Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Montreal and Alton, IL

For one person, living is cheaper in Alton, IL: $1,895 a month against $2,059 in Montreal, rent and utilities included – about $2,000 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

99

Cost of Living Index in Montreal
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Montreal Living Index
92

Cost of Living Index in Alton, IL
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Alton, IL Living Index

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Montreal

🇨🇦 Canada

$2,059

/mo nomad

Alton, IL

🇺🇸 United States

$1,895

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Montreal and in Alton, IL

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 Alton, IL actually costs, broken down by who's living it.

A single person spends $2,059 per month in Montreal vs $1,895 in Alton, IL, rent included.

Montreal $2,059
Alton, IL $1,895

A couple spends around $3,123 per month in Montreal vs $2,862 in Alton, IL, rent included.

Montreal $3,123
Alton, IL $2,862

A family of three spends $4,187 per month in Montreal vs $3,829 in Alton, IL, rent included.

Montreal $4,187
Alton, IL $3,829

Montreal costs about 9% more than Alton, IL, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in transport.

Both Montreal and Alton, IL sit above the global median – Montreal by 52%, Alton, IL by 40%.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$18.84 CA$26.63

$20.77 $20.77

-9.29%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$73.2 CA$104

$55.6 $55.6

31.71%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$10.54 CA$14.90

$11.17 $11.17

-5.64%

Cappuccino

$3.97 CA$5.61

$4.95 $4.95

-19.80%

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

$1.94 CA$2.74

$1.46 $1.46

32.88%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.57 CA$2.22

$1.74 $1.74

-9.77%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$6.42 CA$9.08

$3.89 $3.89

65.04%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$7.20 CA$10.19

$5.88 $5.88

22.45%

Milk (1 liter)

$2.32 CA$3.28

$0.81 $0.81

186.42%

White Bread (500g)

$3.19 CA$4.51

$2.59 $2.59

23.17%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$3.19 CA$4.50

$3.13 $3.13

1.92%

Eggs

$3.68 CA$5.20

$3.16 $3.16

16.46%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$13.24 CA$18.72

$9.32 $9.32

42.06%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$11.69 CA$16.53

$6.74 $6.74

73.44%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$13.98 CA$19.76

$23.42 $23.42

-40.31%

Apples (1kg)

$3.14 CA$4.44

$4.26 $4.26

-26.29%

Banana (1kg)

$1.45 CA$2.05

$1.18 $1.18

22.88%

Oranges (1kg)

$3.38 CA$4.78

$5.18 $5.18

-34.75%

Tomato (1kg)

$3.11 CA$4.40

$4.89 $4.89

-36.40%

Potato (1kg)

$1.93 CA$2.72

$2.21 $2.21

-12.67%

Onion (1kg)

$1.83 CA$2.58

$2.74 $2.74

-33.21%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.36 CA$3.34

$2.10 $2.10

12.38%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.50 CA$2.12

$2.10 $2.10

-28.57%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$11.12 CA$15.73

$11.08 $11.08

0.36%

Wine (Bottle)

