Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Montreal and Zion, IL

For one person, living is cheaper in Montreal: $2,003 a month against $2,457 in Zion, IL, rent and utilities included – about $5,400 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
120

Cost of Living Index in Zion, IL
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Zion, IL Living Index

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Montreal

🇨🇦 Canada

$2,003

/mo nomad

Zion, IL

🇺🇸 United States

$2,457

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Montreal and in Zion, IL

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 Zion, IL actually costs, broken down by who's living it.

A single person spends $2,003 per month in Montreal vs $2,457 in Zion, IL, rent included.

Montreal $2,003
Zion, IL $2,457

A couple spends around $3,048 per month in Montreal vs $3,578 in Zion, IL, rent included.

Montreal $3,048
Zion, IL $3,578

A family of three spends $4,092 per month in Montreal vs $4,698 in Zion, IL, rent included.

Montreal $4,092
Zion, IL $4,698

Montreal is about 18% cheaper than Zion, IL, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in transport.

Both Montreal and Zion, IL sit above the global median – Montreal by 49%, Zion, IL by 83%.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$19.31 CA$27.57

$14.90 $14.90

29.60%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$75.5 CA$108

$61.6 $61.6

22.64%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$10.63 CA$15.17

$8.14 $8.14

30.59%

Cappuccino

$3.93 CA$5.61

$5.40 $5.40

-27.22%

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

$1.92 CA$2.74

$2.14 $2.14

-10.28%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.48 CA$2.11

$1.08 $1.08

37.04%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$6.30 CA$8.99

$5.57 $5.57

13.11%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$7.19 CA$10.26

$5.06 $5.06

42.09%

Milk (1 liter)

$2.22 CA$3.17

$0.99 $0.99

124.24%

White Bread (500g)

$3.06 CA$4.37

$2.41 $2.41

26.97%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.94 CA$4.20

$4.13 $4.13

-28.81%

Eggs

$3.53 CA$5.04

$3.94 $3.94

-10.41%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$13.19 CA$18.83

$12.28 $12.28

7.41%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$11.24 CA$16.05

$15.35 $15.35

-26.78%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$13.81 CA$19.72

$16.44 $16.44

-16.00%

Apples (1kg)

$3.40 CA$4.86

$5.95 $5.95

-42.86%

Banana (1kg)

$1.44 CA$2.06

$2.30 $2.30

-37.39%

Oranges (1kg)

$3.26 CA$4.66

$4.59 $4.59

-28.98%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.88 CA$4.11

$4.17 $4.17

-30.94%

Potato (1kg)

$1.86 CA$2.65

$3.26 $3.26

-42.94%

Onion (1kg)

$1.82 CA$2.61

$2.69 $2.69

-32.34%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.43 CA$3.46

$1.96 $1.96

23.98%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.52 CA$2.18

$2.57 $2.57

-40.86%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$11.45 CA$16.35

$12.04 $12.04

-4.90%

Wine (Bottle)

$10.36 CA$14.79

$14.54 $14.54

-28.75%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.22 CA$3.16

$2.16 $2.16

2.78%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.82 CA$4.02

$4.10 $4.10

-31.22%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.58 CA$3.68

$1.83 $1.83

40.98%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$76.9 CA$110

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.25 CA$4.64

$5.37 $5.37

-39.48%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.48 CA$2.12

$2.91 $2.91

-49.14%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$33.04 CA$47.18

$17.47 $17.47

89.12%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.36 CA$1.94

$1.10 $1.10

23.64%

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

$27.4K CA$39.2K

$36.4K $36.4K

-24.65%

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

$20.0K CA$28.5K

$27.0K $27.0K

-26.00%

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

$76.1 CA$109

$223 $223

-65.93%

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

$34.68 CA$49.52

$52.5 $52.5

-33.97%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$42.69 CA$61.0

$65.9 $65.9

-35.24%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$28.94 CA$41.33

$47.48 $47.48

-39.05%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$20.33 CA$29.03

Cinema Ticket

$11.21 CA$16.01

$11.18 $11.18

0.27%

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

$505 CA$721

$1,118 $1,118

-54.83%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$16.0K CA$22.9K

$12.4K $12.4K

29.11%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$58.5 CA$83.5

$47.12 $47.12

24.15%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$38.00 CA$54.3

$24.77 $24.77

53.41%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$92.7 CA$132

$57.5 $57.5

61.30%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$106 CA$151

$50.6 $50.6

109.05%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,240 CA$1,771

$1,698 $1,698

-26.97%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$986 CA$1,408

$1,468 $1,468

-32.85%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,102 CA$3,002

$2,649 $2,649

-20.64%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,615 CA$2,306

$1,987 $1,987

-18.74%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$5,043 CA$7,202

$2,672 $2,672

88.71%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$3,830 CA$5,469

$2,051 $2,051

86.69%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$2,920 CA$4,170

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

4.46

6.82

-34.60%

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

Last update for Montreal: October 6, 2026

Last update for Zion, IL: October 5, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Montreal

$986 47.9%

Zion, IL

$1.5K 55.2% 48.9% $482

Groceries & Markets

Montreal

$344 16.7%

Zion, IL

$414 15.6% 20.5% $70

Eating Out

Montreal

$293 14.2%

Zion, IL

$259 9.7% 11.5% $34

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Montreal

$154 7.5%

Zion, IL

$342 12.8% 123% $188

Clothing & Footwear

Montreal

$133 6.5%

Zion, IL

$81 3% 39% $52

Getting Around

Montreal

$98 4.8%

Zion, IL

$27 * 1% 72.2% $71

Sport & Entertainment

Montreal

$51 2.5%

Zion, IL

$70 2.6% 36% $18

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

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $1,240 in Montreal versus $1,698 in Zion, IL. Rent is usually the largest line item in a monthly budget, so the gap here sets the tone for the overall comparison.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $75.0 in Montreal versus $62.0 in Zion, IL. Groceries tell a different story – $344 in Montreal vs $414 in Zion, IL – so Montreal wins on supermarket bills even if dining out costs more.

Good to know

🇨🇦 Montreal

🇺🇸 Zion, IL

🕒 Local time

22:49 10:49 PM

21:49 9:49 PM

1 h behind Montreal

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

1,762,949

24,655

💱 Currency

Canadian Dollar CAD $

United States Dollar USD $

📈 Exchange rate

1 CAD = 0.7 USD

1 CAD = 0.625 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 13, 2026: 1 USD = 1.43 CAD (1 CAD = 0.7 USD). 1 EUR = 1.6 CAD (1 CAD = 0.625 EUR).

United States Dollar exchange rates as of October 13, 2026: 1 EUR = 1.12 USD (1 USD = 0.892 EUR).

USD to CAD in detail →

On the map

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Between locations

Montreal Zion, IL 1,190 km ≈ 2 h nonstop flight

From you

Montreal
Zion, IL

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 Zion, IL: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Zion, IL costs about 23% more than Montreal, 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 $3,686 in Zion, IL. 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 $75.0 in Montreal and $62.0 in Zion, IL. That's a good indicator of the overall restaurant and café pricing gap between the two cities.

Groceries cost about 20% more in Zion, IL, 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 $2,003, than in Zion, IL at $2,457. In Montreal it covers expenses comfortably, while in Zion, IL it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.

For digital nomads, it depends on budget. Montreal costs $2,003 versus $2,457 in Zion, IL. 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, Zion, IL makes more sense. Both are solid long-term options with distinct trade-offs.