Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Hoffman Estates, IL and Montreal

For one person, living is cheaper in Montreal: $2,059 a month against $2,548 in Hoffman Estates, IL, rent and utilities included – about $5,900 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

124

Cost of Living Index in Hoffman Estates, IL
Learn more

Hoffman Estates, IL Living Index
99

Cost of Living Index in Montreal
Learn more

Montreal Living Index

Jump to prices

Hoffman Estates, IL

🇺🇸 United States

$2,548

/mo nomad

Montreal

🇨🇦 Canada

$2,059

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $2,548 in Hoffman Estates, IL versus $2,059 in Montreal.

Hoffman Estates, IL $2,548
Montreal $2,059

Estimated couple costs with rent: $3,650 in Hoffman Estates, IL versus $3,123 in Montreal.

Hoffman Estates, IL $3,650
Montreal $3,123

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $4,753 in Hoffman Estates, IL versus $4,187 in Montreal.

Hoffman Estates, IL $4,753
Montreal $4,187

Living in Hoffman Estates, IL is roughly 24% more expensive than in Montreal, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in transport.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Hoffman Estates, IL 88% above, Montreal 52% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$17.29 $17.29

$18.84 CA$26.63

-8.23%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$66.6 $66.6

$73.2 CA$104

-9.08%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$10.17 $10.17

$10.54 CA$14.90

-3.51%

Cappuccino

$4.86 $4.86

$3.97 CA$5.61

22.42%

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

$2.76 $2.76

$1.94 CA$2.74

42.27%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.01 $2.01

$1.57 CA$2.22

28.03%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$6.40 $6.40

$6.42 CA$9.08

-0.31%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$6.17 $6.17

$7.20 CA$10.19

-14.31%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.01 $1.01

$2.32 CA$3.28

-56.47%

White Bread (500g)

$3.43 $3.43

$3.19 CA$4.51

7.52%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$4.29 $4.29

$3.19 CA$4.50

34.48%

Eggs

$4.27 $4.27

$3.68 CA$5.20

16.03%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$12.41 $12.41

$13.24 CA$18.72

-6.27%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$11.38 $11.38

$11.69 CA$16.53

-2.65%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$17.28 $17.28

$13.98 CA$19.76

23.61%

Apples (1kg)

$4.96 $4.96

$3.14 CA$4.44

57.96%

Banana (1kg)

$1.59 $1.59

$1.45 CA$2.05

9.66%

Oranges (1kg)

$4.27 $4.27

$3.38 CA$4.78

26.33%

Tomato (1kg)

$4.60 $4.60

$3.11 CA$4.40

47.91%

Potato (1kg)

$2.72 $2.72

$1.93 CA$2.72

40.93%

Onion (1kg)

$3.01 $3.01

$1.83 CA$2.58

64.48%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.14 $2.14

$2.36 CA$3.34

-9.32%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$2.20 $2.20

$1.50 CA$2.12

46.67%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$8.92 $8.92

$11.12 CA$15.73

-19.78%

Wine (Bottle)

$14.93 $14.93

$10.60 CA$14.98

40.85%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.21 $2.21

$2.22 CA$3.14

-0.45%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.87 $2.87

$2.84 CA$4.01

1.06%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.05 $2.05

$2.62 CA$3.71

-21.76%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$79.1 CA$112

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.37 $3.37

$3.23 CA$4.56

4.33%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.52 $1.52

$1.48 CA$2.10

2.70%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$30.23 $30.23

$32.22 CA$45.55

-6.18%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.22 $1.22

$1.36 CA$1.92

-10.29%

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

$26.4K $26.4K

$27.6K CA$39.1K

-4.52%

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

$27.1K $27.1K

$21.2K CA$30.0K

27.68%

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

$222 $222

$77.0 CA$109

188.27%

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

$59.5 $59.5

$34.14 CA$48.26

74.14%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$68.7 $68.7

$42.19 CA$59.7

62.72%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$41.74 $41.74

$30.81 CA$43.56

35.48%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$19.66 CA$27.79

Cinema Ticket

$13.87 $13.87

$11.47 CA$16.22

20.92%

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

$1,385 $1,385

$506 CA$716

173.59%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$25.3K $25.3K

$16.2K CA$23.0K

56.09%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$58.7 $58.7

$57.3 CA$81.0

2.44%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$40.85 $40.85

$38.10 CA$53.9

7.22%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$90.1 $90.1

$91.9 CA$130

-2.03%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$122 $122

$110 CA$155

11.54%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,618 $1,618

$1,237 CA$1,748

30.83%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,283 $1,283

$977 CA$1,381

31.38%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,803 $2,803

$2,180 CA$3,082

28.59%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,029 $2,029

$1,608 CA$2,273

26.20%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$2,652 $2,652

$5,113 CA$7,228

-48.14%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,396 $2,396

$3,744 CA$5,293

-36.02%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$2,390 $2,390

$2,957 CA$4,180

-19.16%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

6.57

4.48

46.65%

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

Last update for Hoffman Estates, IL: October 17, 2026

Last update for Montreal: October 20, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Hoffman Estates, IL

$1.3K 50.4%

Montreal

$977 47.4% 23.9% $306

Groceries & Markets

Hoffman Estates, IL

$395 15.5%

Montreal

$351 17.1% 11.1% $44

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Hoffman Estates, IL

$350 13.7%

Montreal

$153 7.5% 56.2% $197

Eating Out

Hoffman Estates, IL

$291 11.4%

Montreal

$290 14.1% 0% $0.1

Clothing & Footwear

Hoffman Estates, IL

$140 5.5%

Montreal

$134 6.5% 4.8% $6.7

Sport & Entertainment

Hoffman Estates, IL

$69 2.7%

Montreal

$54 2.6% 22.6% $16

Getting Around

Hoffman Estates, IL

$19 * 0.8%

Montreal

$100 4.9% 423% $81

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 $1,618 in Hoffman Estates, IL and $1,237 in Montreal. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Montreal pays 24% more on average while also being the cheaper of the two. The combined effect is a noticeably stronger local purchasing power.

Dining out: $67.0 in Hoffman Estates, IL vs $73.0 in Montreal. Groceries flip the comparison at $395 vs $351, with Montreal cheaper for home cooking.

Good to know

🇺🇸 Hoffman Estates, IL

🇨🇦 Montreal

🕒 Local time

16:58 4:58 PM

17:58 5:58 PM

1 h ahead of Hoffman Estates, IL

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

51,895

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

Lowest

Highest

Between locations

Hoffman Estates, IL Montreal 1,220 km ≈ 2 h nonstop flight

From you

Hoffman Estates, 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

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

Hoffman Estates, IL and Montreal differ by about 24% in total monthly costs ($2,548 vs $2,059 including rent). Montreal is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

On paper, salaries run 24% lower in Montreal. That's worth factoring in alongside costs, though remote workers earning in a stronger currency may not notice the difference at all.

Rent for a central apartment: $1,618 in Hoffman Estates, IL versus $1,237 in Montreal. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $1,385 in Hoffman Estates, IL versus $506 in Montreal. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Dining out is cheaper in Montreal – a meal for two runs $73.0 versus $67.0 in Hoffman Estates, IL. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

At $2,059 in Montreal versus $2,548 in Hoffman Estates, IL, a $2,000 budget is realistic in Montreal but tight or insufficient in Hoffman Estates, IL. The gap between the two cities makes Montreal the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

Both cities offer a good standard of living with different trade-offs. Neither is objectively better – the right pick depends on what matters most: affordability, career, cultural scene, or climate.

Safety-wise, Hoffman Estates, IL 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 24% less than in Hoffman Estates, IL. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.