Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Montreal and Garden Grove, CA

For one person, living is cheaper in Garden Grove, CA: $1,412 a month against $2,018 in Montreal, rent and utilities included – about $7,300 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
69

Cost of Living Index in Garden Grove, CA
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Garden Grove, CA Living Index

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Montreal

🇨🇦 Canada

$2,018

/mo nomad

Garden Grove, CA

🇺🇸 United States

$1,412

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

A single person spends $2,018 per month in Montreal vs $1,412 in Garden Grove, CA, rent included.

Montreal $2,018
Garden Grove, CA $1,412

A couple spends around $3,085 per month in Montreal vs $2,264 in Garden Grove, CA, rent included.

Montreal $3,085
Garden Grove, CA $2,264

A family of three spends $4,152 per month in Montreal vs $3,115 in Garden Grove, CA, rent included.

Montreal $4,152
Garden Grove, CA $3,115

Montreal costs about 43% more than Garden Grove, CA, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

Both Montreal and Garden Grove, CA sit above the global median – Montreal by 49%, Garden Grove, CA by 5%.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$18.82 CA$26.61

$25.44 $25.44

-26.02%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$70.3 CA$99.4

$77.4 $77.4

-9.23%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$10.66 CA$15.06

$11.44 $11.44

-6.82%

Cappuccino

$3.84 CA$5.43

$5.61 $5.61

-31.55%

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

$1.92 CA$2.71

$2.73 $2.73

-29.67%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.54 CA$2.18

$1.95 $1.95

-21.03%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$6.23 CA$8.81

$7.42 $7.42

-16.04%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$7.10 CA$10.03

$9.42 $9.42

-24.63%

Milk (1 liter)

$2.31 CA$3.27

$1.16 $1.16

99.14%

White Bread (500g)

$3.14 CA$4.44

$5.30 $5.30

-40.75%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$3.21 CA$4.54

$4.37 $4.37

-26.54%

Eggs

$3.52 CA$4.97

$5.03 $5.03

-30.02%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$12.81 CA$18.11

$12.53 $12.53

2.23%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$11.46 CA$16.20

$8.63 $8.63

32.79%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$13.39 CA$18.92

$14.19 $14.19

-5.64%

Apples (1kg)

$3.14 CA$4.43

$4.70 $4.70

-33.19%

Banana (1kg)

$1.44 CA$2.03

$1.71 $1.71

-15.79%

Oranges (1kg)

$3.47 CA$4.91

$4.00 $4.00

-13.25%

Tomato (1kg)

$3.07 CA$4.34

$5.77 $5.77

-46.79%

Potato (1kg)

$1.90 CA$2.69

$3.65 $3.65

-47.95%

Onion (1kg)

$1.77 CA$2.50

$3.02 $3.02

-41.39%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.34 CA$3.31

$2.15 $2.15

8.84%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.55 CA$2.19

$2.23 $2.23

-30.49%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$11.38 CA$16.09

$11.48 $11.48

-0.87%

Wine (Bottle)

