Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Montreal and Glendale, CA

For one person, living is cheaper in Montreal: $2,003 a month against $3,660 in Glendale, CA, rent and utilities included – about $19,900 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
177

Cost of Living Index in Glendale, CA
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Glendale, CA Living Index

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Montreal

🇨🇦 Canada

$2,003

/mo nomad

Glendale, CA

🇺🇸 United States

$3,660

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $2,003 in Montreal versus $3,660 in Glendale, CA.

Montreal $2,003
Glendale, CA $3,660

Estimated couple costs with rent: $3,048 in Montreal versus $4,572 in Glendale, CA.

Montreal $3,048
Glendale, CA $4,572

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $4,092 in Montreal versus $5,484 in Glendale, CA.

Montreal $4,092
Glendale, CA $5,484

Living in Montreal costs roughly 45% less than in Glendale, CA, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Montreal 49% above, Glendale, CA 173% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$19.31 CA$27.52

$25.31 $25.31

-23.71%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$75.5 CA$108

$77.7 $77.7

-2.84%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$10.63 CA$15.15

$14.98 $14.98

-29.04%

Cappuccino

$3.93 CA$5.60

$5.99 $5.99

-34.39%

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

$1.92 CA$2.73

$3.13 $3.13

-38.66%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.48 CA$2.11

$2.33 $2.33

-36.48%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$6.30 CA$8.98

$7.30 $7.30

-13.70%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$7.19 CA$10.24

$9.95 $9.95

-27.74%

Milk (1 liter)

$2.22 CA$3.17

$1.40 $1.40

58.57%

White Bread (500g)

$3.06 CA$4.36

$4.68 $4.68

-34.62%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.94 CA$4.19

$4.53 $4.53

-35.10%

Eggs

$3.53 CA$5.03

$5.93 $5.93

-40.47%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$13.19 CA$18.79

$11.51 $11.51

14.60%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$11.24 CA$16.02

$8.60 $8.60

30.70%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$13.81 CA$19.69

$19.76 $19.76

-30.11%

Apples (1kg)

$3.40 CA$4.85

$4.86 $4.86

-30.04%

Banana (1kg)

$1.44 CA$2.06

$2.21 $2.21

-34.84%

Oranges (1kg)

$3.26 CA$4.65

$4.09 $4.09

-20.29%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.88 CA$4.10

$5.75 $5.75

-49.91%

Potato (1kg)

$1.86 CA$2.65

$3.19 $3.19

-41.69%

Onion (1kg)

$1.82 CA$2.60

$2.94 $2.94

-38.10%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.43 CA$3.46

$2.00 $2.00

21.50%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.52 CA$2.17

$2.55 $2.55

-40.39%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$11.45 CA$16.32

$11.58 $11.58

-1.12%

Wine (Bottle)

$10.36 CA$14.76

$14.71 $14.71

-29.57%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.22 CA$3.16

$2.45 $2.45

-9.39%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.82 CA$4.02

$2.67 $2.67

5.62%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.58 CA$3.67

$1.98 $1.98

30.30%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$76.9 CA$110

$90.3 $90.3

-14.85%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.25 CA$4.64

$3.11 $3.11

4.50%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.48 CA$2.11

$1.82 $1.82

-18.68%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$33.04 CA$47.09

$32.37 $32.37

2.07%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.36 CA$1.94

$1.55 $1.55

-12.26%

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

$27.4K CA$39.1K

$36.9K $36.9K

-25.72%

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

$20.0K CA$28.5K

$25.8K $25.8K

-22.67%

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

$76.1 CA$109

$220 $220

-65.32%

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

$34.68 CA$49.43

$78.7 $78.7

-55.91%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$42.69 CA$60.9

$72.7 $72.7

-41.25%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$28.94 CA$41.26

$39.01 $39.01

-25.81%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$20.33 CA$28.97

Cinema Ticket

$11.21 CA$15.98

$19.61 $19.61

-42.84%

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

$505 CA$720

$1,159 $1,159

-56.40%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$16.0K CA$22.8K

$32.4K $32.4K

-50.55%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$58.5 CA$83.4

$62.1 $62.1

-5.83%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$38.00 CA$54.2

$48.28 $48.28

-21.29%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$92.7 CA$132

$118 $118

-21.39%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$106 CA$151

$196 $196

-46.16%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,240 CA$1,768

$1,577 $1,577

-21.37%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$986 CA$1,405

$2,051 $2,051

-51.94%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,102 CA$2,996

$2,514 $2,514

-16.38%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,615 CA$2,302

$2,123 $2,123

-23.94%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$5,043 CA$7,188

$2,423 $2,423

108.12%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$3,830 CA$5,459

$2,235 $2,235

71.34%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$2,920 CA$4,163

$5,078 $5,078

-42.49%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

4.46

6.53

-31.70%

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

Last update for Montreal: October 6, 2026

Last update for Glendale, CA: October 4, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Montreal

$986 47.9%

Glendale, CA

$2.1K 56.6% 108% $1.1K

Groceries & Markets

Montreal

$344 16.7%

Glendale, CA

$423 11.7% 23.1% $80

Eating Out

Montreal

$293 14.2%

Glendale, CA

$398 11% 35.7% $105

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Montreal

$154 7.5%

Glendale, CA

$371 10.2% 142% $217

Clothing & Footwear

Montreal

$133 6.5%

Glendale, CA

$191 5.3% 44% $58

Getting Around

Montreal

$98 4.8%

Glendale, CA

$110 3.1% 12.9% $13

Sport & Entertainment

Montreal

$51 2.5%

Glendale, CA

$78 2.2% 52.3% $27

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,240 in Montreal and $1,577 in Glendale, CA. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Glendale, CA pays 74% 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: $75.0 in Montreal vs $78.0 in Glendale, CA for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $344 vs $423 per month, with Montreal cheaper across the board.

Good to know

🇨🇦 Montreal

🇺🇸 Glendale, CA

🕒 Local time

01:02 1:02 AM

22:02 10:02 PM

3 h behind Montreal

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

1,762,949

200,831

💱 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 →

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Between locations

Montreal Glendale, CA 3,960 km ≈ 5 h nonstop flight

From you

Montreal
Glendale, 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 Glendale, CA: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Montreal is cheaper overall, especially in groceries, eating out, and clothing. The 83% gap adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

On paper, salaries run 74% lower in Glendale, CA. 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: $1,240 in Montreal versus $1,577 in Glendale, CA. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

A monthly transit pass in Montreal runs roughly 17% less than in Glendale, CA. Both cities have functional networks, but the price difference matters if you're watching your budget.

Childcare runs $505 in Montreal versus $1,159 in Glendale, CA. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

At $2,003 in Montreal versus $3,660 in Glendale, CA, a $2,000 budget is realistic in Montreal but tight or insufficient in Glendale, CA. The gap between the two cities makes Montreal the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

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

Safety-wise, Montreal and Glendale, CA 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 83% less than in Glendale, CA. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.