Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Montreal and Naperville, IL

For one person, living is cheaper in Montreal: $2,059 a month against $2,821 in Naperville, IL, rent and utilities included – about $9,100 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

Montreal
🇨🇦 Canada
$2,059
/mo nomad
Naperville, IL
🇺🇸 United States
$2,821
/mo nomad
Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Montreal and in Naperville, IL

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 Naperville, IL actually costs, broken down by who's living it.

A single person spends $2,059 per month in Montreal vs $2,821 in Naperville, IL, rent included.

  • Montreal $2,059
  • Naperville, IL $2,821

A couple spends around $3,123 per month in Montreal vs $3,974 in Naperville, IL, rent included.

  • Montreal $3,123
  • Naperville, IL $3,974

A family of three spends $4,187 per month in Montreal vs $5,127 in Naperville, IL, rent included.

  • Montreal $4,187
  • Naperville, IL $5,127

Montreal is about 27% cheaper than Naperville, IL, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in transport.

Both Montreal and Naperville, IL sit above the global median – Montreal by 52%, Naperville, IL by 108%.

Currency
🍽 Eating Out
Montreal
Naperville, IL
Difference
Meal at Budget Restaurant
$18.84 CA$26.63
$14.01 $14.01
34.48%
Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range
$73.2 CA$104
$74.9 $74.9
-2.19%
Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)
$10.54 CA$14.90
$11.98 $11.98
-12.02%
Cappuccino
$3.97 CA$5.61
$5.27 $5.27
-24.67%
Coke/Pepsi/Fanta/Sprite (0.33 liter bottle)
$1.94 CA$2.74
$2.88 $2.88
-32.64%
Water (0.33 liter bottle)
$1.57 CA$2.22
$2.29 $2.29
-31.44%
Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)
$6.42 CA$9.08
$6.13 $6.13
4.73%
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$7.20 CA$10.19
$8.45 $8.45
-14.79%
🛒 Groceries & Markets
Montreal
Naperville, IL
Difference
Milk (1 liter)
$2.32 CA$3.28
$0.78 $0.78
197.44%
White Bread (500g)
$3.19 CA$4.51
$2.85 $2.85
11.93%
Rice (white) (1kg)
$3.19 CA$4.50
$2.95 $2.95
8.14%
Eggs
$3.68 CA$5.20
$3.52 $3.52
4.55%
Local Cheese (1kg)
$13.24 CA$18.72
$7.74 $7.74
71.06%
Chicken Fillets (1kg)
$11.69 CA$16.53
$11.46 $11.46
2.01%
Beef Round Steak (1kg)
$13.98 CA$19.76
$10.49 $10.49
33.27%
Apples (1kg)
$3.14 CA$4.44
$5.49 $5.49
-42.81%
Banana (1kg)
$1.45 CA$2.05
$1.66 $1.66
-12.65%
Oranges (1kg)
$3.38 CA$4.78
$3.47 $3.47
-2.59%
Tomato (1kg)
$3.11 CA$4.40
$5.37 $5.37
-42.09%
Potato (1kg)
$1.93 CA$2.72
$1.70 $1.70
13.53%
Onion (1kg)
$1.83 CA$2.58
$3.35 $3.35
-45.37%
Lettuce (1 head)
$2.36 CA$3.34
$1.69 $1.69
39.64%
Water (1.5 liter bottle)
$1.50 CA$2.12
-
-
Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)
$11.12 CA$15.73
$12.21 $12.21
-8.93%
Wine (Bottle)
$10.60 CA$14.98
$8.21 $8.21
29.11%
Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)
$2.22 CA$3.14
$1.76 $1.76
26.14%
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$2.84 CA$4.01
$3.99 $3.99
-28.82%
🚌 Getting Around
Montreal
Naperville, IL
Difference
One-way Ticket (Public Transport)
$2.62 CA$3.71
-
-
Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)
$79.1 CA$112
$130 $130
-39.08%
Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)
$3.23 CA$4.56
$5.61 $5.61
-42.42%
Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)
$1.48 CA$2.10
$2.91 $2.91
-49.14%
Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)
$32.22 CA$45.55
$17.46 $17.46
84.54%
Gasoline (1 liter)
$1.36 CA$1.92
$1.08 $1.08
25.93%
Midsize Hatchback 1.4l (Volkswagen Golf, Toyota Prius, Honda Civic, etc)
$27.6K CA$39.1K
$24.4K $24.4K
13.19%
Compact Sedan 1.6l (Toyota Corolla, Mazda3, Kia K4, Hyundai Elantra, etc)
$21.2K CA$30.0K
$25.8K $25.8K
-17.81%
🧾 Monthly Utilities & Internet
Montreal
Naperville, IL
Difference
Utilities for 2 People in 2-bedroom Apartment (Heating, Electricity, Gas, Water, Garbage) (85m2)
$77.0 CA$109
$173 $173
-55.49%
SIM Card Monthly Plan (Calls and 10GB+ Data)
$34.14 CA$48.26
$52.4 $52.4
-34.86%
Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)
$42.19 CA$59.7
$51.6 $51.6
-18.22%
🎉 Sport & Entertainment
Montreal
Naperville, IL
Difference
Gym Membership (Monthly)
$30.81 CA$43.56
$70.7 $70.7
-56.42%
Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)
$19.66 CA$27.79
$15.09 $15.09
30.28%
Cinema Ticket
$11.47 CA$16.22
$11.99 $11.99
-4.34%
🧸 Childcare & Education
Montreal
Naperville, IL
Difference
Preschool or Kindergarten, Full Day, Private, 1 Child (Monthly)
$506 CA$716
$1,477 $1,477
-65.74%
International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)
$16.2K CA$23.0K
$12.7K $12.7K
28.02%
👕👟 Clothing & Footwear
Montreal
Naperville, IL
Difference
Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)
$57.3 CA$81.0
$57.5 $57.5
-0.49%
Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)
$38.10 CA$53.9
$24.78 $24.78
53.75%
Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)
$91.9 CA$130
$87.4 $87.4
5.22%
Men's Leather Business Shoes
$110 CA$155
$50.6 $50.6
116.94%
🏠 Accommodation & Living
Montreal
Naperville, IL
Difference
1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$1,237 CA$1,748
$2,037 $2,037
-39.28%
1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$977 CA$1,381
$1,616 $1,616
-39.58%
3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$2,180 CA$3,082
$3,308 $3,308
-34.10%
3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$1,608 CA$2,273
$2,429 $2,429
-33.81%
Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)
$5,113 CA$7,228
$2,253 $2,253
126.98%
Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)
$3,744 CA$5,293
$2,241 $2,241
67.06%
💵 Salaries & Financials
Montreal
Naperville, IL
Difference
Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)
$2,957 CA$4,180
$6,526 $6,526
-54.69%
20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)
4.48
6.43
-30.33%

