Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Mesa, AZ and Montreal

For one person, living is cheaper in Montreal: $2,003 a month against $2,594 in Mesa, AZ, rent and utilities included – about $7,100 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

126

Cost of Living Index in Mesa, AZ
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Mesa, AZ Living Index
99

Cost of Living Index in Montreal
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Montreal Living Index

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Mesa, AZ

🇺🇸 United States

$2,594

/mo nomad

Montreal

🇨🇦 Canada

$2,003

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

A single person spends $2,594 per month in Mesa, AZ vs $2,003 in Montreal, rent included.

Mesa, AZ $2,594
Montreal $2,003

A couple spends around $3,806 per month in Mesa, AZ vs $3,048 in Montreal, rent included.

Mesa, AZ $3,806
Montreal $3,048

A family of three spends $5,018 per month in Mesa, AZ vs $4,092 in Montreal, rent included.

Mesa, AZ $5,018
Montreal $4,092

Mesa, AZ costs about 29% more than Montreal, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Both Mesa, AZ and Montreal sit above the global median – Mesa, AZ by 94%, Montreal by 49%.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$20.06 $20.06

$19.31 CA$27.52

3.88%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$81.5 $81.5

$75.5 CA$108

7.96%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$13.02 $13.02

$10.63 CA$15.15

22.48%

Cappuccino

$6.14 $6.14

$3.93 CA$5.60

56.23%

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

$2.74 $2.74

$1.92 CA$2.73

42.71%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.23 $2.23

$1.48 CA$2.11

50.68%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$6.03 $6.03

$6.30 CA$8.98

-4.29%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$7.50 $7.50

$7.19 CA$10.24

4.31%

Milk (1 liter)

$0.87 $0.87

$2.22 CA$3.17

-60.81%

White Bread (500g)

$4.25 $4.25

$3.06 CA$4.36

38.89%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$5.99 $5.99

$2.94 CA$4.19

103.74%

Eggs

$4.43 $4.43

$3.53 CA$5.03

25.50%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$13.28 $13.28

$13.19 CA$18.79

0.68%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$13.73 $13.73

$11.24 CA$16.02

22.15%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$17.41 $17.41

$13.81 CA$19.69

26.07%

Apples (1kg)

$5.48 $5.48

$3.40 CA$4.85

61.18%

Banana (1kg)

$1.86 $1.86

$1.44 CA$2.06

29.17%

Oranges (1kg)

$4.19 $4.19

$3.26 CA$4.65

28.53%

Tomato (1kg)

$5.26 $5.26

$2.88 CA$4.10

82.64%

Potato (1kg)

$3.30 $3.30

$1.86 CA$2.65

77.42%

Onion (1kg)

$2.92 $2.92

$1.82 CA$2.60

60.44%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.14 $2.14

$2.43 CA$3.46

-11.93%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$2.58 $2.58

$1.52 CA$2.17

69.74%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$10.66 $10.66

$11.45 CA$16.32

-6.90%

Wine (Bottle)

