Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Montreal and Cerritos, CA

For one person, living is cheaper in Montreal: $2,003 a month against $3,104 in Cerritos, CA, rent and utilities included – about $13,200 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
151

Cost of Living Index in Cerritos, CA
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Cerritos, CA Living Index

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Montreal

🇨🇦 Canada

$2,003

/mo nomad

Cerritos, CA

🇺🇸 United States

$3,104

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

A single person spends $2,003 per month in Montreal vs $3,104 in Cerritos, CA, rent included.

Montreal $2,003
Cerritos, CA $3,104

A couple spends around $3,048 per month in Montreal vs $3,246 in Cerritos, CA, rent included.

Montreal $3,048
Cerritos, CA $3,246

A family of three spends $4,092 per month in Montreal vs $3,389 in Cerritos, CA, rent included.

Montreal $4,092
Cerritos, CA $3,389

Montreal is about 35% cheaper than Cerritos, CA, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

Both Montreal and Cerritos, CA sit above the global median – Montreal by 49%, Cerritos, CA by 132%.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$19.31 CA$27.52

$25.23 $25.23

-23.46%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$75.5 CA$108

$102 $102

-25.83%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$10.63 CA$15.15

$15.93 $15.93

-33.27%

Cappuccino

$3.93 CA$5.60

$5.61 $5.61

-29.95%

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

$1.92 CA$2.73

$3.12 $3.12

-38.46%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.48 CA$2.11

$2.69 $2.69

-44.98%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$6.30 CA$8.98

$8.20 $8.20

-23.17%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$7.19 CA$10.24

$9.98 $9.98

-27.96%

Milk (1 liter)

$2.22 CA$3.17

$1.33 $1.33

66.92%

White Bread (500g)

$3.06 CA$4.36

$4.90 $4.90

-37.55%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.94 CA$4.19

$4.57 $4.57

-35.67%

Eggs

$3.53 CA$5.03

$5.78 $5.78

-38.93%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$13.19 CA$18.79

$11.63 $11.63

13.41%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$11.24 CA$16.02

$8.87 $8.87

26.72%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$13.81 CA$19.69

$19.30 $19.30

-28.45%

Apples (1kg)

$3.40 CA$4.85

$4.68 $4.68

-27.35%

Banana (1kg)

$1.44 CA$2.06

$2.53 $2.53

-43.08%

Oranges (1kg)

$3.26 CA$4.65

$4.50 $4.50

-27.56%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.88 CA$4.10

$5.53 $5.53

-47.92%

Potato (1kg)

$1.86 CA$2.65

$3.15 $3.15

-40.95%

Onion (1kg)

$1.82 CA$2.60

$2.90 $2.90

-37.24%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.43 CA$3.46

$2.02 $2.02

20.30%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.52 CA$2.17

$2.52 $2.52

-39.68%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$11.45 CA$16.32

$11.81 $11.81

-3.05%

Wine (Bottle)

$10.36 CA$14.76

$14.89 $14.89

-30.42%

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%

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

$3.15 $3.15

3.17%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.48 CA$2.11

$1.83 $1.83

-19.13%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$33.04 CA$47.09

$32.22 $32.22

2.55%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.36 CA$1.94

$1.61 $1.61

-15.53%

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

$27.4K CA$39.1K

$36.5K $36.5K

-24.88%

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

$20.0K CA$28.5K

$25.7K $25.7K

-22.12%

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

$76.1 CA$109

$221 $221

-65.53%

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

$34.68 CA$49.43

$76.4 $76.4

-54.60%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$42.69 CA$60.9

$80.8 $80.8

-47.14%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$28.94 CA$41.26

$119 $119

-75.58%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$20.33 CA$28.97

Cinema Ticket

$11.21 CA$15.98

$20.17 $20.17

-44.42%

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

$32.8K $32.8K

-51.11%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$58.5 CA$83.4

$62.7 $62.7

-6.74%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$38.00 CA$54.2

$47.80 $47.80

-20.50%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$92.7 CA$132

$114 $114

-18.80%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$106 CA$151

$102 $102

3.58%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,240 CA$1,768

$1,968 $1,968

-37.01%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$986 CA$1,405

$1,624 $1,624

-39.28%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,102 CA$2,996

$3,556 $3,556

-40.89%

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

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$2,920 CA$4,163

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 Cerritos, CA: October 5, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Montreal

$986 47.9%

Cerritos, CA

$1.6K 51.6% 64.7% $638

Groceries & Markets

Montreal

$344 16.7%

Cerritos, CA

$427 13.6% 24.1% $83

Eating Out

Montreal

$293 14.2%

Cerritos, CA

$401 12.7% 37% $108

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Montreal

$154 7.5%

Cerritos, CA

$378 12% 146% $224

Clothing & Footwear

Montreal

$133 6.5%

Cerritos, CA

$147 4.7% 10.8% $14

Getting Around

Montreal

$98 4.8%

Cerritos, CA

$12 * 0.4% 87.5% $86

Sport & Entertainment

Montreal

$51 2.5%

Cerritos, CA

$159 5.1% 209% $107

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 $1,968 in Cerritos, CA. Rent is usually the largest line item in a monthly budget, so the gap here sets the tone for the overall comparison.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $75.0 in Montreal versus $102 in Cerritos, CA. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $344 vs $427 – making Montreal the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇨🇦 Montreal

🇺🇸 Cerritos, CA

🕒 Local time

17:02 5:02 PM

14:02 2:02 PM

3 h behind Montreal

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

1,762,949

49,041

💱 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

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Between locations

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

From you

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

Monthly costs with rent: $2,003 in Montreal, $3,104 in Cerritos, CA – roughly 55% apart. Outside of rent, the biggest gap is in eating out.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $3,005 per month in Montreal and $4,655 in Cerritos, 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.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $75.0 in Montreal and $102 in Cerritos, CA. That's a good indicator of the overall restaurant and café pricing gap between the two cities.

Groceries cost about 24% more in Cerritos, CA, though it depends on what you buy. Local produce may be comparable; imported and premium items show the biggest price gap.

A $2,000 monthly budget goes further in Montreal, where all-in costs run around $2,003, than in Cerritos, CA at $3,104. In Montreal it covers expenses comfortably, while in Cerritos, CA it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.

It depends on your priorities. Montreal has an edge in some lifestyle areas, with costs from $2,003 in Montreal to $3,104 in Cerritos, CA. Climate, culture, job market, and personal taste all factor in.

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, Cerritos, CA makes more sense. Both are solid long-term options with distinct trade-offs.