Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Montreal and Saint Charles, IL

For one person, living is cheaper in Montreal: $2,059 a month against $2,710 in Saint Charles, IL, rent and utilities included – about $7,800 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
132

Cost of Living Index in Saint Charles, IL
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Saint Charles, IL Living Index

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Montreal

🇨🇦 Canada

$2,059

/mo nomad

Saint Charles, IL

🇺🇸 United States

$2,710

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

A single person spends $2,059 per month in Montreal vs $2,710 in Saint Charles, IL, rent included.

Montreal $2,059
Saint Charles, IL $2,710

A couple spends around $3,123 per month in Montreal vs $4,230 in Saint Charles, IL, rent included.

Montreal $3,123
Saint Charles, IL $4,230

A family of three spends $4,187 per month in Montreal vs $5,749 in Saint Charles, IL, rent included.

Montreal $4,187
Saint Charles, IL $5,749

Montreal is about 24% cheaper than Saint Charles, IL, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

Both Montreal and Saint Charles, IL sit above the global median – Montreal by 52%, Saint Charles, IL by 100%.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$18.84 CA$26.63

$38.02 $38.02

-50.45%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$73.2 CA$104

$99.6 $99.6

-26.51%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$10.54 CA$14.90

$10.63 $10.63

-0.85%

Cappuccino

$3.97 CA$5.61

$6.85 $6.85

-42.04%

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

$1.94 CA$2.74

$3.37 $3.37

-42.43%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.57 CA$2.22

$3.07 $3.07

-48.86%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$6.42 CA$9.08

$7.03 $7.03

-8.68%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$7.20 CA$10.19

$7.54 $7.54

-4.51%

Milk (1 liter)

$2.32 CA$3.28

$0.98 $0.98

136.73%

White Bread (500g)

$3.19 CA$4.51

$3.55 $3.55

-10.14%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$3.19 CA$4.50

$4.23 $4.23

-24.59%

Eggs

$3.68 CA$5.20

$4.57 $4.57

-19.47%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$13.24 CA$18.72

$12.33 $12.33

7.38%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$11.69 CA$16.53

$11.47 $11.47

1.92%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$13.98 CA$19.76

$12.85 $12.85

8.79%

Apples (1kg)

$3.14 CA$4.44

$5.08 $5.08

-38.19%

Banana (1kg)

$1.45 CA$2.05

$1.01 $1.01

43.56%

Oranges (1kg)

$3.38 CA$4.78

$4.34 $4.34

-22.12%

Tomato (1kg)

$3.11 CA$4.40

$4.78 $4.78

-34.94%

Potato (1kg)

$1.93 CA$2.72

$2.75 $2.75

-29.82%

Onion (1kg)

$1.83 CA$2.58

$3.04 $3.04

-39.80%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.36 CA$3.34

$1.57 $1.57

50.32%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.50 CA$2.12

$2.23 $2.23

-32.74%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$11.12 CA$15.73

$11.41 $11.41

-2.54%

Wine (Bottle)

$10.60 CA$14.98

$15.12 $15.12

-29.89%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.22 CA$3.14

$1.93 $1.93

15.03%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.84 CA$4.01

$3.46 $3.46

-17.92%

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

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.23 CA$4.56

$3.24 $3.24

-0.31%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.48 CA$2.10

$1.64 $1.64

-9.76%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$32.22 CA$45.55

$32.52 $32.52

-0.92%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.36 CA$1.92

$0.99 $0.99

37.37%

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

$27.6K CA$39.1K

$26.0K $26.0K

6.34%

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

$21.2K CA$30.0K

$26.1K $26.1K

-18.71%

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

$77.0 CA$109

$195 $195

-60.58%

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

$34.14 CA$48.26

$66.6 $66.6

-48.75%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$42.19 CA$59.7

$70.9 $70.9

-40.47%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$30.81 CA$43.56

$43.09 $43.09

-28.50%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$19.66 CA$27.79

Cinema Ticket

$11.47 CA$16.22

$14.74 $14.74

-22.18%

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

$506 CA$716

$1,358 $1,358

-62.73%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$16.2K CA$23.0K

$26.2K $26.2K

-38.09%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$57.3 CA$81.0

$51.1 $51.1

12.05%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$38.10 CA$53.9

$39.30 $39.30

-3.05%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$91.9 CA$130

$75.7 $75.7

21.46%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$110 CA$155

$131 $131

-16.20%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,237 CA$1,748

$1,800 $1,800

-31.30%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$977 CA$1,381

$1,277 $1,277

-23.52%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,180 CA$3,082

$2,543 $2,543

-14.28%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,608 CA$2,273

$2,472 $2,472

-34.94%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$5,113 CA$7,228

$3,065 $3,065

66.84%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$3,744 CA$5,293

$2,620 $2,620

42.91%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$2,957 CA$4,180

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

4.48

6.57

-31.81%

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

Last update for Montreal: October 20, 2026

Last update for Saint Charles, IL: October 19, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Montreal

$977 47.4%

Saint Charles, IL

$1.3K 47.1% 30.8% $300

Groceries & Markets

Montreal

$351 17.1%

Saint Charles, IL

$380 14% 8.3% $29

Eating Out

Montreal

$290 14.1%

Saint Charles, IL

$494 18.2% 70.1% $204

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Montreal

$153 7.5%

Saint Charles, IL

$333 12.3% 117% $180

Clothing & Footwear

Montreal

$134 6.5%

Saint Charles, IL

$134 4.9% 0% $0

Getting Around

Montreal

$100 4.9%

Saint Charles, IL

$20 * 0.7% 80.6% $81

Sport & Entertainment

Montreal

$54 2.6%

Saint Charles, IL

$73 2.7% 35% $19

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 $1,800 in Saint Charles, IL. 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 $100 in Saint Charles, IL. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $351 vs $380 – making Montreal the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇨🇦 Montreal

🇺🇸 Saint Charles, IL

🕒 Local time

18:15 6:15 PM

17:15 5:15 PM

1 h behind Montreal

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

1,762,949

70,329

💱 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 →

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Between locations

Montreal Saint Charles, IL 1,250 km ≈ 2 h nonstop flight

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Montreal
Saint Charles, 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 Saint Charles, IL: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Saint Charles, IL costs about 32% more than Montreal, and outside of rent the gap comes mainly from eating out. That's enough to noticeably affect everyday spending and lifestyle for anyone choosing between the two.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $3,089 per month in Montreal and $4,065 in Saint Charles, IL. 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 $100 in Saint Charles, IL. That's a good indicator of the overall restaurant and café pricing gap between the two cities.

Groceries cost about 8% more in Saint Charles, IL, though it depends on what you buy. Local produce may be comparable; imported and premium items show the biggest price gap.

A $2,000 monthly budget goes further in Montreal, where all-in costs run around $2,059, than in Saint Charles, IL at $2,710. In Montreal it covers expenses comfortably, while in Saint Charles, IL it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.

For digital nomads, it depends on budget. Montreal costs $2,059 versus $2,710 in Saint Charles, IL. Both have workable remote work infrastructure, but the cost gap matters when income varies month to month.

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, Saint Charles, IL makes more sense. Both are solid long-term options with distinct trade-offs.