Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Monterey Park, CA and Montreal

For one person, living is cheaper in Montreal: $2,018 a month against $2,866 in Monterey Park, CA, rent and utilities included – about $10,200 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

140

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

Cost of Living Index in Montreal
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Montreal Living Index

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Monterey Park, CA

🇺🇸 United States

$2,866

/mo nomad

Montreal

🇨🇦 Canada

$2,018

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $2,866 in Monterey Park, CA versus $2,018 in Montreal.

Monterey Park, CA $2,866
Montreal $2,018

Estimated couple costs with rent: $4,218 in Monterey Park, CA versus $3,085 in Montreal.

Monterey Park, CA $4,218
Montreal $3,085

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $5,570 in Monterey Park, CA versus $4,152 in Montreal.

Monterey Park, CA $5,570
Montreal $4,152

Living in Monterey Park, CA is roughly 42% more expensive than in Montreal, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Monterey Park, CA 112% above, Montreal 49% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$26.69 $26.69

$18.82 CA$26.61

41.82%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$80.4 $80.4

$70.3 CA$99.4

14.41%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$15.07 $15.07

$10.66 CA$15.06

41.37%

Cappuccino

$5.89 $5.89

$3.84 CA$5.43

53.39%

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

$3.14 $3.14

$1.92 CA$2.71

63.54%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.76 $2.76

$1.54 CA$2.18

79.22%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$8.17 $8.17

$6.23 CA$8.81

31.14%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$10.19 $10.19

$7.10 CA$10.03

43.52%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.33 $1.33

$2.31 CA$3.27

-42.42%

White Bread (500g)

$4.94 $4.94

$3.14 CA$4.44

57.32%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$4.60 $4.60

$3.21 CA$4.54

43.30%

Eggs

$5.74 $5.74

$3.52 CA$4.97

63.07%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$11.29 $11.29

$12.81 CA$18.11

-11.87%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$8.63 $8.63

$11.46 CA$16.20

-24.69%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$19.40 $19.40

$13.39 CA$18.92

44.88%

Apples (1kg)

$4.65 $4.65

$3.14 CA$4.43

48.09%

Banana (1kg)

$2.32 $2.32

$1.44 CA$2.03

61.11%

Oranges (1kg)

$4.12 $4.12

$3.47 CA$4.91

18.73%

Tomato (1kg)

$5.60 $5.60

$3.07 CA$4.34

82.41%

Potato (1kg)

$3.41 $3.41

$1.90 CA$2.69

79.47%

Onion (1kg)

$2.93 $2.93

$1.77 CA$2.50

65.54%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.95 $1.95

$2.34 CA$3.31

-16.67%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$2.44 $2.44

$1.55 CA$2.19

57.42%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$11.56 $11.56

$11.38 CA$16.09

1.58%

Wine (Bottle)

$14.98 $14.98

$10.63 CA$15.03

40.92%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.51 $2.51

$2.27 CA$3.21

10.57%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.71 $2.71

$2.82 CA$3.99

-3.90%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.99 $1.99

$2.66 CA$3.76

-25.19%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$77.3 CA$109

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.08 $3.08

$3.20 CA$4.53

-3.75%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.81 $1.81

$1.48 CA$2.09

22.30%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$32.31 $32.31

$32.88 CA$46.48

-1.73%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.57 $1.57

$1.34 CA$1.90

17.16%

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

$37.4K $37.4K

$28.2K CA$39.8K

32.98%

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

$25.5K $25.5K

$19.6K CA$27.8K

29.96%

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

$272 $272

$76.0 CA$107

257.90%

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

$85.8 $85.8

$33.95 CA$48.00

152.70%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$81.4 $81.4

$42.31 CA$59.8

92.37%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$47.47 $47.47

$29.76 CA$42.07

59.51%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$20.28 CA$28.67

Cinema Ticket

$19.40 $19.40

$11.15 CA$15.77

73.99%

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

$1,175 $1,175

$507 CA$717

131.74%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$31.7K $31.7K

$16.1K CA$22.7K

97.23%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$63.8 $63.8

$57.6 CA$81.4

10.88%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$55.6 $55.6

$37.58 CA$53.1

47.82%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$117 $117

$91.9 CA$130

27.57%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$211 $211

$110 CA$155

92.46%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,565 $1,565

$1,260 CA$1,782

24.16%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,283 $1,283

$948 CA$1,340

35.43%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,549 $2,549

$2,137 CA$3,021

19.26%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,171 $2,171

$1,614 CA$2,281

34.52%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$2,733 $2,733

$4,960 CA$7,011

-44.90%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,066 $2,066

$3,838 CA$5,425

-46.17%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,575 $1,575

$2,827 CA$3,997

-44.29%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

6.31

4.48

40.85%

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

Last update for Monterey Park, CA: October 12, 2026

Last update for Montreal: October 12, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Monterey Park, CA

$1.3K 44.8%

Montreal

$948 47% 26.2% $336

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Monterey Park, CA

$439 15.3%

Montreal

$152 7.5% 65.3% $287

Groceries & Markets

Monterey Park, CA

$422 14.7%

Montreal

$346 17.2% 17.9% $76

Eating Out

Monterey Park, CA

$414 14.5%

Montreal

$288 14.3% 30.5% $126

Clothing & Footwear

Monterey Park, CA

$201 7%

Montreal

$133 6.6% 33.7% $68

Sport & Entertainment

Monterey Park, CA

$86 3%

Montreal

$52 2.6% 39.7% $34

Getting Around

Monterey Park, CA

$20 * 0.7%

Montreal

$99 4.9% 391% $78

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 $1,565 in Monterey Park, CA and $1,260 in Montreal. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Montreal pays 79% more on average while also being the cheaper of the two. The combined effect is a noticeably stronger local purchasing power.

Dining out: $80.0 in Monterey Park, CA vs $70.0 in Montreal for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $422 vs $346 per month, with Montreal cheaper across the board.

Good to know

🇺🇸 Monterey Park, CA

🇨🇦 Montreal

🕒 Local time

11:29 11:29 AM

14:29 2:29 PM

3 h ahead of Monterey Park, CA

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

60,269

1,762,949

💱 Currency

United States Dollar USD $

Canadian Dollar CAD $

📈 Exchange rate

1 USD = 0.889 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 17, 2026: 1 EUR = 1.12 USD (1 USD = 0.889 EUR).

Canadian Dollar exchange rates as of October 17, 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 Park, CA Montreal 3,960 km ≈ 5 h nonstop flight

From you

Monterey Park, 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

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

Montreal wins on cost – living expenses run 42% lower than in Monterey Park, CA. Housing and daily spending are where you'll feel the difference most, making Montreal the obvious pick if budget is a priority.

On paper, salaries run 79% 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: $1,565 in Monterey Park, CA versus $1,260 in Montreal. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Supermarket bills run roughly 22% higher in Monterey Park, CA. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

All in, you'll spend $2,866 per month in Monterey Park, CA versus $2,018 in Montreal – a 42% gap that adds up to real savings over time for anyone picking the cheaper option.

At $2,018 in Montreal versus $2,866 in Monterey Park, CA, a $2,000 budget is realistic in Montreal but tight or insufficient in Monterey Park, 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 $2,018 monthly. If stretching your runway or maximizing savings is the goal, the price difference makes Montreal hard to pass up.

Safety-wise, Monterey Park, 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 42% less than in Monterey Park, CA. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.