Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Santa Clara, CA and Montreal

For one person, living is cheaper in Montreal: $2,018 a month against $4,189 in Santa Clara, CA, rent and utilities included – about $26,100 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

203

Cost of Living Index in Santa Clara, CA
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Santa Clara, CA Living Index
99

Cost of Living Index in Montreal
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Montreal Living Index

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Santa Clara, CA

🇺🇸 United States

$4,189

/mo nomad

Montreal

🇨🇦 Canada

$2,018

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

A single person spends $4,189 per month in Santa Clara, CA vs $2,018 in Montreal, rent included.

Santa Clara, CA $4,189
Montreal $2,018

A couple spends around $5,899 per month in Santa Clara, CA vs $3,085 in Montreal, rent included.

Santa Clara, CA $5,899
Montreal $3,085

A family of three spends $7,608 per month in Santa Clara, CA vs $4,152 in Montreal, rent included.

Santa Clara, CA $7,608
Montreal $4,152

Santa Clara, CA costs about 108% more than Montreal, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Both Santa Clara, CA and Montreal sit above the global median – Santa Clara, CA by 210%, Montreal by 49%.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$24.66 $24.66

$18.82 CA$26.61

31.03%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$111 $111

$70.3 CA$99.4

58.22%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$11.90 $11.90

$10.66 CA$15.06

11.63%

Cappuccino

$5.75 $5.75

$3.84 CA$5.43

49.74%

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

$3.05 $3.05

$1.92 CA$2.71

58.85%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.40 $2.40

$1.54 CA$2.18

55.84%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$7.77 $7.77

$6.23 CA$8.81

24.72%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$8.13 $8.13

$7.10 CA$10.03

14.51%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.27 $1.27

$2.31 CA$3.27

-45.02%

White Bread (500g)

$4.20 $4.20

$3.14 CA$4.44

33.76%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$4.72 $4.72

$3.21 CA$4.54

47.04%

Eggs

$5.46 $5.46

$3.52 CA$4.97

55.11%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$24.69 $24.69

$12.81 CA$18.11

92.74%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$11.90 $11.90

$11.46 CA$16.20

3.84%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$12.97 $12.97

$13.39 CA$18.92

-3.14%

Apples (1kg)

$5.55 $5.55

$3.14 CA$4.43

76.75%

Banana (1kg)

$2.36 $2.36

$1.44 CA$2.03

63.89%

Oranges (1kg)

$4.86 $4.86

$3.47 CA$4.91

40.06%

Tomato (1kg)

$5.78 $5.78

$3.07 CA$4.34

88.27%

Potato (1kg)

$3.28 $3.28

$1.90 CA$2.69

72.63%

Onion (1kg)

$3.06 $3.06

$1.77 CA$2.50

72.88%

Lettuce (1 head)

$3.06 $3.06

$2.34 CA$3.31

30.77%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$2.74 $2.74

$1.55 CA$2.19

76.77%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$7.65 $7.65

$11.38 CA$16.09

-32.78%

Wine (Bottle)

$13.09 $13.09

$10.63 CA$15.03

23.14%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.70 $1.70

$2.27 CA$3.21

-25.11%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.54 $2.54

$2.82 CA$3.99

-9.93%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.92 $2.92

$2.66 CA$3.76

9.77%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$89.3 $89.3

$77.3 CA$109

15.47%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.27 $3.27

$3.20 CA$4.53

2.19%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.47 $2.47

$1.48 CA$2.09

66.89%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$39.36 $39.36

$32.88 CA$46.48

19.71%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.50 $1.50

$1.34 CA$1.90

11.94%

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

$37.5K $37.5K

$28.2K CA$39.8K

33.21%

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

$26.1K $26.1K

$19.6K CA$27.8K

33.17%

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

$191 $191

$76.0 CA$107

152.08%

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

$39.17 $39.17

$33.95 CA$48.00

15.38%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$62.9 $62.9

$42.31 CA$59.8

48.69%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$98.3 $98.3

$29.76 CA$42.07

230.17%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$14.14 $14.14

$20.28 CA$28.67

-30.28%

Cinema Ticket

$16.13 $16.13

$11.15 CA$15.77

44.66%

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

$2,693 $2,693

$507 CA$717

431.14%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$37.4K $37.4K

$16.1K CA$22.7K

133.01%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$50.8 $50.8

$57.6 CA$81.4

-11.76%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$40.79 $40.79

$37.58 CA$53.1

8.54%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$76.5 $76.5

$91.9 CA$130

-16.76%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$59.8 $59.8

$110 CA$155

-45.43%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,946 $2,946

$1,260 CA$1,782

133.73%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,708 $2,708

$948 CA$1,340

185.81%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$4,427 $4,427

$2,137 CA$3,021

107.15%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$4,153 $4,153

$1,614 CA$2,281

157.38%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$8,978 $8,978

$4,960 CA$7,011

81.03%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$8,900 $8,900

$3,838 CA$5,425

131.92%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$8,229 $8,229

$2,827 CA$3,997

191.05%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

6.77

4.48

51.12%

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

Last update for Santa Clara, CA: October 11, 2026

Last update for Montreal: October 12, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Santa Clara, CA

$2.7K 64.6%

Montreal

$948 47% 65% $1.8K

Groceries & Markets

Santa Clara, CA

$459 11%

Montreal

$346 17.2% 24.5% $113

Eating Out

Santa Clara, CA

$379 9%

Montreal

$288 14.3% 24% $91

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Santa Clara, CA

$294 7%

Montreal

$152 7.5% 48.2% $141

Sport & Entertainment

Santa Clara, CA

$131 3.1%

Montreal

$52 2.6% 60.1% $78

Getting Around

Santa Clara, CA

$117 2.8%

Montreal

$99 4.9% 15.5% $18

Clothing & Footwear

Santa Clara, CA

$103 2.5%

Montreal

$133 6.6% 30.2% $31

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $2,946 in Santa Clara, CA versus $1,260 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 191% higher in Santa Clara, 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 $111 in Santa Clara, CA versus $70.0 in Montreal. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $459 vs $346 – making Montreal the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇺🇸 Santa Clara, CA

🇨🇦 Montreal

🕒 Local time

17:11 5:11 PM

20:11 8:11 PM

3 h ahead of Santa Clara, CA

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

130,365

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 18, 2026: 1 EUR = 1.12 USD (1 USD = 0.89 EUR).

Canadian Dollar exchange rates as of October 18, 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

Santa Clara, CA Montreal 4,070 km ≈ 6 h nonstop flight

From you

Santa Clara, 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

Santa Clara, CA vs Montreal: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Santa Clara, CA costs about 108% 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 $6,284 per month in Santa Clara, CA and $3,027 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 32% more in Santa Clara, 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 $111 in Santa Clara, CA and $70.0 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 $2,018, than in Santa Clara, CA at $4,189. In Montreal it covers expenses comfortably, while in Santa Clara, CA it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.

For digital nomads, it depends on budget. Montreal costs $2,018 versus $4,189 in Santa Clara, 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, Santa Clara, CA makes more sense. Both are solid long-term options with distinct trade-offs.