Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between San Dimas, CA and Montreal

For one person, living is cheaper in Montreal: $2,003 a month against $2,562 in San Dimas, CA, rent and utilities included – about $6,700 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

San Dimas, CA
🇺🇸 United States
$2,562
/mo nomad
Montreal
🇨🇦 Canada
$2,003
/mo nomad
Monthly Cost of Living

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

A single person spends $2,562 per month in San Dimas, CA vs $2,003 in Montreal, rent included.

  • San Dimas, CA $2,562
  • Montreal $2,003

A couple spends around $3,689 per month in San Dimas, CA vs $3,048 in Montreal, rent included.

  • San Dimas, CA $3,689
  • Montreal $3,048

A family of three spends $4,816 per month in San Dimas, CA vs $4,092 in Montreal, rent included.

  • San Dimas, CA $4,816
  • Montreal $4,092

San Dimas, CA costs about 28% more than Montreal, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Both San Dimas, CA and Montreal sit above the global median – San Dimas, CA by 91%, Montreal by 49%.

Currency
🍽 Eating Out
San Dimas, CA
Montreal
Difference
Meal at Budget Restaurant
$12.15 $12.15
$19.31 CA$27.53
-37.08%
Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range
$50.7 $50.7
$75.5 CA$108
-32.83%
Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)
$9.15 $9.15
$10.63 CA$15.15
-13.92%
Cappuccino
$5.85 $5.85
$3.93 CA$5.60
48.85%
Coke/Pepsi/Fanta/Sprite (0.33 liter bottle)
$3.42 $3.42
$1.92 CA$2.74
78.13%
Water (0.33 liter bottle)
$2.38 $2.38
$1.48 CA$2.11
60.81%
Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)
$7.58 $7.58
$6.30 CA$8.98
20.32%
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$8.08 $8.08
$7.19 CA$10.25
12.38%
🛒 Groceries & Markets
San Dimas, CA
Montreal
Difference
Milk (1 liter)
$1.04 $1.04
$2.22 CA$3.17
-53.15%
White Bread (500g)
$4.00 $4.00
$3.06 CA$4.37
30.72%
Rice (white) (1kg)
$4.85 $4.85
$2.94 CA$4.19
64.97%
Eggs
$4.65 $4.65
$3.53 CA$5.04
31.73%
Local Cheese (1kg)
$12.87 $12.87
$13.19 CA$18.80
-2.43%
Chicken Fillets (1kg)
$20.05 $20.05
$11.24 CA$16.02
78.38%
Beef Round Steak (1kg)
$15.40 $15.40
$13.81 CA$19.69
11.51%
Apples (1kg)
$4.92 $4.92
$3.40 CA$4.85
44.71%
Banana (1kg)
$1.67 $1.67
$1.44 CA$2.06
15.97%
Oranges (1kg)
$5.46 $5.46
$3.26 CA$4.65
67.48%
Tomato (1kg)
$5.91 $5.91
$2.88 CA$4.10
105.21%
Potato (1kg)
$3.73 $3.73
$1.86 CA$2.65
100.54%
Onion (1kg)
$2.31 $2.31
$1.82 CA$2.60
26.92%
Lettuce (1 head)
$2.03 $2.03
$2.43 CA$3.46
-16.46%
Water (1.5 liter bottle)
$1.92 $1.92
$1.52 CA$2.17
26.32%
Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)
$11.86 $11.86
$11.45 CA$16.33
3.58%
Wine (Bottle)
$15.21 $15.21
$10.36 CA$14.77
46.81%
Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)
$1.98 $1.98
$2.22 CA$3.16
-10.81%
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$4.26 $4.26
$2.82 CA$4.02
51.06%
🚌 Getting Around
San Dimas, CA
Montreal
Difference
One-way Ticket (Public Transport)
$2.00 $2.00
$2.58 CA$3.67
-22.48%
Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)
-
$76.9 CA$110
-
Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)
$6.21 $6.21
$3.25 CA$4.64
91.08%
Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)
$1.71 $1.71
$1.48 CA$2.11
15.54%
Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)
$33.65 $33.65
$33.04 CA$47.11
1.85%
Gasoline (1 liter)
$1.52 $1.52
$1.36 CA$1.94
11.76%
Midsize Hatchback 1.4l (Volkswagen Golf, Toyota Prius, Honda Civic, etc)
$36.6K $36.6K
$27.4K CA$39.1K
33.37%
Compact Sedan 1.6l (Toyota Corolla, Mazda3, Kia K4, Hyundai Elantra, etc)
$27.5K $27.5K
$20.0K CA$28.5K
37.42%
🧾 Monthly Utilities & Internet
San Dimas, CA
Montreal
Difference
Utilities for 2 People in 2-bedroom Apartment (Heating, Electricity, Gas, Water, Garbage) (85m2)
$170 $170
$76.1 CA$109
123.66%
SIM Card Monthly Plan (Calls and 10GB+ Data)
$66.2 $66.2
$34.68 CA$49.45
91.00%
Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)
$60.5 $60.5
$42.69 CA$60.9
41.60%
🎉 Sport & Entertainment
San Dimas, CA
Montreal
Difference
Gym Membership (Monthly)
$41.71 $41.71
$28.94 CA$41.27
44.13%
Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)
-
$20.33 CA$28.98
-
Cinema Ticket
$14.96 $14.96
$11.21 CA$15.98
33.45%
🧸 Childcare & Education
San Dimas, CA
Montreal
Difference
Preschool or Kindergarten, Full Day, Private, 1 Child (Monthly)
$1,917 $1,917
$505 CA$720
279.58%
International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)
$25.6K $25.6K
$16.0K CA$22.8K
59.74%
👕👟 Clothing & Footwear
San Dimas, CA
Montreal
Difference
Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)
$58.4 $58.4
$58.5 CA$83.4
-0.15%
Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)
$39.64 $39.64
$38.00 CA$54.2
4.32%
Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)
$93.2 $93.2
$92.7 CA$132
0.56%
Men's Leather Business Shoes
$145 $145
$106 CA$151
36.61%
🏠 Accommodation & Living
San Dimas, CA
Montreal
Difference
1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$1,593 $1,593
$1,240 CA$1,768
28.47%
1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$1,470 $1,470
$986 CA$1,406
49.04%
3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$2,483 $2,483
$2,102 CA$2,997
18.14%
3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$2,341 $2,341
$1,615 CA$2,302
44.95%
Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)
$2,666 $2,666
$5,043 CA$7,191
-47.14%
Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)
$2,437 $2,437
$3,830 CA$5,461
-36.37%
💵 Salaries & Financials
San Dimas, CA
Montreal
Difference
Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)
$3,989 $3,989
$2,920 CA$4,164
36.60%
20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)
6.39
4.46
43.27%

