Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Montreal and Surprise, AZ

For one person, living is cheaper in Surprise, AZ: $1,305 a month against $2,003 in Montreal, rent and utilities included – about $8,400 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
63

Cost of Living Index in Surprise, AZ
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Surprise, AZ Living Index

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Montreal

🇨🇦 Canada

$2,003

/mo nomad

Surprise, AZ

🇺🇸 United States

$1,305

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Montreal and in Surprise, AZ

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 Surprise, AZ actually costs, broken down by who's living it.

A single person spends $2,003 per month in Montreal vs $1,305 in Surprise, AZ, rent included.

Montreal $2,003
Surprise, AZ $1,305

A couple spends around $3,048 per month in Montreal vs $3,606 in Surprise, AZ, rent included.

Montreal $3,048
Surprise, AZ $3,606

A family of three spends $4,092 per month in Montreal vs $5,906 in Surprise, AZ, rent included.

Montreal $4,092
Surprise, AZ $5,906

Montreal costs about 53% more than Surprise, AZ, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in transport.

Montreal sits 49% above the global median, while Surprise, AZ is 3% below – they fall on opposite sides of the world average.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$19.31 CA$27.53

$20.25 $20.25

-4.64%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$75.5 CA$108

$84.2 $84.2

-10.28%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$10.63 CA$15.15

$12.84 $12.84

-17.21%

Cappuccino

$3.93 CA$5.60

$6.01 $6.01

-34.61%

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

$1.92 CA$2.74

$2.65 $2.65

-27.55%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.48 CA$2.11

$2.46 $2.46

-39.84%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$6.30 CA$8.98

$7.20 $7.20

-12.50%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$7.19 CA$10.25

$8.13 $8.13

-11.56%

Milk (1 liter)

$2.22 CA$3.17

$1.00 $1.00

122.00%

White Bread (500g)

$3.06 CA$4.37

$3.52 $3.52

-13.07%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.94 CA$4.19

$5.19 $5.19

-43.35%

Eggs

$3.53 CA$5.04

$4.73 $4.73

-25.37%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$13.19 CA$18.80

$13.40 $13.40

-1.57%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$11.24 CA$16.02

$11.30 $11.30

-0.53%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$13.81 CA$19.69

$14.80 $14.80

-6.69%

Apples (1kg)

$3.40 CA$4.85

$4.61 $4.61

-26.25%

Banana (1kg)

$1.44 CA$2.06

$1.94 $1.94

-25.77%

Oranges (1kg)

$3.26 CA$4.65

$3.88 $3.88

-15.98%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.88 CA$4.10

$4.21 $4.21

-31.59%

Potato (1kg)

$1.86 CA$2.65

$2.55 $2.55

-27.06%

Onion (1kg)

$1.82 CA$2.60

$2.88 $2.88

-36.81%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.43 CA$3.46

$2.13 $2.13

14.08%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.52 CA$2.17

$2.17 $2.17

-29.95%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$11.45 CA$16.33

$10.66 $10.66

7.41%

Wine (Bottle)

$10.36 CA$14.77

$13.77 $13.77

-24.76%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.22 CA$3.16

$2.51 $2.51

-11.55%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.82 CA$4.02

$3.19 $3.19

-11.60%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.58 CA$3.67

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$76.9 CA$110

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.25 CA$4.64

$2.80 $2.80

16.07%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.48 CA$2.11

$1.40 $1.40

5.71%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$33.04 CA$47.11

$35.29 $35.29

-6.38%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.36 CA$1.94

$1.13 $1.13

20.35%

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

$27.4K CA$39.1K

$36.7K $36.7K

-25.33%

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

$20.0K CA$28.5K

$25.3K $25.3K

-21.04%

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

$76.1 CA$109

$197 $197

-61.35%

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

$34.68 CA$49.45

$62.6 $62.6

-44.62%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$42.69 CA$60.9

$73.8 $73.8

-42.12%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$28.94 CA$41.27

$60.8 $60.8

-52.39%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$20.33 CA$28.98

Cinema Ticket

$11.21 CA$15.98

$13.16 $13.16

-14.82%

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

$505 CA$720

$1,090 $1,090

-53.68%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$16.0K CA$22.8K

$15.6K $15.6K

2.69%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$58.5 CA$83.4

$56.0 $56.0

4.39%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$38.00 CA$54.2

$44.17 $44.17

-13.97%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$92.7 CA$132

$99.9 $99.9

-7.16%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$106 CA$151

$115 $115

-8.38%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,240 CA$1,768

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$986 CA$1,406

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,102 CA$2,997

$2,116 $2,116

-0.65%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,615 CA$2,302

$3,030 $3,030

-46.71%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$5,043 CA$7,191

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$3,830 CA$5,461

$1,591 $1,591

140.77%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$2,920 CA$4,164

$4,222 $4,222

-30.83%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

4.46

6.44

-30.75%

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

Last update for Montreal: October 6, 2026

Last update for Surprise, AZ: October 4, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Montreal

$986 47.9%

Surprise, AZ

- * 0% 100%

Groceries & Markets

Montreal

$344 16.7%

Surprise, AZ

$392 29.9% 14% $48

Eating Out

Montreal

$293 14.2%

Surprise, AZ

$345 26.4% 17.9% $52

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Montreal

$154 7.5%

Surprise, AZ

$333 25.5% 117% $180

Clothing & Footwear

Montreal

$133 6.5%

Surprise, AZ

$142 10.8% 7% $9.2

Getting Around

Montreal

$98 4.8%

Surprise, AZ

$9.8 * 0.8% 90% $88

Sport & Entertainment

Montreal

$51 2.5%

Surprise, AZ

$87 6.7% 69.6% $36

Categories marked with * are only partly priced – their share counts the items that do have prices.

Cost Breakdown

Salaries run about 45% higher in Surprise, AZ, which reinforces the cost advantage – you earn more and spend less. Purchasing power leans clearly in its favor.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $75.0 in Montreal versus $84.0 in Surprise, AZ. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $344 vs $392 – making Montreal the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇨🇦 Montreal

🇺🇸 Surprise, AZ

🕒 Local time

07:29 7:29 AM

04:29 4:29 AM

3 h behind Montreal

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

1,762,949

143,148

💱 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

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Highest

Between locations

Montreal Surprise, AZ 3,540 km ≈ 5 h nonstop flight

From you

Montreal
Surprise, AZ

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 Surprise, AZ: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Montreal costs about 53% more than Surprise, AZ, and outside of rent the gap comes mainly from transport. 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 $1,958 in Surprise, AZ. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $75.0 in Montreal and $84.0 in Surprise, AZ. That's a good indicator of the overall restaurant and café pricing gap between the two cities.

Interestingly, groceries are about 14% cheaper in Montreal – one category where the pricier city actually offers better value, probably thanks to stronger retail competition or local farming.

A $2,000 monthly budget goes further in Surprise, AZ, where all-in costs run around $1,305, than in Montreal at $2,003. In Surprise, AZ it covers expenses comfortably, while in Montreal it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.

For digital nomads, it depends on budget. Surprise, AZ costs $1,305 versus $2,003 in Montreal. 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 Surprise, AZ. If higher salaries, better infrastructure, or specific career opportunities are the priority, Montreal makes more sense. Both are solid long-term options with distinct trade-offs.