Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Montreal and San Clemente, CA

For one person, living is cheaper in Montreal: $2,018 a month against $3,426 in San Clemente, CA, rent and utilities included – about $16,900 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

99

Cost of Living Index in Montreal
Learn more

Montreal Living Index
168

Cost of Living Index in San Clemente, CA
Learn more

San Clemente, CA Living Index

Jump to prices

Montreal

🇨🇦 Canada

$2,018

/mo nomad

San Clemente, CA

🇺🇸 United States

$3,426

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

A single person spends $2,018 per month in Montreal vs $3,426 in San Clemente, CA, rent included.

Montreal $2,018
San Clemente, CA $3,426

A couple spends around $3,085 per month in Montreal vs $5,328 in San Clemente, CA, rent included.

Montreal $3,085
San Clemente, CA $5,328

A family of three spends $4,152 per month in Montreal vs $7,230 in San Clemente, CA, rent included.

Montreal $4,152
San Clemente, CA $7,230

Montreal is about 41% cheaper than San Clemente, CA, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

Both Montreal and San Clemente, CA sit above the global median – Montreal by 49%, San Clemente, CA by 154%.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$18.82 CA$26.61

$25.27 $25.27

-25.52%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$70.3 CA$99.4

$99.2 $99.2

-29.14%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$10.66 CA$15.06

$12.31 $12.31

-13.40%

Cappuccino

$3.84 CA$5.43

$5.80 $5.80

-33.79%

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

$1.92 CA$2.71

$3.14 $3.14

-38.85%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.54 CA$2.18

$2.60 $2.60

-40.77%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$6.23 CA$8.81

$8.07 $8.07

-22.80%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$7.10 CA$10.03

$9.56 $9.56

-25.73%

Milk (1 liter)

$2.31 CA$3.27

$1.10 $1.10

110.00%

White Bread (500g)

$3.14 CA$4.44

$4.40 $4.40

-28.64%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$3.21 CA$4.54

$4.74 $4.74

-32.28%

Eggs

$3.52 CA$4.97

$3.97 $3.97

-11.34%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$12.81 CA$18.11

$16.46 $16.46

-22.17%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$11.46 CA$16.20

$13.88 $13.88

-17.44%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$13.39 CA$18.92

$18.72 $18.72

-28.47%

Apples (1kg)

$3.14 CA$4.43

$4.73 $4.73

-33.62%

Banana (1kg)

$1.44 CA$2.03

$1.91 $1.91

-24.61%

Oranges (1kg)

$3.47 CA$4.91

$4.31 $4.31

-19.49%

Tomato (1kg)

$3.07 CA$4.34

$4.84 $4.84

-36.57%

Potato (1kg)

$1.90 CA$2.69

$3.15 $3.15

-39.68%

Onion (1kg)

$1.77 CA$2.50

$2.59 $2.59

-31.66%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.34 CA$3.31

$2.16 $2.16

8.33%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.55 CA$2.19

$2.07 $2.07

-25.12%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$11.38 CA$16.09

$7.43 $7.43

53.16%

Wine (Bottle)

$10.63 CA$15.03

$15.58 $15.58

-31.77%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.27 CA$3.21

$2.22 $2.22

2.25%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.82 CA$3.99

$3.10 $3.10

-9.03%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.66 CA$3.76

$2.80 $2.80

-5.00%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$77.3 CA$109

$46.53 $46.53

66.11%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.20 CA$4.53

$3.05 $3.05

4.92%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.48 CA$2.09

$2.12 $2.12

-30.19%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$32.88 CA$46.48

$27.53 $27.53

19.43%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.34 CA$1.90

$1.26 $1.26

6.35%

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

$28.2K CA$39.8K

$28.1K $28.1K

0.36%

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

$19.6K CA$27.8K

$26.1K $26.1K

-24.69%

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

$76.0 CA$107

$247 $247

-69.21%

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

$33.95 CA$48.00

$74.7 $74.7

-54.52%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$42.31 CA$59.8

$84.9 $84.9

-50.16%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$29.76 CA$42.07

$44.29 $44.29

-32.81%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$20.28 CA$28.67

$17.63 $17.63

15.03%

Cinema Ticket

$11.15 CA$15.77

$15.24 $15.24

-26.84%

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

$507 CA$717

$986 $986

-48.56%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$16.1K CA$22.7K

$35.6K $35.6K

-54.93%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$57.6 CA$81.4

$67.1 $67.1

-14.27%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$37.58 CA$53.1

$29.46 $29.46

27.56%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$91.9 CA$130

$88.6 $88.6

3.70%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$110 CA$155

$143 $143

-23.61%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,260 CA$1,782

$2,340 $2,340

-46.14%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$948 CA$1,340

$1,897 $1,897

-50.05%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,137 CA$3,021

$4,044 $4,044

-47.16%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,614 CA$2,281

$3,813 $3,813

-57.68%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$4,960 CA$7,011

$6,394 $6,394

-22.43%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$3,838 CA$5,425

$3,293 $3,293

16.54%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$2,827 CA$3,997

$3,980 $3,980

-28.95%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

4.48

6.19

-27.63%

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

Last update for Montreal: October 12, 2026

Last update for San Clemente, CA: October 12, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Montreal

$948 47%

San Clemente, CA

$1.9K 55.4% 100% $950

Groceries & Markets

Montreal

$346 17.2%

San Clemente, CA

$438 12.8% 26.4% $92

Eating Out

Montreal

$288 14.3%

San Clemente, CA

$391 11.4% 35.9% $103

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Montreal

$152 7.5%

San Clemente, CA

$406 11.9% 167% $254

Clothing & Footwear

Montreal

$133 6.6%

San Clemente, CA

$148 4.3% 10.8% $14

Getting Around

Montreal

$99 4.9%

San Clemente, CA

$71 2.1% 27.6% $27

Sport & Entertainment

Montreal

$52 2.6%

San Clemente, CA

$75 2.2% 43.6% $23

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $1,260 in Montreal versus $2,340 in San Clemente, CA. 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 41% higher in San Clemente, CA, 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 $70.0 in Montreal versus $99.0 in San Clemente, CA. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $346 vs $438 – making Montreal the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇨🇦 Montreal

🇺🇸 San Clemente, CA

🕒 Local time

19:30 7:30 PM

16:30 4:30 PM

3 h behind Montreal

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

1,762,949

65,526

💱 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 17, 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 17, 2026: 1 EUR = 1.12 USD (1 USD = 0.89 EUR).

USD to CAD in detail →

On the map

Lowest

Highest

Between locations

Montreal San Clemente, CA 3,960 km ≈ 5 h nonstop flight

From you

Montreal
San Clemente, 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 San Clemente, CA: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

San Clemente, CA costs about 70% 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 $3,027 per month in Montreal and $5,140 in San Clemente, 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.

Groceries cost about 26% more in San Clemente, CA, though it depends on what you buy. Local produce may be comparable; imported and premium items show the biggest price gap.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $70.0 in Montreal and $99.0 in San Clemente, CA. That's a good indicator of the overall restaurant and café pricing gap between the two cities.

A $2,000 monthly budget goes further in Montreal, where all-in costs run around $2,018, than in San Clemente, CA at $3,426. In Montreal it covers expenses comfortably, while in San Clemente, CA it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.

For digital nomads, it depends on budget. Montreal costs $2,018 versus $3,426 in San Clemente, CA. 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, San Clemente, CA makes more sense. Both are solid long-term options with distinct trade-offs.