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

Last update for San Dimas, 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
San Dimas, CA
$1.5K
Montreal
$986 32.9% $484
Groceries & Markets
San Dimas, CA
$455
Montreal
$344 24.5% $112
Monthly Utilities & Internet
San Dimas, CA
$297
Montreal
$154 48.3% $143
Eating Out
San Dimas, CA
$272
Montreal
$293 7.6% $21
Clothing & Footwear
San Dimas, CA
$151
Montreal
$133 12.2% $18
Sport & Entertainment
San Dimas, CA
$72
Montreal
$51 28.3% $20
Getting Around
San Dimas, CA
$23 *
Montreal
$98 330% $75

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

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $1,593 in San Dimas, 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 37% higher in San Dimas, 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 $51.0 in San Dimas, CA versus $75.0 in Montreal. Groceries tell a different story – $455 in San Dimas, CA vs $344 in Montreal – so Montreal wins on supermarket bills even if dining out costs more.

Good to know
🇺🇸 San Dimas, CA
🇨🇦 Montreal
🕒 Local time
21:46 9:46 PM
00:46 12:46 AM
3 h ahead of San Dimas, CA
🌤 Weather
👥 Population
35,714
1,762,949
Exchange rates and currency converter

CAD, EUR to USD – United States Dollar Converter

United States Dollar exchange rates as of October 12, 2026: 1 EUR = 1.12 USD (1 USD = 0.892 EUR).

Canadian Dollar exchange rates as of October 12, 2026: 1 USD = 1.43 CAD (1 CAD = 0.701 USD). 1 EUR = 1.6 CAD (1 CAD = 0.626 EUR).

On the map
Between locations
  • San Dimas, CA Montreal 3,930 km ≈ 5 h nonstop flight
From you
  • San Dimas, 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
San Dimas, CA vs Montreal: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions
Which city is more expensive, San Dimas, CA or Montreal?
San Dimas, CA costs about 28% 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.
How much do you need to earn to live comfortably in San Dimas, CA and in Montreal?
For a comfortable life, plan on about $3,843 per month in San Dimas, CA and $3,005 in Montreal. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.
Where is rent cheaper, San Dimas, CA or Montreal?
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.
How do dining costs compare in San Dimas, CA and in Montreal?
A mid-range dinner for two costs $51.0 in San Dimas, CA and $75.0 in Montreal. That's a good indicator of the overall restaurant and café pricing gap between the two cities.
Are groceries more expensive in San Dimas, CA or in Montreal?
Groceries cost about 32% more in San Dimas, CA, though it depends on what you buy. Local produce may be comparable; imported and premium items show the biggest price gap.
Can you live on $2,000/month in San Dimas, CA or in Montreal?
A $2,000 monthly budget goes further in Montreal, where all-in costs run around $2,003, than in San Dimas, CA at $2,562. In Montreal it covers expenses comfortably, while in San Dimas, CA it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.
Which city is better for digital nomads, San Dimas, CA or Montreal?
For digital nomads, it depends on budget. Montreal costs $2,003 versus $2,562 in San Dimas, CA. Both have workable remote work infrastructure, but the cost gap matters when income varies month to month.
How safe is San Dimas, CA compared to Montreal?
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.
Should I move to San Dimas, CA or to Montreal?
If budget matters most, go with Montreal. If higher salaries, better infrastructure, or specific career opportunities are the priority, San Dimas, CA makes more sense. Both are solid long-term options with distinct trade-offs.

San Dimas, CA vs other spots: cost of living compared

Similar cities

Show times on the 12-hour clock, temperatures in °F and distances in miles?