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

Last update for Montreal: October 20, 2026

Last update for Naperville, IL: October 19, 2026

Monthly budget structure
Share of the monthly basket for one person, rent included.
Accommodation & Living
Montreal
$977
Naperville, IL
$1.6K 65.5% $640
Groceries & Markets
Montreal
$351
Naperville, IL
$304 * 13.4% $47
Eating Out
Montreal
$290
Naperville, IL
$280 3.8% $11
Monthly Utilities & Internet
Montreal
$153
Naperville, IL
$277 80.6% $124
Clothing & Footwear
Montreal
$134
Naperville, IL
$99 25.8% $35
Getting Around
Montreal
$100
Naperville, IL
$150 * 49.6% $50
Sport & Entertainment
Montreal
$54
Naperville, IL
$95 76.1% $41

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

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $1,237 in Montreal versus $2,037 in Naperville, IL. 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 121% higher in Naperville, IL, which partly offsets the higher cost of living there. Purchasing power depends on which expenses matter most to you.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $73.0 in Montreal versus $75.0 in Naperville, IL. Groceries tell a different story – $351 in Montreal vs $304 in Naperville, IL – so Naperville, IL wins on supermarket bills even if dining out costs more.

Good to know
🇨🇦 Montreal
🇺🇸 Naperville, IL
🕒 Local time
19:47 7:47 PM
18:47 6:47 PM
1 h behind Montreal
🌤 Weather
👥 Population
1,762,949
149,540
Exchange rates and currency converter

USD, EUR to CAD – Canadian Dollar Converter

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).

On the map
Between locations
  • Montreal Naperville, IL 1,240 km ≈ 2 h nonstop flight
From you
  • Montreal
  • Naperville, IL

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 Naperville, IL: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions
Which city is more expensive, Montreal or Naperville, IL?
Naperville, IL costs about 37% more than Montreal, and outside of rent the gap comes mainly from transport. That's enough to noticeably affect everyday spending and lifestyle for anyone choosing between the two.
How much do you need to earn to live comfortably in Montreal and in Naperville, IL?
For a comfortable life, plan on about $3,089 per month in Montreal and $4,231 in Naperville, IL. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.
Where is rent cheaper, Montreal or Naperville, IL?
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.
Are groceries more expensive in Montreal or in Naperville, IL?
Interestingly, groceries are about 15% cheaper in Naperville, IL – one category where the pricier city actually offers better value, probably thanks to stronger retail competition or local farming.
How do dining costs compare in Montreal and in Naperville, IL?
A mid-range dinner for two costs $73.0 in Montreal and $75.0 in Naperville, IL. That's a good indicator of the overall restaurant and café pricing gap between the two cities.
Can you live on $2,000/month in Montreal or in Naperville, IL?
A $2,000 monthly budget goes further in Montreal, where all-in costs run around $2,059, than in Naperville, IL at $2,821. In Montreal it covers expenses comfortably, while in Naperville, IL it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.
Which city is better for digital nomads, Montreal or Naperville, IL?
For digital nomads, it depends on budget. Montreal costs $2,059 versus $2,821 in Naperville, IL. Both have workable remote work infrastructure, but the cost gap matters when income varies month to month.
How safe is Montreal compared to Naperville, IL?
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.
Should I move to Montreal or to Naperville, IL?
If budget matters most, go with Montreal. If higher salaries, better infrastructure, or specific career opportunities are the priority, Naperville, IL makes more sense. Both are solid long-term options with distinct trade-offs.

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