Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Montreal and El Centro, CA

For one person, living is cheaper in Montreal: $2,064 a month against $2,700 in El Centro, CA, rent and utilities included – about $7,600 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
129

Cost of Living Index in El Centro, CA
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El Centro, CA Living Index

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Montreal

🇨🇦 Canada

$2,064

/mo nomad

El Centro, CA

🇺🇸 United States

$2,700

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

A single person spends $2,064 per month in Montreal vs $2,700 in El Centro, CA, rent included.

Montreal $2,064
El Centro, CA $2,700

A couple spends around $3,156 per month in Montreal vs $3,848 in El Centro, CA, rent included.

Montreal $3,156
El Centro, CA $3,848

A family of three spends $4,247 per month in Montreal vs $4,996 in El Centro, CA, rent included.

Montreal $4,247
El Centro, CA $4,996

Montreal is about 24% cheaper than El Centro, CA, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Both Montreal and El Centro, CA sit above the global median – Montreal by 52%, El Centro, CA by 98%.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$18.98 CA$26.64

$13.62 $13.62

39.35%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$73.0 CA$102

$44.97 $44.97

62.29%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$10.88 CA$15.27

$11.39 $11.39

-4.48%

Cappuccino

$3.81 CA$5.35

$4.89 $4.89

-22.09%

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

$1.94 CA$2.72

$2.54 $2.54

-23.62%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.58 CA$2.22

$1.96 $1.96

-19.39%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$6.37 CA$8.94

$4.90 $4.90

30.00%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$7.26 CA$10.20

$7.95 $7.95

-8.68%

Milk (1 liter)

$2.23 CA$3.13

$1.16 $1.16

92.24%

White Bread (500g)

$3.17 CA$4.45

$5.88 $5.88

-46.09%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$3.31 CA$4.64

$4.37 $4.37

-24.26%

Eggs

$3.63 CA$5.09

$4.91 $4.91

-26.07%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$13.16 CA$18.47

$12.67 $12.67

3.87%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$11.56 CA$16.22

$20.39 $20.39

-43.31%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$13.71 CA$19.25

$13.90 $13.90

-1.37%

Apples (1kg)

$3.29 CA$4.62

$5.50 $5.50

-40.18%

Banana (1kg)

$1.46 CA$2.05

$1.70 $1.70

-14.12%

Oranges (1kg)

$3.37 CA$4.73

$4.28 $4.28

-21.26%

Tomato (1kg)

$3.15 CA$4.42

$6.72 $6.72

-53.13%

Potato (1kg)

$1.89 CA$2.65

$3.64 $3.64

-48.08%

Onion (1kg)

$1.79 CA$2.52

$3.47 $3.47

-48.41%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.47 CA$3.47

$2.28 $2.28

8.33%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.58 CA$2.22

$2.31 $2.31

-31.60%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$11.28 CA$15.84

$11.64 $11.64

-3.09%

Wine (Bottle)

