Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Santa Maria, CA and Montreal

For one person, living is cheaper in Montreal: $2,018 a month against $2,899 in Santa Maria, CA, rent and utilities included – about $10,600 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

142

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

Cost of Living Index in Montreal
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Montreal Living Index

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Santa Maria, CA

🇺🇸 United States

$2,899

/mo nomad

Montreal

🇨🇦 Canada

$2,018

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

A single person spends $2,899 per month in Santa Maria, CA vs $2,018 in Montreal, rent included.

Santa Maria, CA $2,899
Montreal $2,018

A couple spends around $4,163 per month in Santa Maria, CA vs $3,085 in Montreal, rent included.

Santa Maria, CA $4,163
Montreal $3,085

A family of three spends $5,427 per month in Santa Maria, CA vs $4,152 in Montreal, rent included.

Santa Maria, CA $5,427
Montreal $4,152

Santa Maria, CA costs about 44% more than Montreal, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in utilities.

Both Santa Maria, CA and Montreal sit above the global median – Santa Maria, CA by 115%, Montreal by 49%.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$13.21 $13.21

$18.82 CA$26.61

-29.81%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$59.6 $59.6

$70.3 CA$99.4

-15.24%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$9.84 $9.84

$10.66 CA$15.06

-7.69%

Cappuccino

$6.07 $6.07

$3.84 CA$5.43

58.07%

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

$3.44 $3.44

$1.92 CA$2.71

79.17%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.96 $1.96

$1.54 CA$2.18

27.27%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$7.52 $7.52

$6.23 CA$8.81

20.71%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$9.38 $9.38

$7.10 CA$10.03

32.11%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.06 $1.06

$2.31 CA$3.27

-54.11%

White Bread (500g)

$4.12 $4.12

$3.14 CA$4.44

31.21%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$4.85 $4.85

$3.21 CA$4.54

51.09%

Eggs

$4.79 $4.79

$3.52 CA$4.97

36.08%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$8.83 $8.83

$12.81 CA$18.11

-31.07%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$7.52 $7.52

$11.46 CA$16.20

-34.38%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$13.55 $13.55

$13.39 CA$18.92

1.19%

Apples (1kg)

$1.33 $1.33

$3.14 CA$4.43

-57.64%

Banana (1kg)

$1.43 $1.43

$1.44 CA$2.03

-0.69%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.55 $2.55

$3.47 CA$4.91

-26.51%

Tomato (1kg)

$3.27 $3.27

$3.07 CA$4.34

6.51%

Potato (1kg)

$1.92 $1.92

$1.90 CA$2.69

1.05%

Onion (1kg)

$1.08 $1.08

$1.77 CA$2.50

-38.98%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.97 $1.97

$2.34 CA$3.31

-15.81%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.85 $1.85

$1.55 CA$2.19

19.35%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$11.50 $11.50

$11.38 CA$16.09

1.05%

Wine (Bottle)

$15.15 $15.15

$10.63 CA$15.03

42.52%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.94 $1.94

$2.27 CA$3.21

-14.54%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.29 $4.29

$2.82 CA$3.99

52.13%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.04 $2.04

$2.66 CA$3.76

-23.31%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$49.55 $49.55

$77.3 CA$109

-35.89%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$6.20 $6.20

$3.20 CA$4.53

93.75%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.48 CA$2.09

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$32.88 CA$46.48

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.30 $1.30

$1.34 CA$1.90

-2.99%

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

$36.7K $36.7K

$28.2K CA$39.8K

30.21%

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

$26.9K $26.9K

$19.6K CA$27.8K

37.00%

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

$162 $162

$76.0 CA$107

113.13%

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

$68.5 $68.5

$33.95 CA$48.00

101.68%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$60.4 $60.4

$42.31 CA$59.8

42.80%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$29.38 $29.38

$29.76 CA$42.07

-1.28%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$20.28 CA$28.67

Cinema Ticket

$14.90 $14.90

$11.15 CA$15.77

33.63%

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

$1,888 $1,888

$507 CA$717

272.23%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$16.1K CA$22.7K

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$46.77 $46.77

$57.6 CA$81.4

-18.73%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$39.74 $39.74

$37.58 CA$53.1

5.75%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$93.7 $93.7

$91.9 CA$130

2.00%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$125 $125

$110 CA$155

13.79%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,199 $2,199

$1,260 CA$1,782

74.47%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,738 $1,738

$948 CA$1,340

83.42%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$3,497 $3,497

$2,137 CA$3,021

63.66%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,928 $2,928

$1,614 CA$2,281

81.44%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$8,572 $8,572

$4,960 CA$7,011

72.83%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$8,442 $8,442

$3,838 CA$5,425

119.98%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$4,231 $4,231

$2,827 CA$3,997

49.65%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

6.39

4.48

42.63%

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

Last update for Santa Maria, CA: October 10, 2026

Last update for Montreal: October 12, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Santa Maria, CA

$1.7K 60%

Montreal

$948 47% 45.5% $790

Groceries & Markets

Santa Maria, CA

$323 11.2%

Montreal

$346 17.2% 7.1% $23

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Santa Maria, CA

$291 10%

Montreal

$152 7.5% 47.7% $139

Eating Out

Santa Maria, CA

$286 9.9%

Montreal

$288 14.3% 0.6% $1.7

Clothing & Footwear

Santa Maria, CA

$137 4.7%

Montreal

$133 6.6% 2.7% $3.8

Getting Around

Santa Maria, CA

$64 * 2.2%

Montreal

$99 4.9% 54.2% $35

Sport & Entertainment

Santa Maria, CA

$59 2%

Montreal

$52 2.6% 12% $7.1

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

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $2,199 in Santa Maria, 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 50% higher in Santa Maria, 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 $60.0 in Santa Maria, CA versus $70.0 in Montreal. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $323 vs $346 – making Santa Maria, CA the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇺🇸 Santa Maria, CA

🇨🇦 Montreal

🕒 Local time

00:16 12:16 AM

03:16 3:16 AM

3 h ahead of Santa Maria, CA

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

107,408

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 19, 2026: 1 EUR = 1.12 USD (1 USD = 0.89 EUR).

Canadian Dollar exchange rates as of October 19, 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 Maria, CA Montreal 4,080 km ≈ 6 h nonstop flight

From you

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

Santa Maria, CA costs about 44% more than Montreal, and outside of rent the gap comes mainly from utilities. That's enough to noticeably affect everyday spending and lifestyle for anyone choosing between the two.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $4,348 per month in Santa Maria, 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.

Interestingly, groceries are about 7% cheaper in Santa Maria, CA – one category where the pricier city actually offers better value, probably thanks to stronger retail competition or local farming.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $60.0 in Santa Maria, 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 Maria, CA at $2,899. In Montreal it covers expenses comfortably, while in Santa Maria, CA it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.

For digital nomads, it depends on budget. Montreal costs $2,018 versus $2,899 in Santa Maria, 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 Maria, CA makes more sense. Both are solid long-term options with distinct trade-offs.