Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Montreal and Los Banos, CA

For one person, living is cheaper in Montreal: $2,059 a month against $2,394 in Los Banos, CA, rent and utilities included – about $4,000 less a year. Higher rent and utilities in Los Banos, CA outweigh lower spending on other living expenses.

99

Cost of Living Index in Montreal
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Montreal Living Index
116

Cost of Living Index in Los Banos, CA
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Los Banos, CA Living Index

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Montreal

🇨🇦 Canada

$2,059

/mo nomad

Los Banos, CA

🇺🇸 United States

$2,394

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $2,059 in Montreal versus $2,394 in Los Banos, CA.

Montreal $2,059
Los Banos, CA $2,394

Estimated couple costs with rent: $3,123 in Montreal versus $3,580 in Los Banos, CA.

Montreal $3,123
Los Banos, CA $3,580

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $4,187 in Montreal versus $4,767 in Los Banos, CA.

Montreal $4,187
Los Banos, CA $4,767

Living in Montreal costs roughly 14% less than in Los Banos, CA, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in transport.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Montreal 52% above, Los Banos, CA 77% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$18.84 CA$26.63

$14.86 $14.86

26.78%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$73.2 CA$104

$101 $101

-27.52%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$10.54 CA$14.90

$9.83 $9.83

7.22%

Cappuccino

$3.97 CA$5.61

$5.11 $5.11

-22.31%

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

$1.94 CA$2.74

$2.53 $2.53

-23.32%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.57 CA$2.22

$2.04 $2.04

-23.04%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$6.42 CA$9.08

$7.94 $7.94

-19.14%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$7.20 CA$10.19

$8.24 $8.24

-12.62%

Milk (1 liter)

$2.32 CA$3.28

$1.03 $1.03

125.24%

White Bread (500g)

$3.19 CA$4.51

$3.21 $3.21

-0.62%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$3.19 CA$4.50

$2.95 $2.95

8.14%

Eggs

$3.68 CA$5.20

$1.58 $1.58

132.91%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$13.24 CA$18.72

$8.69 $8.69

52.36%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$11.69 CA$16.53

$7.73 $7.73

51.23%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$13.98 CA$19.76

$12.80 $12.80

9.22%

Apples (1kg)

$3.14 CA$4.44

$3.39 $3.39

-7.37%

Banana (1kg)

$1.45 CA$2.05

$1.35 $1.35

7.41%

Oranges (1kg)

$3.38 CA$4.78

$2.79 $2.79

21.15%

Tomato (1kg)

$3.11 CA$4.40

$2.83 $2.83

9.89%

Potato (1kg)

$1.93 CA$2.72

$2.92 $2.92

-33.90%

Onion (1kg)

$1.83 CA$2.58

$2.44 $2.44

-25.00%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.36 CA$3.34

$2.30 $2.30

2.61%

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

$11.10 $11.10

0.18%

Wine (Bottle)

$10.60 CA$14.98

$14.10 $14.10

-24.82%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.22 CA$3.14

$1.87 $1.87

18.72%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.84 CA$4.01

$1.31 $1.31

116.79%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.62 CA$3.71

$2.04 $2.04

28.43%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$79.1 CA$112

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.23 CA$4.56

$2.71 $2.71

19.19%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.48 CA$2.10

$1.56 $1.56

-5.13%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$32.22 CA$45.55

$32.88 $32.88

-2.01%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.36 CA$1.92

$1.45 $1.45

-6.21%

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

$27.6K CA$39.1K

$30.4K $30.4K

-9.03%

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

$21.2K CA$30.0K

$27.0K $27.0K

-21.51%

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

$77.0 CA$109

$217 $217

-64.55%

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

$34.14 CA$48.26

$44.68 $44.68

-23.59%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$42.19 CA$59.7

$88.7 $88.7

-52.44%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$30.81 CA$43.56

$39.09 $39.09

-21.18%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$19.66 CA$27.79

Cinema Ticket

$11.47 CA$16.22

$14.86 $14.86

-22.81%

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

$506 CA$716

$2,509 $2,509

-79.82%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$16.2K CA$23.0K

$29.5K $29.5K

-44.89%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$57.3 CA$81.0

$23.82 $23.82

140.39%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$38.10 CA$53.9

$21.67 $21.67

75.82%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$91.9 CA$130

$52.3 $52.3

75.86%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$110 CA$155

$59.4 $59.4

84.67%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,237 CA$1,748

$1,618 $1,618

-23.58%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$977 CA$1,381

$1,294 $1,294

-24.52%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,180 CA$3,082

$2,682 $2,682

-18.71%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,608 CA$2,273

$2,280 $2,280

-29.49%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$5,113 CA$7,228

$2,713 $2,713

88.50%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$3,744 CA$5,293

$2,408 $2,408

55.51%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$2,957 CA$4,180

$6,598 $6,598

-55.18%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

4.48

6.47

-30.76%

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

Last update for Montreal: October 20, 2026

Last update for Los Banos, CA: October 18, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Montreal

$977 47.4%

Los Banos, CA

$1.3K 54.1% 32.5% $317

Groceries & Markets

Montreal

$351 17.1%

Los Banos, CA

$307 12.8% 12.6% $44

Eating Out

Montreal

$290 14.1%

Los Banos, CA

$284 11.9% 2.2% $6.3

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Montreal

$153 7.5%

Los Banos, CA

$351 14.7% 129% $197

Clothing & Footwear

Montreal

$134 6.5%

Los Banos, CA

$71 3% 47.1% $63

Getting Around

Montreal

$100 4.9%

Los Banos, CA

$19 * 0.8% 81.4% $82

Sport & Entertainment

Montreal

$54 2.6%

Los Banos, CA

$69 2.9% 28% $15

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 $1,237 in Montreal and $1,618 in Los Banos, CA. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Los Banos, CA pays 123% 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: $73.0 in Montreal vs $101 in Los Banos, CA. Groceries flip the comparison at $351 vs $307, with Los Banos, CA cheaper for home cooking.

Good to know

🇨🇦 Montreal

🇺🇸 Los Banos, CA

🕒 Local time

12:20 12:20 PM

09:20 9:20 AM

3 h behind Montreal

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

1,762,949

35,972

💱 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 22, 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 22, 2026: 1 EUR = 1.12 USD (1 USD = 0.89 EUR).

USD to CAD in detail →

On the map

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Highest

Between locations

Montreal Los Banos, CA 4,000 km ≈ 6 h nonstop flight

From you

Montreal
Los Banos, 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 Los Banos, CA: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Montreal wins on cost – living expenses run 16% lower than in Los Banos, 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 123% lower in Los Banos, 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: $1,237 in Montreal versus $1,618 in Los Banos, CA. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Shoppers in Los Banos, CA pay roughly 14% less for everyday groceries. It's an unusual reversal that partly offsets higher costs elsewhere.

All in, you'll spend $2,059 per month in Montreal versus $2,394 in Los Banos, CA – a 16% gap that adds up to real savings over time for anyone picking the cheaper option.

At $2,059 in Montreal versus $2,394 in Los Banos, CA, a $2,000 budget is realistic in Montreal but tight or insufficient in Los Banos, 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 $2,059 monthly. If stretching your runway or maximizing savings is the goal, the price difference makes Montreal hard to pass up.

Safety-wise, Montreal and Los Banos, 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 16% less than in Los Banos, CA. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.