Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Montreal and Sunnyvale, CA

For one person, living is cheaper in Montreal: $2,059 a month against $4,372 in Sunnyvale, 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
210

Cost of Living Index in Sunnyvale, CA
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Sunnyvale, CA Living Index

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Montreal

🇨🇦 Canada

$2,059

/mo nomad

Sunnyvale, CA

🇺🇸 United States

$4,372

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

A single person spends $2,059 per month in Montreal vs $4,372 in Sunnyvale, CA, rent included.

Montreal $2,059
Sunnyvale, CA $4,372

A couple spends around $3,123 per month in Montreal vs $5,837 in Sunnyvale, CA, rent included.

Montreal $3,123
Sunnyvale, CA $5,837

A family of three spends $4,187 per month in Montreal vs $7,302 in Sunnyvale, CA, rent included.

Montreal $4,187
Sunnyvale, CA $7,302

Montreal is about 53% cheaper than Sunnyvale, CA, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

Both Montreal and Sunnyvale, CA sit above the global median – Montreal by 52%, Sunnyvale, CA by 223%.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$18.84 CA$26.63

$24.54 $24.54

-23.23%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$73.2 CA$104

$74.5 $74.5

-1.70%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$10.54 CA$14.90

$12.07 $12.07

-12.68%

Cappuccino

$3.97 CA$5.61

$5.86 $5.86

-32.25%

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

$1.94 CA$2.74

$2.72 $2.72

-28.68%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.57 CA$2.22

$2.63 $2.63

-40.30%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$6.42 CA$9.08

$5.41 $5.41

18.67%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$7.20 CA$10.19

$6.08 $6.08

18.42%

Milk (1 liter)

$2.32 CA$3.28

$1.42 $1.42

63.38%

White Bread (500g)

$3.19 CA$4.51

$3.88 $3.88

-17.78%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$3.19 CA$4.50

$4.43 $4.43

-27.99%

Eggs

$3.68 CA$5.20

$4.90 $4.90

-24.90%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$13.24 CA$18.72

$6.58 $6.58

101.22%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$11.69 CA$16.53

$13.07 $13.07

-10.56%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$13.98 CA$19.76

$13.19 $13.19

5.99%

Apples (1kg)

$3.14 CA$4.44

$2.23 $2.23

40.81%

Banana (1kg)

$1.45 CA$2.05

$2.12 $2.12

-31.60%

Oranges (1kg)

$3.38 CA$4.78

$2.24 $2.24

50.89%

Tomato (1kg)

$3.11 CA$4.40

$2.23 $2.23

39.46%

Potato (1kg)

$1.93 CA$2.72

$2.48 $2.48

-22.18%

Onion (1kg)

$1.83 CA$2.58

$1.83 $1.83

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.36 CA$3.34

$2.47 $2.47

-4.45%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.50 CA$2.12

$1.02 $1.02

47.06%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$11.12 CA$15.73

$11.88 $11.88

-6.40%

Wine (Bottle)

$10.60 CA$14.98

$13.24 $13.24

-19.94%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.22 CA$3.14

$1.76 $1.76

26.14%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.84 CA$4.01

$3.06 $3.06

-7.19%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.62 CA$3.71

$2.46 $2.46

6.50%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$79.1 CA$112

$89.7 $89.7

-11.80%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.23 CA$4.56

$4.19 $4.19

-22.91%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.48 CA$2.10

$1.97 $1.97

-24.87%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$32.22 CA$45.55

$30.57 $30.57

5.40%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.36 CA$1.92

$1.54 $1.54

-11.69%

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

$27.6K CA$39.1K

$28.4K $28.4K

-2.62%

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

$21.2K CA$30.0K

$26.8K $26.8K

-21.02%

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

$77.0 CA$109

$256 $256

-69.89%

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

$34.14 CA$48.26

$40.89 $40.89

-16.51%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$42.19 CA$59.7

$61.2 $61.2

-31.03%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$30.81 CA$43.56

$49.71 $49.71

-38.02%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$19.66 CA$27.79

$17.07 $17.07

15.17%

Cinema Ticket

$11.47 CA$16.22

$15.42 $15.42

-25.62%

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

$506 CA$716

$2,100 $2,100

-75.90%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$16.2K CA$23.0K

$24.9K $24.9K

-34.90%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$57.3 CA$81.0

$63.7 $63.7

-10.11%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$38.10 CA$53.9

$34.98 $34.98

8.92%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$91.9 CA$130

$104 $104

-11.41%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$110 CA$155

$201 $201

-45.34%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,237 CA$1,748

$3,351 $3,351

-63.10%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$977 CA$1,381

$2,942 $2,942

-66.80%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,180 CA$3,082

$5,393 $5,393

-59.58%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,608 CA$2,273

$4,211 $4,211

-61.81%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$5,113 CA$7,228

$9,573 $9,573

-46.59%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$3,744 CA$5,293

$8,574 $8,574

-56.33%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$2,957 CA$4,180

$8,663 $8,663

-65.86%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

4.48

6.62

-32.33%

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

Last update for Montreal: October 20, 2026

Last update for Sunnyvale, CA: October 20, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Montreal

$977 47.4%

Sunnyvale, CA

$2.9K 67.3% 201% $2K

Groceries & Markets

Montreal

$351 17.1%

Sunnyvale, CA

$334 7.6% 5% $18

Eating Out

Montreal

$290 14.1%

Sunnyvale, CA

$363 8.3% 25.1% $73

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Montreal

$153 7.5%

Sunnyvale, CA

$358 8.2% 133% $205

Clothing & Footwear

Montreal

$134 6.5%

Sunnyvale, CA

$181 4.2% 35.8% $48

Getting Around

Montreal

$100 4.9%

Sunnyvale, CA

$114 2.6% 13.3% $13

Sport & Entertainment

Montreal

$54 2.6%

Sunnyvale, CA

$81 1.8% 49.8% $27

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $1,237 in Montreal versus $3,351 in Sunnyvale, 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 193% higher in Sunnyvale, 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 $73.0 in Montreal versus $74.0 in Sunnyvale, CA. Groceries tell a different story – $351 in Montreal vs $334 in Sunnyvale, CA – so Sunnyvale, CA wins on supermarket bills even if dining out costs more.

Good to know

🇨🇦 Montreal

🇺🇸 Sunnyvale, CA

🕒 Local time

17:12 5:12 PM

14:12 2:12 PM

3 h behind Montreal

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

1,762,949

152,703

💱 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 20, 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 20, 2026: 1 EUR = 1.12 USD (1 USD = 0.89 EUR).

USD to CAD in detail →

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Between locations

Montreal Sunnyvale, CA 4,080 km ≈ 6 h nonstop flight

From you

Montreal
Sunnyvale, 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 Sunnyvale, CA: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Sunnyvale, CA costs about 112% more than Montreal, 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 $3,089 per month in Montreal and $6,558 in Sunnyvale, 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.

Interestingly, groceries are about 5% cheaper in Sunnyvale, CA – 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 $73.0 in Montreal and $74.0 in Sunnyvale, 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 $2,059, than in Sunnyvale, CA at $4,372. In Montreal it covers expenses comfortably, while in Sunnyvale, CA it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.

For digital nomads, it depends on budget. Montreal costs $2,059 versus $4,372 in Sunnyvale, 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, Sunnyvale, CA makes more sense. Both are solid long-term options with distinct trade-offs.