$10.63 CA$15.03

$14.94 $14.94

-28.85%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.27 CA$3.21

$1.71 $1.71

32.75%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.82 CA$3.99

$3.08 $3.08

-8.44%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.66 CA$3.76

$5.02 $5.02

-47.01%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$77.3 CA$109

$68.6 $68.6

12.63%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.20 CA$4.53

$4.47 $4.47

-28.41%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.48 CA$2.09

$1.89 $1.89

-21.69%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$32.88 CA$46.48

$36.49 $36.49

-9.89%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.34 CA$1.90

$1.53 $1.53

-12.42%

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

$28.2K CA$39.8K

$36.4K $36.4K

-22.75%

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

$19.6K CA$27.8K

$26.0K $26.0K

-24.50%

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

$76.0 CA$107

$216 $216

-64.78%

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

$33.95 CA$48.00

$70.3 $70.3

-51.71%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$42.31 CA$59.8

$68.8 $68.8

-38.49%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$29.76 CA$42.07

$14.85 $14.85

100.40%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$20.28 CA$28.67

$20.03 $20.03

1.25%

Cinema Ticket

$11.15 CA$15.77

$15.09 $15.09

-26.11%

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

$507 CA$717

$1,189 $1,189

-57.33%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$16.1K CA$22.7K

$42.3K $42.3K

-62.03%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$57.6 CA$81.4

$61.7 $61.7

-6.77%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$37.58 CA$53.1

$40.80 $40.80

-7.89%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$91.9 CA$130

$81.5 $81.5

12.71%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$110 CA$155

$102 $102

7.70%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,260 CA$1,782

$2,206 $2,206

-42.85%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$948 CA$1,340

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,137 CA$3,021

$3,518 $3,518

-39.25%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,614 CA$2,281

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$4,960 CA$7,011

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$3,838 CA$5,425

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$2,827 CA$3,997

$4,702 $4,702

-39.87%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

4.48

6.31

-29.00%

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

Last update for Montreal: October 12, 2026

Last update for Garden Grove, CA: October 12, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Montreal

$948 47%

Garden Grove, CA

- * 0% 100%

Groceries & Markets

Montreal

$346 17.2%

Garden Grove, CA

$401 28.4% 15.7% $55

Eating Out

Montreal

$288 14.3%

Garden Grove, CA

$380 26.9% 32% $92

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Montreal

$152 7.5%

Garden Grove, CA

$355 25.1% 133% $203

Clothing & Footwear

Montreal

$133 6.6%

Garden Grove, CA

$129 9.1% 3.6% $4.8

Getting Around

Montreal

$99 4.9%

Garden Grove, CA

$103 7.3% 4.1% $4.1

Sport & Entertainment

Montreal

$52 2.6%

Garden Grove, CA

$45 3.2% 13.5% $7

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 $2,206 in Garden Grove, CA. 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 66% higher in Garden Grove, CA, 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 $77.0 in Garden Grove, CA. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $346 vs $401 – making Montreal the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇨🇦 Montreal

🇺🇸 Garden Grove, CA

🕒 Local time

13:00 1:00 PM

10:00 10:00 AM

3 h behind Montreal

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

1,762,949

170,883

💱 Currency

Canadian Dollar CAD $

United States Dollar USD $

📈 Exchange rate

1 CAD = 0.707 USD

1 CAD = 0.629 EUR

1 USD = 0.889 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 17, 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 17, 2026: 1 EUR = 1.12 USD (1 USD = 0.889 EUR).

USD to CAD in detail →

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Montreal Garden Grove, CA 3,960 km ≈ 5 h nonstop flight

From you

Montreal
Garden Grove, 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 Garden Grove, CA: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Montreal costs about 43% more than Garden Grove, CA, and outside of rent the gap comes mainly from eating out. That's enough to noticeably affect everyday spending and lifestyle for anyone choosing between the two.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $3,027 per month in Montreal and $2,118 in Garden Grove, CA. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

Rent is clearly cheaper in Garden Grove, CA, especially for central apartments. Housing is actually the single biggest factor behind the overall cost gap between these two cities.

Monthly expenses with rent come to $2,018 in Montreal and $1,412 in Garden Grove, CA. That's a gap of about 43%.

Public transport costs about 13% less in Garden Grove, CA. For daily commuters, that gap adds up to noticeable savings over a year.

A $1,000 monthly budget goes further in Garden Grove, CA, where all-in costs run around $1,412, than in Montreal at $2,018. In Garden Grove, CA it covers expenses comfortably, while in Montreal it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.

For digital nomads, it depends on budget. Garden Grove, CA costs $1,412 versus $2,018 in Montreal. Both have workable remote work infrastructure, but the cost gap matters when income varies month to month.

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 Garden Grove, CA. 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.