Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Schaumburg, IL and Montreal

For one person, living is cheaper in Montreal: $2,059 a month against $3,270 in Schaumburg, IL, rent and utilities included – about $14,500 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

157

Cost of Living Index in Schaumburg, IL
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Schaumburg, IL Living Index
99

Cost of Living Index in Montreal
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Montreal Living Index

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Schaumburg, IL

🇺🇸 United States

$3,270

/mo nomad

Montreal

🇨🇦 Canada

$2,059

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

A single person spends $3,270 per month in Schaumburg, IL vs $2,059 in Montreal, rent included.

Schaumburg, IL $3,270
Montreal $2,059

A couple spends around $4,555 per month in Schaumburg, IL vs $3,123 in Montreal, rent included.

Schaumburg, IL $4,555
Montreal $3,123

A family of three spends $5,840 per month in Schaumburg, IL vs $4,187 in Montreal, rent included.

Schaumburg, IL $5,840
Montreal $4,187

Schaumburg, IL costs about 59% more than Montreal, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in utilities.

Both Schaumburg, IL and Montreal sit above the global median – Schaumburg, IL by 141%, Montreal by 52%.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$15.02 $15.02

$18.84 CA$26.63

-20.28%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$101 $101

$73.2 CA$104

37.46%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$13.24 $13.24

$10.54 CA$14.90

25.62%

Cappuccino

$4.80 $4.80

$3.97 CA$5.61

20.91%

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

$2.56 $2.56

$1.94 CA$2.74

31.96%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.22 $2.22

$1.57 CA$2.22

41.40%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$4.53 $4.53

$6.42 CA$9.08

-29.44%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$6.13 $6.13

$7.20 CA$10.19

-14.86%

Milk (1 liter)

$0.86 $0.86

$2.32 CA$3.28

-62.93%

White Bread (500g)

$4.16 $4.16

$3.19 CA$4.51

30.41%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$7.50 $7.50

$3.19 CA$4.50

135.11%

Eggs

$4.04 $4.04

$3.68 CA$5.20

9.78%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$14.89 $14.89

$13.24 CA$18.72

12.46%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$13.54 $13.54

$11.69 CA$16.53

15.83%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$17.42 $17.42

$13.98 CA$19.76

24.61%

Apples (1kg)

$5.36 $5.36

$3.14 CA$4.44

70.70%

Banana (1kg)

$3.06 $3.06

$1.45 CA$2.05

111.03%

Oranges (1kg)

$4.83 $4.83

$3.38 CA$4.78

42.90%

Tomato (1kg)

$4.08 $4.08

$3.11 CA$4.40

31.19%

Potato (1kg)

$3.34 $3.34

$1.93 CA$2.72

73.06%

Onion (1kg)

$3.26 $3.26

$1.83 CA$2.58

78.14%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.97 $1.97

$2.36 CA$3.34

-16.53%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$3.40 $3.40

$1.50 CA$2.12

126.67%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$17.77 $17.77

$11.12 CA$15.73

59.80%

Wine (Bottle)

$19.19 $19.19

$10.60 CA$14.98

81.04%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.22 CA$3.14

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$5.59 $5.59

$2.84 CA$4.01

96.83%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.62 CA$3.71

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$79.1 CA$112

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.23 CA$4.56

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.48 CA$2.10

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$32.22 CA$45.55

Gasoline (1 liter)

$0.93 $0.93

$1.36 CA$1.92

-31.62%

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

$25.9K $25.9K

$27.6K CA$39.1K

-6.49%

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

$29.3K $29.3K

$21.2K CA$30.0K

38.35%

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

$339 $339

$77.0 CA$109

340.64%

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

$77.6 $77.6

$34.14 CA$48.26

127.27%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$149 $149

$42.19 CA$59.7

253.14%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$64.1 $64.1

$30.81 CA$43.56

108.08%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$40.45 $40.45

$19.66 CA$27.79

105.75%

Cinema Ticket

$19.63 $19.63

$11.47 CA$16.22

71.14%

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

$506 CA$716

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$85.0K $85.0K

$16.2K CA$23.0K

423.67%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$74.3 $74.3

$57.3 CA$81.0

29.79%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$50.7 $50.7

$38.10 CA$53.9

33.15%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$101 $101

$91.9 CA$130

9.53%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$121 $121

$110 CA$155

10.29%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,896 $1,896

$1,237 CA$1,748

53.33%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,713 $1,713

$977 CA$1,381

75.35%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,769 $2,769

$2,180 CA$3,082

27.01%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,507 $2,507

$1,608 CA$2,273

55.90%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$2,132 $2,132

$5,113 CA$7,228

-58.31%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,090 $2,090

$3,744 CA$5,293

-44.19%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$5,001 $5,001

$2,957 CA$4,180

69.13%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

6.1

4.48

36.16%

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

Last update for Schaumburg, IL: 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

Schaumburg, IL

$1.7K 52.4%

Montreal

$977 47.4% 43% $736

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Schaumburg, IL

$566 17.3%

Montreal

$153 7.5% 72.9% $413

Groceries & Markets

Schaumburg, IL

$461 * 14.1%

Montreal

$351 17.1% 23.8% $110

Eating Out

Schaumburg, IL

$271 8.3%

Montreal

$290 14.1% 7% $19

Clothing & Footwear

Schaumburg, IL

$156 4.8%

Montreal

$134 6.5% 14.3% $22

Sport & Entertainment

Schaumburg, IL

$103 3.2%

Montreal

$54 2.6% 48% $50

Getting Around

Schaumburg, IL

- * 0%

Montreal

$100 4.9%

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

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $1,896 in Schaumburg, IL 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 69% higher in Schaumburg, IL, 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 $101 in Schaumburg, IL versus $73.0 in Montreal. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $461 vs $351 – making Montreal the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇺🇸 Schaumburg, IL

🇨🇦 Montreal

🕒 Local time

22:14 10:14 PM

23:14 11:14 PM

1 h ahead of Schaumburg, IL

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

78,723

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

Schaumburg, IL Montreal 1,230 km ≈ 2 h nonstop flight

From you

Schaumburg, IL
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

Schaumburg, IL vs Montreal: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Schaumburg, IL costs about 59% 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 $4,905 per month in Schaumburg, IL 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.

Monthly expenses with rent come to $3,270 in Schaumburg, IL and $2,059 in Montreal. That's a gap of about 59%.

Groceries cost about 31% more in Schaumburg, IL, though it depends on what you buy. Local produce may be comparable; imported and premium items show the biggest price gap.

A $2,000 monthly budget goes further in Montreal, where all-in costs run around $2,059, than in Schaumburg, IL at $3,270. In Montreal it covers expenses comfortably, while in Schaumburg, IL it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.

For digital nomads, it depends on budget. Montreal costs $2,059 versus $3,270 in Schaumburg, IL. 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, Schaumburg, IL makes more sense. Both are solid long-term options with distinct trade-offs.