Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Montreal and Berkeley, CA

For one person, living is cheaper in Montreal: $2,018 a month against $3,878 in Berkeley, CA, rent and utilities included – about $22,300 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
188

Cost of Living Index in Berkeley, CA
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Berkeley, CA Living Index

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Montreal

🇨🇦 Canada

$2,018

/mo nomad

Berkeley, CA

🇺🇸 United States

$3,878

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

A single person spends $2,018 per month in Montreal vs $3,878 in Berkeley, CA, rent included.

Montreal $2,018
Berkeley, CA $3,878

A couple spends around $3,085 per month in Montreal vs $5,546 in Berkeley, CA, rent included.

Montreal $3,085
Berkeley, CA $5,546

A family of three spends $4,152 per month in Montreal vs $7,215 in Berkeley, CA, rent included.

Montreal $4,152
Berkeley, CA $7,215

Montreal is about 48% cheaper than Berkeley, CA, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Both Montreal and Berkeley, CA sit above the global median – Montreal by 49%, Berkeley, CA by 187%.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$18.82 CA$26.61

$22.39 $22.39

-15.94%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$70.3 CA$99.4

$80.3 $80.3

-12.49%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$10.66 CA$15.06

$10.52 $10.52

1.33%

Cappuccino

$3.84 CA$5.43

$6.07 $6.07

-36.74%

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

$1.92 CA$2.71

$3.25 $3.25

-40.92%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.54 CA$2.18

$3.08 $3.08

-50.00%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$6.23 CA$8.81

$5.90 $5.90

5.59%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$7.10 CA$10.03

$7.65 $7.65

-7.19%

Milk (1 liter)

$2.31 CA$3.27

$2.00 $2.00

15.50%

White Bread (500g)

$3.14 CA$4.44

$4.54 $4.54

-30.84%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$3.21 CA$4.54

$5.74 $5.74

-44.08%

Eggs

$3.52 CA$4.97

$6.07 $6.07

-42.01%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$12.81 CA$18.11

$26.78 $26.78

-52.17%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$11.46 CA$16.20

$16.58 $16.58

-30.88%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$13.39 CA$18.92

$21.69 $21.69

-38.27%

Apples (1kg)

$3.14 CA$4.43

$7.14 $7.14

-56.02%

Banana (1kg)

$1.44 CA$2.03

$2.57 $2.57

-43.97%

Oranges (1kg)

$3.47 CA$4.91

$6.21 $6.21

-44.12%

Tomato (1kg)

$3.07 CA$4.34

$10.45 $10.45

-70.62%

Potato (1kg)

$1.90 CA$2.69

$3.58 $3.58

-46.93%

Onion (1kg)

$1.77 CA$2.50

$4.84 $4.84

-63.43%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.34 CA$3.31

$2.53 $2.53

-7.51%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.55 CA$2.19

$3.08 $3.08

-49.68%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$11.38 CA$16.09

$11.57 $11.57

-1.64%

Wine (Bottle)

$10.63 CA$15.03

$12.82 $12.82

-17.08%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.27 CA$3.21

$2.06 $2.06

10.19%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.82 CA$3.99

$2.78 $2.78

1.44%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.66 CA$3.76

$2.47 $2.47

7.69%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$77.3 CA$109

$93.1 $93.1

-16.98%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.20 CA$4.53

$3.41 $3.41

-6.16%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.48 CA$2.09

$1.89 $1.89

-21.69%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$32.88 CA$46.48

$39.52 $39.52

-16.80%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.34 CA$1.90

$1.47 $1.47

-8.84%

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

$28.2K CA$39.8K

$37.7K $37.7K

-25.23%

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

$19.6K CA$27.8K

$26.1K $26.1K

-24.68%

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

$76.0 CA$107

$180 $180

-57.85%

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

$33.95 CA$48.00

$61.7 $61.7

-44.97%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$42.31 CA$59.8

$76.7 $76.7

-44.82%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$29.76 CA$42.07

$49.54 $49.54

-39.93%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$20.28 CA$28.67

$7.94 $7.94

155.42%

Cinema Ticket

$11.15 CA$15.77

$15.27 $15.27

-26.98%

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

$507 CA$717

$2,565 $2,565

-80.23%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$16.1K CA$22.7K

$35.2K $35.2K

-54.41%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$57.6 CA$81.4

$71.2 $71.2

-19.21%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$37.58 CA$53.1

$70.5 $70.5

-46.68%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$91.9 CA$130

$96.2 $96.2

-4.46%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$110 CA$155

$235 $235

-53.33%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,260 CA$1,782

$2,594 $2,594

-51.42%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$948 CA$1,340

$2,219 $2,219

-57.29%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,137 CA$3,021

$4,778 $4,778

-55.28%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,614 CA$2,281

$3,487 $3,487

-53.73%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$4,960 CA$7,011

$8,047 $8,047

-38.36%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$3,838 CA$5,425

$7,245 $7,245

-47.03%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$2,827 CA$3,997

$6,775 $6,775

-58.27%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

4.48

6.62

-32.33%

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

Last update for Montreal: October 12, 2026

Last update for Berkeley, CA: October 12, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Montreal

$948 47%

Berkeley, CA

$2.2K 57.2% 134% $1.3K

Groceries & Markets

Montreal

$346 17.2%

Berkeley, CA

$578 14.9% 66.9% $232

Eating Out

Montreal

$288 14.3%

Berkeley, CA

$354 9.1% 22.9% $66

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Montreal

$152 7.5%

Berkeley, CA

$319 8.2% 109% $166

Clothing & Footwear

Montreal

$133 6.6%

Berkeley, CA

$213 5.5% 59.4% $79

Getting Around

Montreal

$99 4.9%

Berkeley, CA

$116 3% 17.6% $17

Sport & Entertainment

Montreal

$52 2.6%

Berkeley, CA

$80 2.1% 53.8% $28

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $1,260 in Montreal versus $2,594 in Berkeley, CA. 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 140% higher in Berkeley, 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 $70.0 in Montreal versus $80.0 in Berkeley, CA. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $346 vs $578 – making Montreal the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇨🇦 Montreal

🇺🇸 Berkeley, CA

🕒 Local time

17:00 5:00 PM

14:00 2:00 PM

3 h behind Montreal

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

1,762,949

121,363

💱 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 17, 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 17, 2026: 1 EUR = 1.12 USD (1 USD = 0.89 EUR).

USD to CAD in detail →

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Between locations

Montreal Berkeley, CA 4,070 km ≈ 6 h nonstop flight

From you

Montreal
Berkeley, 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 Berkeley, CA: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Yes – Berkeley, CA is pricier by about 92%, and outside of rent the gap shows up most in groceries.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $3,027 per month in Montreal and $5,817 in Berkeley, CA. 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.

Public transport costs about 20% less in Montreal. For daily commuters, that gap adds up to noticeable savings over a year.

Kindergarten costs $507 per month in Montreal and $2,565 in Berkeley, CA. 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 Montreal, where all-in costs run around $2,018, than in Berkeley, CA at $3,878. In Montreal it covers expenses comfortably, while in Berkeley, 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, Berkeley, CA makes more sense. Both are solid long-term options with distinct trade-offs.