Eggs

$5.92 $5.92

$3.68 CA$5.20

60.87%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$26.81 $26.81

$13.24 CA$18.72

102.49%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$7.35 $7.35

$11.69 CA$16.53

-37.13%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$22.45 $22.45

$13.98 CA$19.76

60.59%

Apples (1kg)

$6.99 $6.99

$3.14 CA$4.44

122.61%

Banana (1kg)

$2.51 $2.51

$1.45 CA$2.05

73.10%

Oranges (1kg)

$6.13 $6.13

$3.38 CA$4.78

81.36%

Tomato (1kg)

$10.20 $10.20

$3.11 CA$4.40

227.97%

Potato (1kg)

$3.58 $3.58

$1.93 CA$2.72

85.49%

Onion (1kg)

$4.85 $4.85

$1.83 CA$2.58

165.03%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.52 $2.52

$2.36 CA$3.34

6.78%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$3.22 $3.22

$1.50 CA$2.12

114.67%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$11.87 $11.87

$11.12 CA$15.73

6.74%

Wine (Bottle)

$12.90 $12.90

$10.60 CA$14.98

21.70%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.69 $1.69

$2.22 CA$3.14

-23.87%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.80 $2.80

$2.84 CA$4.01

-1.41%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.25 $2.25

$2.62 CA$3.71

-14.12%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$79.1 CA$112

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.47 $3.47

$3.23 CA$4.56

7.43%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.88 $1.88

$1.48 CA$2.10

27.03%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$40.22 $40.22

$32.22 CA$45.55

24.83%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.42 $1.42

$1.36 CA$1.92

4.41%

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

$28.0K $28.0K

$27.6K CA$39.1K

1.39%

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

$25.5K $25.5K

$21.2K CA$30.0K

20.32%

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

$183 $183

$77.0 CA$109

137.01%

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

$42.35 $42.35

$34.14 CA$48.26

24.05%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$77.2 $77.2

$42.19 CA$59.7

82.91%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$55.9 $55.9

$30.81 CA$43.56

81.50%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$19.66 CA$27.79

Cinema Ticket

$14.92 $14.92

$11.47 CA$16.22

30.08%

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

$1,236 $1,236

$506 CA$716

144.25%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$34.7K $34.7K

$16.2K CA$23.0K

113.77%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$50.6 $50.6

$57.3 CA$81.0

-11.61%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$71.0 $71.0

$38.10 CA$53.9

86.35%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$73.8 $73.8

$91.9 CA$130

-19.72%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$119 $119

$110 CA$155

8.00%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,870 $1,870

$1,237 CA$1,748

51.19%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,056 $2,056

$977 CA$1,381

110.53%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$3,440 $3,440

$2,180 CA$3,082

57.78%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,853 $2,853

$1,608 CA$2,273

77.44%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$7,446 $7,446

$5,113 CA$7,228

45.63%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$6,826 $6,826

$3,744 CA$5,293

82.31%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$4,559 $4,559

$2,957 CA$4,180

54.18%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

6.15

4.48

37.28%

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

Last update for Hayward, 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

Hayward, CA

$2.1K 60.1%

Montreal

$977 47.4% 52.5% $1.1K

Groceries & Markets

Hayward, CA

$497 14.5%

Montreal

$351 17.1% 29.4% $146

Eating Out

Hayward, CA

$315 9.2%

Montreal

$290 14.1% 7.8% $25

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Hayward, CA

$302 8.8%

Montreal

$153 7.5% 49.2% $149

Clothing & Footwear

Hayward, CA

$141 4.1%

Montreal

$134 6.5% 5.4% $7.6

Sport & Entertainment

Hayward, CA

$86 2.5%

Montreal

$54 2.6% 37.3% $32

Getting Around

Hayward, CA

$22 * 0.6%

Montreal

$100 4.9% 358% $78

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

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,870 in Hayward, CA and $1,237 in Montreal. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Hayward, CA pays 54% 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: $76.0 in Hayward, CA vs $73.0 in Montreal for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $497 vs $351 per month, with Montreal cheaper across the board.

Good to know

🇺🇸 Hayward, CA

🇨🇦 Montreal

🕒 Local time

02:29 2:29 AM

05:29 5:29 AM

3 h ahead of Hayward, CA

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

159,203

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

Lowest

Highest

Between locations

Hayward, CA Montreal 4,060 km ≈ 6 h nonstop flight

From you

Hayward, 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

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

Montreal wins on cost – living expenses run 66% lower than in Hayward, CA. Housing and daily spending are where you'll feel the difference most, making Montreal the obvious pick if budget is a priority.

Average pay runs 54% higher in Hayward, 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: $1,870 in Hayward, CA versus $1,237 in Montreal. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Supermarket bills run roughly 42% higher in Hayward, CA. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

All in, you'll spend $3,419 per month in Hayward, CA versus $2,059 in Montreal – a 66% gap that adds up to real savings over time for anyone picking the cheaper option.

At $2,059 in Montreal versus $3,419 in Hayward, CA, a $2,000 budget is realistic in Montreal but tight or insufficient in Hayward, CA. The gap between the two cities makes Montreal the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

Both work as nomad bases, but Montreal delivers better value – similar infrastructure at $2,059 monthly. If stretching your runway or maximizing savings is the goal, the price difference makes Montreal hard to pass up.

Safety-wise, Hayward, 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 66% less than in Hayward, CA. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.