Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Montreal and Alhambra, CA

For one person, living is cheaper in Montreal: $2,003 a month against $3,606 in Alhambra, CA, rent and utilities included – about $19,200 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

99

Cost of Living Index in Montreal
Learn more

Montreal Living Index
173

Cost of Living Index in Alhambra, CA
Learn more

Alhambra, CA Living Index

Jump to prices

Montreal

🇨🇦 Canada

$2,003

/mo nomad

Alhambra, CA

🇺🇸 United States

$3,606

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Montreal and in Alhambra, CA

Real prices from locals and on-the-ground checks – rent, groceries, transit and the daily extras. Here's what a month in Montreal and in Alhambra, CA actually costs, broken down by who's living it.

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $2,003 in Montreal versus $3,606 in Alhambra, CA.

Montreal $2,003
Alhambra, CA $3,606

Estimated couple costs with rent: $3,048 in Montreal versus $4,604 in Alhambra, CA.

Montreal $3,048
Alhambra, CA $4,604

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $4,092 in Montreal versus $5,603 in Alhambra, CA.

Montreal $4,092
Alhambra, CA $5,603

Living in Montreal costs roughly 44% less than in Alhambra, CA, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Montreal 49% above, Alhambra, CA 169% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$19.31 CA$27.52

$24.88 $24.88

-22.39%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$75.5 CA$108

$77.9 $77.9

-3.07%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$10.63 CA$15.15

$14.96 $14.96

-28.94%

Cappuccino

$3.93 CA$5.60

$6.10 $6.10

-35.57%

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

$1.92 CA$2.73

$3.06 $3.06

-37.25%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.48 CA$2.11

$2.42 $2.42

-38.84%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$6.30 CA$8.98

$7.04 $7.04

-10.51%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$7.19 CA$10.24

$10.11 $10.11

-28.88%

Milk (1 liter)

$2.22 CA$3.17

$1.36 $1.36

63.24%

White Bread (500g)

$3.06 CA$4.36

$5.11 $5.11

-40.12%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.94 CA$4.19

$4.59 $4.59

-35.95%

Eggs

$3.53 CA$5.03

$5.91 $5.91

-40.27%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$13.19 CA$18.79

$11.33 $11.33

16.42%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$11.24 CA$16.02

$8.82 $8.82

27.44%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$13.81 CA$19.69

$19.79 $19.79

-30.22%

Apples (1kg)

$3.40 CA$4.85

$4.82 $4.82

-29.46%

Banana (1kg)

$1.44 CA$2.06

$2.21 $2.21

-34.84%

Oranges (1kg)

$3.26 CA$4.65

$3.95 $3.95

-17.47%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.88 CA$4.10

$5.64 $5.64

-48.94%

Potato (1kg)

$1.86 CA$2.65

$3.20 $3.20

-41.88%

Onion (1kg)

$1.82 CA$2.60

$3.15 $3.15

-42.22%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.43 CA$3.46

$2.09 $2.09

16.27%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.52 CA$2.17

$2.82 $2.82

-46.10%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$11.45 CA$16.32

$11.73 $11.73

-2.39%

Wine (Bottle)

