Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between San Francisco, CA and Montreal

For one person, living is cheaper in Montreal: $2,003 a month against $4,319 in San Francisco, CA, rent and utilities included – about $27,800 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

211

Cost of Living Index in San Francisco, CA
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San Francisco, CA Living Index
99

Cost of Living Index in Montreal
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Montreal Living Index

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San Francisco, CA

🇺🇸 United States

$4,319

/mo nomad

Montreal

🇨🇦 Canada

$2,003

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

A single person spends $4,319 per month in San Francisco, CA vs $2,003 in Montreal, rent included.

San Francisco, CA $4,319
Montreal $2,003

A couple spends around $6,503 per month in San Francisco, CA vs $3,048 in Montreal, rent included.

San Francisco, CA $6,503
Montreal $3,048

A family of three spends $8,686 per month in San Francisco, CA vs $4,092 in Montreal, rent included.

San Francisco, CA $8,686
Montreal $4,092

San Francisco, CA costs about 116% more than Montreal, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Both San Francisco, CA and Montreal sit above the global median – San Francisco, CA by 222%, Montreal by 49%.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$26.68 $26.68

$19.31 CA$27.52

38.17%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$120 $120

$75.5 CA$108

59.01%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$14.77 $14.77

$10.63 CA$15.15

38.95%

Cappuccino

$6.03 $6.03

$3.93 CA$5.60

53.44%

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

$3.24 $3.24

$1.92 CA$2.73

68.75%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.65 $2.65

$1.48 CA$2.11

79.05%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$8.14 $8.14

$6.30 CA$8.98

29.21%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$9.26 $9.26

$7.19 CA$10.24

28.79%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.73 $1.73

$2.22 CA$3.17

-22.07%

White Bread (500g)

$5.29 $5.29

$3.06 CA$4.36

72.88%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$4.75 $4.75

$2.94 CA$4.19

61.56%

Eggs

$5.03 $5.03

$3.53 CA$5.03

42.49%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$16.16 $16.16

$13.19 CA$18.79

22.52%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$15.66 $15.66

$11.24 CA$16.02

39.32%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$22.18 $22.18

$13.81 CA$19.69

60.61%

Apples (1kg)

$6.10 $6.10

$3.40 CA$4.85

79.41%

Banana (1kg)

$2.85 $2.85

$1.44 CA$2.06

97.92%

Oranges (1kg)

$4.31 $4.31

$3.26 CA$4.65

32.21%

Tomato (1kg)

$6.97 $6.97

$2.88 CA$4.10

142.01%

Potato (1kg)

$2.92 $2.92

$1.86 CA$2.65

56.99%

Onion (1kg)

$3.59 $3.59

$1.82 CA$2.60

97.25%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.91 $2.91

$2.43 CA$3.46

19.75%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$2.74 $2.74

$1.52 CA$2.17

80.26%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$12.17 $12.17

$11.45 CA$16.32

6.29%

Wine (Bottle)

$14.73 $14.73

$10.36 CA$14.76

42.18%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$3.25 $3.25

$2.22 CA$3.16

46.40%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.65 $3.65

$2.82 CA$4.02

29.43%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.96 $2.96

$2.58 CA$3.67

14.73%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$93.4 $93.4

$76.9 CA$110

21.42%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$4.13 $4.13

$3.25 CA$4.64

27.08%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.98 $1.98

$1.48 CA$2.11

33.78%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$38.24 $38.24

$33.04 CA$47.09

15.74%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.56 $1.56

$1.36 CA$1.94

14.71%

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

$37.0K $37.0K

$27.4K CA$39.1K

35.08%

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

$25.9K $25.9K

$20.0K CA$28.5K

29.79%

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

$213 $213

$76.1 CA$109

179.52%

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

$60.9 $60.9

$34.68 CA$49.43

75.66%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$75.0 $75.0

$42.69 CA$60.9

75.59%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$120 $120

$28.94 CA$41.26

313.03%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$20.14 $20.14

$20.33 CA$28.97

-0.93%

Cinema Ticket

$18.28 $18.28

$11.21 CA$15.98

63.07%

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

$2,918 $2,918

$505 CA$720

477.76%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$42.2K $42.2K

$16.0K CA$22.8K

163.32%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$77.5 $77.5

$58.5 CA$83.4

32.53%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$47.59 $47.59

$38.00 CA$54.2

25.24%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$100 $100

$92.7 CA$132

8.18%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$140 $140

$106 CA$151

32.01%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$3,807 $3,807

$1,240 CA$1,768

207.00%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,579 $2,579

$986 CA$1,405

161.61%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$5,674 $5,674

$2,102 CA$2,996

169.91%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$4,552 $4,552

$1,615 CA$2,302

181.89%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$9,816 $9,816

$5,043 CA$7,188

94.64%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$7,617 $7,617

$3,830 CA$5,459

98.90%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$6,881 $6,881

$2,920 CA$4,163

135.60%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

6.76

4.46

51.57%

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

Last update for San Francisco, CA: October 5, 2026

Last update for Montreal: October 6, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

San Francisco, CA

$2.6K 60%

Montreal

$986 47.9% 61.8% $1.6K

Groceries & Markets

San Francisco, CA

$516 12%

Montreal

$344 16.7% 33.4% $172

Eating Out

San Francisco, CA

$413 9.6%

Montreal

$293 14.2% 29.1% $120

Monthly Utilities & Internet

San Francisco, CA

$349 8.1%

Montreal

$154 7.5% 56% $195

Clothing & Footwear

San Francisco, CA

$164 3.8%

Montreal

$133 6.5% 19.2% $32

Sport & Entertainment

San Francisco, CA

$156 3.6%

Montreal

$51 2.5% 67.1% $105

Getting Around

San Francisco, CA

$119 2.8%

Montreal

$98 4.8% 17.9% $21

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $3,807 in San Francisco, 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 136% higher in San Francisco, 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 $120 in San Francisco, CA versus $75.0 in Montreal. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $516 vs $344 – making Montreal the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇺🇸 San Francisco, CA

🇨🇦 Montreal

🕒 Local time

05:56 5:56 AM

08:56 8:56 AM

3 h ahead of San Francisco, CA

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

873,965

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 →

On the map

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San Francisco, CA Montreal 4,080 km ≈ 6 h nonstop flight

From you

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

San Francisco, CA costs about 116% 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 $6,479 per month in San Francisco, 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 50% more in San Francisco, 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 $120 in San Francisco, 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 San Francisco, CA at $4,319. In Montreal it covers expenses comfortably, while in San Francisco, CA it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.

For digital nomads, it depends on budget. Montreal costs $2,003 versus $4,319 in San Francisco, 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, San Francisco, CA makes more sense. Both are solid long-term options with distinct trade-offs.