$10.60 CA$14.98

$12.05 $12.05

-12.03%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.22 CA$3.14

$1.83 $1.83

21.31%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.84 CA$4.01

$2.67 $2.67

6.37%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.62 CA$3.71

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$79.1 CA$112

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.23 CA$4.56

$2.96 $2.96

9.12%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.48 CA$2.10

$1.69 $1.69

-12.43%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$32.22 CA$45.55

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.36 CA$1.92

$0.98 $0.98

38.78%

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

$27.6K CA$39.1K

$27.9K $27.9K

-0.77%

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

$21.2K CA$30.0K

$26.0K $26.0K

-18.47%

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

$77.0 CA$109

$331 $331

-76.73%

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

$34.14 CA$48.26

$43.44 $43.44

-21.41%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$42.19 CA$59.7

$77.7 $77.7

-45.73%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$30.81 CA$43.56

$27.07 $27.07

13.82%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$19.66 CA$27.79

Cinema Ticket

$11.47 CA$16.22

$11.95 $11.95

-4.02%

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

$506 CA$716

$279 $279

81.27%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$16.2K CA$23.0K

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$57.3 CA$81.0

$40.36 $40.36

41.87%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$38.10 CA$53.9

$42.75 $42.75

-10.88%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$91.9 CA$130

$65.4 $65.4

40.55%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$110 CA$155

$76.1 $76.1

44.31%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,237 CA$1,748

$763 $763

62.06%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$977 CA$1,381

$627 $627

55.82%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,180 CA$3,082

$1,099 $1,099

98.41%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,608 CA$2,273

$1,275 $1,275

26.13%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$5,113 CA$7,228

$1,513 $1,513

237.85%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$3,744 CA$5,293

$1,455 $1,455

157.33%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$2,957 CA$4,180

$3,813 $3,813

-22.44%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

4.48

-25.33%

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

Last update for Montreal: October 20, 2026

Last update for Alton, IL: October 18, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Montreal

$977 47.4%

Alton, IL

$627 33.1% 35.8% $350

Groceries & Markets

Montreal

$351 17.1%

Alton, IL

$349 18.4% 0.6% $2

Eating Out

Montreal

$290 14.1%

Alton, IL

$303 16% 4.3% $13

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Montreal

$153 7.5%

Alton, IL

$452 23.9% 195% $299

Clothing & Footwear

Montreal

$134 6.5%

Alton, IL

$101 5.3% 24.4% $33

Getting Around

Montreal

$100 4.9%

Alton, IL

$11 * 0.6% 88.6% $89

Sport & Entertainment

Montreal

$54 2.6%

Alton, IL

$51 2.7% 5.2% $2.8

Categories marked with * are only partly priced – their share counts the items that do have prices.

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $1,237 in Montreal versus $763 in Alton, IL. 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 29% higher in Alton, IL, which reinforces the cost advantage – you earn more and spend less. Purchasing power leans clearly in its favor.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $73.0 in Montreal versus $56.0 in Alton, IL. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $351 vs $349 – making Alton, IL the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇨🇦 Montreal

🇺🇸 Alton, IL

🕒 Local time

18:11 6:11 PM

17:11 5:11 PM

1 h behind Montreal

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

1,762,949

25,676

💱 Currency

Canadian Dollar CAD $

United States Dollar USD $

📈 Exchange rate

1 CAD = 0.707 USD

1 CAD = 0.629 EUR

1 USD = 0.89 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 20, 2026: 1 USD = 1.41 CAD (1 CAD = 0.707 USD). 1 EUR = 1.59 CAD (1 CAD = 0.629 EUR).

United States Dollar exchange rates as of October 20, 2026: 1 EUR = 1.12 USD (1 USD = 0.89 EUR).

USD to CAD in detail →

On the map

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Between locations

Montreal Alton, IL 1,550 km ≈ 2 h 30 min nonstop flight

From you

Montreal
Alton, IL

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 Alton, IL: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Montreal costs about 9% more than Alton, IL, and outside of rent the gap comes mainly from transport. That's enough to noticeably affect everyday spending and lifestyle for anyone choosing between the two.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $3,089 per month in Montreal and $2,842 in Alton, IL. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

Rent is clearly cheaper in Alton, IL, 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 $2,059 in Montreal and $1,895 in Alton, IL. That's a gap of about 9%.

Kindergarten costs $506 per month in Montreal and $279 in Alton, IL. For families with young kids, this one expense can tip the scales when choosing between the two cities.

A $2,000 monthly budget goes further in Alton, IL, where all-in costs run around $1,895, than in Montreal at $2,059. In Alton, IL it covers expenses comfortably, while in Montreal it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.

For digital nomads, it depends on budget. Alton, IL costs $1,895 versus $2,059 in Montreal. 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 Alton, IL. If higher salaries, better infrastructure, or specific career opportunities are the priority, Montreal makes more sense. Both are solid long-term options with distinct trade-offs.