Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Saratoga, CA and Montreal

For one person, living is cheaper in Montreal: $2,059 a month against $2,517 in Saratoga, CA, rent and utilities included – about $5,500 less a year. Higher rent and utilities in Saratoga, CA outweigh lower spending on other living expenses.

122

Cost of Living Index in Saratoga, CA
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Saratoga, CA Living Index
99

Cost of Living Index in Montreal
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Montreal Living Index

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Saratoga, CA

🇺🇸 United States

$2,517

/mo nomad

Montreal

🇨🇦 Canada

$2,059

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

A single person spends $2,517 per month in Saratoga, CA vs $2,059 in Montreal, rent included.

Saratoga, CA $2,517
Montreal $2,059

A couple spends around $3,732 per month in Saratoga, CA vs $3,123 in Montreal, rent included.

Saratoga, CA $3,732
Montreal $3,123

A family of three spends $4,947 per month in Saratoga, CA vs $4,187 in Montreal, rent included.

Saratoga, CA $4,947
Montreal $4,187

Saratoga, CA costs about 22% more than Montreal, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Both Saratoga, CA and Montreal sit above the global median – Saratoga, CA by 86%, Montreal by 52%.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$25.17 $25.17

$18.84 CA$26.63

33.60%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$110 $110

$73.2 CA$104

49.96%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$13.16 $13.16

$10.54 CA$14.90

24.86%

Cappuccino

$4.98 $4.98

$3.97 CA$5.61

25.44%

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

$1.96 $1.96

$1.94 CA$2.74

1.03%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.98 $0.98

$1.57 CA$2.22

-37.58%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.09 $3.09

$6.42 CA$9.08

-51.87%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$6.08 $6.08

$7.20 CA$10.19

-15.56%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.30 $1.30

$2.32 CA$3.28

-43.97%

White Bread (500g)

$3.39 $3.39

$3.19 CA$4.51

6.27%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$3.25 $3.25

$3.19 CA$4.50

1.88%

Eggs

$3.95 $3.95

$3.68 CA$5.20

7.34%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$5.53 $5.53

$13.24 CA$18.72

-58.23%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$4.35 $4.35

$11.69 CA$16.53

-62.79%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$10.87 $10.87

$13.98 CA$19.76

-22.25%

Apples (1kg)

$4.67 $4.67

$3.14 CA$4.44

48.73%

Banana (1kg)

$1.08 $1.08

$1.45 CA$2.05

-25.52%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.12 $1.12

$3.38 CA$4.78

-66.86%

Tomato (1kg)

$3.25 $3.25

$3.11 CA$4.40

4.50%

Potato (1kg)

$0.76 $0.76

$1.93 CA$2.72

-60.62%

Onion (1kg)

$0.80 $0.80

$1.83 CA$2.58

-56.28%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.23 $1.23

$2.36 CA$3.34

-47.88%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.46 $1.46

$1.50 CA$2.12

-2.67%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$11.72 $11.72

$11.12 CA$15.73

5.40%

Wine (Bottle)

$3.91 $3.91

$10.60 CA$14.98

-63.11%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.74 $1.74

$2.22 CA$3.14

-21.62%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.63 $4.63

$2.84 CA$4.01

63.03%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.03 $2.03

$2.62 CA$3.71

-22.52%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$65.9 $65.9

$79.1 CA$112

-16.77%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.51 $3.51

$3.23 CA$4.56

8.67%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.89 $0.89

$1.48 CA$2.10

-39.86%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$26.05 $26.05

$32.22 CA$45.55

-19.15%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.48 $1.48

$1.36 CA$1.92

8.82%

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

$21.9K $21.9K

$27.6K CA$39.1K

-20.82%

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

$24.7K $24.7K

$21.2K CA$30.0K

16.39%

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

$288 $288

$77.0 CA$109

274.18%

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

$35.61 $35.61

$34.14 CA$48.26

4.31%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$29.64 $29.64

$42.19 CA$59.7

-29.75%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$40.95 $40.95

$30.81 CA$43.56

32.91%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$15.11 $15.11

$19.66 CA$27.79

-23.14%

Cinema Ticket

$7.96 $7.96

$11.47 CA$16.22

-30.60%

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

$1,407 $1,407

$506 CA$716

178.08%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$42.0K $42.0K

$16.2K CA$23.0K

158.59%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$39.80 $39.80

$57.3 CA$81.0

-30.49%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$25.03 $25.03

$38.10 CA$53.9

-34.30%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$76.1 $76.1

$91.9 CA$130

-17.24%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$152 $152

$110 CA$155

38.22%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,584 $1,584

$1,237 CA$1,748

28.04%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,304 $1,304

$977 CA$1,381

33.51%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,492 $2,492

$2,180 CA$3,082

14.33%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,139 $2,139

$1,608 CA$2,273

33.03%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$2,515 $2,515

$5,113 CA$7,228

-50.80%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,359 $2,359

$3,744 CA$5,293

-37.01%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$8,088 $8,088

$2,957 CA$4,180

173.52%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

4.48

33.93%

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

Last update for Saratoga, CA: October 19, 2026

Last update for Montreal: October 20, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Saratoga, CA

$1.3K 51.8%

Montreal

$977 47.4% 25.1% $327

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Saratoga, CA

$354 14%

Montreal

$153 7.5% 56.6% $200

Eating Out

Saratoga, CA

$340 13.5%

Montreal

$290 14.1% 14.6% $50

Groceries & Markets

Saratoga, CA

$249 9.9%

Montreal

$351 17.1% 40.8% $102

Clothing & Footwear

Saratoga, CA

$132 5.2%

Montreal

$134 6.5% 1.5% $2

Getting Around

Saratoga, CA

$82 3.3%

Montreal

$100 4.9% 22.4% $18

Sport & Entertainment

Saratoga, CA

$57 2.3%

Montreal

$54 2.6% 5.5% $3.1

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $1,584 in Saratoga, CA versus $1,237 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 174% higher in Saratoga, 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 $110 in Saratoga, CA versus $73.0 in Montreal. Groceries tell a different story – $249 in Saratoga, CA vs $351 in Montreal – so Saratoga, CA wins on supermarket bills even if dining out costs more.

Good to know

🇺🇸 Saratoga, CA

🇨🇦 Montreal

🕒 Local time

03:57 3:57 AM

06:57 6:57 AM

3 h ahead of Saratoga, CA

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

30,153

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 22, 2026: 1 EUR = 1.12 USD (1 USD = 0.89 EUR).

Canadian Dollar exchange rates as of October 22, 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

Saratoga, CA Montreal 4,080 km ≈ 6 h nonstop flight

From you

Saratoga, 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

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

Saratoga, CA costs about 22% 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 $3,776 per month in Saratoga, CA and $3,089 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 41% cheaper in Saratoga, 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 $110 in Saratoga, CA and $73.0 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 $2,059, than in Saratoga, CA at $2,517. In Montreal it covers expenses comfortably, while in Saratoga, CA it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.

For digital nomads, it depends on budget. Montreal costs $2,059 versus $2,517 in Saratoga, 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, Saratoga, CA makes more sense. Both are solid long-term options with distinct trade-offs.