Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Montreal and Burbank, CA

For one person, living is cheaper in Montreal: $2,003 a month against $3,642 in Burbank, CA, rent and utilities included – about $19,700 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

Montreal
🇨🇦 Canada
$2,003
/mo nomad
Burbank, CA
🇺🇸 United States
$3,642
/mo nomad
Monthly Cost of Living

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

A single person spends $2,003 per month in Montreal vs $3,642 in Burbank, CA, rent included.

  • Montreal $2,003
  • Burbank, CA $3,642

A couple spends around $3,048 per month in Montreal vs $3,559 in Burbank, CA, rent included.

  • Montreal $3,048
  • Burbank, CA $3,559

A family of three spends $4,092 per month in Montreal vs $3,476 in Burbank, CA, rent included.

  • Montreal $4,092
  • Burbank, CA $3,476

Montreal is about 45% cheaper than Burbank, CA, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Both Montreal and Burbank, CA sit above the global median – Montreal by 49%, Burbank, CA by 172%.

Currency
🍽 Eating Out
Montreal
Burbank, CA
Difference
Meal at Budget Restaurant
$19.31 CA$27.52
$25.41 $25.41
-24.01%
Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range
$75.5 CA$108
$77.1 $77.1
-2.06%
Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)
$10.63 CA$15.15
$14.95 $14.95
-28.90%
Cappuccino
$3.93 CA$5.60
$5.79 $5.79
-32.12%
Coke/Pepsi/Fanta/Sprite (0.33 liter bottle)
$1.92 CA$2.73
$3.79 $3.79
-49.34%
Water (0.33 liter bottle)
$1.48 CA$2.11
$2.65 $2.65
-44.15%
Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)
$6.30 CA$8.98
$7.77 $7.77
-18.92%
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$7.19 CA$10.24
$10.03 $10.03
-28.32%
🛒 Groceries & Markets
Montreal
Burbank, CA
Difference
Milk (1 liter)
$2.22 CA$3.17
$1.30 $1.30
70.77%
White Bread (500g)
$3.06 CA$4.36
$4.82 $4.82
-36.51%
Rice (white) (1kg)
$2.94 CA$4.19
$4.54 $4.54
-35.24%
Eggs
$3.53 CA$5.03
$5.81 $5.81
-39.24%
Local Cheese (1kg)
$13.19 CA$18.79
$15.40 $15.40
-14.35%
Chicken Fillets (1kg)
$11.24 CA$16.02
$16.31 $16.31
-31.09%
Beef Round Steak (1kg)
$13.81 CA$19.69
$19.27 $19.27
-28.33%
Apples (1kg)
$3.40 CA$4.85
$5.09 $5.09
-33.20%
Banana (1kg)
$1.44 CA$2.06
$2.33 $2.33
-38.20%
Oranges (1kg)
$3.26 CA$4.65
$3.94 $3.94
-17.26%
Tomato (1kg)
$2.88 CA$4.10
$5.65 $5.65
-49.03%
Potato (1kg)
$1.86 CA$2.65
$3.17 $3.17
-41.32%
Onion (1kg)
$1.82 CA$2.60
$2.81 $2.81
-35.23%
Lettuce (1 head)
$2.43 CA$3.46
$2.18 $2.18
11.47%
Water (1.5 liter bottle)
$1.52 CA$2.17
$2.72 $2.72
-44.12%
Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)
$11.45 CA$16.32
$11.82 $11.82
-3.13%
Wine (Bottle)
$10.36 CA$14.76
$14.95 $14.95
-30.70%
Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)
$2.22 CA$3.16
$2.50 $2.50
-11.20%
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$2.82 CA$4.02
$2.78 $2.78
1.44%
🚌 Getting Around
Montreal
Burbank, CA
Difference
One-way Ticket (Public Transport)
$2.58 CA$3.67
$1.73 $1.73
49.13%
Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)
$76.9 CA$110
-
-
Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)
$3.25 CA$4.64
$3.15 $3.15
3.17%
Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)
$1.48 CA$2.11
$1.86 $1.86
-20.43%
Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)
$33.04 CA$47.09
$32.06 $32.06
3.06%
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
$36.4K $36.4K
-24.70%
Compact Sedan 1.6l (Toyota Corolla, Mazda3, Kia K4, Hyundai Elantra, etc)
$20.0K CA$28.5K
$25.6K $25.6K
-22.02%
🧾 Monthly Utilities & Internet
Montreal
Burbank, CA
Difference
Utilities for 2 People in 2-bedroom Apartment (Heating, Electricity, Gas, Water, Garbage) (85m2)
$76.1 CA$109
$214 $214
-64.42%
SIM Card Monthly Plan (Calls and 10GB+ Data)
$34.68 CA$49.43
$78.5 $78.5
-55.82%
Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)
$42.69 CA$60.9
$72.8 $72.8
-41.38%
🎉 Sport & Entertainment
Montreal
Burbank, CA
Difference
Gym Membership (Monthly)
$28.94 CA$41.26
$129 $129
-77.53%
Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)
$20.33 CA$28.97
-
-
Cinema Ticket
$11.21 CA$15.98
$19.80 $19.80
-43.38%
🧸 Childcare & Education
Montreal
Burbank, CA
Difference
Preschool or Kindergarten, Full Day, Private, 1 Child (Monthly)
$505 CA$720
$1,670 $1,670
-69.75%
International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)
$16.0K CA$22.8K
$31.8K $31.8K
-49.60%
👕👟 Clothing & Footwear
Montreal
Burbank, CA
Difference
Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)
$58.5 CA$83.4
$63.0 $63.0
-7.08%
Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)
$38.00 CA$54.2
$48.44 $48.44
-21.55%
Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)
$92.7 CA$132
$106 $106
-12.22%
Men's Leather Business Shoes
$106 CA$151
$104 $104
2.16%
🏠 Accommodation & Living
Montreal
Burbank, CA
Difference
1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$1,240 CA$1,768
$3,217 $3,217
-61.45%
1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$986 CA$1,405
$2,096 $2,096
-52.97%
3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$2,102 CA$2,996
-
-
3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$1,615 CA$2,302
-
-
Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)
$5,043 CA$7,188
-
-
Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)
$3,830 CA$5,459
-
-
💵 Salaries & Financials
Montreal
Burbank, CA
Difference
Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)
$2,920 CA$4,163
$5,421 $5,421
-46.13%
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 Burbank, CA: October 5, 2026

