Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between San Rafael, CA and Montreal

For one person, living is cheaper in Montreal: $2,003 a month against $4,955 in San Rafael, CA, rent and utilities included – about $35,400 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

237

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

Cost of Living Index in Montreal
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Montreal Living Index

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San Rafael, CA

🇺🇸 United States

$4,955

/mo nomad

Montreal

🇨🇦 Canada

$2,003

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

A single person spends $4,955 per month in San Rafael, CA vs $2,003 in Montreal, rent included.

San Rafael, CA $4,955
Montreal $2,003

A couple spends around $6,421 per month in San Rafael, CA vs $3,048 in Montreal, rent included.

San Rafael, CA $6,421
Montreal $3,048

A family of three spends $7,886 per month in San Rafael, CA vs $4,092 in Montreal, rent included.

San Rafael, CA $7,886
Montreal $4,092

San Rafael, CA costs about 147% more than Montreal, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Both San Rafael, CA and Montreal sit above the global median – San Rafael, CA by 270%, Montreal by 49%.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$25.06 $25.06

$19.31 CA$27.53

29.78%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$120 $120

$75.5 CA$108

59.59%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$12.07 $12.07

$10.63 CA$15.15

13.55%

Cappuccino

$4.67 $4.67

$3.93 CA$5.60

18.83%

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

$2.97 $2.97

$1.92 CA$2.74

54.69%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.98 $2.98

$1.48 CA$2.11

101.35%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$5.40 $5.40

$6.30 CA$8.98

-14.29%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$6.96 $6.96

$7.19 CA$10.25

-3.20%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.50 $1.50

$2.22 CA$3.17

-32.43%

White Bread (500g)

$4.43 $4.43

$3.06 CA$4.37

44.77%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$9.69 $9.69

$2.94 CA$4.19

229.59%

Eggs

$5.52 $5.52

$3.53 CA$5.04

56.37%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$22.55 $22.55

$13.19 CA$18.80

70.96%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$15.37 $15.37

$11.24 CA$16.02

36.74%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$18.20 $18.20

$13.81 CA$19.69

31.79%

Apples (1kg)

$7.34 $7.34

$3.40 CA$4.85

115.88%

Banana (1kg)

$2.93 $2.93

$1.44 CA$2.06

103.47%

Oranges (1kg)

$6.65 $6.65

$3.26 CA$4.65

103.99%

Tomato (1kg)

$8.27 $8.27

$2.88 CA$4.10

187.15%

Potato (1kg)

$5.78 $5.78

$1.86 CA$2.65

210.75%

Onion (1kg)

$5.44 $5.44

$1.82 CA$2.60

198.90%

Lettuce (1 head)

$3.20 $3.20

$2.43 CA$3.46

31.69%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$3.87 $3.87

$1.52 CA$2.17

154.61%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$10.79 $10.79

$11.45 CA$16.33

-5.76%

Wine (Bottle)

$12.81 $12.81

$10.36 CA$14.77

23.65%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.22 $2.22

$2.22 CA$3.16

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.08 $3.08

$2.82 CA$4.02

9.22%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.99 $1.99

$2.58 CA$3.67

-22.87%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$64.5 $64.5

$76.9 CA$110

-16.11%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$4.10 $4.10

$3.25 CA$4.64

26.15%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$4.29 $4.29

$1.48 CA$2.11

189.86%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$28.62 $28.62

$33.04 CA$47.11

-13.38%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.44 $1.44

$1.36 CA$1.94

5.88%

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

$32.2K $32.2K

$27.4K CA$39.1K

17.36%

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

$27.3K $27.3K

$20.0K CA$28.5K

36.66%

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

$259 $259

$76.1 CA$109

240.53%

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

$84.3 $84.3

$34.68 CA$49.45

143.14%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$61.8 $61.8

$42.69 CA$60.9

44.76%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$124 $124

$28.94 CA$41.27

328.68%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$29.76 $29.76

$20.33 CA$28.98

46.38%

Cinema Ticket

$12.97 $12.97

$11.21 CA$15.98

15.70%

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

$2,128 $2,128

$505 CA$720

321.38%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$24.6K $24.6K

$16.0K CA$22.8K

53.78%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$59.2 $59.2

$58.5 CA$83.4

1.23%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$42.66 $42.66

$38.00 CA$54.2

12.26%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$94.0 $94.0

$92.7 CA$132

1.39%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$128 $128

$106 CA$151

20.77%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$3,079 $3,079

$1,240 CA$1,768

148.32%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$3,143 $3,143

$986 CA$1,406

218.72%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$4,230 $4,230

$2,102 CA$2,997

101.23%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$3,789 $3,789

$1,615 CA$2,302

134.64%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$7,545 $7,545

$5,043 CA$7,191

49.62%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$5,372 $5,372

$3,830 CA$5,461

40.27%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$7,047 $7,047

$2,920 CA$4,164

141.30%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

6.62

4.46

48.43%

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

Last update for San Rafael, 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 Rafael, CA

$3.1K 64.5%

Montreal

$986 47.9% 68.6% $2.2K

Groceries & Markets

San Rafael, CA

$572 11.7%

Montreal

$344 16.7% 39.9% $228

Monthly Utilities & Internet

San Rafael, CA

$405 8.3%

Montreal

$154 7.5% 62.1% $252

Eating Out

San Rafael, CA

$357 7.3%

Montreal

$293 14.2% 18.1% $65

Sport & Entertainment

San Rafael, CA

$150 3.1%

Montreal

$51 2.5% 65.8% $99

Clothing & Footwear

San Rafael, CA

$146 3%

Montreal

$133 6.5% 8.9% $13

Getting Around

San Rafael, CA

$98 2%

Montreal

$98 4.8% 0.1% $0.1

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $3,079 in San Rafael, 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 141% higher in San Rafael, 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 Rafael, CA versus $75.0 in Montreal. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $572 vs $344 – making Montreal the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇺🇸 San Rafael, CA

🇨🇦 Montreal

🕒 Local time

21:47 9:47 PM

00:47 12:47 AM

3 h ahead of San Rafael, CA

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

58,704

1,762,949

💱 Currency

United States Dollar USD $

Canadian Dollar CAD $

📈 Exchange rate

1 USD = 0.892 EUR

1 CAD = 0.701 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 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).

CAD to USD in detail →

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Between locations

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

From you

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

San Rafael, CA costs about 147% 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 $7,432 per month in San Rafael, 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 66% more in San Rafael, 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 Rafael, 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 Rafael, CA at $4,955. In Montreal it covers expenses comfortably, while in San Rafael, CA it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.

For digital nomads, it depends on budget. Montreal costs $2,003 versus $4,955 in San Rafael, 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 Rafael, CA makes more sense. Both are solid long-term options with distinct trade-offs.