Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Santa Cruz, CA and Montreal

For one person, living is cheaper in Montreal: $2,003 a month against $4,316 in Santa Cruz, 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 Santa Cruz, CA
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Santa Cruz, CA Living Index
99

Cost of Living Index in Montreal
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Montreal Living Index

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Santa Cruz, CA

🇺🇸 United States

$4,316

/mo nomad

Montreal

🇨🇦 Canada

$2,003

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

A single person spends $4,316 per month in Santa Cruz, CA vs $2,003 in Montreal, rent included.

Santa Cruz, CA $4,316
Montreal $2,003

A couple spends around $6,246 per month in Santa Cruz, CA vs $3,048 in Montreal, rent included.

Santa Cruz, CA $6,246
Montreal $3,048

A family of three spends $8,177 per month in Santa Cruz, CA vs $4,092 in Montreal, rent included.

Santa Cruz, CA $8,177
Montreal $4,092

Santa Cruz, CA costs about 115% more than Montreal, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

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

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$24.94 $24.94

$19.31 CA$27.53

29.16%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$99.7 $99.7

$75.5 CA$108

31.99%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$14.73 $14.73

$10.63 CA$15.15

38.57%

Cappuccino

$5.83 $5.83

$3.93 CA$5.60

48.35%

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

$3.46 $3.46

$1.92 CA$2.74

80.21%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.42 $2.42

$1.48 CA$2.11

63.51%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$8.18 $8.18

$6.30 CA$8.98

29.84%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$8.04 $8.04

$7.19 CA$10.25

11.82%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.39 $1.39

$2.22 CA$3.17

-37.39%

White Bread (500g)

$4.75 $4.75

$3.06 CA$4.37

55.23%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$7.81 $7.81

$2.94 CA$4.19

165.65%

Eggs

$6.37 $6.37

$3.53 CA$5.04

80.45%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$26.58 $26.58

$13.19 CA$18.80

101.52%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$16.84 $16.84

$11.24 CA$16.02

49.82%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$17.62 $17.62

$13.81 CA$19.69

27.59%

Apples (1kg)

$7.78 $7.78

$3.40 CA$4.85

128.82%

Banana (1kg)

$2.27 $2.27

$1.44 CA$2.06

57.64%

Oranges (1kg)

$8.80 $8.80

$3.26 CA$4.65

169.94%

Tomato (1kg)

$6.61 $6.61

$2.88 CA$4.10

129.51%

Potato (1kg)

$4.49 $4.49

$1.86 CA$2.65

141.40%

Onion (1kg)

$3.03 $3.03

$1.82 CA$2.60

66.48%

Lettuce (1 head)

$5.10 $5.10

$2.43 CA$3.46

109.88%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$2.96 $2.96

$1.52 CA$2.17

94.74%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$11.82 $11.82

$11.45 CA$16.33

3.23%

Wine (Bottle)

$25.49 $25.49

$10.36 CA$14.77

146.04%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.17 $2.17

$2.22 CA$3.16

-2.25%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.27 $3.27

$2.82 CA$4.02

15.96%

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

-16.10%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.29 $3.29

$3.25 CA$4.64

1.23%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.47 $2.47

$1.48 CA$2.11

66.89%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$39.30 $39.30

$33.04 CA$47.11

18.95%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.54 $1.54

$1.36 CA$1.94

13.24%

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)

$26.3K $26.3K

$20.0K CA$28.5K

31.50%

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

$373 $373

$76.1 CA$109

390.59%

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

$57.8 $57.8

$34.68 CA$49.45

66.58%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$68.4 $68.4

$42.69 CA$60.9

60.32%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$78.0 $78.0

$28.94 CA$41.27

169.63%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$12.74 $12.74

$20.33 CA$28.98

-37.33%

Cinema Ticket

$15.71 $15.71

$11.21 CA$15.98

40.14%

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

$2,499 $2,499

$505 CA$720

394.81%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$29.6K $29.6K

$16.0K CA$22.8K

84.71%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$68.0 $68.0

$58.5 CA$83.4

16.22%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$48.64 $48.64

$38.00 CA$54.2

28.00%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$93.4 $93.4

$92.7 CA$132

0.71%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$158 $158

$106 CA$151

49.31%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$3,049 $3,049

$1,240 CA$1,768

145.88%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,524 $2,524

$986 CA$1,406

155.95%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$4,860 $4,860

$2,102 CA$2,997

131.22%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$4,160 $4,160

$1,615 CA$2,302

157.62%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$8,227 $8,227

$5,043 CA$7,191

63.14%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$11.3K $11.3K

$3,830 CA$5,461

196.24%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$5,485 $5,485

$2,920 CA$4,164

87.82%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

6.47

4.46

45.07%

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

Last update for Santa Cruz, 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

Santa Cruz, CA

$2.5K 57.6%

Montreal

$986 47.9% 60.9% $1.5K

Groceries & Markets

Santa Cruz, CA

$599 13.7%

Montreal

$344 16.7% 42.7% $256

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Santa Cruz, CA

$500 11.4%

Montreal

$154 7.5% 69.3% $346

Eating Out

Santa Cruz, CA

$394 9%

Montreal

$293 14.2% 25.7% $101

Clothing & Footwear

Santa Cruz, CA

$166 3.8%

Montreal

$133 6.5% 19.8% $33

Sport & Entertainment

Santa Cruz, CA

$109 2.5%

Montreal

$51 2.5% 53.1% $58

Getting Around

Santa Cruz, CA

$88 2%

Montreal

$98 4.8% 11.1% $9.7

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $3,049 in Santa Cruz, 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 88% higher in Santa Cruz, 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 $100 in Santa Cruz, CA versus $75.0 in Montreal. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $599 vs $344 – making Montreal the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇺🇸 Santa Cruz, CA

🇨🇦 Montreal

🕒 Local time

22:46 10:46 PM

01:46 1:46 AM

3 h ahead of Santa Cruz, CA

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

64,220

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 →

On the map

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Santa Cruz, CA Montreal 4,100 km ≈ 6 h nonstop flight

From you

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

Santa Cruz, CA costs about 115% 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 $6,474 per month in Santa Cruz, 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 74% more in Santa Cruz, 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 $100 in Santa Cruz, 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 Santa Cruz, CA at $4,316. In Montreal it covers expenses comfortably, while in Santa Cruz, CA it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.

For digital nomads, it depends on budget. Montreal costs $2,003 versus $4,316 in Santa Cruz, 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 Cruz, CA makes more sense. Both are solid long-term options with distinct trade-offs.