Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Montreal and Highland, CA

For one person, living is cheaper in Montreal: $2,059 a month against $2,680 in Highland, CA, rent and utilities included – about $7,500 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
134

Cost of Living Index in Highland, CA
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Highland, CA Living Index

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Montreal

🇨🇦 Canada

$2,059

/mo nomad

Highland, CA

🇺🇸 United States

$2,680

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

A single person spends $2,059 per month in Montreal vs $2,680 in Highland, CA, rent included.

Montreal $2,059
Highland, CA $2,680

A couple spends around $3,123 per month in Montreal vs $4,015 in Highland, CA, rent included.

Montreal $3,123
Highland, CA $4,015

A family of three spends $4,187 per month in Montreal vs $5,349 in Highland, CA, rent included.

Montreal $4,187
Highland, CA $5,349

Montreal is about 23% cheaper than Highland, CA, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

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

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$18.84 CA$26.63

$25.04 $25.04

-24.76%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$73.2 CA$104

$78.1 $78.1

-6.26%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$10.54 CA$14.90

$15.14 $15.14

-30.38%

Cappuccino

$3.97 CA$5.61

$5.65 $5.65

-29.73%

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

$1.94 CA$2.74

$3.08 $3.08

-37.01%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.57 CA$2.22

$2.45 $2.45

-35.92%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$6.42 CA$9.08

$7.19 $7.19

-10.71%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$7.20 CA$10.19

$10.03 $10.03

-28.22%

Milk (1 liter)

$2.32 CA$3.28

$1.34 $1.34

73.13%

White Bread (500g)

$3.19 CA$4.51

$4.69 $4.69

-31.98%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$3.19 CA$4.50

$4.55 $4.55

-29.89%

Eggs

$3.68 CA$5.20

$5.29 $5.29

-30.43%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$13.24 CA$18.72

$11.57 $11.57

14.43%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$11.69 CA$16.53

$9.05 $9.05

29.17%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$13.98 CA$19.76

$19.55 $19.55

-28.49%

Apples (1kg)

$3.14 CA$4.44

$4.71 $4.71

-33.33%

Banana (1kg)

$1.45 CA$2.05

$2.23 $2.23

-34.98%

Oranges (1kg)

$3.38 CA$4.78

$4.02 $4.02

-15.92%

Tomato (1kg)

$3.11 CA$4.40

$5.45 $5.45

-42.94%

Potato (1kg)

$1.93 CA$2.72

$3.40 $3.40

-43.24%

Onion (1kg)

$1.83 CA$2.58

$2.91 $2.91

-37.11%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.36 CA$3.34

$1.94 $1.94

21.65%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.50 CA$2.12

$2.49 $2.49

-39.76%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$11.12 CA$15.73

$11.72 $11.72

-5.12%

Wine (Bottle)

$10.60 CA$14.98

$14.79 $14.79

-28.33%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.22 CA$3.14

$2.49 $2.49

-10.84%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.84 CA$4.01

$2.78 $2.78

2.16%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.62 CA$3.71

$2.02 $2.02

29.70%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$79.1 CA$112

$29.83 $29.83

165.30%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.23 CA$4.56

$3.05 $3.05

5.90%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.48 CA$2.10

$1.89 $1.89

-21.69%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$32.22 CA$45.55

$31.72 $31.72

1.58%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.36 CA$1.92

$1.56 $1.56

-12.82%

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

$27.6K CA$39.1K

$28.4K $28.4K

-2.65%

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

$21.2K CA$30.0K

$26.3K $26.3K

-19.27%

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

$77.0 CA$109

$221 $221

-65.17%

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

$34.14 CA$48.26

$77.6 $77.6

-55.98%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$42.19 CA$59.7

$78.7 $78.7

-46.39%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$30.81 CA$43.56

$40.95 $40.95

-24.76%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$19.66 CA$27.79

Cinema Ticket

$11.47 CA$16.22

$18.20 $18.20

-36.98%

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

$506 CA$716

$1,162 $1,162

-56.43%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$16.2K CA$23.0K

$31.8K $31.8K

-48.96%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$57.3 CA$81.0

$62.8 $62.8

-8.88%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$38.10 CA$53.9

$47.18 $47.18

-19.25%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$91.9 CA$130

$107 $107

-13.88%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$110 CA$155

$104 $104

5.50%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,237 CA$1,748

$1,489 $1,489

-16.95%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$977 CA$1,381

$1,219 $1,219

-19.90%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,180 CA$3,082

$2,331 $2,331

-6.48%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,608 CA$2,273

$2,167 $2,167

-25.80%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$5,113 CA$7,228

$3,106 $3,106

64.64%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$3,744 CA$5,293

$2,390 $2,390

56.64%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$2,957 CA$4,180

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 20, 2026

Last update for Highland, CA: October 18, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Montreal

$977 47.4%

Highland, CA

$1.2K 45.5% 24.8% $243

Groceries & Markets

Montreal

$351 17.1%

Highland, CA

$420 15.7% 19.6% $69

Eating Out

Montreal

$290 14.1%

Highland, CA

$392 14.6% 34.8% $101

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Montreal

$153 7.5%

Highland, CA

$377 14.1% 146% $224

Clothing & Footwear

Montreal

$134 6.5%

Highland, CA

$144 5.4% 8% $11

Getting Around

Montreal

$100 4.9%

Highland, CA

$50 1.9% 49.8% $50

Sport & Entertainment

Montreal

$54 2.6%

Highland, CA

$77 2.9% 43.9% $24

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $1,237 in Montreal versus $1,489 in Highland, 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 $73.0 in Montreal versus $78.0 in Highland, CA. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $351 vs $420 – making Montreal the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇨🇦 Montreal

🇺🇸 Highland, CA

🕒 Local time

17:09 5:09 PM

14:09 2:09 PM

3 h behind Montreal

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

1,762,949

51,550

💱 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 20, 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 20, 2026: 1 EUR = 1.12 USD (1 USD = 0.89 EUR).

USD to CAD in detail →

On the map

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Between locations

Montreal Highland, CA 3,880 km ≈ 5 h nonstop flight

From you

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

Monthly costs with rent: $2,059 in Montreal, $2,680 in Highland, CA – roughly 30% apart. Outside of rent, the biggest gap is in eating out.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $3,089 per month in Montreal and $4,021 in Highland, CA. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

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

A mid-range dinner for two costs $73.0 in Montreal and $78.0 in Highland, CA. That's a good indicator of the overall restaurant and café pricing gap between the two cities.

Monthly expenses with rent come to $2,059 in Montreal and $2,680 in Highland, CA. That's a gap of about 30%.

A $2,000 monthly budget goes further in Montreal, where all-in costs run around $2,059, than in Highland, CA at $2,680. In Montreal it covers expenses comfortably, while in Highland, CA it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.

It depends on your priorities. Montreal has an edge in some lifestyle areas, with costs from $2,059 in Montreal to $2,680 in Highland, CA. Climate, culture, job market, and personal taste all factor in.

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 Montreal. If higher salaries, better infrastructure, or specific career opportunities are the priority, Highland, CA makes more sense. Both are solid long-term options with distinct trade-offs.