Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Montreal and Decatur, IL

For one person, living is cheaper in Decatur, IL: $1,725 a month against $2,018 in Montreal, rent and utilities included – about $3,500 less a year. Higher rent and utilities in Montreal outweigh lower spending on other living expenses.

99

Cost of Living Index in Montreal
Learn more

Montreal Living Index
84

Cost of Living Index in Decatur, IL
Learn more

Decatur, IL Living Index

Jump to prices

Montreal

🇨🇦 Canada

$2,018

/mo nomad

Decatur, IL

🇺🇸 United States

$1,725

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

A single person spends $2,018 per month in Montreal vs $1,725 in Decatur, IL, rent included.

Montreal $2,018
Decatur, IL $1,725

A couple spends around $3,085 per month in Montreal vs $2,654 in Decatur, IL, rent included.

Montreal $3,085
Decatur, IL $2,654

A family of three spends $4,152 per month in Montreal vs $3,582 in Decatur, IL, rent included.

Montreal $4,152
Decatur, IL $3,582

Montreal costs about 17% more than Decatur, IL, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in transport.

Both Montreal and Decatur, IL sit above the global median – Montreal by 49%, Decatur, IL by 28%.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$18.82 CA$26.61

$19.96 $19.96

-5.71%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$70.3 CA$99.4

$83.4 $83.4

-15.76%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$10.66 CA$15.06

$8.74 $8.74

21.97%

Cappuccino

$3.84 CA$5.43

$5.41 $5.41

-29.02%

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

$1.92 CA$2.71

$2.24 $2.24

-14.29%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.54 CA$2.18

$1.66 $1.66

-7.23%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$6.23 CA$8.81

$5.02 $5.02

24.10%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$7.10 CA$10.03

$6.12 $6.12

16.01%

Milk (1 liter)

$2.31 CA$3.27

$1.34 $1.34

72.39%

White Bread (500g)

$3.14 CA$4.44

$3.06 $3.06

2.61%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$3.21 CA$4.54

$2.03 $2.03

58.13%

Eggs

$3.52 CA$4.97

$4.74 $4.74

-25.74%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$12.81 CA$18.11

$13.87 $13.87

-7.64%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$11.46 CA$16.20

$14.86 $14.86

-22.88%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$13.39 CA$18.92

$13.08 $13.08

2.37%

Apples (1kg)

$3.14 CA$4.43

$4.31 $4.31

-27.15%

Banana (1kg)

$1.44 CA$2.03

$2.02 $2.02

-28.71%

Oranges (1kg)

$3.47 CA$4.91

$4.03 $4.03

-13.90%

Tomato (1kg)

$3.07 CA$4.34

$3.27 $3.27

-6.12%

Potato (1kg)

$1.90 CA$2.69

$0.91 $0.91

108.79%

Onion (1kg)

$1.77 CA$2.50

$1.09 $1.09

62.39%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.34 CA$3.31

$1.48 $1.48

58.11%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.55 CA$2.19

$3.07 $3.07

-49.51%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$11.38 CA$16.09

$15.87 $15.87

-28.29%

Wine (Bottle)

$10.63 CA$15.03

$14.81 $14.81

-28.22%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.27 CA$3.21

$2.20 $2.20

3.18%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.82 CA$3.99

$1.99 $1.99

41.71%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.66 CA$3.76

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$77.3 CA$109

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.20 CA$4.53

$3.17 $3.17

0.95%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.48 CA$2.09

$1.42 $1.42

4.23%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$32.88 CA$46.48

$25.28 $25.28

30.06%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.34 CA$1.90

$1.16 $1.16

15.52%

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

$28.2K CA$39.8K

$37.0K $37.0K

-23.82%

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

$19.6K CA$27.8K

$25.5K $25.5K

-23.04%

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

$76.0 CA$107

$85.6 $85.6

-11.29%

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

$33.95 CA$48.00

$67.2 $67.2

-49.46%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$42.31 CA$59.8

$60.2 $60.2

-29.67%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$29.76 CA$42.07

$74.7 $74.7

-60.16%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$20.28 CA$28.67

Cinema Ticket

$11.15 CA$15.77

$11.82 $11.82

-5.67%

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

$507 CA$717

$1,525 $1,525

-66.74%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$16.1K CA$22.7K

$32.0K $32.0K

-49.85%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$57.6 CA$81.4

$68.1 $68.1

-15.47%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$37.58 CA$53.1

$51.5 $51.5

-27.04%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$91.9 CA$130

$101 $101

-9.38%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$110 CA$155

$144 $144

-23.89%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,260 CA$1,782

$867 $867

45.42%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$948 CA$1,340

$551 $551

71.95%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,137 CA$3,021

$993 $993

115.19%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,614 CA$2,281

$805 $805

100.55%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$4,960 CA$7,011

$940 $940

427.43%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$3,838 CA$5,425

$941 $941

308.03%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$2,827 CA$3,997

$4,599 $4,599

-38.53%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

4.48

6.77

-33.83%

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

Last update for Montreal: October 12, 2026

Last update for Decatur, IL: October 11, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Montreal

$948 47%

Decatur, IL

$551 31.9% 41.8% $396

Groceries & Markets

Montreal

$346 17.2%

Decatur, IL

$385 22.3% 11% $38

Eating Out

Montreal

$288 14.3%

Decatur, IL

$304 17.6% 5.5% $16

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Montreal

$152 7.5%

Decatur, IL

$213 12.3% 39.9% $61

Clothing & Footwear

Montreal

$133 6.6%

Decatur, IL

$164 9.5% 23% $31

Getting Around

Montreal

$99 4.9%

Decatur, IL

$10 * 0.6% 89.6% $88

Sport & Entertainment

Montreal

$52 2.6%

Decatur, IL

$98 5.7% 88.9% $46

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

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $1,260 in Montreal versus $867 in Decatur, IL. 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 63% higher in Decatur, IL, which reinforces the cost advantage – you earn more and spend less. Purchasing power leans clearly in its favor.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $70.0 in Montreal versus $83.0 in Decatur, IL. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $346 vs $385 – making Montreal the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇨🇦 Montreal

🇺🇸 Decatur, IL

🕒 Local time

23:37 11:37 PM

22:37 10:37 PM

1 h behind Montreal

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

1,762,949

77,047

💱 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

Lowest

Highest

Between locations

Montreal Decatur, IL 1,400 km ≈ 2 h 15 min nonstop flight

From you

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

Yes – Montreal is pricier by about 17%, and outside of rent the gap shows up most in transport.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $3,027 per month in Montreal and $2,588 in Decatur, IL. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

Rent is clearly cheaper in Decatur, IL, 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 $70.0 in Montreal and $83.0 in Decatur, IL. That's a good indicator of the overall restaurant and café pricing gap between the two cities.

Interestingly, groceries are about 11% cheaper in Montreal – one category where the pricier city actually offers better value, probably thanks to stronger retail competition or local farming.

A $2,500 monthly budget goes further in Decatur, IL, where all-in costs run around $1,725, than in Montreal at $2,018. In Decatur, IL it covers expenses comfortably, while in Montreal it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.

Families tend to lean toward Decatur, IL – lower housing and cheaper childcare make a real difference, especially on a single income or when paying for private education.

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 Decatur, IL. If higher salaries, better infrastructure, or specific career opportunities are the priority, Montreal makes more sense. Both are solid long-term options with distinct trade-offs.