Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Montreal and San Francisco

For one person, living is cheaper in San Francisco: $1,672 a month against $2,018 in Montreal, rent and utilities included – about $4,200 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
81

Cost of Living Index in San Francisco
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San Francisco Living Index

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Montreal

🇨🇦 Canada

$2,018

/mo nomad

San Francisco

🇨🇷 Costa Rica

$1,672

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Montreal and in San Francisco

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

A single person spends $2,018 per month in Montreal vs $1,672 in San Francisco, rent included.

Montreal $2,018
San Francisco $1,672

A couple spends around $3,085 per month in Montreal vs $2,668 in San Francisco, rent included.

Montreal $3,085
San Francisco $2,668

A family of three spends $4,152 per month in Montreal vs $3,664 in San Francisco, rent included.

Montreal $4,152
San Francisco $3,664

Montreal costs about 21% more than San Francisco, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

Both Montreal and San Francisco sit above the global median – Montreal by 49%, San Francisco by 24%.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$18.82 CA$26.61

$10.08 ₡4,520

86.71%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$70.3 CA$99.4

$61.8 ₡27.7K

13.76%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$10.66 CA$15.06

$11.03 ₡4,947

-3.35%

Cappuccino

$3.84 CA$5.43

$4.33 ₡1,941

-11.32%

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

$1.92 CA$2.71

$1.30 ₡582

47.69%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.54 CA$2.18

$1.81 ₡810

-14.92%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$6.23 CA$8.81

$3.35 ₡1,504

85.97%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$7.10 CA$10.03

$4.31 ₡1,932

64.73%

Milk (1 liter)

$2.31 CA$3.27

$2.32 ₡1,039

-0.43%

White Bread (500g)

$3.14 CA$4.44

$3.03 ₡1,360

3.63%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$3.21 CA$4.54

$2.44 ₡1,095

31.56%

Eggs

$3.52 CA$4.97

$3.51 ₡1,575

0.28%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$12.81 CA$18.11

$10.83 ₡4,859

18.28%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$11.46 CA$16.20

$10.43 ₡4,677

9.88%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$13.39 CA$18.92

$13.81 ₡6,192

-3.04%

Apples (1kg)

$3.14 CA$4.43

$5.00 ₡2,241

-37.20%

Banana (1kg)

$1.44 CA$2.03

$1.64 ₡735

-12.20%

Oranges (1kg)

$3.47 CA$4.91

$4.85 ₡2,177

-28.45%

Tomato (1kg)

$3.07 CA$4.34

$3.96 ₡1,777

-22.47%

Potato (1kg)

$1.90 CA$2.69

$3.75 ₡1,683

-49.33%

Onion (1kg)

$1.77 CA$2.50

$3.59 ₡1,609

-50.70%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.34 CA$3.31

$1.08 ₡483

116.67%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.55 CA$2.19

$3.20 ₡1,435

-51.56%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$11.38 CA$16.09

$5.80 ₡2,601

96.21%

Wine (Bottle)

