Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Monterey, CA and Montreal

For one person, living is cheaper in Montreal: $2,059 a month against $3,616 in Monterey, CA, rent and utilities included – about $18,700 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

173

Cost of Living Index in Monterey, CA
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Monterey, CA Living Index
99

Cost of Living Index in Montreal
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Montreal Living Index

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Monterey, CA

🇺🇸 United States

$3,616

/mo nomad

Montreal

🇨🇦 Canada

$2,059

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

A single person spends $3,616 per month in Monterey, CA vs $2,059 in Montreal, rent included.

Monterey, CA $3,616
Montreal $2,059

A couple spends around $5,349 per month in Monterey, CA vs $3,123 in Montreal, rent included.

Monterey, CA $5,349
Montreal $3,123

A family of three spends $7,082 per month in Monterey, CA vs $4,187 in Montreal, rent included.

Monterey, CA $7,082
Montreal $4,187

Monterey, CA costs about 76% more than Montreal, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in utilities.

Both Monterey, CA and Montreal sit above the global median – Monterey, CA by 167%, Montreal by 52%.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$20.27 $20.27

$18.84 CA$26.63

7.59%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$78.6 $78.6

$73.2 CA$104

7.33%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$12.10 $12.10

$10.54 CA$14.90

14.80%

Cappuccino

$5.22 $5.22

$3.97 CA$5.61

31.49%

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

$3.20 $3.20

$1.94 CA$2.74

64.95%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.62 $1.62

$1.57 CA$2.22

3.18%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$5.45 $5.45

$6.42 CA$9.08

-15.11%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$6.06 $6.06

$7.20 CA$10.19

-15.83%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.65 $1.65

$2.32 CA$3.28

-28.88%

White Bread (500g)

$3.17 $3.17

$3.19 CA$4.51

-0.63%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.63 $2.63

$3.19 CA$4.50

-17.55%

Eggs

$4.57 $4.57

$3.68 CA$5.20

24.18%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$9.57 $9.57

$13.24 CA$18.72

-27.72%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$13.38 $13.38

$11.69 CA$16.53

14.46%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$6.12 $6.12

$13.98 CA$19.76

-56.22%

Apples (1kg)

$3.66 $3.66

$3.14 CA$4.44

16.56%

Banana (1kg)

$1.20 $1.20

$1.45 CA$2.05

-17.24%

Oranges (1kg)

$3.22 $3.22

$3.38 CA$4.78

-4.73%

Tomato (1kg)

$4.00 $4.00

$3.11 CA$4.40

28.62%

Potato (1kg)

$2.75 $2.75

$1.93 CA$2.72

42.49%

Onion (1kg)

$1.96 $1.96

$1.83 CA$2.58

7.10%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.74 $1.74

$2.36 CA$3.34

-26.27%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.25 $1.25

$1.50 CA$2.12

-16.67%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$11.59 $11.59

$11.12 CA$15.73

4.23%

Wine (Bottle)

$17.31 $17.31

$10.60 CA$14.98

63.30%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.73 $2.73

$2.22 CA$3.14

22.97%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.85 $1.85

$2.84 CA$4.01

-34.86%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.02 $2.02

$2.62 CA$3.71

-22.90%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$52.9 $52.9

$79.1 CA$112

-33.22%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.58 $1.58

$3.23 CA$4.56

-51.08%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.95 $0.95

$1.48 CA$2.10

-35.81%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$35.04 $35.04

$32.22 CA$45.55

8.75%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.53 $1.53

$1.36 CA$1.92

12.50%

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

$28.9K $28.9K

$27.6K CA$39.1K

4.49%

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

$25.8K $25.8K

$21.2K CA$30.0K

21.70%

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

$238 $238

$77.0 CA$109

209.03%

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

$75.1 $75.1

$34.14 CA$48.26

120.04%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$71.7 $71.7

$42.19 CA$59.7

69.97%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$84.1 $84.1

$30.81 CA$43.56

172.90%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$10.63 $10.63

$19.66 CA$27.79

-45.93%

Cinema Ticket

$12.75 $12.75

$11.47 CA$16.22

11.16%

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

$555 $555

$506 CA$716

9.62%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$12.5K $12.5K

$16.2K CA$23.0K

-22.84%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$76.8 $76.8

$57.3 CA$81.0

34.07%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$90.2 $90.2

$38.10 CA$53.9

136.80%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$129 $129

$91.9 CA$130

40.15%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$135 $135

$110 CA$155

22.55%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,490 $2,490

$1,237 CA$1,748

101.33%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,205 $2,205

$977 CA$1,381

125.79%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$4,056 $4,056

$2,180 CA$3,082

86.04%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$4,027 $4,027

$1,608 CA$2,273

150.43%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$7,909 $7,909

$5,113 CA$7,228

54.68%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$5,838 $5,838

$3,744 CA$5,293

55.91%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$4,771 $4,771

$2,957 CA$4,180

61.34%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

6.62

4.48

47.77%

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

Last update for Monterey, CA: October 20, 2026

Last update for Montreal: October 20, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Monterey, CA

$2.2K 61%

Montreal

$977 47.4% 55.7% $1.2K

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Monterey, CA

$385 10.6%

Montreal

$153 7.5% 60.2% $232

Groceries & Markets

Monterey, CA

$335 9.3%

Montreal

$351 17.1% 4.6% $16

Eating Out

Monterey, CA

$320 8.8%

Montreal

$290 14.1% 9.2% $29

Clothing & Footwear

Monterey, CA

$194 5.4%

Montreal

$134 6.5% 31% $60

Sport & Entertainment

Monterey, CA

$110 3%

Montreal

$54 2.6% 50.9% $56

Getting Around

Monterey, CA

$67 1.9%

Montreal

$100 4.9% 49.1% $33

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $2,490 in Monterey, CA versus $1,237 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 61% higher in Monterey, CA, 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 $79.0 in Monterey, CA versus $73.0 in Montreal. Groceries tell a different story – $335 in Monterey, CA vs $351 in Montreal – so Monterey, CA wins on supermarket bills even if dining out costs more.

Good to know

🇺🇸 Monterey, CA

🇨🇦 Montreal

🕒 Local time

13:46 1:46 PM

16:46 4:46 PM

3 h ahead of Monterey, CA

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

28,803

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

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Between locations

Monterey, CA Montreal 4,110 km ≈ 6 h nonstop flight

From you

Monterey, CA
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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

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

Yes – Monterey, CA is pricier by about 76%, and outside of rent the gap shows up most in utilities.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $5,424 per month in Monterey, CA and $3,089 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.

Monthly expenses with rent come to $3,616 in Monterey, CA and $2,059 in Montreal. That's a gap of about 76%.

Public transport costs about 50% less in Montreal. For daily commuters, that gap adds up to noticeable savings over a year.

A $2,000 monthly budget goes further in Montreal, where all-in costs run around $2,059, than in Monterey, CA at $3,616. In Montreal it covers expenses comfortably, while in Monterey, CA it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.

Families tend to lean toward Montreal – lower housing and cheaper childcare make a real difference, especially on a single income or when paying for private education.

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, Monterey, CA makes more sense. Both are solid long-term options with distinct trade-offs.