Monthly budget structure
Share of the monthly basket for one person, rent included.
Accommodation & Living
Montreal
$986
Burbank, CA
$2.1K 113% $1.1K
Groceries & Markets
Montreal
$344
Burbank, CA
$476 38.5% $132
Eating Out
Montreal
$293
Burbank, CA
$402 37.4% $109
Monthly Utilities & Internet
Montreal
$154
Burbank, CA
$365 138% $212
Clothing & Footwear
Montreal
$133
Burbank, CA
$144 8.7% $12
Getting Around
Montreal
$98
Burbank, CA
$19 * 80.2% $78
Sport & Entertainment
Montreal
$51
Burbank, CA
$168 228% $117

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

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $1,240 in Montreal versus $3,217 in Burbank, 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 86% higher in Burbank, 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 $75.0 in Montreal versus $77.0 in Burbank, CA. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $344 vs $476 – making Montreal the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know
🇨🇦 Montreal
🇺🇸 Burbank, CA
🕒 Local time
16:01 4:01 PM
13:01 1:01 PM
3 h behind Montreal
🌤 Weather
👥 Population
1,762,949
103,340
Exchange rates and currency converter

USD, EUR to CAD – Canadian Dollar Converter

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).

On the map
Between locations
  • Montreal Burbank, CA 3,960 km ≈ 5 h nonstop flight
From you
  • Montreal
  • Burbank, 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 Burbank, CA: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions
Which city is more expensive, Montreal or Burbank, CA?
Burbank, CA costs about 82% more than Montreal, and outside of rent the gap comes mainly from groceries. That's enough to noticeably affect everyday spending and lifestyle for anyone choosing between the two.
How much do you need to earn to live comfortably in Montreal and in Burbank, CA?
For a comfortable life, plan on about $3,005 per month in Montreal and $5,463 in Burbank, CA. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.
Where is rent cheaper, Montreal or Burbank, CA?
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.
How much does it cost to live in Montreal compared to Burbank, CA?
Monthly expenses with rent come to $2,003 in Montreal and $3,642 in Burbank, CA. That's a gap of about 82%.
How do childcare costs compare in Montreal and in Burbank, CA?
Kindergarten costs $505 per month in Montreal and $1,670 in Burbank, CA. For families with young kids, this one expense can tip the scales when choosing between the two cities.
Can you live on $2,000/month in Montreal or in Burbank, CA?
A $2,000 monthly budget goes further in Montreal, where all-in costs run around $2,003, than in Burbank, CA at $3,642. In Montreal it covers expenses comfortably, while in Burbank, CA it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.
Which city is better for digital nomads, Montreal or Burbank, CA?
For digital nomads, it depends on budget. Montreal costs $2,003 versus $3,642 in Burbank, CA. Both have workable remote work infrastructure, but the cost gap matters when income varies month to month.
How safe is Montreal compared to Burbank, CA?
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.
Should I move to Montreal or to Burbank, CA?
If budget matters most, go with Montreal. If higher salaries, better infrastructure, or specific career opportunities are the priority, Burbank, CA makes more sense. Both are solid long-term options with distinct trade-offs.

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