$10.49 CA$14.73

$14.85 $14.85

-29.36%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.34 CA$3.28

$1.70 $1.70

37.65%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.91 CA$4.09

$3.26 $3.26

-10.74%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.61 CA$3.66

$2.26 $2.26

15.49%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$79.1 CA$111

$58.6 $58.6

35.10%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.26 CA$4.57

$4.46 $4.46

-26.91%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.44 CA$2.02

$1.88 $1.88

-23.40%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$33.43 CA$46.92

$35.36 $35.36

-5.46%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.33 CA$1.87

$1.53 $1.53

-13.07%

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

$28.6K CA$40.2K

$27.4K $27.4K

4.48%

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

$21.1K CA$29.6K

$26.0K $26.0K

-18.78%

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

$80.1 CA$112

$216 $216

-62.87%

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

$34.30 CA$48.14

$72.1 $72.1

-52.42%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$42.85 CA$60.1

$70.5 $70.5

-39.18%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$31.14 CA$43.71

$34.32 $34.32

-9.27%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$19.41 CA$27.24

Cinema Ticket

$11.23 CA$15.76

$11.90 $11.90

-5.63%

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

$525 CA$737

$1,895 $1,895

-72.29%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$16.3K CA$22.9K

$42.8K $42.8K

-61.84%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$58.0 CA$81.4

$72.7 $72.7

-20.20%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$38.11 CA$53.5

$40.38 $40.38

-5.62%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$93.4 CA$131

$79.1 $79.1

18.03%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$110 CA$155

$173 $173

-36.25%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,285 CA$1,803

$1,401 $1,401

-8.24%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$977 CA$1,371

$1,300 $1,300

-24.90%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,271 CA$3,187

$2,246 $2,246

1.09%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,665 CA$2,336

$2,076 $2,076

-19.80%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$5,139 CA$7,212

$2,709 $2,709

89.71%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$3,834 CA$5,381

$2,661 $2,661

44.12%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$3,002 CA$4,213

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

4.48

6.64

-32.53%

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

Last update for Montreal: October 25, 2026

Last update for El Centro, CA: October 24, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Montreal

$977 47.3%

El Centro, CA

$1.3K 48.2% 33.1% $324

Groceries & Markets

Montreal

$351 17%

El Centro, CA

$477 17.7% 35.8% $126

Eating Out

Montreal

$291 14.1%

El Centro, CA

$260 9.6% 10.5% $31

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Montreal

$157 7.6%

El Centro, CA

$358 13.3% 128% $201

Clothing & Footwear

Montreal

$135 6.5%

El Centro, CA

$164 6.1% 21.8% $29

Getting Around

Montreal

$100 4.9%

El Centro, CA

$81 3% 18.5% $19

Sport & Entertainment

Montreal

$54 2.6%

El Centro, CA

$58 2.2% 8.4% $4.5

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $1,285 in Montreal versus $1,401 in El Centro, 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 $73 in Montreal versus $45 in El Centro, CA. Groceries tell a different story – $351 in Montreal vs $477 in El Centro, CA – so Montreal wins on supermarket bills even if dining out costs more.

Good to know

🇨🇦 Montreal

🇺🇸 El Centro, CA

🕒 Local time

14:19 2:19 PM

11:19 11:19 AM

3 h behind Montreal

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

1,762,949

44,322

💱 Currency

Canadian Dollar CAD $

United States Dollar USD $

📈 Exchange rate

1 CAD = 0.713 USD

1 CAD = 0.64 EUR

1 USD = 0.898 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 28, 2026: 1 USD = 1.4 CAD (1 CAD = 0.713 USD). 1 EUR = 1.56 CAD (1 CAD = 0.64 EUR).

United States Dollar exchange rates as of October 28, 2026: 1 EUR = 1.11 USD (1 USD = 0.898 EUR).

USD to CAD in detail →

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Between locations

Montreal El Centro, CA 3,840 km ≈ 5 h nonstop flight

From you

Montreal
El Centro, 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 El Centro, CA: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Monthly costs with rent: $2,064 in Montreal, $2,700 in El Centro, CA – roughly 31% apart. Outside of rent, the biggest gap is in groceries.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $3,096 per month in Montreal and $4,049 in El Centro, CA. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

A central 1-bedroom goes for about $1,285 in Montreal and $1,401 in El Centro, CA. The gap holds across neighborhoods – outer areas show a similar spread, just at lower price points.

Public transport costs about 26% less in El Centro, CA. For daily commuters, that gap adds up to noticeable savings over a year.

Kindergarten costs $525 per month in Montreal and $1,895 in El Centro, CA. For families with young kids, this one expense can tip the scales when choosing between the two cities.

$2,000 is a stretch for both – monthly costs hit $2,064 in Montreal and $2,700 in El Centro, CA. You’ll need shared housing and careful budgeting no matter which city you pick.

Families tend to lean toward Montreal – 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.