Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Normal, IL and Montreal

For one person, living is cheaper in Montreal: $2,059 a month against $2,269 in Normal, IL, rent and utilities included – about $2,500 less a year. Rent and utilities account for about half of the difference.

111

Cost of Living Index in Normal, IL
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Normal, IL Living Index
99

Cost of Living Index in Montreal
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Montreal Living Index

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Normal, IL

🇺🇸 United States

$2,269

/mo nomad

Montreal

🇨🇦 Canada

$2,059

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

Real prices from locals and on-the-ground checks – rent, groceries, transit and the daily extras. Here's what a month in Normal, IL and in Montreal actually costs, broken down by who's living it.

A single person spends $2,269 per month in Normal, IL vs $2,059 in Montreal, rent included.

Normal, IL $2,269
Montreal $2,059

A couple spends around $3,356 per month in Normal, IL vs $3,123 in Montreal, rent included.

Normal, IL $3,356
Montreal $3,123

A family of three spends $4,443 per month in Normal, IL vs $4,187 in Montreal, rent included.

Normal, IL $4,443
Montreal $4,187

Normal, IL costs about 10% more than Montreal, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in utilities.

Both Normal, IL and Montreal sit above the global median – Normal, IL by 67%, Montreal by 52%.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$11.29 $11.29

$18.84 CA$26.63

-40.07%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$50.5 $50.5

$73.2 CA$104

-31.06%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$9.82 $9.82

$10.54 CA$14.90

-6.83%

Cappuccino

$5.14 $5.14

$3.97 CA$5.61

29.47%

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

$3.40 $3.40

$1.94 CA$2.74

75.26%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.58 $1.58

$1.57 CA$2.22

0.64%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$5.27 $5.27

$6.42 CA$9.08

-17.91%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$6.08 $6.08

$7.20 CA$10.19

-15.56%

Milk (1 liter)

$0.80 $0.80

$2.32 CA$3.28

-65.52%

White Bread (500g)

$2.63 $2.63

$3.19 CA$4.51

-17.55%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$3.22 $3.22

$3.19 CA$4.50

0.94%

Eggs

$3.84 $3.84

$3.68 CA$5.20

4.35%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$8.95 $8.95

$13.24 CA$18.72

-32.40%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$12.56 $12.56

$11.69 CA$16.53

7.44%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$18.70 $18.70

$13.98 CA$19.76

33.76%

Apples (1kg)

$6.55 $6.55

$3.14 CA$4.44

108.60%

Banana (1kg)

$1.23 $1.23

$1.45 CA$2.05

-15.17%

Oranges (1kg)

$6.54 $6.54

$3.38 CA$4.78

93.49%

Tomato (1kg)

$5.11 $5.11

$3.11 CA$4.40

64.31%

Potato (1kg)

$3.39 $3.39

$1.93 CA$2.72

75.65%

Onion (1kg)

$3.23 $3.23

$1.83 CA$2.58

76.50%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.05 $2.05

$2.36 CA$3.34

-13.14%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$2.31 $2.31

$1.50 CA$2.12

54.00%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$11.32 $11.32

$11.12 CA$15.73

1.80%

Wine (Bottle)