$10.63 CA$15.03

$20.33 ₡9,119

-47.71%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.27 CA$3.21

$2.81 ₡1,262

-19.22%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.82 CA$3.99

$3.66 ₡1,642

-22.95%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.66 CA$3.76

$1.34 ₡602

98.51%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$77.3 CA$109

$65.2 ₡29.3K

18.49%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.20 CA$4.53

$1.78 ₡800

79.78%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.48 CA$2.09

$1.63 ₡732

-9.20%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$32.88 CA$46.48

$8.91 ₡3,994

269.02%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.34 CA$1.90

$1.49 ₡667

-10.07%

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

$28.2K CA$39.8K

$22.0K ₡9.9M

28.09%

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

$19.6K CA$27.8K

$35.0K ₡15.7M

-43.96%

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

$76.0 CA$107

$76.3 ₡34.2K

-0.45%

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

$33.95 CA$48.00

$33.48 ₡15.0K

1.40%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$42.31 CA$59.8

$48.18 ₡21.6K

-12.18%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$29.76 CA$42.07

$74.2 ₡33.3K

-59.90%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$20.28 CA$28.67

Cinema Ticket

$11.15 CA$15.77

$7.52 ₡3,373

48.27%

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

$507 CA$717

$973 ₡436.4K

-47.89%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$16.1K CA$22.7K

$16.8K ₡7.5M

-4.40%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$57.6 CA$81.4

$71.1 ₡31.9K

-19.08%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$37.58 CA$53.1

$55.2 ₡24.8K

-31.91%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$91.9 CA$130

$66.7 ₡29.9K

37.78%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$110 CA$155

$53.8 ₡24.1K

103.53%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,260 CA$1,782

$808 ₡362.4K

56.00%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$948 CA$1,340

$629 ₡282.0K

50.69%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,137 CA$3,021

$1,914 ₡858.5K

11.63%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,614 CA$2,281

$1,267 ₡568.0K

27.40%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$4,960 CA$7,011

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$3,838 CA$5,425

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$2,827 CA$3,997

$892 ₡400.1K

216.92%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

4.48

8.62

-48.03%

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

Last update for Montreal: October 12, 2026

Last update for San Francisco: October 11, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Montreal

$948 47%

San Francisco

$629 37.6% 33.6% $319

Groceries & Markets

Montreal

$346 17.2%

San Francisco

$401 24% 15.6% $54

Eating Out

Montreal

$288 14.3%

San Francisco

$203 12.2% 29.3% $84

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Montreal

$152 7.5%

San Francisco

$158 9.5% 3.8% $5.8

Clothing & Footwear

Montreal

$133 6.6%

San Francisco

$111 6.6% 16.8% $22

Getting Around

Montreal

$99 4.9%

San Francisco

$81 4.8% 18.2% $18

Sport & Entertainment

Montreal

$52 2.6%

San Francisco

$89 5.3% 71.4% $37

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $1,260 in Montreal versus $808 in San Francisco. 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 217% higher in Montreal, 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 $62.0 in San Francisco. Groceries tell a different story – $346 in Montreal vs $401 in San Francisco – so Montreal wins on supermarket bills even if dining out costs more.

Good to know

🇨🇦 Montreal

🇨🇷 San Francisco

🕒 Local time

10:02 10:02 AM

08:02 8:02 AM

2 h behind Montreal

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

1,762,949

55,923

💱 Currency

Canadian Dollar CAD $

Costa Rican Colón CRC ₡

📈 Exchange rate

1 CAD = 0.707 USD

1 CAD = 0.629 EUR

1,000 CRC = 2.23 USD

1,000 CRC = 1.98 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

CRC, USD, EUR to CAD – Canadian Dollar Converter

🇺🇸 United States Dollar ($)

🇨🇦 Canadian Dollar ($)

Canadian Dollar exchange rates as of October 19, 2026: 1 USD = 1.41 CAD (1 CAD = 0.707 USD). 1 EUR = 1.59 CAD (1 CAD = 0.629 EUR).

Costa Rican Colón exchange rates as of October 19, 2026: 1 USD = 448 CRC (1,000 CRC = 2.23 USD). 1 EUR = 504 CRC (1,000 CRC = 1.98 EUR).

USD to CAD in detail →

On the map

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Between locations

Montreal San Francisco 4,080 km ≈ 6 h nonstop flight

From you

Montreal
San Francisco

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 Francisco: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Montreal costs about 21% more than San Francisco, 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 $2,508 in San Francisco. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

Rent is clearly cheaper in San Francisco, especially for central apartments. Housing is actually the single biggest factor behind the overall cost gap between these two cities.

Interestingly, groceries are about 16% cheaper in Montreal – one category where the pricier city actually offers better value, probably thanks to stronger retail competition or local farming.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $70.0 in Montreal and $62.0 in San Francisco. 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 San Francisco, where all-in costs run around $1,672, than in Montreal at $2,018. In San Francisco it covers expenses comfortably, while in Montreal it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.

For digital nomads, it depends on budget. San Francisco costs $1,672 versus $2,018 in Montreal. 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 San Francisco. If higher salaries, better infrastructure, or specific career opportunities are the priority, Montreal makes more sense. Both are solid long-term options with distinct trade-offs.