Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Montreal and Des Plaines, IL

For one person, living is cheaper in Montreal: $2,018 a month against $3,023 in Des Plaines, IL, rent and utilities included – about $12,100 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

99

Cost of Living Index in Montreal
Learn more

Montreal Living Index
147

Cost of Living Index in Des Plaines, IL
Learn more

Des Plaines, IL Living Index

Jump to prices

Montreal

🇨🇦 Canada

$2,018

/mo nomad

Des Plaines, IL

🇺🇸 United States

$3,023

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $2,018 in Montreal versus $3,023 in Des Plaines, IL.

Montreal $2,018
Des Plaines, IL $3,023

Estimated couple costs with rent: $3,085 in Montreal versus $4,419 in Des Plaines, IL.

Montreal $3,085
Des Plaines, IL $4,419

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $4,152 in Montreal versus $5,815 in Des Plaines, IL.

Montreal $4,152
Des Plaines, IL $5,815

Living in Montreal costs roughly 33% less than in Des Plaines, IL, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in leisure.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Montreal 49% above, Des Plaines, IL 124% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$18.82 CA$26.61

$21.29 $21.29

-11.60%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$70.3 CA$99.4

$89.1 $89.1

-21.08%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$10.66 CA$15.06

$13.10 $13.10

-18.63%

Cappuccino

$3.84 CA$5.43

$5.68 $5.68

-32.39%

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

$1.92 CA$2.71

$2.61 $2.61

-26.44%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.54 CA$2.18

$2.24 $2.24

-31.25%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$6.23 CA$8.81

$7.05 $7.05

-11.63%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$7.10 CA$10.03

$8.22 $8.22

-13.63%

Milk (1 liter)

$2.31 CA$3.27

$0.92 $0.92

151.09%

White Bread (500g)

$3.14 CA$4.44

$3.40 $3.40

-7.65%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$3.21 CA$4.54

$4.20 $4.20

-23.57%

Eggs

$3.52 CA$4.97

$4.23 $4.23

-16.78%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$12.81 CA$18.11

$14.74 $14.74

-13.09%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$11.46 CA$16.20

$13.04 $13.04

-12.12%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$13.39 CA$18.92

$18.82 $18.82

-28.85%

Apples (1kg)

$3.14 CA$4.43

$4.61 $4.61

-31.89%

Banana (1kg)

$1.44 CA$2.03

$1.66 $1.66

-13.25%

Oranges (1kg)

$3.47 CA$4.91

$4.16 $4.16

-16.59%

Tomato (1kg)

$3.07 CA$4.34

$4.92 $4.92

-37.60%

Potato (1kg)

$1.90 CA$2.69

$2.71 $2.71

-29.89%

Onion (1kg)

$1.77 CA$2.50

$2.72 $2.72

-34.93%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.34 CA$3.31

$2.09 $2.09

11.96%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.55 CA$2.19

$2.45 $2.45

-36.73%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$11.38 CA$16.09

$10.90 $10.90

4.40%

Wine (Bottle)

$10.63 CA$15.03

$14.97 $14.97

-28.99%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.27 CA$3.21

$2.57 $2.57

-11.67%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.82 CA$3.99

$3.35 $3.35

-15.82%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.66 CA$3.76

$1.96 $1.96

35.71%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$77.3 CA$109

$60.0 $60.0

28.88%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.20 CA$4.53

$3.29 $3.29

-2.74%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.48 CA$2.09

$1.36 $1.36

8.82%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$32.88 CA$46.48

$24.88 $24.88

32.15%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.34 CA$1.90

$0.99 $0.99

35.35%

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

$28.2K CA$39.8K

$36.1K $36.1K

-22.11%

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

$19.6K CA$27.8K

$25.7K $25.7K

-23.75%

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

$76.0 CA$107

$192 $192

-60.43%

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

$33.95 CA$48.00

$59.2 $59.2

-42.60%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$42.31 CA$59.8

$76.0 $76.0

-44.36%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$29.76 CA$42.07

$123 $123

-75.77%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$20.28 CA$28.67

$39.32 $39.32

-48.42%

Cinema Ticket

$11.15 CA$15.77

$14.72 $14.72

-24.25%

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

$507 CA$717

$1,563 $1,563

-67.57%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$16.1K CA$22.7K

$23.7K $23.7K

-32.15%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$57.6 CA$81.4

$64.9 $64.9

-11.33%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$37.58 CA$53.1

$50.8 $50.8

-25.99%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$91.9 CA$130

$101 $101

-8.97%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$110 CA$155

$120 $120

-8.42%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,260 CA$1,782

$2,084 $2,084

-39.51%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$948 CA$1,340

$1,548 $1,548

-38.78%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,137 CA$3,021

$3,937 $3,937

-45.72%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,614 CA$2,281

$2,485 $2,485

-35.06%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$4,960 CA$7,011

$3,279 $3,279

51.23%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$3,838 CA$5,425

$2,480 $2,480

54.77%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$2,827 CA$3,997

$6,121 $6,121

-53.81%

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 Des Plaines, IL: October 12, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Montreal

$948 47%

Des Plaines, IL

$1.5K 51.2% 63.4% $600

Groceries & Markets

Montreal

$346 17.2%

Des Plaines, IL

$418 13.8% 20.6% $71

Eating Out

Montreal

$288 14.3%

Des Plaines, IL

$349 11.5% 21.2% $61

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Montreal

$152 7.5%

Des Plaines, IL

$327 10.8% 115% $175

Clothing & Footwear

Montreal

$133 6.6%

Des Plaines, IL

$151 5% 13.4% $18

Getting Around

Montreal

$99 4.9%

Des Plaines, IL

$78 2.6% 20.9% $21

Sport & Entertainment

Montreal

$52 2.6%

Des Plaines, IL

$152 5% 192% $100

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,260 in Montreal and $2,084 in Des Plaines, IL. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Des Plaines, IL pays 116% 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: $70.0 in Montreal vs $89.0 in Des Plaines, IL for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $346 vs $418 per month, with Montreal cheaper across the board.

Good to know

🇨🇦 Montreal

🇺🇸 Des Plaines, IL

🕒 Local time

17:26 5:26 PM

16:26 4:26 PM

1 h behind Montreal

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

1,762,949

60,675

💱 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 19, 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 19, 2026: 1 EUR = 1.12 USD (1 USD = 0.89 EUR).

USD to CAD in detail →

On the map

Lowest

Highest

Between locations

Montreal Des Plaines, IL 1,210 km ≈ 2 h nonstop flight

From you

Montreal
Des Plaines, 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 Des Plaines, IL: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Montreal and Des Plaines, IL differ by about 50% in total monthly costs ($2,018 vs $3,023 including rent). Montreal is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

On paper, salaries run 116% lower in Des Plaines, 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: $1,260 in Montreal versus $2,084 in Des Plaines, IL. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Supermarket bills run roughly 21% higher in Des Plaines, IL. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

Dining out is cheaper in Montreal – a meal for two runs $70.0 versus $89.0 in Des Plaines, IL. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

At $2,018 in Montreal versus $3,023 in Des Plaines, IL, a $2,000 budget is realistic in Montreal but tight or insufficient in Des Plaines, IL. The gap between the two cities makes Montreal the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

Both cities offer a good standard of living with different trade-offs. Neither is objectively better – the right pick depends on what matters most: affordability, career, cultural scene, or climate.

Safety-wise, Montreal and Des Plaines, 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 Montreal gentler on the wallet – expenses run 50% less than in Des Plaines, IL. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.