$10.96 $10.96

$10.60 CA$14.98

3.40%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.83 $1.83

$2.22 CA$3.14

-17.57%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.02 $3.02

$2.84 CA$4.01

6.34%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.57 $2.57

$2.62 CA$3.71

-1.91%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$93.0 $93.0

$79.1 CA$112

17.46%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$5.86 $5.86

$3.23 CA$4.56

81.42%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.09 $1.09

$1.48 CA$2.10

-26.35%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$18.21 $18.21

$32.22 CA$45.55

-43.48%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$0.91 $0.91

$1.36 CA$1.92

-33.09%

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

$27.4K $27.4K

$27.6K CA$39.1K

-0.94%

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

$26.5K $26.5K

$21.2K CA$30.0K

25.28%

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

$274 $274

$77.0 CA$109

255.66%

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

$97.9 $97.9

$34.14 CA$48.26

186.61%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$64.5 $64.5

$42.19 CA$59.7

52.86%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$39.78 $39.78

$30.81 CA$43.56

29.11%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$19.66 CA$27.79

Cinema Ticket

$11.80 $11.80

$11.47 CA$16.22

2.88%

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

$1,055 $1,055

$506 CA$716

108.52%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$16.2K CA$23.0K

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$30.33 $30.33

$57.3 CA$81.0

-47.03%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$39.25 $39.25

$38.10 CA$53.9

3.02%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$68.4 $68.4

$91.9 CA$130

-25.54%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$153 $153

$110 CA$155

39.25%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$994 $994

$1,237 CA$1,748

-19.60%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$895 $895

$977 CA$1,381

-8.41%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,761 $1,761

$2,180 CA$3,082

-19.23%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,624 $1,624

$1,608 CA$2,273

1.01%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$9,700 $9,700

$5,113 CA$7,228

89.70%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$3,744 CA$5,293

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$4,253 $4,253

$2,957 CA$4,180

43.82%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

6.55

4.48

46.21%

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

Last update for Normal, IL: October 18, 2026

Last update for Montreal: October 20, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Normal, IL

$895 39.4%

Montreal

$977 47.4% 9.2% $82

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Normal, IL

$436 19.2%

Montreal

$153 7.5% 64.8% $283

Groceries & Markets

Normal, IL

$390 17.2%

Montreal

$351 17.1% 10% $39

Eating Out

Normal, IL

$240 10.6%

Montreal

$290 14.1% 21.1% $51

Clothing & Footwear

Normal, IL

$131 5.8%

Montreal

$134 6.5% 2.1% $2.8

Getting Around

Normal, IL

$115 5.1%

Montreal

$100 4.9% 12.5% $14

Sport & Entertainment

Normal, IL

$63 2.8%

Montreal

$54 2.6% 15.2% $9.6

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $994 in Normal, IL versus $1,237 in Montreal. 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 44% higher in Normal, IL, 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 $50.0 in Normal, IL versus $73.0 in Montreal. Groceries tell a different story – $390 in Normal, IL vs $351 in Montreal – so Montreal wins on supermarket bills even if dining out costs more.

Good to know

🇺🇸 Normal, IL

🇨🇦 Montreal

🕒 Local time

22:49 10:49 PM

23:49 11:49 PM

1 h ahead of Normal, IL

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

52,497

1,762,949

💱 Currency

United States Dollar USD $

Canadian Dollar CAD $

📈 Exchange rate

1 USD = 0.89 EUR

1 CAD = 0.707 USD

1 CAD = 0.629 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

CAD, EUR to USD – United States Dollar Converter

🇨🇦 Canadian Dollar ($)

🇺🇸 United States Dollar ($)

United States Dollar exchange rates as of October 22, 2026: 1 EUR = 1.12 USD (1 USD = 0.89 EUR).

Canadian Dollar exchange rates as of October 22, 2026: 1 USD = 1.41 CAD (1 CAD = 0.707 USD). 1 EUR = 1.59 CAD (1 CAD = 0.629 EUR).

CAD to USD in detail →

On the map

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Between locations

Normal, IL Montreal 1,370 km ≈ 2 h 15 min nonstop flight

From you

Normal, IL
Montreal

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

Normal, IL vs Montreal: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Normal, IL costs about 10% more than Montreal, and outside of rent the gap comes mainly from utilities. That's enough to noticeably affect everyday spending and lifestyle for anyone choosing between the two.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $3,404 per month in Normal, IL and $3,089 in Montreal. 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.

Groceries cost about 11% more in Normal, IL, though it depends on what you buy. Local produce may be comparable; imported and premium items show the biggest price gap.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $50.0 in Normal, IL and $73.0 in Montreal. That's a good indicator of the overall restaurant and café pricing gap between the two cities.

A $2,000 monthly budget goes further in Montreal, where all-in costs run around $2,059, than in Normal, IL at $2,269. In Montreal it covers expenses comfortably, while in Normal, IL it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.

For digital nomads, it depends on budget. Montreal costs $2,059 versus $2,269 in Normal, 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, Normal, IL makes more sense. Both are solid long-term options with distinct trade-offs.