Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Montreal and Santa Cruz, CA

For one person, living is cheaper in Montreal: $2,003 a month against $4,316 in Santa Cruz, CA, rent and utilities included – about $27,800 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
211

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

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Montreal

🇨🇦 Canada

$2,003

/mo nomad

Santa Cruz, CA

🇺🇸 United States

$4,316

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

A single person spends $2,003 per month in Montreal vs $4,316 in Santa Cruz, CA, rent included.

Montreal $2,003
Santa Cruz, CA $4,316

A couple spends around $3,048 per month in Montreal vs $6,246 in Santa Cruz, CA, rent included.

Montreal $3,048
Santa Cruz, CA $6,246

A family of three spends $4,092 per month in Montreal vs $8,177 in Santa Cruz, CA, rent included.

Montreal $4,092
Santa Cruz, CA $8,177

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

Both Montreal and Santa Cruz, CA sit above the global median – Montreal by 49%, Santa Cruz, CA by 222%.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$19.31 CA$27.53

$24.94 $24.94

-22.57%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$75.5 CA$108

$99.7 $99.7

-24.23%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$10.63 CA$15.15

$14.73 $14.73

-27.83%

Cappuccino

$3.93 CA$5.60

$5.83 $5.83

-32.59%

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

$1.92 CA$2.74

$3.46 $3.46

-44.51%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.48 CA$2.11

$2.42 $2.42

-38.84%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$6.30 CA$8.98

$8.18 $8.18

-22.98%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$7.19 CA$10.25

$8.04 $8.04

-10.57%

Milk (1 liter)

$2.22 CA$3.17

$1.39 $1.39

59.71%

White Bread (500g)

$3.06 CA$4.37

$4.75 $4.75

-35.58%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.94 CA$4.19

$7.81 $7.81

-62.36%

Eggs

$3.53 CA$5.04

$6.37 $6.37

-44.58%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$13.19 CA$18.80

$26.58 $26.58

-50.38%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$11.24 CA$16.02

$16.84 $16.84

-33.25%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$13.81 CA$19.69

$17.62 $17.62

-21.62%

Apples (1kg)

$3.40 CA$4.85

$7.78 $7.78

-56.30%

Banana (1kg)

$1.44 CA$2.06

$2.27 $2.27

-36.56%

Oranges (1kg)

$3.26 CA$4.65

$8.80 $8.80

-62.95%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.88 CA$4.10

$6.61 $6.61

-56.43%

Potato (1kg)

$1.86 CA$2.65

$4.49 $4.49

-58.57%

Onion (1kg)

$1.82 CA$2.60

$3.03 $3.03

-39.93%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.43 CA$3.46

$5.10 $5.10

-52.35%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.52 CA$2.17

$2.96 $2.96

-48.65%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$11.45 CA$16.33

$11.82 $11.82

-3.13%

Wine (Bottle)

$10.36 CA$14.77

$25.49 $25.49

-59.36%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.22 CA$3.16

$2.17 $2.17

2.30%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.82 CA$4.02

$3.27 $3.27

-13.76%

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

19.19%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.25 CA$4.64

$3.29 $3.29

-1.22%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.48 CA$2.11

$2.47 $2.47

-40.08%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$33.04 CA$47.11

$39.30 $39.30

-15.93%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.36 CA$1.94

$1.54 $1.54

-11.69%

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

$27.4K CA$39.1K

$37.0K $37.0K

-25.97%

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

$20.0K CA$28.5K

$26.3K $26.3K

-23.95%

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

$76.1 CA$109

$373 $373

-79.62%

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

$34.68 CA$49.45

$57.8 $57.8

-39.97%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$42.69 CA$60.9

$68.4 $68.4

-37.62%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$28.94 CA$41.27

$78.0 $78.0

-62.91%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$20.33 CA$28.98

$12.74 $12.74

59.58%

Cinema Ticket

$11.21 CA$15.98

$15.71 $15.71

-28.64%

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

$505 CA$720

$2,499 $2,499

-79.79%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$16.0K CA$22.8K

$29.6K $29.6K

-45.86%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$58.5 CA$83.4

$68.0 $68.0

-13.96%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$38.00 CA$54.2

$48.64 $48.64

-21.88%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$92.7 CA$132

$93.4 $93.4

-0.71%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$106 CA$151

$158 $158

-33.03%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,240 CA$1,768

$3,049 $3,049

-59.33%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$986 CA$1,406

$2,524 $2,524

-60.93%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,102 CA$2,997

$4,860 $4,860

-56.75%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,615 CA$2,302

$4,160 $4,160

-61.18%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$5,043 CA$7,191

$8,227 $8,227

-38.70%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$3,830 CA$5,461

$11.3K $11.3K

-66.24%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$2,920 CA$4,164

$5,485 $5,485

-46.76%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

4.46

6.47

-31.07%

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

Last update for Montreal: October 6, 2026

Last update for Santa Cruz, CA: October 3, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Montreal

$986 47.9%

Santa Cruz, CA

$2.5K 57.6% 156% $1.5K

Groceries & Markets

Montreal

$344 16.7%

Santa Cruz, CA

$599 13.7% 74.5% $256

Eating Out

Montreal

$293 14.2%

Santa Cruz, CA

$394 9% 34.6% $101

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Montreal

$154 7.5%

Santa Cruz, CA

$500 11.4% 226% $346

Clothing & Footwear

Montreal

$133 6.5%

Santa Cruz, CA

$166 3.8% 24.7% $33

Getting Around

Montreal

$98 4.8%

Santa Cruz, CA

$88 2% 10% $9.7

Sport & Entertainment

Montreal

$51 2.5%

Santa Cruz, CA

$109 2.5% 113% $58

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $1,240 in Montreal versus $3,049 in Santa Cruz, 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 88% higher in Santa Cruz, 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 Santa Cruz, CA. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $344 vs $599 – making Montreal the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇨🇦 Montreal

🇺🇸 Santa Cruz, CA

🕒 Local time

02:55 2:55 AM

23:55 11:55 PM

3 h behind Montreal

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

1,762,949

64,220

💱 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 →

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Montreal Santa Cruz, CA 4,100 km ≈ 6 h nonstop flight

From you

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

Santa Cruz, CA costs about 115% 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 $6,474 in Santa Cruz, 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 74% more in Santa Cruz, 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 Santa Cruz, 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 Santa Cruz, CA at $4,316. In Montreal it covers expenses comfortably, while in Santa Cruz, CA it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.

For digital nomads, it depends on budget. Montreal costs $2,003 versus $4,316 in Santa Cruz, 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 Cruz, CA makes more sense. Both are solid long-term options with distinct trade-offs.