Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Montreal and Upland, CA

For one person, living is cheaper in Montreal: $2,059 a month against $2,837 in Upland, CA, rent and utilities included – about $9,300 less a year. Higher rent and utilities in Upland, CA outweigh lower spending on other living expenses.

Montreal
🇨🇦 Canada
$2,059
/mo nomad
Upland, CA
🇺🇸 United States
$2,837
/mo nomad
Monthly Cost of Living

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

A single person spends $2,059 per month in Montreal vs $2,837 in Upland, CA, rent included.

  • Montreal $2,059
  • Upland, CA $2,837

A couple spends around $3,123 per month in Montreal vs $4,100 in Upland, CA, rent included.

  • Montreal $3,123
  • Upland, CA $4,100

A family of three spends $4,187 per month in Montreal vs $5,362 in Upland, CA, rent included.

  • Montreal $4,187
  • Upland, CA $5,362

Montreal is about 27% cheaper than Upland, CA, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Both Montreal and Upland, CA sit above the global median – Montreal by 52%, Upland, CA by 109%.

Currency
🍽 Eating Out
Montreal
Upland, CA
Difference
Meal at Budget Restaurant
$18.84 CA$26.63
$14.96 $14.96
25.94%
Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range
$73.2 CA$104
$68.7 $68.7
6.58%
Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)
$10.54 CA$14.90
$12.14 $12.14
-13.18%
Cappuccino
$3.97 CA$5.61
$1.95 $1.95
103.59%
Coke/Pepsi/Fanta/Sprite (0.33 liter bottle)
$1.94 CA$2.74
$2.03 $2.03
-4.43%
Water (0.33 liter bottle)
$1.57 CA$2.22
$2.05 $2.05
-23.41%
Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)
$6.42 CA$9.08
$7.63 $7.63
-15.86%
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$7.20 CA$10.19
$9.57 $9.57
-24.76%
🛒 Groceries & Markets
Montreal
Upland, CA
Difference
Milk (1 liter)
$2.32 CA$3.28
$1.04 $1.04
123.08%
White Bread (500g)
$3.19 CA$4.51
$1.63 $1.63
95.71%
Rice (white) (1kg)
$3.19 CA$4.50
$2.14 $2.14
49.07%
Eggs
$3.68 CA$5.20
$4.72 $4.72
-22.03%
Local Cheese (1kg)
$13.24 CA$18.72
$8.85 $8.85
49.60%
Chicken Fillets (1kg)
$11.69 CA$16.53
$6.50 $6.50
79.85%
Beef Round Steak (1kg)
$13.98 CA$19.76
$10.93 $10.93
27.90%
Apples (1kg)
$3.14 CA$4.44
$4.47 $4.47
-29.75%
Banana (1kg)
$1.45 CA$2.05
$1.67 $1.67
-13.17%
Oranges (1kg)
$3.38 CA$4.78
$3.28 $3.28
3.05%
Tomato (1kg)
$3.11 CA$4.40
$5.82 $5.82
-46.56%
Potato (1kg)
$1.93 CA$2.72
$2.22 $2.22
-13.06%
Onion (1kg)
$1.83 CA$2.58
$2.25 $2.25
-18.67%
Lettuce (1 head)
$2.36 CA$3.34
$1.96 $1.96
20.41%
Water (1.5 liter bottle)
$1.50 CA$2.12
$1.87 $1.87
-19.79%
Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)
$11.12 CA$15.73
$11.90 $11.90
-6.55%
Wine (Bottle)
$10.60 CA$14.98
$12.13 $12.13
-12.61%
Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)
$2.22 CA$3.14
$2.00 $2.00
11.00%
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$2.84 CA$4.01
$1.26 $1.26
125.40%
🚌 Getting Around
Montreal
Upland, CA
Difference
One-way Ticket (Public Transport)
$2.62 CA$3.71
-
-
Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)
$79.1 CA$112
$59.5 $59.5
33.12%
Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)
$3.23 CA$4.56
$6.15 $6.15
-47.48%
Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)
$1.48 CA$2.10
-
-
Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)
$32.22 CA$45.55
-
-
Gasoline (1 liter)
$1.36 CA$1.92
$1.47 $1.47
-7.48%
Midsize Hatchback 1.4l (Volkswagen Golf, Toyota Prius, Honda Civic, etc)
$27.6K CA$39.1K
$28.8K $28.8K
-3.89%
Compact Sedan 1.6l (Toyota Corolla, Mazda3, Kia K4, Hyundai Elantra, etc)
$21.2K CA$30.0K
$27.6K $27.6K
-23.22%
🧾 Monthly Utilities & Internet
Montreal
Upland, CA
Difference
Utilities for 2 People in 2-bedroom Apartment (Heating, Electricity, Gas, Water, Garbage) (85m2)
$77.0 CA$109
$168 $168
-54.07%
SIM Card Monthly Plan (Calls and 10GB+ Data)
$34.14 CA$48.26
$66.6 $66.6
-48.71%
Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)
$42.19 CA$59.7
$58.1 $58.1
-27.40%
🎉 Sport & Entertainment
Montreal
Upland, CA
Difference
Gym Membership (Monthly)
$30.81 CA$43.56
-
-
Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)
$19.66 CA$27.79
-
-
Cinema Ticket
$11.47 CA$16.22
$12.11 $12.11
-5.28%
🧸 Childcare & Education
Montreal
Upland, CA
Difference
Preschool or Kindergarten, Full Day, Private, 1 Child (Monthly)
$506 CA$716
$1,890 $1,890
-73.22%
International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)
$16.2K CA$23.0K
-
-
👕👟 Clothing & Footwear
Montreal
Upland, CA
Difference
Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)
$57.3 CA$81.0
$54.9 $54.9
4.34%
Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)
$38.10 CA$53.9
$40.06 $40.06
-4.89%
Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)
$91.9 CA$130
$88.5 $88.5
3.91%
Men's Leather Business Shoes
$110 CA$155
$122 $122
-10.08%
🏠 Accommodation & Living
Montreal
Upland, CA
Difference
1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$1,237 CA$1,748
$1,474 $1,474
-16.10%
1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$977 CA$1,381
$1,766 $1,766
-44.68%
3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$2,180 CA$3,082
$2,598 $2,598
-16.09%
3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$1,608 CA$2,273
$2,986 $2,986
-46.16%
Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)
$5,113 CA$7,228
-
-
Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)
$3,744 CA$5,293
-
-
💵 Salaries & Financials
Montreal
Upland, CA
Difference
Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)
$2,957 CA$4,180
$5,302 $5,302
-44.23%
20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)
4.48
5
-10.40%

