Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Montreal and Chico, CA

For one person, living is cheaper in Montreal: $2,059 a month against $2,530 in Chico, CA, rent and utilities included – about $5,700 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
122

Cost of Living Index in Chico, CA
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Chico, CA Living Index

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Montreal

🇨🇦 Canada

$2,059

/mo nomad

Chico, CA

🇺🇸 United States

$2,530

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $2,059 in Montreal versus $2,530 in Chico, CA.

Montreal $2,059
Chico, CA $2,530

Estimated couple costs with rent: $3,123 in Montreal versus $4,021 in Chico, CA.

Montreal $3,123
Chico, CA $4,021

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $4,187 in Montreal versus $5,513 in Chico, CA.

Montreal $4,187
Chico, CA $5,513

Living in Montreal costs roughly 19% less than in Chico, CA, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Montreal 52% above, Chico, CA 87% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$18.84 CA$26.63

$25.29 $25.29

-25.50%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$73.2 CA$104

$49.38 $49.38

48.28%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$10.54 CA$14.90

$11.96 $11.96

-11.87%

Cappuccino

$3.97 CA$5.61

$5.65 $5.65

-29.73%

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

$1.94 CA$2.74

$2.56 $2.56

-24.22%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.57 CA$2.22

$2.19 $2.19

-28.31%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$6.42 CA$9.08

$7.34 $7.34

-12.53%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$7.20 CA$10.19

$7.90 $7.90

-8.86%

Milk (1 liter)

$2.32 CA$3.28

$1.09 $1.09

112.84%

White Bread (500g)

$3.19 CA$4.51

$3.11 $3.11

2.57%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$3.19 CA$4.50

$3.62 $3.62

-11.88%

Eggs

$3.68 CA$5.20

$4.63 $4.63

-20.52%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$13.24 CA$18.72

$11.17 $11.17

18.53%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$11.69 CA$16.53

$12.36 $12.36

-5.42%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$13.98 CA$19.76

$22.39 $22.39

-37.56%

Apples (1kg)

$3.14 CA$4.44

$5.63 $5.63

-44.23%

Banana (1kg)

$1.45 CA$2.05

$2.27 $2.27

-36.12%

Oranges (1kg)

$3.38 CA$4.78

$3.84 $3.84

-11.98%

Tomato (1kg)

$3.11 CA$4.40

$5.66 $5.66

-45.05%

Potato (1kg)

$1.93 CA$2.72

$4.92 $4.92

-60.77%

Onion (1kg)

$1.83 CA$2.58

$3.14 $3.14

-41.72%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.36 CA$3.34

$2.48 $2.48

-4.84%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.50 CA$2.12

$2.53 $2.53

-40.71%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$11.12 CA$15.73

$11.84 $11.84

-6.08%

Wine (Bottle)

$10.60 CA$14.98

$15.17 $15.17

-30.13%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.22 CA$3.14

$1.70 $1.70

30.59%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.84 CA$4.01

$3.59 $3.59

-20.89%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.62 CA$3.71

$3.06 $3.06

-14.38%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$79.1 CA$112

$35.63 $35.63

122.12%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.23 CA$4.56

$3.14 $3.14

2.87%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.48 CA$2.10

$2.44 $2.44

-39.34%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$32.22 CA$45.55

$39.89 $39.89

-19.23%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.36 CA$1.92

$1.40 $1.40

-2.86%

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

$27.6K CA$39.1K

$27.9K $27.9K

-0.87%

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

$21.2K CA$30.0K

$26.2K $26.2K

-19.20%

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

$77.0 CA$109

$185 $185

-58.35%

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

$34.14 CA$48.26

$49.53 $49.53

-31.07%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$42.19 CA$59.7

$68.4 $68.4

-38.33%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$30.81 CA$43.56

$76.6 $76.6

-59.79%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$19.66 CA$27.79

Cinema Ticket

$11.47 CA$16.22

$12.91 $12.91

-11.15%

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

$506 CA$716

$1,837 $1,837

-72.45%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$16.2K CA$23.0K

$37.4K $37.4K

-56.59%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$57.3 CA$81.0

$51.0 $51.0

12.23%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$38.10 CA$53.9

$32.06 $32.06

18.84%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$91.9 CA$130

$69.1 $69.1

32.97%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$110 CA$155

$100 $100

9.60%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,237 CA$1,748

$1,491 $1,491

-17.04%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$977 CA$1,381

$1,140 $1,140

-14.29%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,180 CA$3,082

$2,884 $2,884

-24.41%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,608 CA$2,273

$2,557 $2,557

-37.11%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$5,113 CA$7,228

$3,012 $3,012

69.77%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$3,744 CA$5,293

$2,837 $2,837

31.99%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$2,957 CA$4,180

$3,887 $3,887

-23.92%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

4.48

6.28

-28.66%

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

Last update for Montreal: October 20, 2026

Last update for Chico, CA: October 19, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Montreal

$977 47.4%

Chico, CA

$1.1K 45.1% 16.7% $163

Groceries & Markets

Montreal

$351 17.1%

Chico, CA

$430 17% 22.6% $79

Eating Out

Montreal

$290 14.1%

Chico, CA

$378 14.9% 30% $87

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Montreal

$153 7.5%

Chico, CA

$303 12% 97.5% $150

Clothing & Footwear

Montreal

$134 6.5%

Chico, CA

$114 4.5% 15% $20

Getting Around

Montreal

$100 4.9%

Chico, CA

$63 2.5% 37% $37

Sport & Entertainment

Montreal

$54 2.6%

Chico, CA

$102 4.1% 90.6% $49

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,237 in Montreal and $1,491 in Chico, CA. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Chico, CA pays 31% more on average. The extra income cushions the higher costs, though housing choices and lifestyle decide how much of the gap is truly closed.

Dining out: $73.0 in Montreal vs $49.00 in Chico, CA. Groceries flip the comparison at $351 vs $430, with Montreal cheaper for home cooking.

Good to know

🇨🇦 Montreal

🇺🇸 Chico, CA

🕒 Local time

08:26 8:26 AM

05:26 5:26 AM

3 h behind Montreal

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

1,762,949

90,316

💱 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 Chico, CA 3,940 km ≈ 5 h nonstop flight

From you

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

Montreal is cheaper overall, especially in groceries, eating out, and utilities. The 23% gap adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

On paper, salaries run 31% lower in Chico, CA. 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: $1,237 in Montreal versus $1,491 in Chico, CA. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Dining out is cheaper in Montreal – a meal for two runs $73.0 versus $49.00 in Chico, CA. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

All in, you'll spend $2,059 per month in Montreal versus $2,530 in Chico, CA – a 23% gap that adds up to real savings over time for anyone picking the cheaper option.

At $2,059 in Montreal versus $2,530 in Chico, CA, a $2,000 budget is realistic in Montreal but tight or insufficient in Chico, CA. The gap between the two cities makes Montreal the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

For families, Montreal is more practical. Housing and childcare are both notably cheaper than in Chico, CA, and the savings on those two alone free up budget for education, activities, and family trips.

Safety-wise, Montreal and Chico, CA 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 Montreal gentler on the wallet – expenses run 23% less than in Chico, CA. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.