Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Montreal and Huntington Beach, CA

For one person, living is cheaper in Montreal: $2,003 a month against $3,496 in Huntington Beach, CA, rent and utilities included – about $17,900 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
173

Cost of Living Index in Huntington Beach, CA
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Huntington Beach, CA Living Index

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Montreal

🇨🇦 Canada

$2,003

/mo nomad

Huntington Beach, CA

🇺🇸 United States

$3,496

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $2,003 in Montreal versus $3,496 in Huntington Beach, CA.

Montreal $2,003
Huntington Beach, CA $3,496

Estimated couple costs with rent: $3,048 in Montreal versus $5,884 in Huntington Beach, CA.

Montreal $3,048
Huntington Beach, CA $5,884

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $4,092 in Montreal versus $8,271 in Huntington Beach, CA.

Montreal $4,092
Huntington Beach, CA $8,271

Living in Montreal costs roughly 43% less than in Huntington Beach, CA, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Montreal 49% above, Huntington Beach, CA 161% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$19.31 CA$27.52

$16.18 $16.18

19.34%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$75.5 CA$108

$78.5 $78.5

-3.81%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$10.63 CA$15.15

$15.10 $15.10

-29.60%

Cappuccino

$3.93 CA$5.60

$5.77 $5.77

-31.89%

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

$2.19 $2.19

-32.42%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$6.30 CA$8.98

$7.41 $7.41

-14.98%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$7.19 CA$10.24

$7.98 $7.98

-9.90%

Milk (1 liter)

$2.22 CA$3.17

$1.14 $1.14

94.74%

White Bread (500g)

$3.06 CA$4.36

$5.10 $5.10

-40.00%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.94 CA$4.19

$4.90 $4.90

-40.00%

Eggs

$3.53 CA$5.03

$4.86 $4.86

-27.37%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$13.19 CA$18.79

$12.29 $12.29

7.32%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$11.24 CA$16.02

$18.95 $18.95

-40.69%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$13.81 CA$19.69

$15.34 $15.34

-9.97%

Apples (1kg)

$3.40 CA$4.85

$4.75 $4.75

-28.42%

Banana (1kg)

$1.44 CA$2.06

$1.70 $1.70

-15.29%

Oranges (1kg)

$3.26 CA$4.65

$4.11 $4.11

-20.68%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.88 CA$4.10

$5.62 $5.62

-48.75%

Potato (1kg)

$1.86 CA$2.65

$4.45 $4.45

-58.20%

Onion (1kg)

$1.82 CA$2.60

$3.04 $3.04

-40.13%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.43 CA$3.46

$2.09 $2.09

16.27%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.52 CA$2.17

$2.52 $2.52

-39.68%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$11.45 CA$16.32

$10.79 $10.79

6.12%

Wine (Bottle)

$10.36 CA$14.76

$15.16 $15.16

-31.66%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.22 CA$3.16

$1.98 $1.98

12.12%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.82 CA$4.02

$3.16 $3.16

-10.76%

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

$4.55 $4.55

-28.57%

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

$35.56 $35.56

-7.09%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.36 CA$1.94

$1.59 $1.59

-14.47%

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

$27.4K CA$39.1K

$36.7K $36.7K

-25.32%

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

$20.0K CA$28.5K

$25.5K $25.5K

-21.59%

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

$76.1 CA$109

$212 $212

-64.05%

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

$34.68 CA$49.43

$62.2 $62.2

-44.27%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$42.69 CA$60.9

$81.3 $81.3

-47.46%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$28.94 CA$41.26

$44.90 $44.90

-35.55%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$20.33 CA$28.97

Cinema Ticket

$11.21 CA$15.98

$14.71 $14.71

-23.79%

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

$505 CA$720

$1,171 $1,171

-56.86%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$16.0K CA$22.8K

$42.7K $42.7K

-62.54%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$58.5 CA$83.4

$64.7 $64.7

-9.58%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$38.00 CA$54.2

$40.93 $40.93

-7.16%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$92.7 CA$132

$98.3 $98.3

-5.70%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$106 CA$151

$114 $114

-7.15%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,240 CA$1,768

$2,627 $2,627

-52.79%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$986 CA$1,405

$2,196 $2,196

-55.11%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,102 CA$2,996

$5,021 $5,021

-58.14%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,615 CA$2,302

$5,243 $5,243

-69.20%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$5,043 CA$7,188

$8,152 $8,152

-38.14%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$3,830 CA$5,459

$5,097 $5,097

-24.87%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$2,920 CA$4,163

$5,440 $5,440

-46.32%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

4.46

6.64

-32.83%

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

Last update for Montreal: October 6, 2026

Last update for Huntington Beach, CA: October 4, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Montreal

$986 47.9%

Huntington Beach, CA

$2.2K 61.7% 123% $1.2K

Groceries & Markets

Montreal

$344 16.7%

Huntington Beach, CA

$462 13% 34.5% $118

Eating Out

Montreal

$293 14.2%

Huntington Beach, CA

$318 8.9% 8.5% $25

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Montreal

$154 7.5%

Huntington Beach, CA

$355 10% 131% $202

Clothing & Footwear

Montreal

$133 6.5%

Huntington Beach, CA

$143 4% 7.8% $10

Getting Around

Montreal

$98 4.8%

Huntington Beach, CA

$14 * 0.4% 86.1% $84

Sport & Entertainment

Montreal

$51 2.5%

Huntington Beach, CA

$74 2.1% 44.7% $23

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

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,240 in Montreal and $2,627 in Huntington Beach, CA. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Huntington Beach, CA pays 86% 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 Huntington Beach, CA for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $344 vs $462 per month, with Montreal cheaper across the board.

Good to know

🇨🇦 Montreal

🇺🇸 Huntington Beach, CA

🕒 Local time

01:54 1:54 AM

22:54 10:54 PM

3 h behind Montreal

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

1,762,949

193,366

💱 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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Montreal Huntington Beach, CA 3,970 km ≈ 5 h nonstop flight

From you

Montreal
Huntington Beach, CA

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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 Huntington Beach, CA: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Montreal wins on cost – living expenses run 75% lower than in Huntington Beach, CA. Housing and daily spending are where you'll feel the difference most, making Montreal the obvious pick if budget is a priority.

On paper, salaries run 86% lower in Huntington Beach, 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 $2,627 in Huntington Beach, CA. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $505 in Montreal versus $1,171 in Huntington Beach, CA. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Dining out is cheaper in Montreal – a meal for two runs $75.0 versus $78.0 in Huntington Beach, CA. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

At $2,003 in Montreal versus $3,496 in Huntington Beach, CA, a $2,000 budget is realistic in Montreal but tight or insufficient in Huntington Beach, CA. The gap between the two cities makes Montreal the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

Both work as nomad bases, but Montreal delivers better value – similar infrastructure at $2,003 monthly. If stretching your runway or maximizing savings is the goal, the price difference makes Montreal hard to pass up.

Safety-wise, Montreal and Huntington Beach, 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 75% less than in Huntington Beach, CA. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.