Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Montreal and San Mateo, CA

For one person, living is cheaper in Montreal: $2,018 a month against $4,419 in San Mateo, CA, rent and utilities included – about $28,800 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
215

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

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Montreal

🇨🇦 Canada

$2,018

/mo nomad

San Mateo, CA

🇺🇸 United States

$4,419

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

A single person spends $2,018 per month in Montreal vs $4,419 in San Mateo, CA, rent included.

Montreal $2,018
San Mateo, CA $4,419

A couple spends around $3,085 per month in Montreal vs $6,644 in San Mateo, CA, rent included.

Montreal $3,085
San Mateo, CA $6,644

A family of three spends $4,152 per month in Montreal vs $8,868 in San Mateo, CA, rent included.

Montreal $4,152
San Mateo, CA $8,868

Montreal is about 54% cheaper than San Mateo, CA, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Both Montreal and San Mateo, CA sit above the global median – Montreal by 49%, San Mateo, CA by 227%.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$18.82 CA$26.61

$19.81 $19.81

-5.00%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$70.3 CA$99.4

$98.2 $98.2

-28.40%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$10.66 CA$15.06

$12.87 $12.87

-17.17%

Cappuccino

$3.84 CA$5.43

$5.54 $5.54

-30.69%

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

$1.92 CA$2.71

$3.08 $3.08

-37.66%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.54 CA$2.18

$2.81 $2.81

-45.20%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$6.23 CA$8.81

$8.31 $8.31

-25.03%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$7.10 CA$10.03

$9.86 $9.86

-27.99%

Milk (1 liter)

$2.31 CA$3.27

$1.61 $1.61

43.48%

White Bread (500g)

$3.14 CA$4.44

$5.96 $5.96

-47.32%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$3.21 CA$4.54

$5.98 $5.98

-46.32%

Eggs

$3.52 CA$4.97

$7.19 $7.19

-51.04%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$12.81 CA$18.11

$13.35 $13.35

-4.04%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$11.46 CA$16.20

$19.03 $19.03

-39.78%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$13.39 CA$18.92

$19.87 $19.87

-32.61%

Apples (1kg)

$3.14 CA$4.43

$6.06 $6.06

-48.18%

Banana (1kg)

$1.44 CA$2.03

$2.13 $2.13

-32.39%

Oranges (1kg)

$3.47 CA$4.91

$3.90 $3.90

-11.03%

Tomato (1kg)

$3.07 CA$4.34

$8.86 $8.86

-65.35%

Potato (1kg)

$1.90 CA$2.69

$4.34 $4.34

-56.22%

Onion (1kg)

$1.77 CA$2.50

$3.04 $3.04

-41.78%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.34 CA$3.31

$3.06 $3.06

-23.53%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.55 CA$2.19

$1.97 $1.97

-21.32%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$11.38 CA$16.09

$11.94 $11.94

-4.69%

Wine (Bottle)

$10.63 CA$15.03

$14.53 $14.53

-26.84%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.27 CA$3.21

$1.69 $1.69

34.32%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.82 CA$3.99

$1.93 $1.93

46.11%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.66 CA$3.76

$3.99 $3.99

-33.33%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$77.3 CA$109

$97.1 $97.1

-20.38%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.20 CA$4.53

$4.05 $4.05

-20.99%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.48 CA$2.09

$2.03 $2.03

-27.09%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$32.88 CA$46.48

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.34 CA$1.90

$1.56 $1.56

-14.10%

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

$28.2K CA$39.8K

$36.8K $36.8K

-23.56%

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

$19.6K CA$27.8K

$26.0K $26.0K

-24.52%

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

$76.0 CA$107

$267 $267

-71.53%

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

$33.95 CA$48.00

$41.54 $41.54

-18.27%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$42.31 CA$59.8

$62.4 $62.4

-32.20%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$29.76 CA$42.07

$109 $109

-72.68%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$20.28 CA$28.67

$9.40 $9.40

115.74%

Cinema Ticket

$11.15 CA$15.77

$18.35 $18.35

-39.24%

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

$507 CA$717

$2,947 $2,947

-82.80%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$16.1K CA$22.7K

$28.8K $28.8K

-44.30%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$57.6 CA$81.4

$63.6 $63.6

-9.47%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$37.58 CA$53.1

$47.52 $47.52

-20.92%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$91.9 CA$130

$117 $117

-21.54%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$110 CA$155

$135 $135

-18.55%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,260 CA$1,782

$3,421 $3,421

-63.15%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$948 CA$1,340

$2,741 $2,741

-65.43%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,137 CA$3,021

$5,944 $5,944

-64.05%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,614 CA$2,281

$5,128 $5,128

-68.53%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$4,960 CA$7,011

$13.8K $13.8K

-64.10%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$3,838 CA$5,425

$8,907 $8,907

-56.92%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$2,827 CA$3,997

$7,501 $7,501

-62.31%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

4.48

6.53

-31.39%

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

Last update for Montreal: October 12, 2026

Last update for San Mateo, CA: October 10, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Montreal

$948 47%

San Mateo, CA

$2.7K 62% 189% $1.8K

Groceries & Markets

Montreal

$346 17.2%

San Mateo, CA

$523 11.8% 50.8% $176

Eating Out

Montreal

$288 14.3%

San Mateo, CA

$348 7.9% 21% $61

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Montreal

$152 7.5%

San Mateo, CA

$371 8.4% 144% $219

Clothing & Footwear

Montreal

$133 6.6%

San Mateo, CA

$163 3.7% 22.3% $30

Getting Around

Montreal

$99 4.9%

San Mateo, CA

$127 2.9% 29.2% $29

Sport & Entertainment

Montreal

$52 2.6%

San Mateo, CA

$146 3.3% 180% $94

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $1,260 in Montreal versus $3,421 in San Mateo, 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 165% higher in San Mateo, 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 $98.0 in San Mateo, CA. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $346 vs $523 – making Montreal the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇨🇦 Montreal

🇺🇸 San Mateo, CA

🕒 Local time

14:42 2:42 PM

11:42 11:42 AM

3 h behind Montreal

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

1,762,949

103,536

💱 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 18, 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 18, 2026: 1 EUR = 1.12 USD (1 USD = 0.89 EUR).

USD to CAD in detail →

On the map

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Between locations

Montreal San Mateo, CA 4,090 km ≈ 6 h nonstop flight

From you

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

San Mateo, CA costs about 119% 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 $3,027 per month in Montreal and $6,628 in San Mateo, 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 51% more in San Mateo, 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 $98.0 in San Mateo, 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 Mateo, CA at $4,419. In Montreal it covers expenses comfortably, while in San Mateo, CA it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.

For digital nomads, it depends on budget. Montreal costs $2,018 versus $4,419 in San Mateo, 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 Mateo, CA makes more sense. Both are solid long-term options with distinct trade-offs.