Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Montreal and Elgin, IL

For one person, living is cheaper in Elgin, IL: $1,035 a month against $2,003 in Montreal, rent and utilities included – about $11,600 less a year. Higher rent and utilities in Montreal outweigh lower spending on other living expenses.

99

Cost of Living Index in Montreal
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Montreal Living Index
51

Cost of Living Index in Elgin, IL
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Elgin, IL Living Index

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Montreal

🇨🇦 Canada

$2,003

/mo nomad

Elgin, IL

🇺🇸 United States

$1,035

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $2,003 in Montreal versus $1,035 in Elgin, IL.

Montreal $2,003
Elgin, IL $1,035

Estimated couple costs with rent: $3,048 in Montreal versus $2,614 in Elgin, IL.

Montreal $3,048
Elgin, IL $2,614

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $4,092 in Montreal versus $4,192 in Elgin, IL.

Montreal $4,092
Elgin, IL $4,192

Living in Montreal is roughly 94% more expensive than in Elgin, IL, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in transport.

The two cities straddle the global median: Montreal is 49% above, Elgin, IL is 23% below.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$19.31 CA$27.52

$19.93 $19.93

-3.11%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$75.5 CA$108

$59.5 $59.5

26.95%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$10.63 CA$15.15

$10.07 $10.07

5.56%

Cappuccino

$3.93 CA$5.60

$3.90 $3.90

0.77%

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

$1.92 CA$2.73

$3.03 $3.03

-36.63%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.48 CA$2.11

$2.05 $2.05

-27.80%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$6.30 CA$8.98

$5.96 $5.96

5.70%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$7.19 CA$10.24

$4.92 $4.92

46.14%

Milk (1 liter)

$2.22 CA$3.17

$0.89 $0.89

149.44%

White Bread (500g)

$3.06 CA$4.36

$3.54 $3.54

-13.56%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.94 CA$4.19

$4.34 $4.34

-32.26%

Eggs

$3.53 CA$5.03

$3.73 $3.73

-5.36%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$13.19 CA$18.79

$11.35 $11.35

16.21%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$11.24 CA$16.02

$13.45 $13.45

-16.43%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$13.81 CA$19.69

$11.71 $11.71

17.93%

Apples (1kg)

$3.40 CA$4.85

$4.49 $4.49

-24.28%

Banana (1kg)

$1.44 CA$2.06

$1.27 $1.27

13.39%

Oranges (1kg)

$3.26 CA$4.65

$2.57 $2.57

26.85%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.88 CA$4.10

$4.22 $4.22

-31.75%

Potato (1kg)

$1.86 CA$2.65

$1.99 $1.99

-6.53%

Onion (1kg)

$1.82 CA$2.60

$2.08 $2.08

-12.50%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.43 CA$3.46

$1.84 $1.84

32.07%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.52 CA$2.17

$2.37 $2.37

-35.86%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$11.45 CA$16.32

$10.79 $10.79

6.12%

Wine (Bottle)

$10.36 CA$14.76

$15.56 $15.56

-33.42%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.22 CA$3.16

$2.62 $2.62

-15.27%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.82 CA$4.02

$3.49 $3.49

-19.20%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.58 CA$3.67

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$76.9 CA$110

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.25 CA$4.64

$4.06 $4.06

-19.95%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.48 CA$2.11

$2.02 $2.02

-26.73%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$33.04 CA$47.09

$28.28 $28.28

16.83%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.36 CA$1.94

$1.04 $1.04

30.77%

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

$27.4K CA$39.1K

$36.5K $36.5K

-24.92%

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

$20.0K CA$28.5K

$24.9K $24.9K

-19.88%

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

$76.1 CA$109

$99.4 $99.4

-23.39%

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

$34.68 CA$49.43

$52.2 $52.2

-33.54%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$42.69 CA$60.9

$49.61 $49.61

-13.95%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$28.94 CA$41.26

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$20.33 CA$28.97

Cinema Ticket

$11.21 CA$15.98

$14.76 $14.76

-24.05%

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

$505 CA$720

$1,690 $1,690

-70.11%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$16.0K CA$22.8K

$23.2K $23.2K

-30.88%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$58.5 CA$83.4

$39.27 $39.27

48.97%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$38.00 CA$54.2

$50.2 $50.2

-24.24%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$92.7 CA$132

$100 $100

-7.74%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$106 CA$151

$122 $122

-13.52%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,240 CA$1,768

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$986 CA$1,405

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,102 CA$2,996

$2,175 $2,175

-3.36%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,615 CA$2,302

$1,811 $1,811

-10.85%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$5,043 CA$7,188

$2,192 $2,192

130.12%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$3,830 CA$5,459

$2,211 $2,211

73.20%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$2,920 CA$4,163

$3,971 $3,971

-26.45%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

4.46

6.69

-33.33%

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

Last update for Montreal: October 6, 2026

Last update for Elgin, IL: October 4, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Montreal

$986 47.9%

Elgin, IL

- * 0% 100%

Groceries & Markets

Montreal

$344 16.7%

Elgin, IL

$371 35.3% 8.1% $28

Eating Out

Montreal

$293 14.2%

Elgin, IL

$296 28.1% 1.2% $3.5

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Montreal

$154 7.5%

Elgin, IL

$201 19.1% 31% $48

Clothing & Footwear

Montreal

$133 6.5%

Elgin, IL

$141 13.3% 5.9% $7.8

Getting Around

Montreal

$98 4.8%

Elgin, IL

$14 * 1.4% 85.5% $84

Sport & Entertainment

Montreal

$51 2.5%

Elgin, IL

$30 * 2.8% 42.5% $22

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

Cost Breakdown

Elgin, IL pays 36% more on average while also being the cheaper of the two. The combined effect is a noticeably stronger local purchasing power.

Dining out: $75.0 in Montreal vs $59.0 in Elgin, IL. Groceries flip the comparison at $344 vs $371, with Montreal cheaper for home cooking.

Good to know

🇨🇦 Montreal

🇺🇸 Elgin, IL

🕒 Local time

21:33 9:33 PM

20:33 8:33 PM

1 h behind Montreal

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

1,762,949

112,603

💱 Currency

Canadian Dollar CAD $

United States Dollar USD $

📈 Exchange rate

1 CAD = 0.702 USD

1 CAD = 0.626 EUR

1 USD = 0.892 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 11, 2026: 1 USD = 1.43 CAD (1 CAD = 0.702 USD). 1 EUR = 1.6 CAD (1 CAD = 0.626 EUR).

United States Dollar exchange rates as of October 11, 2026: 1 EUR = 1.12 USD (1 USD = 0.892 EUR).

USD to CAD in detail →

On the map

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Between locations

Montreal Elgin, IL 1,240 km ≈ 2 h nonstop flight

From you

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

Elgin, IL is cheaper overall, especially in transport and leisure. The 94% gap adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

On paper, salaries run 36% lower in Elgin, IL. That's worth factoring in alongside costs, though remote workers earning in a stronger currency may not notice the difference at all.

Childcare runs $505 in Montreal versus $1,690 in Elgin, IL. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Dining out is cheaper in Elgin, IL – a meal for two runs $59.0 versus $75.0 in Montreal. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

At $1,035 in Elgin, IL versus $2,003 in Montreal, a $1,500 budget is realistic in Elgin, IL but tight or insufficient in Montreal. The gap between the two cities makes Elgin, IL the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

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

Safety-wise, Montreal and Elgin, 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 Elgin, IL gentler on the wallet – expenses run 94% less than in Montreal. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.