Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Los Banos, CA and Montreal

For one person, living is cheaper in Montreal: $2,059 a month against $2,394 in Los Banos, CA, rent and utilities included – about $4,000 less a year. Higher rent and utilities in Los Banos, CA outweigh lower spending on other living expenses.

116

Cost of Living Index in Los Banos, CA
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Los Banos, CA Living Index
99

Cost of Living Index in Montreal
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Montreal Living Index

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Los Banos, CA

🇺🇸 United States

$2,394

/mo nomad

Montreal

🇨🇦 Canada

$2,059

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $2,394 in Los Banos, CA versus $2,059 in Montreal.

Los Banos, CA $2,394
Montreal $2,059

Estimated couple costs with rent: $3,580 in Los Banos, CA versus $3,123 in Montreal.

Los Banos, CA $3,580
Montreal $3,123

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $4,767 in Los Banos, CA versus $4,187 in Montreal.

Los Banos, CA $4,767
Montreal $4,187

Living in Los Banos, CA is roughly 16% more expensive than in Montreal, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in transport.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Los Banos, CA 77% above, Montreal 52% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$14.86 $14.86

$18.84 CA$26.63

-21.13%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$101 $101

$73.2 CA$104

37.97%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$9.83 $9.83

$10.54 CA$14.90

-6.74%

Cappuccino

$5.11 $5.11

$3.97 CA$5.61

28.72%

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

$2.53 $2.53

$1.94 CA$2.74

30.41%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.04 $2.04

$1.57 CA$2.22

29.94%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$7.94 $7.94

$6.42 CA$9.08

23.68%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$8.24 $8.24

$7.20 CA$10.19

14.44%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.03 $1.03

$2.32 CA$3.28

-55.60%

White Bread (500g)

$3.21 $3.21

$3.19 CA$4.51

0.63%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.95 $2.95

$3.19 CA$4.50

-7.52%

Eggs

$1.58 $1.58

$3.68 CA$5.20

-57.07%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$8.69 $8.69

$13.24 CA$18.72

-34.37%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$7.73 $7.73

$11.69 CA$16.53

-33.88%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$12.80 $12.80

$13.98 CA$19.76

-8.44%

Apples (1kg)

$3.39 $3.39

$3.14 CA$4.44

7.96%

Banana (1kg)

$1.35 $1.35

$1.45 CA$2.05

-6.90%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.79 $2.79

$3.38 CA$4.78

-17.46%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.83 $2.83

$3.11 CA$4.40

-9.00%

Potato (1kg)

$2.92 $2.92

$1.93 CA$2.72

51.30%

Onion (1kg)

$2.44 $2.44

$1.83 CA$2.58

33.33%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.30 $2.30

$2.36 CA$3.34

-2.54%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$2.49 $2.49

$1.50 CA$2.12

66.00%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$11.10 $11.10

$11.12 CA$15.73

-0.18%

Wine (Bottle)

$14.10 $14.10

$10.60 CA$14.98

33.02%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.87 $1.87

$2.22 CA$3.14

-15.77%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.31 $1.31

$2.84 CA$4.01

-53.87%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.04 $2.04

$2.62 CA$3.71

-22.14%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$79.1 CA$112

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$2.71 $2.71

$3.23 CA$4.56

-16.10%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.56 $1.56

$1.48 CA$2.10

5.41%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$32.88 $32.88

$32.22 CA$45.55

2.05%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.45 $1.45

$1.36 CA$1.92

6.62%

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

$30.4K $30.4K

$27.6K CA$39.1K

9.93%

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

$27.0K $27.0K

$21.2K CA$30.0K

27.40%

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

$217 $217

$77.0 CA$109

182.09%

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

$44.68 $44.68

$34.14 CA$48.26

30.87%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$88.7 $88.7

$42.19 CA$59.7

110.24%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$39.09 $39.09

$30.81 CA$43.56

26.87%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$19.66 CA$27.79

Cinema Ticket

$14.86 $14.86

$11.47 CA$16.22

29.56%

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

$2,509 $2,509

$506 CA$716

395.66%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$29.5K $29.5K

$16.2K CA$23.0K

81.44%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$23.82 $23.82

$57.3 CA$81.0

-58.40%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$21.67 $21.67

$38.10 CA$53.9

-43.12%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$52.3 $52.3

$91.9 CA$130

-43.14%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$59.4 $59.4

$110 CA$155

-45.85%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,618 $1,618

$1,237 CA$1,748

30.86%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,294 $1,294

$977 CA$1,381

32.48%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,682 $2,682

$2,180 CA$3,082

23.02%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,280 $2,280

$1,608 CA$2,273

41.81%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$2,713 $2,713

$5,113 CA$7,228

-46.95%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,408 $2,408

$3,744 CA$5,293

-35.69%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$6,598 $6,598

$2,957 CA$4,180

123.12%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

6.47

4.48

44.42%

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

Last update for Los Banos, 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

Los Banos, CA

$1.3K 54.1%

Montreal

$977 47.4% 24.5% $317

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Los Banos, CA

$351 14.7%

Montreal

$153 7.5% 56.3% $197

Groceries & Markets

Los Banos, CA

$307 12.8%

Montreal

$351 17.1% 14.4% $44

Eating Out

Los Banos, CA

$284 11.9%

Montreal

$290 14.1% 2.2% $6.3

Clothing & Footwear

Los Banos, CA

$71 3%

Montreal

$134 6.5% 89% $63

Sport & Entertainment

Los Banos, CA

$69 2.9%

Montreal

$54 2.6% 21.9% $15

Getting Around

Los Banos, CA

$19 * 0.8%

Montreal

$100 4.9% 437% $82

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 Los Banos, CA and $1,237 in Montreal. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Los Banos, CA pays 123% 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: $101 in Los Banos, CA vs $73.0 in Montreal. Groceries flip the comparison at $307 vs $351, with Los Banos, CA cheaper for home cooking.

Good to know

🇺🇸 Los Banos, CA

🇨🇦 Montreal

🕒 Local time

08:26 8:26 AM

11:26 11:26 AM

3 h ahead of Los Banos, CA

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

35,972

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

Los Banos, CA Montreal 4,000 km ≈ 6 h nonstop flight

From you

Los Banos, 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

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

Montreal wins on cost – living expenses run 16% lower than in Los Banos, 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 123% higher in Los Banos, 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: $1,618 in Los Banos, CA versus $1,237 in Montreal. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Shoppers in Los Banos, CA pay roughly 14% less for everyday groceries. It's an unusual reversal that partly offsets higher costs elsewhere.

All in, you'll spend $2,394 per month in Los Banos, CA versus $2,059 in Montreal – a 16% gap that adds up to real savings over time for anyone picking the cheaper option.

At $2,059 in Montreal versus $2,394 in Los Banos, CA, a $2,000 budget is realistic in Montreal but tight or insufficient in Los Banos, 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, Los Banos, 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 16% less than in Los Banos, CA. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.