Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Montreal and San Rafael, CA

For one person, living is cheaper in Montreal: $2,003 a month against $4,955 in San Rafael, CA, rent and utilities included – about $35,400 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

99

Cost of Living Index in Montreal
Learn more

Montreal Living Index
237

Cost of Living Index in San Rafael, CA
Learn more

San Rafael, CA Living Index

Jump to prices

Montreal

🇨🇦 Canada

$2,003

/mo nomad

San Rafael, CA

🇺🇸 United States

$4,955

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

A single person spends $2,003 per month in Montreal vs $4,955 in San Rafael, CA, rent included.

Montreal $2,003
San Rafael, CA $4,955

A couple spends around $3,048 per month in Montreal vs $6,421 in San Rafael, CA, rent included.

Montreal $3,048
San Rafael, CA $6,421

A family of three spends $4,092 per month in Montreal vs $7,886 in San Rafael, CA, rent included.

Montreal $4,092
San Rafael, CA $7,886

Montreal is about 60% cheaper than San Rafael, CA, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Both Montreal and San Rafael, CA sit above the global median – Montreal by 49%, San Rafael, CA by 270%.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$19.31 CA$27.53

$25.06 $25.06

-22.94%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$75.5 CA$108

$120 $120

-37.34%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$10.63 CA$15.15

$12.07 $12.07

-11.93%

Cappuccino

$3.93 CA$5.60

$4.67 $4.67

-15.85%

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

$1.92 CA$2.74

$2.97 $2.97

-35.35%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.48 CA$2.11

$2.98 $2.98

-50.34%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$6.30 CA$8.98

$5.40 $5.40

16.67%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$7.19 CA$10.25

$6.96 $6.96

3.30%

Milk (1 liter)

$2.22 CA$3.17

$1.50 $1.50

48.00%

White Bread (500g)

$3.06 CA$4.37

$4.43 $4.43

-30.93%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.94 CA$4.19

$9.69 $9.69

-69.66%

Eggs

$3.53 CA$5.04

$5.52 $5.52

-36.05%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$13.19 CA$18.80

$22.55 $22.55

-41.51%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$11.24 CA$16.02

$15.37 $15.37

-26.87%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$13.81 CA$19.69

$18.20 $18.20

-24.12%

Apples (1kg)

$3.40 CA$4.85

$7.34 $7.34

-53.68%

Banana (1kg)

$1.44 CA$2.06

$2.93 $2.93

-50.85%

Oranges (1kg)

$3.26 CA$4.65

$6.65 $6.65

-50.98%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.88 CA$4.10

$8.27 $8.27

-65.18%

Potato (1kg)

$1.86 CA$2.65

$5.78 $5.78

-67.82%

Onion (1kg)

$1.82 CA$2.60

$5.44 $5.44

-66.54%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.43 CA$3.46

$3.20 $3.20

-24.06%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.52 CA$2.17

$3.87 $3.87

-60.72%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$11.45 CA$16.33

$10.79 $10.79

6.12%

Wine (Bottle)

$10.36 CA$14.77

$12.81 $12.81

-19.13%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.22 CA$3.16

$2.22 $2.22

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.82 CA$4.02

$3.08 $3.08

-8.44%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.58 CA$3.67

$1.99 $1.99

29.65%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$76.9 CA$110

$64.5 $64.5

19.21%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.25 CA$4.64

$4.10 $4.10

-20.73%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.48 CA$2.11

$4.29 $4.29

-65.50%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$33.04 CA$47.11

$28.62 $28.62

15.44%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.36 CA$1.94

$1.44 $1.44

-5.56%

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

$27.4K CA$39.1K

$32.2K $32.2K

-14.79%

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

$20.0K CA$28.5K

$27.3K $27.3K

-26.83%

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

$76.1 CA$109

$259 $259

-70.63%

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

$34.68 CA$49.45

$84.3 $84.3

-58.87%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$42.69 CA$60.9

$61.8 $61.8

-30.92%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$28.94 CA$41.27

$124 $124

-76.67%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$20.33 CA$28.98

$29.76 $29.76

-31.69%

Cinema Ticket

$11.21 CA$15.98

$12.97 $12.97

-13.57%

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

$505 CA$720

$2,128 $2,128

-76.27%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$16.0K CA$22.8K

$24.6K $24.6K

-34.97%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$58.5 CA$83.4

$59.2 $59.2

-1.22%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$38.00 CA$54.2

$42.66 $42.66

-10.92%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$92.7 CA$132

$94.0 $94.0

-1.37%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$106 CA$151

$128 $128

-17.20%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,240 CA$1,768

$3,079 $3,079

-59.73%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$986 CA$1,406

$3,143 $3,143

-68.62%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,102 CA$2,997

$4,230 $4,230

-50.30%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,615 CA$2,302

$3,789 $3,789

-57.38%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$5,043 CA$7,191

$7,545 $7,545

-33.16%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$3,830 CA$5,461

$5,372 $5,372

-28.71%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$2,920 CA$4,164

$7,047 $7,047

-58.56%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

4.46

6.62

-32.63%

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

Last update for Montreal: October 6, 2026

Last update for San Rafael, CA: October 3, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Montreal

$986 47.9%

San Rafael, CA

$3.1K 64.5% 219% $2.2K

Groceries & Markets

Montreal

$344 16.7%

San Rafael, CA

$572 11.7% 66.5% $228

Eating Out

Montreal

$293 14.2%

San Rafael, CA

$357 7.3% 22% $65

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Montreal

$154 7.5%

San Rafael, CA

$405 8.3% 164% $252

Clothing & Footwear

Montreal

$133 6.5%

San Rafael, CA

$146 3% 9.7% $13

Getting Around

Montreal

$98 4.8%

San Rafael, CA

$98 2% 0.1% $0.1

Sport & Entertainment

Montreal

$51 2.5%

San Rafael, CA

$150 3.1% 192% $99

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $1,240 in Montreal versus $3,079 in San Rafael, 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 141% higher in San Rafael, 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 $120 in San Rafael, CA. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $344 vs $572 – making Montreal the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇨🇦 Montreal

🇺🇸 San Rafael, CA

🕒 Local time

01:45 1:45 AM

22:45 10:45 PM

3 h behind Montreal

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

1,762,949

58,704

💱 Currency

Canadian Dollar CAD $

United States Dollar USD $

📈 Exchange rate

1 CAD = 0.701 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 12, 2026: 1 USD = 1.43 CAD (1 CAD = 0.701 USD). 1 EUR = 1.6 CAD (1 CAD = 0.626 EUR).

United States Dollar exchange rates as of October 12, 2026: 1 EUR = 1.12 USD (1 USD = 0.892 EUR).

USD to CAD in detail →

On the map

Lowest

Highest

Between locations

Montreal San Rafael, CA 4,080 km ≈ 6 h nonstop flight

From you

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

San Rafael, CA costs about 147% 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 $7,432 in San Rafael, 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 66% more in San Rafael, 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 $120 in San Rafael, 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 Rafael, CA at $4,955. In Montreal it covers expenses comfortably, while in San Rafael, CA it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.

For digital nomads, it depends on budget. Montreal costs $2,003 versus $4,955 in San Rafael, 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 Rafael, CA makes more sense. Both are solid long-term options with distinct trade-offs.