Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Huntington Beach, CA and Montreal

For one person, living is cheaper in Montreal: $2,003 a month against $3,496 in Huntington Beach, CA, rent and utilities included – about $17,900 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

173

Cost of Living Index in Huntington Beach, CA
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Huntington Beach, CA Living Index
99

Cost of Living Index in Montreal
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Montreal Living Index

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Huntington Beach, CA

🇺🇸 United States

$3,496

/mo nomad

Montreal

🇨🇦 Canada

$2,003

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $3,496 in Huntington Beach, CA versus $2,003 in Montreal.

Huntington Beach, CA $3,496
Montreal $2,003

Estimated couple costs with rent: $5,884 in Huntington Beach, CA versus $3,048 in Montreal.

Huntington Beach, CA $5,884
Montreal $3,048

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $8,271 in Huntington Beach, CA versus $4,092 in Montreal.

Huntington Beach, CA $8,271
Montreal $4,092

Living in Huntington Beach, CA is roughly 75% more expensive than in Montreal, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Huntington Beach, CA 161% above, Montreal 49% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$16.18 $16.18

$19.31 CA$27.52

-16.21%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$78.5 $78.5

$75.5 CA$108

3.96%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$15.10 $15.10

$10.63 CA$15.15

42.05%

Cappuccino

$5.77 $5.77

$3.93 CA$5.60

46.82%

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

$3.03 $3.03

$1.92 CA$2.73

57.81%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.19 $2.19

$1.48 CA$2.11

47.97%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$7.41 $7.41

$6.30 CA$8.98

17.62%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$7.98 $7.98

$7.19 CA$10.24

10.99%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.14 $1.14

$2.22 CA$3.17

-48.65%

White Bread (500g)

$5.10 $5.10

$3.06 CA$4.36

66.67%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$4.90 $4.90

$2.94 CA$4.19

66.67%

Eggs

$4.86 $4.86

$3.53 CA$5.03

37.68%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$12.29 $12.29

$13.19 CA$18.79

-6.82%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$18.95 $18.95

$11.24 CA$16.02

68.59%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$15.34 $15.34

$13.81 CA$19.69

11.08%

Apples (1kg)

$4.75 $4.75

$3.40 CA$4.85

39.71%

Banana (1kg)

$1.70 $1.70

$1.44 CA$2.06

18.06%

Oranges (1kg)

$4.11 $4.11

$3.26 CA$4.65

26.07%

Tomato (1kg)

$5.62 $5.62

$2.88 CA$4.10

95.14%

Potato (1kg)

$4.45 $4.45

$1.86 CA$2.65

139.25%

Onion (1kg)

$3.04 $3.04

$1.82 CA$2.60

67.03%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.09 $2.09

$2.43 CA$3.46

-13.99%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$2.52 $2.52

$1.52 CA$2.17

65.79%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$10.79 $10.79

$11.45 CA$16.32

-5.76%

Wine (Bottle)

$15.16 $15.16

$10.36 CA$14.76

46.33%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.98 $1.98

$2.22 CA$3.16

-10.81%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.16 $3.16

$2.82 CA$4.02

12.06%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.58 CA$3.67

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$76.9 CA$110

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$4.55 $4.55

$3.25 CA$4.64

40.00%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.82 $1.82

$1.48 CA$2.11

22.97%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$35.56 $35.56

$33.04 CA$47.09

7.63%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.59 $1.59

$1.36 CA$1.94

16.91%

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

$36.7K $36.7K

$27.4K CA$39.1K

33.90%

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

$25.5K $25.5K

$20.0K CA$28.5K

27.53%

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

$212 $212

$76.1 CA$109

178.13%

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

$62.2 $62.2

$34.68 CA$49.43

79.44%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$81.3 $81.3

$42.69 CA$60.9

90.35%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$44.90 $44.90

$28.94 CA$41.26

55.15%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$20.33 CA$28.97

Cinema Ticket

$14.71 $14.71

$11.21 CA$15.98

31.22%

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

$1,171 $1,171

$505 CA$720

131.80%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$42.7K $42.7K

$16.0K CA$22.8K

166.94%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$64.7 $64.7

$58.5 CA$83.4

10.60%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$40.93 $40.93

$38.00 CA$54.2

7.71%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$98.3 $98.3

$92.7 CA$132

6.04%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$114 $114

$106 CA$151

7.70%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,627 $2,627

$1,240 CA$1,768

111.83%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,196 $2,196

$986 CA$1,405

122.77%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$5,021 $5,021

$2,102 CA$2,996

138.88%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$5,243 $5,243

$1,615 CA$2,302

224.68%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$8,152 $8,152

$5,043 CA$7,188

61.65%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$5,097 $5,097

$3,830 CA$5,459

33.10%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$5,440 $5,440

$2,920 CA$4,163

86.29%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

6.64

4.46

48.88%

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

Last update for Huntington Beach, 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

Huntington Beach, CA

$2.2K 61.7%

Montreal

$986 47.9% 55.1% $1.2K

Groceries & Markets

Huntington Beach, CA

$462 13%

Montreal

$344 16.7% 25.6% $118

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Huntington Beach, CA

$355 10%

Montreal

$154 7.5% 56.8% $202

Eating Out

Huntington Beach, CA

$318 8.9%

Montreal

$293 14.2% 7.9% $25

Clothing & Footwear

Huntington Beach, CA

$143 4%

Montreal

$133 6.5% 7.2% $10

Sport & Entertainment

Huntington Beach, CA

$74 2.1%

Montreal

$51 2.5% 30.9% $23

Getting Around

Huntington Beach, CA

$14 * 0.4%

Montreal

$98 4.8% 617% $84

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 $2,627 in Huntington Beach, CA and $1,240 in Montreal. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Huntington Beach, CA pays 86% 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 Huntington Beach, CA vs $75.0 in Montreal for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $462 vs $344 per month, with Montreal cheaper across the board.

Good to know

🇺🇸 Huntington Beach, CA

🇨🇦 Montreal

🕒 Local time

22:06 10:06 PM

01:06 1:06 AM

3 h ahead of Huntington Beach, CA

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

193,366

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 →

On the map

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Between locations

Huntington Beach, CA Montreal 3,970 km ≈ 5 h nonstop flight

From you

Huntington Beach, 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

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

Montreal wins on cost – living expenses run 75% lower than in Huntington Beach, 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 86% higher in Huntington Beach, 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: $2,627 in Huntington Beach, CA versus $1,240 in Montreal. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $1,171 in Huntington Beach, CA versus $505 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 $75.0 versus $78.0 in Huntington Beach, CA. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

At $2,003 in Montreal versus $3,496 in Huntington Beach, CA, a $2,000 budget is realistic in Montreal but tight or insufficient in Huntington Beach, 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 $2,003 monthly. If stretching your runway or maximizing savings is the goal, the price difference makes Montreal hard to pass up.

Safety-wise, Huntington Beach, 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 75% less than in Huntington Beach, CA. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.