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

Last update for Montreal: October 20, 2026

Last update for Upland, CA: October 18, 2026

Monthly budget structure
Share of the monthly basket for one person, rent included.
Accommodation & Living
Montreal
$977
Upland, CA
$1.8K 80.8% $789
Groceries & Markets
Montreal
$351
Upland, CA
$299 14.9% $52
Eating Out
Montreal
$290
Upland, CA
$253 12.9% $37
Monthly Utilities & Internet
Montreal
$153
Upland, CA
$292 90.6% $139
Clothing & Footwear
Montreal
$134
Upland, CA
$137 2.8% $3.8
Getting Around
Montreal
$100
Upland, CA
$66 * 34.6% $35
Sport & Entertainment
Montreal
$54
Upland, CA
$24 * 54.9% $30

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

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $1,237 in Montreal versus $1,474 in Upland, 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 79% higher in Upland, 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 $69.0 in Upland, CA. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $351 vs $299 – making Upland, CA the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know
🇨🇦 Montreal
🇺🇸 Upland, CA
🕒 Local time
18:35 6:35 PM
15:35 3:35 PM
3 h behind Montreal
🌤 Weather
👥 Population
1,762,949
73,379
Exchange rates and currency converter

USD, EUR to CAD – Canadian Dollar Converter

Canadian Dollar exchange rates as of October 21, 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 21, 2026: 1 EUR = 1.12 USD (1 USD = 0.89 EUR).

On the map
Between locations
  • Montreal Upland, CA 3,920 km ≈ 5 h nonstop flight
From you
  • Montreal
  • Upland, 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 Upland, CA: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions
Which city is more expensive, Montreal or Upland, CA?
Upland, CA costs about 38% 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.
How much do you need to earn to live comfortably in Montreal and in Upland, CA?
For a comfortable life, plan on about $3,089 per month in Montreal and $4,255 in Upland, CA. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.
Where is rent cheaper, Montreal or Upland, CA?
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.
Are groceries more expensive in Montreal or in Upland, CA?
Interestingly, groceries are about 18% cheaper in Upland, CA – one category where the pricier city actually offers better value, probably thanks to stronger retail competition or local farming.
How do dining costs compare in Montreal and in Upland, CA?
A mid-range dinner for two costs $73.0 in Montreal and $69.0 in Upland, CA. That's a good indicator of the overall restaurant and café pricing gap between the two cities.
Can you live on $2,000/month in Montreal or in Upland, CA?
A $2,000 monthly budget goes further in Montreal, where all-in costs run around $2,059, than in Upland, CA at $2,837. In Montreal it covers expenses comfortably, while in Upland, CA it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.
Which city is better for digital nomads, Montreal or Upland, CA?
For digital nomads, it depends on budget. Montreal costs $2,059 versus $2,837 in Upland, CA. Both have workable remote work infrastructure, but the cost gap matters when income varies month to month.
How safe is Montreal compared to Upland, CA?
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.
Should I move to Montreal or to Upland, CA?
If budget matters most, go with Montreal. If higher salaries, better infrastructure, or specific career opportunities are the priority, Upland, CA makes more sense. Both are solid long-term options with distinct trade-offs.

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