Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Montreal and Santa Clara, CA

For one person, living is cheaper in Montreal: $2,018 a month against $4,189 in Santa Clara, CA, rent and utilities included – about $26,100 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
203

Cost of Living Index in Santa Clara, CA
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Santa Clara, CA Living Index

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Montreal

🇨🇦 Canada

$2,018

/mo nomad

Santa Clara, CA

🇺🇸 United States

$4,189

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

A single person spends $2,018 per month in Montreal vs $4,189 in Santa Clara, CA, rent included.

Montreal $2,018
Santa Clara, CA $4,189

A couple spends around $3,085 per month in Montreal vs $5,899 in Santa Clara, CA, rent included.

Montreal $3,085
Santa Clara, CA $5,899

A family of three spends $4,152 per month in Montreal vs $7,608 in Santa Clara, CA, rent included.

Montreal $4,152
Santa Clara, CA $7,608

Montreal is about 52% cheaper than Santa Clara, CA, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Both Montreal and Santa Clara, CA sit above the global median – Montreal by 49%, Santa Clara, CA by 210%.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$18.82 CA$26.61

$24.66 $24.66

-23.68%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$70.3 CA$99.4

$111 $111

-36.80%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$10.66 CA$15.06

$11.90 $11.90

-10.42%

Cappuccino

$3.84 CA$5.43

$5.75 $5.75

-33.22%

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

$1.92 CA$2.71

$3.05 $3.05

-37.05%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.54 CA$2.18

$2.40 $2.40

-35.83%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$6.23 CA$8.81

$7.77 $7.77

-19.82%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$7.10 CA$10.03

$8.13 $8.13

-12.67%

Milk (1 liter)

$2.31 CA$3.27

$1.27 $1.27

81.89%

White Bread (500g)

$3.14 CA$4.44

$4.20 $4.20

-25.24%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$3.21 CA$4.54

$4.72 $4.72

-31.99%

Eggs

$3.52 CA$4.97

$5.46 $5.46

-35.53%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$12.81 CA$18.11

$24.69 $24.69

-48.12%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$11.46 CA$16.20

$11.90 $11.90

-3.70%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$13.39 CA$18.92

$12.97 $12.97

3.24%

Apples (1kg)

$3.14 CA$4.43

$5.55 $5.55

-43.42%

Banana (1kg)

$1.44 CA$2.03

$2.36 $2.36

-38.98%

Oranges (1kg)

$3.47 CA$4.91

$4.86 $4.86

-28.60%

Tomato (1kg)

$3.07 CA$4.34

$5.78 $5.78

-46.89%

Potato (1kg)

$1.90 CA$2.69

$3.28 $3.28

-42.07%

Onion (1kg)

$1.77 CA$2.50

$3.06 $3.06

-42.16%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.34 CA$3.31

$3.06 $3.06

-23.53%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.55 CA$2.19

$2.74 $2.74

-43.43%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$11.38 CA$16.09

$7.65 $7.65

48.76%

Wine (Bottle)

$10.63 CA$15.03

$13.09 $13.09

-18.79%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.27 CA$3.21

$1.70 $1.70

33.53%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.82 CA$3.99

$2.54 $2.54

11.02%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.66 CA$3.76

$2.92 $2.92

-8.90%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$77.3 CA$109

$89.3 $89.3

-13.40%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.20 CA$4.53

$3.27 $3.27

-2.14%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.48 CA$2.09

$2.47 $2.47

-40.08%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$32.88 CA$46.48

$39.36 $39.36

-16.46%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.34 CA$1.90

$1.50 $1.50

-10.67%

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

$28.2K CA$39.8K

$37.5K $37.5K

-24.93%

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

$19.6K CA$27.8K

$26.1K $26.1K

-24.91%

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

$76.0 CA$107

$191 $191

-60.33%

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

$33.95 CA$48.00

$39.17 $39.17

-13.33%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$42.31 CA$59.8

$62.9 $62.9

-32.75%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$29.76 CA$42.07

$98.3 $98.3

-69.71%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$20.28 CA$28.67

$14.14 $14.14

43.42%

Cinema Ticket

$11.15 CA$15.77

$16.13 $16.13

-30.87%

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

$507 CA$717

$2,693 $2,693

-81.17%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$16.1K CA$22.7K

$37.4K $37.4K

-57.08%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$57.6 CA$81.4

$50.8 $50.8

13.33%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$37.58 CA$53.1

$40.79 $40.79

-7.87%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$91.9 CA$130

$76.5 $76.5

20.13%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$110 CA$155

$59.8 $59.8

83.24%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,260 CA$1,782

$2,946 $2,946

-57.22%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$948 CA$1,340

$2,708 $2,708

-65.01%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,137 CA$3,021

$4,427 $4,427

-51.72%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,614 CA$2,281

$4,153 $4,153

-61.15%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$4,960 CA$7,011

$8,978 $8,978

-44.76%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$3,838 CA$5,425

$8,900 $8,900

-56.88%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$2,827 CA$3,997

$8,229 $8,229

-65.64%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

4.48

6.77

-33.83%

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

Last update for Montreal: October 12, 2026

Last update for Santa Clara, CA: October 11, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Montreal

$948 47%

Santa Clara, CA

$2.7K 64.6% 186% $1.8K

Groceries & Markets

Montreal

$346 17.2%

Santa Clara, CA

$459 11% 32.5% $113

Eating Out

Montreal

$288 14.3%

Santa Clara, CA

$379 9% 31.6% $91

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Montreal

$152 7.5%

Santa Clara, CA

$294 7% 92.9% $141

Clothing & Footwear

Montreal

$133 6.6%

Santa Clara, CA

$103 2.5% 23.2% $31

Getting Around

Montreal

$99 4.9%

Santa Clara, CA

$117 2.8% 18.3% $18

Sport & Entertainment

Montreal

$52 2.6%

Santa Clara, CA

$131 3.1% 151% $78

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $1,260 in Montreal versus $2,946 in Santa Clara, 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 191% higher in Santa Clara, 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 $111 in Santa Clara, CA. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $346 vs $459 – making Montreal the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇨🇦 Montreal

🇺🇸 Santa Clara, CA

🕒 Local time

00:16 12:16 AM

21:16 9:16 PM

3 h behind Montreal

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

1,762,949

130,365

💱 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 →

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Montreal Santa Clara, CA 4,070 km ≈ 6 h nonstop flight

From you

Montreal
Santa Clara, 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 Santa Clara, CA: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Santa Clara, CA costs about 108% 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 $6,284 in Santa Clara, 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 32% more in Santa Clara, 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 $111 in Santa Clara, 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 Santa Clara, CA at $4,189. In Montreal it covers expenses comfortably, while in Santa Clara, CA it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.

For digital nomads, it depends on budget. Montreal costs $2,018 versus $4,189 in Santa Clara, 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, Santa Clara, CA makes more sense. Both are solid long-term options with distinct trade-offs.