Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Saint Charles, IL and Montreal

For one person, living is cheaper in Montreal: $2,059 a month against $2,710 in Saint Charles, IL, rent and utilities included – about $7,800 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

132

Cost of Living Index in Saint Charles, IL
Learn more

Saint Charles, IL Living Index
99

Cost of Living Index in Montreal
Learn more

Montreal Living Index

Jump to prices

Saint Charles, IL

🇺🇸 United States

$2,710

/mo nomad

Montreal

🇨🇦 Canada

$2,059

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

A single person spends $2,710 per month in Saint Charles, IL vs $2,059 in Montreal, rent included.

Saint Charles, IL $2,710
Montreal $2,059

A couple spends around $4,230 per month in Saint Charles, IL vs $3,123 in Montreal, rent included.

Saint Charles, IL $4,230
Montreal $3,123

A family of three spends $5,749 per month in Saint Charles, IL vs $4,187 in Montreal, rent included.

Saint Charles, IL $5,749
Montreal $4,187

Saint Charles, IL costs about 32% more than Montreal, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

Both Saint Charles, IL and Montreal sit above the global median – Saint Charles, IL by 100%, Montreal by 52%.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$38.02 $38.02

$18.84 CA$26.63

101.80%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$99.6 $99.6

$73.2 CA$104

36.07%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$10.63 $10.63

$10.54 CA$14.90

0.85%

Cappuccino

$6.85 $6.85

$3.97 CA$5.61

72.54%

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

$3.37 $3.37

$1.94 CA$2.74

73.71%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.07 $3.07

$1.57 CA$2.22

95.54%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$7.03 $7.03

$6.42 CA$9.08

9.50%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$7.54 $7.54

$7.20 CA$10.19

4.72%

Milk (1 liter)

$0.98 $0.98

$2.32 CA$3.28

-57.76%

White Bread (500g)

$3.55 $3.55

$3.19 CA$4.51

11.29%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$4.23 $4.23

$3.19 CA$4.50

32.60%

Eggs

$4.57 $4.57

$3.68 CA$5.20

24.18%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$12.33 $12.33

$13.24 CA$18.72

-6.87%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$11.47 $11.47

$11.69 CA$16.53

-1.88%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$12.85 $12.85

$13.98 CA$19.76

-8.08%

Apples (1kg)

$5.08 $5.08

$3.14 CA$4.44

61.78%

Banana (1kg)

$1.01 $1.01

$1.45 CA$2.05

-30.34%

Oranges (1kg)

$4.34 $4.34

$3.38 CA$4.78

28.40%

Tomato (1kg)

$4.78 $4.78

$3.11 CA$4.40

53.70%

Potato (1kg)

$2.75 $2.75

$1.93 CA$2.72

42.49%

Onion (1kg)

$3.04 $3.04

$1.83 CA$2.58

66.12%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.57 $1.57

$2.36 CA$3.34

-33.47%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$2.23 $2.23

$1.50 CA$2.12

48.67%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$11.41 $11.41

$11.12 CA$15.73

2.61%

Wine (Bottle)

$15.12 $15.12

$10.60 CA$14.98

42.64%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.93 $1.93

$2.22 CA$3.14

-13.06%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.46 $3.46

$2.84 CA$4.01

21.83%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.02 $2.02

$2.62 CA$3.71

-22.90%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$79.1 CA$112

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.24 $3.24

$3.23 CA$4.56

0.31%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.64 $1.64

$1.48 CA$2.10

10.81%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$32.52 $32.52

$32.22 CA$45.55

0.93%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$0.99 $0.99

$1.36 CA$1.92

-27.21%

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

$26.0K $26.0K

$27.6K CA$39.1K

-5.96%

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

$26.1K $26.1K

$21.2K CA$30.0K

23.01%

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

$195 $195

$77.0 CA$109

153.66%

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

$66.6 $66.6

$34.14 CA$48.26

95.14%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$70.9 $70.9

$42.19 CA$59.7

67.98%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$43.09 $43.09

$30.81 CA$43.56

39.86%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$19.66 CA$27.79

Cinema Ticket

$14.74 $14.74

$11.47 CA$16.22

28.51%

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

$1,358 $1,358

$506 CA$716

168.34%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$26.2K $26.2K

$16.2K CA$23.0K

61.54%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$51.1 $51.1

$57.3 CA$81.0

-10.76%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$39.30 $39.30

$38.10 CA$53.9

3.15%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$75.7 $75.7

$91.9 CA$130

-17.67%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$131 $131

$110 CA$155

19.33%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,800 $1,800

$1,237 CA$1,748

45.56%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,277 $1,277

$977 CA$1,381

30.76%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,543 $2,543

$2,180 CA$3,082

16.66%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,472 $2,472

$1,608 CA$2,273

53.70%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,065 $3,065

$5,113 CA$7,228

-40.06%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,620 $2,620

$3,744 CA$5,293

-30.03%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$2,957 CA$4,180

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

6.57

4.48

46.65%

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

Last update for Saint Charles, IL: October 19, 2026

Last update for Montreal: October 20, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Saint Charles, IL

$1.3K 47.1%

Montreal

$977 47.4% 23.5% $300

Eating Out

Saint Charles, IL

$494 18.2%

Montreal

$290 14.1% 41.2% $204

Groceries & Markets

Saint Charles, IL

$380 14%

Montreal

$351 17.1% 7.7% $29

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Saint Charles, IL

$333 12.3%

Montreal

$153 7.5% 53.9% $180

Clothing & Footwear

Saint Charles, IL

$134 4.9%

Montreal

$134 6.5% 0% $0

Sport & Entertainment

Saint Charles, IL

$73 2.7%

Montreal

$54 2.6% 25.9% $19

Getting Around

Saint Charles, IL

$20 * 0.7%

Montreal

$100 4.9% 414% $81

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

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $1,800 in Saint Charles, 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 $100 in Saint Charles, IL versus $73.0 in Montreal. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $380 vs $351 – making Montreal the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇺🇸 Saint Charles, IL

🇨🇦 Montreal

🕒 Local time

16:14 4:14 PM

17:14 5:14 PM

1 h ahead of Saint Charles, IL

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

70,329

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

Lowest

Highest

Between locations

Saint Charles, IL Montreal 1,250 km ≈ 2 h nonstop flight

From you

Saint Charles, 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

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

Saint Charles, IL costs about 32% more than Montreal, and outside of rent the gap comes mainly from eating out. That's enough to noticeably affect everyday spending and lifestyle for anyone choosing between the two.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $4,065 per month in Saint Charles, 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 $100 in Saint Charles, 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 8% more in Saint Charles, 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 Saint Charles, IL at $2,710. In Montreal it covers expenses comfortably, while in Saint Charles, IL it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.

For digital nomads, it depends on budget. Montreal costs $2,059 versus $2,710 in Saint Charles, 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, Saint Charles, IL makes more sense. Both are solid long-term options with distinct trade-offs.