Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Montreal and Crystal Lake, IL

For one person, living is cheaper in Montreal: $2,059 a month against $2,999 in Crystal Lake, IL, rent and utilities included – about $11,300 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
146

Cost of Living Index in Crystal Lake, IL
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Crystal Lake, IL Living Index

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Montreal

🇨🇦 Canada

$2,059

/mo nomad

Crystal Lake, IL

🇺🇸 United States

$2,999

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

A single person spends $2,059 per month in Montreal vs $2,999 in Crystal Lake, IL, rent included.

Montreal $2,059
Crystal Lake, IL $2,999

A couple spends around $3,123 per month in Montreal vs $4,051 in Crystal Lake, IL, rent included.

Montreal $3,123
Crystal Lake, IL $4,051

A family of three spends $4,187 per month in Montreal vs $5,103 in Crystal Lake, IL, rent included.

Montreal $4,187
Crystal Lake, IL $5,103

Montreal is about 31% cheaper than Crystal Lake, IL, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Both Montreal and Crystal Lake, IL sit above the global median – Montreal by 52%, Crystal Lake, IL by 121%.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$18.84 CA$26.63

$19.75 $19.75

-4.61%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$73.2 CA$104

$66.9 $66.9

9.51%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$10.54 CA$14.90

$12.93 $12.93

-18.48%

Cappuccino

$3.97 CA$5.61

$5.67 $5.67

-29.98%

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

$1.94 CA$2.74

$3.07 $3.07

-36.81%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.57 CA$2.22

$2.44 $2.44

-35.66%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$6.42 CA$9.08

$7.10 $7.10

-9.58%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$7.20 CA$10.19

$8.04 $8.04

-10.45%

Milk (1 liter)

$2.32 CA$3.28

$0.93 $0.93

149.46%

White Bread (500g)

$3.19 CA$4.51

$3.43 $3.43

-7.00%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$3.19 CA$4.50

$4.34 $4.34

-26.50%

Eggs

$3.68 CA$5.20

$3.72 $3.72

-1.08%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$13.24 CA$18.72

$14.83 $14.83

-10.72%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$11.69 CA$16.53

$13.00 $13.00

-10.08%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$13.98 CA$19.76

$19.90 $19.90

-29.75%

Apples (1kg)

$3.14 CA$4.44

$4.64 $4.64

-32.33%

Banana (1kg)

$1.45 CA$2.05

$1.65 $1.65

-12.12%

Oranges (1kg)

$3.38 CA$4.78

$5.38 $5.38

-37.17%

Tomato (1kg)

$3.11 CA$4.40

$4.83 $4.83

-35.61%

Potato (1kg)

$1.93 CA$2.72

$2.86 $2.86

-32.52%

Onion (1kg)

$1.83 CA$2.58

$2.97 $2.97

-38.38%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.36 CA$3.34

$2.15 $2.15

9.77%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.50 CA$2.12

$2.41 $2.41

-37.76%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$11.12 CA$15.73

$10.81 $10.81

2.87%

Wine (Bottle)

$10.60 CA$14.98

$15.49 $15.49

-31.57%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.22 CA$3.14

$2.67 $2.67

-16.85%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.84 CA$4.01

$4.55 $4.55

-37.58%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.62 CA$3.71

$2.23 $2.23

17.49%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$79.1 CA$112

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.23 CA$4.56

$3.91 $3.91

-17.39%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.48 CA$2.10

$1.95 $1.95

-24.10%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$32.22 CA$45.55

$44.13 $44.13

-26.99%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.36 CA$1.92

$0.99 $0.99

37.37%

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

$27.6K CA$39.1K

$30.7K $30.7K

-9.93%

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

$21.2K CA$30.0K

$26.3K $26.3K

-19.39%

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

$77.0 CA$109

$273 $273

-71.78%

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

$34.14 CA$48.26

$52.1 $52.1

-34.42%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$42.19 CA$59.7

$81.5 $81.5

-48.21%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$30.81 CA$43.56

$36.73 $36.73

-16.12%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$19.66 CA$27.79

Cinema Ticket

$11.47 CA$16.22

$14.86 $14.86

-22.81%

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

$506 CA$716

$1,706 $1,706

-70.33%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$16.2K CA$23.0K

$23.2K $23.2K

-30.00%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$57.3 CA$81.0

$65.1 $65.1

-12.08%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$38.10 CA$53.9

$51.2 $51.2

-25.61%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$91.9 CA$130

$106 $106

-13.21%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$110 CA$155

$120 $120

-8.23%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,237 CA$1,748

$1,622 $1,622

-23.75%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$977 CA$1,381

$1,582 $1,582

-38.24%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,180 CA$3,082

$2,470 $2,470

-11.74%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,608 CA$2,273

$2,127 $2,127

-24.39%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$5,113 CA$7,228

$2,626 $2,626

94.69%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$3,744 CA$5,293

$2,034 $2,034

84.12%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$2,957 CA$4,180

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

4.48

6.69

-33.03%

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

Last update for Montreal: October 20, 2026

Last update for Crystal Lake, IL: October 18, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Montreal

$977 47.4%

Crystal Lake, IL

$1.6K 52.7% 61.9% $605

Groceries & Markets

Montreal

$351 17.1%

Crystal Lake, IL

$429 14.3% 22.3% $78

Eating Out

Montreal

$290 14.1%

Crystal Lake, IL

$338 11.3% 16.5% $48

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Montreal

$153 7.5%

Crystal Lake, IL

$406 13.6% 165% $253

Clothing & Footwear

Montreal

$134 6.5%

Crystal Lake, IL

$154 5.1% 15.1% $20

Getting Around

Montreal

$100 4.9%

Crystal Lake, IL

$23 * 0.8% 77.5% $78

Sport & Entertainment

Montreal

$54 2.6%

Crystal Lake, IL

$66 2.2% 23.6% $13

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

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $1,237 in Montreal versus $1,622 in Crystal Lake, IL. 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 $73.0 in Montreal versus $67.0 in Crystal Lake, IL. Groceries tell a different story – $351 in Montreal vs $429 in Crystal Lake, IL – so Montreal wins on supermarket bills even if dining out costs more.

Good to know

🇨🇦 Montreal

🇺🇸 Crystal Lake, IL

🕒 Local time

01:20 1:20 AM

00:20 12:20 AM

1 h behind Montreal

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

1,762,949

40,269

💱 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 22, 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 22, 2026: 1 EUR = 1.12 USD (1 USD = 0.89 EUR).

USD to CAD in detail →

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Between locations

Montreal Crystal Lake, IL 1,230 km ≈ 2 h nonstop flight

From you

Montreal
Crystal Lake, 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 Crystal Lake, IL: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Monthly costs with rent: $2,059 in Montreal, $2,999 in Crystal Lake, IL – roughly 46% apart. Outside of rent, the biggest gap is in groceries.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $3,089 per month in Montreal and $4,498 in Crystal Lake, IL. 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 $73.0 in Montreal and $67.0 in Crystal Lake, IL. That's a good indicator of the overall restaurant and café pricing gap between the two cities.

Groceries cost about 22% more in Crystal Lake, IL, 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 $2,059, than in Crystal Lake, IL at $2,999. In Montreal it covers expenses comfortably, while in Crystal Lake, IL 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 $2,059 in Montreal to $2,999 in Crystal Lake, IL. 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, Crystal Lake, IL makes more sense. Both are solid long-term options with distinct trade-offs.