Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Montreal and Vallejo, CA

For one person, living is cheaper in Montreal: $2,018 a month against $2,848 in Vallejo, CA, rent and utilities included – about $10,000 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

Montreal
🇨🇦 Canada
$2,018
/mo nomad
Vallejo, CA
🇺🇸 United States
$2,848
/mo nomad
Monthly Cost of Living

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

A single person spends $2,018 per month in Montreal vs $2,848 in Vallejo, CA, rent included.

  • Montreal $2,018
  • Vallejo, CA $2,848

A couple spends around $3,085 per month in Montreal vs $4,661 in Vallejo, CA, rent included.

  • Montreal $3,085
  • Vallejo, CA $4,661

A family of three spends $4,152 per month in Montreal vs $6,474 in Vallejo, CA, rent included.

  • Montreal $4,152
  • Vallejo, CA $6,474

Montreal is about 29% cheaper than Vallejo, CA, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

Both Montreal and Vallejo, CA sit above the global median – Montreal by 49%, Vallejo, CA by 111%.

Currency
🍽 Eating Out
Montreal
Vallejo, CA
Difference
Meal at Budget Restaurant
$18.82 CA$26.81
$27.53 $27.53
-31.64%
Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range
$70.3 CA$100
$89.6 $89.6
-21.51%
Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)
$10.66 CA$15.18
$12.06 $12.06
-11.61%
Cappuccino
$3.84 CA$5.47
$4.82 $4.82
-20.33%
Coke/Pepsi/Fanta/Sprite (0.33 liter bottle)
$1.92 CA$2.73
$2.69 $2.69
-28.62%
Water (0.33 liter bottle)
$1.54 CA$2.19
$2.78 $2.78
-44.60%
Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)
$6.23 CA$8.88
$7.99 $7.99
-22.03%
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$7.10 CA$10.11
$9.16 $9.16
-22.49%
🛒 Groceries & Markets
Montreal
Vallejo, CA
Difference
Milk (1 liter)
$2.31 CA$3.30
$1.43 $1.43
61.54%
White Bread (500g)
$3.14 CA$4.48
$4.52 $4.52
-30.53%
Rice (white) (1kg)
$3.21 CA$4.58
$3.89 $3.89
-17.48%
Eggs
$3.52 CA$5.01
$5.11 $5.11
-31.12%
Local Cheese (1kg)
$12.81 CA$18.25
$19.48 $19.48
-34.24%
Chicken Fillets (1kg)
$11.46 CA$16.33
$14.07 $14.07
-18.55%
Beef Round Steak (1kg)
$13.39 CA$19.07
$14.38 $14.38
-6.88%
Apples (1kg)
$3.14 CA$4.47
$4.49 $4.49
-30.07%
Banana (1kg)
$1.44 CA$2.05
$2.12 $2.12
-32.08%
Oranges (1kg)
$3.47 CA$4.95
$5.21 $5.21
-33.40%
Tomato (1kg)
$3.07 CA$4.38
$6.65 $6.65
-53.83%
Potato (1kg)
$1.90 CA$2.71
$3.90 $3.90
-51.28%
Onion (1kg)
$1.77 CA$2.52
$3.54 $3.54
-50.00%
Lettuce (1 head)
$2.34 CA$3.34
$3.07 $3.07
-23.78%
Water (1.5 liter bottle)
$1.55 CA$2.21
$2.04 $2.04
-24.02%
Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)
$11.38 CA$16.21
$10.05 $10.05
13.23%
Wine (Bottle)
$10.63 CA$15.14
$10.17 $10.17
4.52%
Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)
$2.27 CA$3.24
$1.76 $1.76
28.98%
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$2.82 CA$4.02
$2.07 $2.07
36.23%
🚌 Getting Around
Montreal
Vallejo, CA
Difference
One-way Ticket (Public Transport)
$2.66 CA$3.79
$4.89 $4.89
-45.60%
Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)
$77.3 CA$110
$71.4 $71.4
8.31%
Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)
$3.20 CA$4.56
$4.09 $4.09
-21.76%
Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)
$1.48 CA$2.10
$1.86 $1.86
-20.43%
Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)
$32.88 CA$46.83
$27.58 $27.58
19.22%
Gasoline (1 liter)
$1.34 CA$1.92
$1.38 $1.38
-2.90%
Midsize Hatchback 1.4l (Volkswagen Golf, Toyota Prius, Honda Civic, etc)
$28.2K CA$40.1K
$36.1K $36.1K
-21.99%
Compact Sedan 1.6l (Toyota Corolla, Mazda3, Kia K4, Hyundai Elantra, etc)
$19.6K CA$28.0K
$25.1K $25.1K
-21.90%
🧾 Monthly Utilities & Internet
Montreal
Vallejo, CA
Difference
Utilities for 2 People in 2-bedroom Apartment (Heating, Electricity, Gas, Water, Garbage) (85m2)
$76.0 CA$108
$139 $139
-45.29%
SIM Card Monthly Plan (Calls and 10GB+ Data)
$33.95 CA$48.36
$47.91 $47.91
-29.14%
Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)
$42.31 CA$60.3
$73.5 $73.5
-42.41%
🎉 Sport & Entertainment
Montreal
Vallejo, CA
Difference
Gym Membership (Monthly)
$29.76 CA$42.38
$37.65 $37.65
-20.96%
Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)
$20.28 CA$28.89
$10.79 $10.79
87.95%
Cinema Ticket
$11.15 CA$15.88
$12.76 $12.76
-12.62%
🧸 Childcare & Education
Montreal
Vallejo, CA
Difference
Preschool or Kindergarten, Full Day, Private, 1 Child (Monthly)
$507 CA$722
$707 $707
-28.24%
International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)
$16.1K CA$22.9K
$7,878 $7,878
103.73%
👕👟 Clothing & Footwear
Montreal
Vallejo, CA
Difference
Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)
$57.6 CA$82.0
$42.05 $42.05
36.86%
Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)
$37.58 CA$53.5
$36.42 $36.42
3.19%
Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)
$91.9 CA$131
$85.7 $85.7
7.23%
Men's Leather Business Shoes
$110 CA$156
$78.7 $78.7
39.18%
🏠 Accommodation & Living
Montreal
Vallejo, CA
Difference
1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$1,260 CA$1,795
$1,654 $1,654
-23.78%
1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$948 CA$1,350
$1,471 $1,471
-35.60%
3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$2,137 CA$3,044
$3,167 $3,167
-32.52%
3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$1,614 CA$2,298
$3,279 $3,279
-50.79%
Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)
$4,960 CA$7,064
$3,690 $3,690
34.39%
Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)
$3,838 CA$5,466
$3,838 $3,838
-0.01%
💵 Salaries & Financials
Montreal
Vallejo, CA
Difference
Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)
$2,827 CA$4,027
$4,257 $4,257
-33.58%
20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)
4.48
6.46
-30.65%

