Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Montreal and Carbondale, IL

For one person, living is cheaper in Carbondale, IL: $1,764 a month against $2,003 in Montreal, rent and utilities included – about $2,900 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
85

Cost of Living Index in Carbondale, IL
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Carbondale, IL Living Index

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Montreal

🇨🇦 Canada

$2,003

/mo nomad

Carbondale, IL

🇺🇸 United States

$1,764

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $2,003 in Montreal versus $1,764 in Carbondale, IL.

Montreal $2,003
Carbondale, IL $1,764

Estimated couple costs with rent: $3,048 in Montreal versus $2,118 in Carbondale, IL.

Montreal $3,048
Carbondale, IL $2,118

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $4,092 in Montreal versus $2,473 in Carbondale, IL.

Montreal $4,092
Carbondale, IL $2,473

Living in Montreal is roughly 14% more expensive than in Carbondale, IL, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in transport.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Montreal 49% above, Carbondale, IL 32% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$19.31 CA$27.52

$18.32 $18.32

5.40%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$75.5 CA$108

$38.75 $38.75

94.84%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$10.63 CA$15.15

$8.87 $8.87

19.84%

Cappuccino

$3.93 CA$5.60

$5.10 $5.10

-22.94%

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

$1.92 CA$2.73

$2.23 $2.23

-13.90%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.48 CA$2.11

$1.95 $1.95

-24.10%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$6.30 CA$8.98

$4.38 $4.38

43.84%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$7.19 CA$10.24

$8.03 $8.03

-10.46%

Milk (1 liter)

$2.22 CA$3.17

$0.90 $0.90

146.67%

White Bread (500g)

$3.06 CA$4.36

$3.03 $3.03

0.99%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.94 CA$4.19

$4.16 $4.16

-29.33%

Eggs

$3.53 CA$5.03

$3.80 $3.80

-7.11%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$13.19 CA$18.79

$13.12 $13.12

0.53%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$11.24 CA$16.02

$11.45 $11.45

-1.83%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$13.81 CA$19.69

$18.75 $18.75

-26.35%

Apples (1kg)

$3.40 CA$4.85

$5.73 $5.73

-40.66%

Banana (1kg)

$1.44 CA$2.06

$1.72 $1.72

-16.28%

Oranges (1kg)

$3.26 CA$4.65

$6.03 $6.03

-45.94%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.88 CA$4.10

$4.92 $4.92

-41.46%

Potato (1kg)

$1.86 CA$2.65

$1.66 $1.66

12.05%

Onion (1kg)

$1.82 CA$2.60

$2.40 $2.40

-24.17%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.43 CA$3.46

$2.60 $2.60

-6.54%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.52 CA$2.17

$2.14 $2.14

-28.97%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$11.45 CA$16.32

$10.66 $10.66

7.41%

Wine (Bottle)

$10.36 CA$14.76

$13.16 $13.16

-21.28%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.22 CA$3.16

$1.70 $1.70

30.59%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.82 CA$4.02

$1.66 $1.66

69.88%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.58 CA$3.67

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$76.9 CA$110

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.25 CA$4.64

$2.04 $2.04

59.31%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.48 CA$2.11

$1.39 $1.39

6.47%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$33.04 CA$47.09

$20.08 $20.08

64.54%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.36 CA$1.94

$0.99 $0.99

37.37%

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

$27.4K CA$39.1K

$37.9K $37.9K

-27.60%

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

$20.0K CA$28.5K

$26.9K $26.9K

-25.80%

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

$76.1 CA$109

$189 $189

-59.71%

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

$34.68 CA$49.43

$86.1 $86.1

-59.74%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$42.69 CA$60.9

$74.7 $74.7

-42.87%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$28.94 CA$41.26

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$20.33 CA$28.97

Cinema Ticket

$11.21 CA$15.98

$11.95 $11.95

-6.19%

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

$505 CA$720

$1,731 $1,731

-70.81%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$16.0K CA$22.8K

$24.5K $24.5K

-34.58%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$58.5 CA$83.4

$46.38 $46.38

26.13%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$38.00 CA$54.2

$33.29 $33.29

14.15%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$92.7 CA$132

$81.7 $81.7

13.44%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$106 CA$151

$150 $150

-29.56%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,240 CA$1,768

$658 $658

88.59%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$986 CA$1,405

$557 $557

76.88%

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

$840 $840

500.35%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$3,830 CA$5,459

$836 $836

358.16%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$2,920 CA$4,163

$3,856 $3,856

-24.27%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

4.46

6.6

-32.42%

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

Last update for Montreal: October 6, 2026

Last update for Carbondale, IL: October 5, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Montreal

$986 47.9%

Carbondale, IL

$557 31.6% 43.5% $429

Groceries & Markets

Montreal

$344 16.7%

Carbondale, IL

$396 22.4% 15.2% $52

Eating Out

Montreal

$293 14.2%

Carbondale, IL

$289 16.4% 1.3% $3.8

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Montreal

$154 7.5%

Carbondale, IL

$350 19.8% 128% $196

Clothing & Footwear

Montreal

$133 6.5%

Carbondale, IL

$140 7.9% 5.6% $7.5

Getting Around

Montreal

$98 4.8%

Carbondale, IL

$9 * 0.5% 90.8% $89

Sport & Entertainment

Montreal

$51 2.5%

Carbondale, IL

$24 * 1.4% 53.5% $27

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 $1,240 in Montreal and $658 in Carbondale, IL. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Carbondale, IL pays 32% more on average while also being the cheaper of the two. The combined effect is a noticeably stronger local purchasing power.

Dining out: $75.0 in Montreal vs $39.00 in Carbondale, IL. Groceries flip the comparison at $344 vs $396, with Montreal cheaper for home cooking.

Good to know

🇨🇦 Montreal

🇺🇸 Carbondale, IL

🕒 Local time

17:03 5:03 PM

16:03 4:03 PM

1 h behind Montreal

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

1,762,949

24,881

💱 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 Carbondale, IL 1,560 km ≈ 2 h 30 min nonstop flight

From you

Montreal
Carbondale, 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 Carbondale, IL: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Carbondale, IL wins on cost – living expenses run 14% lower than in Montreal. Housing and daily spending are where you'll feel the difference most, making Carbondale, IL the obvious pick if budget is a priority.

On paper, salaries run 32% lower in Carbondale, IL. 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 $658 in Carbondale, IL. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Shoppers in Montreal pay roughly 15% less for everyday groceries. It's an unusual reversal that partly offsets higher costs elsewhere.

All in, you'll spend $2,003 per month in Montreal versus $1,764 in Carbondale, IL – a 14% gap that adds up to real savings over time for anyone picking the cheaper option.

At $1,764 in Carbondale, IL versus $2,003 in Montreal, a $2,000 budget is realistic in Carbondale, IL but tight or insufficient in Montreal. The gap between the two cities makes Carbondale, IL the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

Both work as nomad bases, but Carbondale, IL delivers better value – similar infrastructure at $1,764 monthly. If stretching your runway or maximizing savings is the goal, the price difference makes Carbondale, IL hard to pass up.

Safety-wise, Montreal and Carbondale, IL 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 Carbondale, IL gentler on the wallet – expenses run 14% less than in Montreal. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.