Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Oakland, CA and Montreal

For one person, living is cheaper in Montreal: $2,003 a month against $3,666 in Oakland, CA, rent and utilities included – about $20,000 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

180

Cost of Living Index in Oakland, CA
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Oakland, CA Living Index
99

Cost of Living Index in Montreal
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Montreal Living Index

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Oakland, CA

🇺🇸 United States

$3,666

/mo nomad

Montreal

🇨🇦 Canada

$2,003

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

A single person spends $3,666 per month in Oakland, CA vs $2,003 in Montreal, rent included.

Oakland, CA $3,666
Montreal $2,003

A couple spends around $5,759 per month in Oakland, CA vs $3,048 in Montreal, rent included.

Oakland, CA $5,759
Montreal $3,048

A family of three spends $7,853 per month in Oakland, CA vs $4,092 in Montreal, rent included.

Oakland, CA $7,853
Montreal $4,092

Oakland, CA costs about 83% more than Montreal, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

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

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$24.90 $24.90

$19.31 CA$27.52

28.95%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$121 $121

$75.5 CA$108

59.80%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$11.81 $11.81

$10.63 CA$15.15

11.10%

Cappuccino

$5.76 $5.76

$3.93 CA$5.60

46.56%

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

$3.59 $3.59

$1.92 CA$2.73

86.98%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.30 $2.30

$1.48 CA$2.11

55.41%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$7.91 $7.91

$6.30 CA$8.98

25.56%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$7.79 $7.79

$7.19 CA$10.24

8.34%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.42 $1.42

$2.22 CA$3.17

-36.04%

White Bread (500g)

$4.96 $4.96

$3.06 CA$4.36

62.09%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$8.03 $8.03

$2.94 CA$4.19

173.13%

Eggs

$6.20 $6.20

$3.53 CA$5.03

75.64%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$25.88 $25.88

$13.19 CA$18.79

96.21%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$18.55 $18.55

$11.24 CA$16.02

65.04%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$22.84 $22.84

$13.81 CA$19.69

65.39%

Apples (1kg)

$7.71 $7.71

$3.40 CA$4.85

126.76%

Banana (1kg)

$2.29 $2.29

$1.44 CA$2.06

59.03%

Oranges (1kg)

$8.35 $8.35

$3.26 CA$4.65

156.13%

Tomato (1kg)

$6.65 $6.65

$2.88 CA$4.10

130.90%

Potato (1kg)

$5.01 $5.01

$1.86 CA$2.65

169.35%

Onion (1kg)

$3.08 $3.08

$1.82 CA$2.60

69.23%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.43 $2.43

$2.43 CA$3.46

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$3.04 $3.04

$1.52 CA$2.17

100.00%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$11.94 $11.94

$11.45 CA$16.32

4.28%

Wine (Bottle)

$20.14 $20.14

$10.36 CA$14.76

94.40%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.77 $1.77

$2.22 CA$3.16

-20.27%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.71 $3.71

$2.82 CA$4.02

31.56%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$3.04 $3.04

$2.58 CA$3.67

17.83%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$86.7 $86.7

$76.9 CA$110

12.75%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.18 $3.18

$3.25 CA$4.64

-2.15%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.35 $2.35

$1.48 CA$2.11

58.78%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$39.75 $39.75

$33.04 CA$47.09

20.31%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.48 $1.48

$1.36 CA$1.94

8.82%

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

$36.4K $36.4K

$27.4K CA$39.1K

32.76%

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

$25.8K $25.8K

$20.0K CA$28.5K

29.13%

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

$187 $187

$76.1 CA$109

145.07%

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

$63.4 $63.4

$34.68 CA$49.43

82.79%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$66.8 $66.8

$42.69 CA$60.9

56.36%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$39.21 $39.21

$28.94 CA$41.26

35.49%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$12.90 $12.90

$20.33 CA$28.97

-36.55%

Cinema Ticket

$16.11 $16.11

$11.21 CA$15.98

43.71%

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

$2,684 $2,684

$505 CA$720

431.31%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$36.4K $36.4K

$16.0K CA$22.8K

127.51%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$70.1 $70.1

$58.5 CA$83.4

19.78%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$48.20 $48.20

$38.00 CA$54.2

26.84%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$114 $114

$92.7 CA$132

23.50%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$203 $203

$106 CA$151

91.67%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,362 $2,362

$1,240 CA$1,768

90.50%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,044 $2,044

$986 CA$1,405

107.29%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$4,306 $4,306

$2,102 CA$2,996

104.85%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$3,725 $3,725

$1,615 CA$2,302

130.66%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$7,814 $7,814

$5,043 CA$7,188

54.95%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$5,894 $5,894

$3,830 CA$5,459

53.90%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$5,302 $5,302

$2,920 CA$4,163

81.54%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

6.77

4.46

51.79%

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

Last update for Oakland, CA: October 3, 2026

Last update for Montreal: October 6, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Oakland, CA

$2K 54.8%

Montreal

$986 47.9% 51.8% $1.1K

Groceries & Markets

Oakland, CA

$602 16.2%

Montreal

$344 16.7% 43% $259

Eating Out

Oakland, CA

$382 10.3%

Montreal

$293 14.2% 23.4% $90

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Oakland, CA

$317 8.5%

Montreal

$154 7.5% 51.5% $163

Clothing & Footwear

Oakland, CA

$196 5.3%

Montreal

$133 6.5% 32.3% $63

Getting Around

Oakland, CA

$114 3.1%

Montreal

$98 4.8% 14% $16

Sport & Entertainment

Oakland, CA

$71 1.9%

Montreal

$51 2.5% 28.1% $20

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $2,362 in Oakland, CA versus $1,240 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 82% higher in Oakland, 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 $121 in Oakland, CA versus $75.0 in Montreal. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $602 vs $344 – making Montreal the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇺🇸 Oakland, CA

🇨🇦 Montreal

🕒 Local time

02:40 2:40 AM

05:40 5:40 AM

3 h ahead of Oakland, CA

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

433,031

1,762,949

💱 Currency

United States Dollar USD $

Canadian Dollar CAD $

📈 Exchange rate

1 USD = 0.892 EUR

1 CAD = 0.702 USD

1 CAD = 0.626 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 10, 2026: 1 EUR = 1.12 USD (1 USD = 0.892 EUR).

Canadian Dollar exchange rates as of October 10, 2026: 1 USD = 1.43 CAD (1 CAD = 0.702 USD). 1 EUR = 1.6 CAD (1 CAD = 0.626 EUR).

CAD to USD in detail →

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Oakland, CA Montreal 4,070 km ≈ 6 h nonstop flight

From you

Oakland, CA
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

Oakland, CA vs Montreal: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Oakland, 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 $5,499 per month in Oakland, CA and $3,005 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 75% more in Oakland, CA, 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 $121 in Oakland, CA and $75.0 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 $2,003, than in Oakland, CA at $3,666. In Montreal it covers expenses comfortably, while in Oakland, CA it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.

For digital nomads, it depends on budget. Montreal costs $2,003 versus $3,666 in Oakland, 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, Oakland, CA makes more sense. Both are solid long-term options with distinct trade-offs.