Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Montreal and Walnut Creek, CA

For one person, living is cheaper in Montreal: $2,018 a month against $3,696 in Walnut Creek, CA, rent and utilities included – about $20,100 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
180

Cost of Living Index in Walnut Creek, CA
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Walnut Creek, CA Living Index

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Montreal

🇨🇦 Canada

$2,018

/mo nomad

Walnut Creek, CA

🇺🇸 United States

$3,696

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

A single person spends $2,018 per month in Montreal vs $3,696 in Walnut Creek, CA, rent included.

Montreal $2,018
Walnut Creek, CA $3,696

A couple spends around $3,085 per month in Montreal vs $5,404 in Walnut Creek, CA, rent included.

Montreal $3,085
Walnut Creek, CA $5,404

A family of three spends $4,152 per month in Montreal vs $7,112 in Walnut Creek, CA, rent included.

Montreal $4,152
Walnut Creek, CA $7,112

Montreal is about 45% cheaper than Walnut Creek, CA, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Both Montreal and Walnut Creek, CA sit above the global median – Montreal by 49%, Walnut Creek, CA by 174%.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$18.82 CA$26.61

$20.05 $20.05

-6.13%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$70.3 CA$99.4

$91.6 $91.6

-23.22%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$10.66 CA$15.06

$15.07 $15.07

-29.26%

Cappuccino

$3.84 CA$5.43

$5.58 $5.58

-31.18%

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

$1.92 CA$2.71

$2.92 $2.92

-34.25%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.54 CA$2.18

$2.29 $2.29

-32.75%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$6.23 CA$8.81

$7.98 $7.98

-21.93%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$7.10 CA$10.03

$7.81 $7.81

-9.09%

Milk (1 liter)

$2.31 CA$3.27

$1.38 $1.38

67.39%

White Bread (500g)

$3.14 CA$4.44

$3.80 $3.80

-17.37%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$3.21 CA$4.54

$3.36 $3.36

-4.46%

Eggs

$3.52 CA$4.97

$5.66 $5.66

-37.81%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$12.81 CA$18.11

$25.93 $25.93

-50.60%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$11.46 CA$16.20

$18.63 $18.63

-38.49%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$13.39 CA$18.92

$22.55 $22.55

-40.62%

Apples (1kg)

$3.14 CA$4.43

$8.00 $8.00

-60.75%

Banana (1kg)

$1.44 CA$2.03

$2.13 $2.13

-32.39%

Oranges (1kg)

$3.47 CA$4.91

$3.35 $3.35

3.58%

Tomato (1kg)

$3.07 CA$4.34

$6.64 $6.64

-53.77%

Potato (1kg)

$1.90 CA$2.69

$1.12 $1.12

69.64%

Onion (1kg)

$1.77 CA$2.50

$3.01 $3.01

-41.20%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.34 CA$3.31

$2.57 $2.57

-8.95%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.55 CA$2.19

$2.95 $2.95

-47.46%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$11.38 CA$16.09

$11.70 $11.70

-2.74%

Wine (Bottle)

$10.63 CA$15.03

$20.13 $20.13

-47.19%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.27 CA$3.21

$1.70 $1.70

33.53%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.82 CA$3.99

$2.30 $2.30

22.61%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.66 CA$3.76

$6.32 $6.32

-57.91%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$77.3 CA$109

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.20 CA$4.53

$3.17 $3.17

0.95%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.48 CA$2.09

$2.36 $2.36

-37.29%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$32.88 CA$46.48

$40.60 $40.60

-19.01%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.34 CA$1.90

$1.55 $1.55

-13.55%

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

$28.2K CA$39.8K

$37.7K $37.7K

-25.34%

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

$19.6K CA$27.8K

$25.8K $25.8K

-24.03%

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

$76.0 CA$107

$186 $186

-59.06%

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

$33.95 CA$48.00

$77.3 $77.3

-56.06%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$42.31 CA$59.8

$68.4 $68.4

-38.14%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$29.76 CA$42.07

$87.6 $87.6

-66.04%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$20.28 CA$28.67

$15.24 $15.24

33.07%

Cinema Ticket

$11.15 CA$15.77

$15.22 $15.22

-26.74%

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

$507 CA$717

$2,250 $2,250

-77.47%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$16.1K CA$22.7K

$36.8K $36.8K

-56.35%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$57.6 CA$81.4

$70.5 $70.5

-18.36%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$37.58 CA$53.1

$62.6 $62.6

-39.97%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$91.9 CA$130

$106 $106

-13.16%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$110 CA$155

$201 $201

-45.51%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,260 CA$1,782

$2,324 $2,324

-45.77%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$948 CA$1,340

$2,126 $2,126

-55.42%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,137 CA$3,021

$4,431 $4,431

-51.77%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,614 CA$2,281

$3,527 $3,527

-54.24%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$4,960 CA$7,011

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$3,838 CA$5,425

$6,539 $6,539

-41.31%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$2,827 CA$3,997

$6,693 $6,693

-57.75%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

4.48

6.58

-31.91%

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

Last update for Montreal: October 12, 2026

Last update for Walnut Creek, CA: October 11, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Montreal

$948 47%

Walnut Creek, CA

$2.1K 57.5% 124% $1.2K

Groceries & Markets

Montreal

$346 17.2%

Walnut Creek, CA

$534 14.5% 54.2% $188

Eating Out

Montreal

$288 14.3%

Walnut Creek, CA

$349 9.4% 21.2% $61

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Montreal

$152 7.5%

Walnut Creek, CA

$331 9% 118% $179

Clothing & Footwear

Montreal

$133 6.6%

Walnut Creek, CA

$198 5.4% 48.4% $65

Getting Around

Montreal

$99 4.9%

Walnut Creek, CA

$40 * 1.1% 59.2% $58

Sport & Entertainment

Montreal

$52 2.6%

Walnut Creek, CA

$118 3.2% 127% $66

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

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $1,260 in Montreal versus $2,324 in Walnut Creek, 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 137% higher in Walnut Creek, 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 $92.0 in Walnut Creek, CA. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $346 vs $534 – making Montreal the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇨🇦 Montreal

🇺🇸 Walnut Creek, CA

🕒 Local time

14:38 2:38 PM

11:38 11:38 AM

3 h behind Montreal

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

1,762,949

70,166

💱 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 18, 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 18, 2026: 1 EUR = 1.12 USD (1 USD = 0.89 EUR).

USD to CAD in detail →

On the map

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Between locations

Montreal Walnut Creek, CA 4,050 km ≈ 6 h nonstop flight

From you

Montreal
Walnut Creek, 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 Walnut Creek, CA: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Walnut Creek, CA costs about 83% 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 $3,027 per month in Montreal and $5,545 in Walnut Creek, 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.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $70.0 in Montreal and $92.0 in Walnut Creek, CA. That's a good indicator of the overall restaurant and café pricing gap between the two cities.

Groceries cost about 54% more in Walnut Creek, CA, though it depends on what you buy. Local produce may be comparable; imported and premium items show the biggest price gap.

A $2,000 monthly budget goes further in Montreal, where all-in costs run around $2,018, than in Walnut Creek, CA at $3,696. In Montreal it covers expenses comfortably, while in Walnut Creek, CA it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.

For digital nomads, it depends on budget. Montreal costs $2,018 versus $3,696 in Walnut Creek, 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, Walnut Creek, CA makes more sense. Both are solid long-term options with distinct trade-offs.