Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Montreal and San Diego, CA

For one person, living is cheaper in Montreal: $2,003 a month against $4,047 in San Diego, CA, rent and utilities included – about $24,500 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
197

Cost of Living Index in San Diego, CA
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San Diego, CA Living Index

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Montreal

🇨🇦 Canada

$2,003

/mo nomad

San Diego, CA

🇺🇸 United States

$4,047

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

A single person spends $2,003 per month in Montreal vs $4,047 in San Diego, CA, rent included.

Montreal $2,003
San Diego, CA $4,047

A couple spends around $3,048 per month in Montreal vs $6,129 in San Diego, CA, rent included.

Montreal $3,048
San Diego, CA $6,129

A family of three spends $4,092 per month in Montreal vs $8,211 in San Diego, CA, rent included.

Montreal $4,092
San Diego, CA $8,211

Montreal is about 51% cheaper than San Diego, CA, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Both Montreal and San Diego, CA sit above the global median – Montreal by 49%, San Diego, CA by 202%.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$19.31 CA$27.52

$24.60 $24.60

-21.50%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$75.5 CA$108

$100 $100

-24.67%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$10.63 CA$15.15

$13.54 $13.54

-21.49%

Cappuccino

$3.93 CA$5.60

$6.02 $6.02

-34.72%

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

$1.92 CA$2.73

$3.04 $3.04

-36.84%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.48 CA$2.11

$2.70 $2.70

-45.19%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$6.30 CA$8.98

$8.03 $8.03

-21.54%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$7.19 CA$10.24

$10.95 $10.95

-34.34%

Milk (1 liter)

$2.22 CA$3.17

$1.32 $1.32

68.18%

White Bread (500g)

$3.06 CA$4.36

$5.53 $5.53

-44.67%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.94 CA$4.19

$4.94 $4.94

-40.49%

Eggs

$3.53 CA$5.03

$7.00 $7.00

-49.57%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$13.19 CA$18.79

$17.47 $17.47

-24.50%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$11.24 CA$16.02

$14.44 $14.44

-22.16%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$13.81 CA$19.69

$20.69 $20.69

-33.25%

Apples (1kg)

$3.40 CA$4.85

$4.73 $4.73

-28.12%

Banana (1kg)

$1.44 CA$2.06

$1.93 $1.93

-25.39%

Oranges (1kg)

$3.26 CA$4.65

$4.45 $4.45

-26.74%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.88 CA$4.10

$5.11 $5.11

-43.64%

Potato (1kg)

$1.86 CA$2.65

$3.17 $3.17

-41.32%

Onion (1kg)

$1.82 CA$2.60

$2.60 $2.60

-30.00%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.43 CA$3.46

$2.14 $2.14

13.55%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.52 CA$2.17

$2.07 $2.07

-26.57%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$11.45 CA$16.32

$11.73 $11.73

-2.39%

Wine (Bottle)

$10.36 CA$14.76

$16.61 $16.61

-37.63%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.22 CA$3.16

$2.16 $2.16

2.78%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.82 CA$4.02

$3.23 $3.23

-12.69%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.58 CA$3.67

$2.48 $2.48

4.03%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$76.9 CA$110

$71.0 $71.0

8.28%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.25 CA$4.64

$3.06 $3.06

6.21%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.48 CA$2.11

$2.05 $2.05

-27.80%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$33.04 CA$47.09

$27.65 $27.65

19.49%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.36 CA$1.94

$1.63 $1.63

-16.56%

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

$27.4K CA$39.1K

$37.0K $37.0K

-25.87%

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

$20.0K CA$28.5K

$25.7K $25.7K

-22.15%

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

$76.1 CA$109

$255 $255

-70.15%

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

$34.68 CA$49.43

$74.5 $74.5

-53.43%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$42.69 CA$60.9

$86.3 $86.3

-50.50%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$28.94 CA$41.26

$71.3 $71.3

-59.41%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$20.33 CA$28.97

$24.19 $24.19

-15.96%

Cinema Ticket

$11.21 CA$15.98

$19.86 $19.86

-43.55%

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

$505 CA$720

$1,938 $1,938

-73.94%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$16.0K CA$22.8K

$36.8K $36.8K

-56.51%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$58.5 CA$83.4

$66.2 $66.2

-11.60%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$38.00 CA$54.2

$55.0 $55.0

-30.90%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$92.7 CA$132

$114 $114

-18.60%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$106 CA$151

$147 $147

-28.26%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,240 CA$1,768

$3,255 $3,255

-61.91%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$986 CA$1,405

$2,381 $2,381

-58.59%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,102 CA$2,996

$5,549 $5,549

-62.12%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,615 CA$2,302

$4,363 $4,363

-62.99%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$5,043 CA$7,188

$8,042 $8,042

-37.29%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$3,830 CA$5,459

$6,489 $6,489

-40.98%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$2,920 CA$4,163

$4,856 $4,856

-39.86%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

4.46

6.7

-33.43%

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

Last update for Montreal: October 6, 2026

Last update for San Diego, CA: October 5, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Montreal

$986 47.9%

San Diego, CA

$2.4K 58.8% 142% $1.4K

Groceries & Markets

Montreal

$344 16.7%

San Diego, CA

$480 11.9% 39.7% $136

Eating Out

Montreal

$293 14.2%

San Diego, CA

$395 9.8% 34.7% $102

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Montreal

$154 7.5%

San Diego, CA

$416 10.3% 171% $262

Clothing & Footwear

Montreal

$133 6.5%

San Diego, CA

$172 4.3% 29.7% $39

Getting Around

Montreal

$98 4.8%

San Diego, CA

$94 2.3% 3.7% $3.6

Sport & Entertainment

Montreal

$51 2.5%

San Diego, CA

$111 2.7% 116% $60

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $1,240 in Montreal versus $3,255 in San Diego, 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 66% higher in San Diego, 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 $75.0 in Montreal versus $100 in San Diego, CA. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $344 vs $480 – making Montreal the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇨🇦 Montreal

🇺🇸 San Diego, CA

🕒 Local time

08:38 8:38 AM

05:38 5:38 AM

3 h behind Montreal

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

1,762,949

1,386,932

💱 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 10, 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 10, 2026: 1 EUR = 1.12 USD (1 USD = 0.892 EUR).

USD to CAD in detail →

On the map

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Between locations

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

From you

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

San Diego, CA costs about 102% more than Montreal, and outside of rent the gap comes mainly from groceries. That's enough to noticeably affect everyday spending and lifestyle for anyone choosing between the two.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $3,005 per month in Montreal and $6,071 in San Diego, 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 40% more in San Diego, 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 $75.0 in Montreal and $100 in San Diego, 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 $2,003, than in San Diego, CA at $4,047. In Montreal it covers expenses comfortably, while in San Diego, CA it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.

For digital nomads, it depends on budget. Montreal costs $2,003 versus $4,047 in San Diego, 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 Diego, CA makes more sense. Both are solid long-term options with distinct trade-offs.