$14.61 $14.61

$10.36 CA$14.76

41.02%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.42 $2.42

$2.22 CA$3.16

9.01%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.42 $3.42

$2.82 CA$4.02

21.28%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.57 $2.57

$2.58 CA$3.67

-0.39%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$35.67 $35.67

$76.9 CA$110

-53.61%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$2.72 $2.72

$3.25 CA$4.64

-16.31%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.40 $1.40

$1.48 CA$2.11

-5.41%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$35.58 $35.58

$33.04 CA$47.09

7.69%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.18 $1.18

$1.36 CA$1.94

-13.24%

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

$35.8K $35.8K

$27.4K CA$39.1K

30.48%

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

$25.3K $25.3K

$20.0K CA$28.5K

26.84%

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

$241 $241

$76.1 CA$109

216.87%

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

$62.3 $62.3

$34.68 CA$49.43

79.64%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$73.5 $73.5

$42.69 CA$60.9

72.19%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$41.45 $41.45

$28.94 CA$41.26

43.23%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$10.80 $10.80

$20.33 CA$28.97

-46.88%

Cinema Ticket

$13.02 $13.02

$11.21 CA$15.98

16.15%

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

$1,179 $1,179

$505 CA$720

133.43%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$15.9K $15.9K

$16.0K CA$22.8K

-0.73%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$54.8 $54.8

$58.5 CA$83.4

-6.26%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$42.58 $42.58

$38.00 CA$54.2

12.05%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$99.7 $99.7

$92.7 CA$132

7.52%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$114 $114

$106 CA$151

8.19%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,349 $1,349

$1,240 CA$1,768

8.79%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,190 $1,190

$986 CA$1,405

20.67%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,292 $2,292

$2,102 CA$2,996

9.04%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,998 $1,998

$1,615 CA$2,302

23.73%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$2,970 $2,970

$5,043 CA$7,188

-41.11%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$3,566 $3,566

$3,830 CA$5,459

-6.90%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$4,124 $4,124

$2,920 CA$4,163

41.21%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

6.44

4.46

44.39%

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

Last update for Mesa, AZ: October 5, 2026

Last update for Montreal: October 6, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Mesa, AZ

$1.2K 45.6%

Montreal

$986 47.9% 17.1% $204

Groceries & Markets

Mesa, AZ

$439 16.8%

Montreal

$344 16.7% 21.7% $95

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Mesa, AZ

$377 14.5%

Montreal

$154 7.5% 59.3% $224

Eating Out

Mesa, AZ

$338 13%

Montreal

$293 14.2% 13.4% $45

Clothing & Footwear

Mesa, AZ

$140 5.4%

Montreal

$133 6.5% 5.3% $7.4

Sport & Entertainment

Mesa, AZ

$67 2.6%

Montreal

$51 2.5% 23.9% $16

Getting Around

Mesa, AZ

$56 2.1%

Montreal

$98 4.8% 75.8% $42

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $1,349 in Mesa, AZ versus $1,240 in Montreal. Rent is usually the largest line item in a monthly budget, so the gap here sets the tone for the overall comparison.

Salaries run about 41% higher in Mesa, AZ, which partly offsets the higher cost of living there. Purchasing power depends on which expenses matter most to you.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $82.0 in Mesa, AZ versus $75.0 in Montreal. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $439 vs $344 – making Montreal the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇺🇸 Mesa, AZ

🇨🇦 Montreal

🕒 Local time

05:45 5:45 AM

08:45 8:45 AM

3 h ahead of Mesa, AZ

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

504,258

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

Mesa, AZ Montreal 3,510 km ≈ 5 h nonstop flight

From you

Mesa, AZ
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

Mesa, AZ vs Montreal: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Mesa, AZ costs about 29% more than Montreal, and outside of rent the gap comes mainly from groceries. That's enough to noticeably affect everyday spending and lifestyle for anyone choosing between the two.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $3,890 per month in Mesa, AZ and $3,005 in Montreal. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

Rent is clearly cheaper in Montreal, especially for central apartments. Housing is actually the single biggest factor behind the overall cost gap between these two cities.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $82.0 in Mesa, AZ and $75.0 in Montreal. That's a good indicator of the overall restaurant and café pricing gap between the two cities.

Monthly expenses with rent come to $2,594 in Mesa, AZ and $2,003 in Montreal. That's a gap of about 29%.

A $2,000 monthly budget goes further in Montreal, where all-in costs run around $2,003, than in Mesa, AZ at $2,594. In Montreal it covers expenses comfortably, while in Mesa, AZ it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.

For digital nomads, it depends on budget. Montreal costs $2,003 versus $2,594 in Mesa, AZ. Both have workable remote work infrastructure, but the cost gap matters when income varies month to month.

Both have safer and rougher neighborhoods, but overall safety is comparable to other large cities. Neighborhood choice matters more than the city-level comparison – central, well-trafficked areas feel secure in both.

If budget matters most, go with Montreal. If higher salaries, better infrastructure, or specific career opportunities are the priority, Mesa, AZ makes more sense. Both are solid long-term options with distinct trade-offs.