Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Rock Island, IL and Montreal

For one person, living is cheaper in Montreal: $2,059 a month against $2,664 in Rock Island, IL, rent and utilities included – about $7,300 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

132

Cost of Living Index in Rock Island, IL
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Rock Island, IL Living Index
99

Cost of Living Index in Montreal
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Montreal Living Index

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Rock Island, IL

🇺🇸 United States

$2,664

/mo nomad

Montreal

🇨🇦 Canada

$2,059

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

A single person spends $2,664 per month in Rock Island, IL vs $2,059 in Montreal, rent included.

Rock Island, IL $2,664
Montreal $2,059

A couple spends around $3,843 per month in Rock Island, IL vs $3,123 in Montreal, rent included.

Rock Island, IL $3,843
Montreal $3,123

A family of three spends $5,023 per month in Rock Island, IL vs $4,187 in Montreal, rent included.

Rock Island, IL $5,023
Montreal $4,187

Rock Island, IL costs about 29% more than Montreal, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Both Rock Island, IL and Montreal sit above the global median – Rock Island, IL by 97%, Montreal by 52%.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$20.07 $20.07

$18.84 CA$26.63

6.53%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$67.2 $67.2

$73.2 CA$104

-8.28%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$12.84 $12.84

$10.54 CA$14.90

21.82%

Cappuccino

$5.90 $5.90

$3.97 CA$5.61

48.61%

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

$3.14 $3.14

$1.94 CA$2.74

61.86%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.40 $2.40

$1.57 CA$2.22

52.87%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$7.08 $7.08

$6.42 CA$9.08

10.28%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$7.97 $7.97

$7.20 CA$10.19

10.69%

Milk (1 liter)

$0.94 $0.94

$2.32 CA$3.28

-59.48%

White Bread (500g)

$3.51 $3.51

$3.19 CA$4.51

10.03%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$4.23 $4.23

$3.19 CA$4.50

32.60%

Eggs

$3.71 $3.71

$3.68 CA$5.20

0.82%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$15.09 $15.09

$13.24 CA$18.72

13.97%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$13.15 $13.15

$11.69 CA$16.53

12.49%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$20.09 $20.09

$13.98 CA$19.76

43.71%

Apples (1kg)

$4.73 $4.73

$3.14 CA$4.44

50.64%

Banana (1kg)

$1.63 $1.63

$1.45 CA$2.05

12.41%

Oranges (1kg)

$5.15 $5.15

$3.38 CA$4.78

52.37%

Tomato (1kg)

$4.79 $4.79

$3.11 CA$4.40

54.02%

Potato (1kg)

$2.80 $2.80

$1.93 CA$2.72

45.08%

Onion (1kg)

$3.13 $3.13

$1.83 CA$2.58

71.04%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.16 $2.16

$2.36 CA$3.34

-8.47%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$2.42 $2.42

$1.50 CA$2.12

61.33%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$10.72 $10.72

$11.12 CA$15.73

-3.60%

Wine (Bottle)

$15.51 $15.51

$10.60 CA$14.98

46.32%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.66 $2.66

$2.22 CA$3.14

19.82%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.36 $4.36

$2.84 CA$4.01

53.52%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.82 $1.82

$2.62 CA$3.71

-30.53%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$79.1 CA$112

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.96 $3.96

$3.23 CA$4.56

22.60%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.99 $1.99

$1.48 CA$2.10

34.46%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$44.24 $44.24

$32.22 CA$45.55

37.31%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.00 $1.00

$1.36 CA$1.92

-26.47%

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

$31.2K $31.2K

$27.6K CA$39.1K

12.78%

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

$25.6K $25.6K

$21.2K CA$30.0K

20.96%

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

$267 $267

$77.0 CA$109

246.48%

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

$52.3 $52.3

$34.14 CA$48.26

53.10%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$80.6 $80.6

$42.19 CA$59.7

91.11%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$45.16 $45.16

$30.81 CA$43.56

46.58%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$19.66 CA$27.79

Cinema Ticket

$15.12 $15.12

$11.47 CA$16.22

31.82%

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

$1,719 $1,719

$506 CA$716

239.60%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$23.8K $23.8K

$16.2K CA$23.0K

46.65%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$64.5 $64.5

$57.3 CA$81.0

12.66%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$50.9 $50.9

$38.10 CA$53.9

33.46%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$108 $108

$91.9 CA$130

17.10%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$120 $120

$110 CA$155

9.14%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,812 $1,812

$1,237 CA$1,748

46.53%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,239 $1,239

$977 CA$1,381

26.81%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,614 $2,614

$2,180 CA$3,082

19.92%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,021 $2,021

$1,608 CA$2,273

25.69%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$2,912 $2,912

$5,113 CA$7,228

-43.06%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,284 $2,284

$3,744 CA$5,293

-38.99%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$2,957 CA$4,180

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

6.69

4.48

49.33%

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

Last update for Rock Island, IL: October 17, 2026

Last update for Montreal: October 20, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Rock Island, IL

$1.2K 46.5%

Montreal

$977 47.4% 21.1% $262

Groceries & Markets

Rock Island, IL

$431 16.2%

Montreal

$351 17.1% 18.5% $80

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Rock Island, IL

$400 15%

Montreal

$153 7.5% 61.6% $246

Eating Out

Rock Island, IL

$343 12.9%

Montreal

$290 14.1% 15.4% $53

Clothing & Footwear

Rock Island, IL

$154 5.8%

Montreal

$134 6.5% 13.3% $21

Sport & Entertainment

Rock Island, IL

$75 2.8%

Montreal

$54 2.6% 28.7% $22

Getting Around

Rock Island, IL

$21 * 0.8%

Montreal

$100 4.9% 373% $79

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

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $1,812 in Rock Island, 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.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $67.0 in Rock Island, IL versus $73.0 in Montreal. Groceries tell a different story – $431 in Rock Island, IL vs $351 in Montreal – so Montreal wins on supermarket bills even if dining out costs more.

Good to know

🇺🇸 Rock Island, IL

🇨🇦 Montreal

🕒 Local time

18:33 6:33 PM

19:33 7:33 PM

1 h ahead of Rock Island, IL

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

37,108

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 20, 2026: 1 EUR = 1.12 USD (1 USD = 0.89 EUR).

Canadian Dollar exchange rates as of October 20, 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

Rock Island, IL Montreal 1,440 km ≈ 2 h 15 min nonstop flight

From you

Rock Island, 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

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

Rock Island, IL costs about 29% 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 $3,995 per month in Rock Island, 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.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $67.0 in Rock Island, IL and $73.0 in Montreal. That's a good indicator of the overall restaurant and café pricing gap between the two cities.

Groceries cost about 23% more in Rock Island, 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 $2,059, than in Rock Island, IL at $2,664. In Montreal it covers expenses comfortably, while in Rock Island, IL it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.

For digital nomads, it depends on budget. Montreal costs $2,059 versus $2,664 in Rock Island, 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, Rock Island, IL makes more sense. Both are solid long-term options with distinct trade-offs.