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

Last update for Montreal: October 12, 2026

Last update for Vallejo, CA: October 12, 2026

Monthly budget structure
Share of the monthly basket for one person, rent included.
Accommodation & Living
Montreal
$948
Vallejo, CA
$1.5K 55.3% $524
Groceries & Markets
Montreal
$346
Vallejo, CA
$445 28.6% $99
Eating Out
Montreal
$288
Vallejo, CA
$394 37% $107
Monthly Utilities & Internet
Montreal
$152
Vallejo, CA
$260 71% $108
Clothing & Footwear
Montreal
$133
Vallejo, CA
$109 18.1% $24
Getting Around
Montreal
$99
Vallejo, CA
$104 5.9% $5.8
Sport & Entertainment
Montreal
$52
Vallejo, CA
$63 21.3% $11

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $1,260 in Montreal versus $1,654 in Vallejo, 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 51% higher in Vallejo, 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 $90.0 in Vallejo, CA. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $346 vs $445 – making Montreal the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know
🇨🇦 Montreal
🇺🇸 Vallejo, CA
🕒 Local time
11:16 11:16 AM
08:16 8:16 AM
3 h behind Montreal
🌤 Weather
👥 Population
1,762,949
121,692
Exchange rates and currency converter

USD, EUR to CAD – Canadian Dollar Converter

Canadian Dollar exchange rates as of October 13, 2026: 1 USD = 1.42 CAD (1 CAD = 0.702 USD). 1 EUR = 1.59 CAD (1 CAD = 0.629 EUR).

United States Dollar exchange rates as of October 13, 2026: 1 EUR = 1.12 USD (1 USD = 0.896 EUR).

On the map
Between locations
  • Montreal Vallejo, CA 4,050 km ≈ 6 h nonstop flight
From you
  • Montreal
  • Vallejo, 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 Vallejo, CA: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions
Which city is more expensive, Montreal or Vallejo, CA?
Vallejo, CA costs about 41% 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.
How much do you need to earn to live comfortably in Montreal and in Vallejo, CA?
For a comfortable life, plan on about $3,027 per month in Montreal and $4,272 in Vallejo, CA. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.
Where is rent cheaper, Montreal or Vallejo, 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 Vallejo, CA?
Groceries cost about 29% more in Vallejo, CA, though it depends on what you buy. Local produce may be comparable; imported and premium items show the biggest price gap.
How do dining costs compare in Montreal and in Vallejo, CA?
A mid-range dinner for two costs $70.0 in Montreal and $90.0 in Vallejo, 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 Vallejo, CA?
A $2,000 monthly budget goes further in Montreal, where all-in costs run around $2,018, than in Vallejo, CA at $2,848. In Montreal it covers expenses comfortably, while in Vallejo, CA it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.
Which city is better for digital nomads, Montreal or Vallejo, CA?
For digital nomads, it depends on budget. Montreal costs $2,018 versus $2,848 in Vallejo, CA. Both have workable remote work infrastructure, but the cost gap matters when income varies month to month.
How safe is Montreal compared to Vallejo, 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 Vallejo, CA?
If budget matters most, go with Montreal. If higher salaries, better infrastructure, or specific career opportunities are the priority, Vallejo, CA makes more sense. Both are solid long-term options with distinct trade-offs.

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