$10.36 CA$14.76

$15.24 $15.24

-32.02%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.22 CA$3.16

$2.49 $2.49

-10.84%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.82 CA$4.02

$2.77 $2.77

1.81%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.58 CA$3.67

$1.94 $1.94

32.99%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$76.9 CA$110

$110 $110

-30.41%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.25 CA$4.64

$3.07 $3.07

5.86%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.48 CA$2.11

$1.82 $1.82

-18.68%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$33.04 CA$47.09

$32.56 $32.56

1.47%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.36 CA$1.94

$1.45 $1.45

-6.21%

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

$27.4K CA$39.1K

$37.0K $37.0K

-25.81%

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

$20.0K CA$28.5K

$26.5K $26.5K

-24.61%

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

$76.1 CA$109

$284 $284

-73.19%

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

$34.68 CA$49.43

$76.1 $76.1

-54.40%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$42.69 CA$60.9

$72.9 $72.9

-41.41%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$28.94 CA$41.26

$41.65 $41.65

-30.52%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$20.33 CA$28.97

$15.80 $15.80

28.67%

Cinema Ticket

$11.21 CA$15.98

$19.77 $19.77

-43.30%

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

$505 CA$720

$1,157 $1,157

-56.36%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$16.0K CA$22.8K

$32.5K $32.5K

-50.79%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$58.5 CA$83.4

$62.7 $62.7

-6.62%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$38.00 CA$54.2

$48.26 $48.26

-21.26%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$92.7 CA$132

$104 $104

-11.26%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$106 CA$151

$101 $101

4.31%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,240 CA$1,768

$2,328 $2,328

-46.74%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$986 CA$1,405

$1,921 $1,921

-48.68%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,102 CA$2,996

$2,539 $2,539

-17.21%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,615 CA$2,302

$2,118 $2,118

-23.74%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$5,043 CA$7,188

$2,773 $2,773

81.88%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$3,830 CA$5,459

$2,375 $2,375

61.27%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$2,920 CA$4,163

$4,816 $4,816

-39.36%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

4.46

6.31

-29.32%

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

Last update for Montreal: October 6, 2026

Last update for Alhambra, CA: October 5, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Montreal

$986 47.9%

Alhambra, CA

$1.9K 54.3% 94.8% $935

Groceries & Markets

Montreal

$344 16.7%

Alhambra, CA

$432 12.2% 25.8% $89

Eating Out

Montreal

$293 14.2%

Alhambra, CA

$394 11.2% 34.6% $101

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Montreal

$154 7.5%

Alhambra, CA

$433 12.3% 182% $279

Clothing & Footwear

Montreal

$133 6.5%

Alhambra, CA

$143 4% 7.4% $9.8

Getting Around

Montreal

$98 4.8%

Alhambra, CA

$130 3.7% 33.3% $33

Sport & Entertainment

Montreal

$51 2.5%

Alhambra, CA

$81 2.3% 58.1% $30

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,240 in Montreal and $2,328 in Alhambra, CA. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Alhambra, CA pays 65% 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: $75.0 in Montreal vs $78.0 in Alhambra, CA for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $344 vs $432 per month, with Montreal cheaper across the board.

Good to know

🇨🇦 Montreal

🇺🇸 Alhambra, CA

🕒 Local time

08:11 8:11 AM

05:11 5:11 AM

3 h behind Montreal

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

1,762,949

83,089

💱 Currency

Canadian Dollar CAD $

United States Dollar USD $

📈 Exchange rate

1 CAD = 0.702 USD

1 CAD = 0.626 EUR

1 USD = 0.892 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

USD, EUR to CAD – Canadian Dollar Converter

🇺🇸 United States Dollar ($)

🇨🇦 Canadian Dollar ($)

Canadian Dollar exchange rates as of October 10, 2026: 1 USD = 1.43 CAD (1 CAD = 0.702 USD). 1 EUR = 1.6 CAD (1 CAD = 0.626 EUR).

United States Dollar exchange rates as of October 10, 2026: 1 EUR = 1.12 USD (1 USD = 0.892 EUR).

USD to CAD in detail →

On the map

Lowest

Highest

Between locations

Montreal Alhambra, CA 3,960 km ≈ 5 h nonstop flight

From you

Montreal
Alhambra, CA

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

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

Montreal and Alhambra, CA differ by about 80% in total monthly costs ($2,003 vs $3,606 including rent). Montreal is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

On paper, salaries run 65% lower in Alhambra, CA. 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: $1,240 in Montreal versus $2,328 in Alhambra, CA. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Supermarket bills run roughly 26% higher in Alhambra, CA. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

Dining out is cheaper in Montreal – a meal for two runs $75.0 versus $78.0 in Alhambra, CA. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

At $2,003 in Montreal versus $3,606 in Alhambra, CA, a $2,000 budget is realistic in Montreal but tight or insufficient in Alhambra, CA. The gap between the two cities makes Montreal the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

Both cities offer a good standard of living with different trade-offs. Neither is objectively better – the right pick depends on what matters most: affordability, career, cultural scene, or climate.

Safety-wise, Montreal and Alhambra, CA 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 80% less than in Alhambra, CA. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.