Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Scottsdale, AZ and Montreal

For one person, living is cheaper in Montreal: $2,018 a month against $2,911 in Scottsdale, AZ, rent and utilities included – about $10,700 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

142

Cost of Living Index in Scottsdale, AZ
Learn more

Scottsdale, AZ Living Index
99

Cost of Living Index in Montreal
Learn more

Montreal Living Index

Jump to prices

Scottsdale, AZ

🇺🇸 United States

$2,911

/mo nomad

Montreal

🇨🇦 Canada

$2,018

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

A single person spends $2,911 per month in Scottsdale, AZ vs $2,018 in Montreal, rent included.

Scottsdale, AZ $2,911
Montreal $2,018

A couple spends around $4,339 per month in Scottsdale, AZ vs $3,085 in Montreal, rent included.

Scottsdale, AZ $4,339
Montreal $3,085

A family of three spends $5,767 per month in Scottsdale, AZ vs $4,152 in Montreal, rent included.

Scottsdale, AZ $5,767
Montreal $4,152

Scottsdale, AZ costs about 44% more than Montreal, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in utilities.

Both Scottsdale, AZ and Montreal sit above the global median – Scottsdale, AZ by 116%, Montreal by 49%.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$19.63 $19.63

$18.82 CA$26.61

4.30%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$85.9 $85.9

$70.3 CA$99.4

22.25%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$12.83 $12.83

$10.66 CA$15.06

20.36%

Cappuccino

$5.32 $5.32

$3.84 CA$5.43

38.54%

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

$2.94 $2.94

$1.92 CA$2.71

53.13%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.38 $2.38

$1.54 CA$2.18

54.55%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$6.10 $6.10

$6.23 CA$8.81

-2.09%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$7.88 $7.88

$7.10 CA$10.03

10.99%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.01 $1.01

$2.31 CA$3.27

-56.28%

White Bread (500g)

$4.06 $4.06

$3.14 CA$4.44

29.30%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$4.97 $4.97

$3.21 CA$4.54

54.83%

Eggs

$4.49 $4.49

$3.52 CA$4.97

27.56%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$13.68 $13.68

$12.81 CA$18.11

6.79%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$11.21 $11.21

$11.46 CA$16.20

-2.18%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$17.13 $17.13

$13.39 CA$18.92

27.93%

Apples (1kg)

$4.39 $4.39

$3.14 CA$4.43

39.81%

Banana (1kg)

$1.87 $1.87

$1.44 CA$2.03

29.86%

Oranges (1kg)

$3.77 $3.77

$3.47 CA$4.91

8.65%

Tomato (1kg)

$4.16 $4.16

$3.07 CA$4.34

35.50%

Potato (1kg)

$2.84 $2.84

$1.90 CA$2.69

49.47%

Onion (1kg)

$2.81 $2.81

$1.77 CA$2.50

58.76%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.12 $2.12

$2.34 CA$3.31

-9.40%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$2.63 $2.63

$1.55 CA$2.19

69.68%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$10.65 $10.65

$11.38 CA$16.09

-6.41%

Wine (Bottle)

$13.49 $13.49

$10.63 CA$15.03

26.90%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.49 $2.49

$2.27 CA$3.21

9.69%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.33 $3.33

$2.82 CA$3.99

18.09%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.26 $2.26

$2.66 CA$3.76

-15.04%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$42.51 $42.51

$77.3 CA$109

-45.00%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$2.77 $2.77

$3.20 CA$4.53

-13.44%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.34 $1.34

$1.48 CA$2.09

-9.46%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$35.81 $35.81

$32.88 CA$46.48

8.91%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.19 $1.19

$1.34 CA$1.90

-11.19%

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

$36.6K $36.6K

$28.2K CA$39.8K

30.18%

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

$25.4K $25.4K

$19.6K CA$27.8K

29.41%

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

$200 $200

$76.0 CA$107

163.68%

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

$63.7 $63.7

$33.95 CA$48.00

87.66%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$75.2 $75.2

$42.31 CA$59.8

77.71%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$34.23 $34.23

$29.76 CA$42.07

15.02%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$10.04 $10.04

$20.28 CA$28.67

-50.49%

Cinema Ticket

$13.71 $13.71

$11.15 CA$15.77

22.96%

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

$1,238 $1,238

$507 CA$717

144.21%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$20.2K $20.2K

$16.1K CA$22.7K

25.73%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$54.9 $54.9

$57.6 CA$81.4

-4.57%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$43.13 $43.13

$37.58 CA$53.1

14.77%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$99.2 $99.2

$91.9 CA$130

7.97%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$133 $133

$110 CA$155

21.33%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,387 $2,387

$1,260 CA$1,782

89.40%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,567 $1,567

$948 CA$1,340

65.37%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$3,230 $3,230

$2,137 CA$3,021

51.15%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,760 $2,760

$1,614 CA$2,281

71.06%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,759 $3,759

$4,960 CA$7,011

-24.20%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$4,744 $4,744

$3,838 CA$5,425

23.62%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$5,671 $5,671

$2,827 CA$3,997

100.57%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

6.62

4.48

47.77%

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

Last update for Scottsdale, AZ: October 12, 2026

Last update for Montreal: October 12, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Scottsdale, AZ

$1.6K 53.8%

Montreal

$948 47% 39.5% $619

Groceries & Markets

Scottsdale, AZ

$406 14%

Montreal

$346 17.2% 14.7% $60

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Scottsdale, AZ

$339 11.7%

Montreal

$152 7.5% 55.1% $187

Eating Out

Scottsdale, AZ

$327 11.2%

Montreal

$288 14.3% 12% $39

Clothing & Footwear

Scottsdale, AZ

$149 5.1%

Montreal

$133 6.6% 10.2% $15

Sport & Entertainment

Scottsdale, AZ

$62 2.1%

Montreal

$52 2.6% 15.6% $9.6

Getting Around

Scottsdale, AZ

$61 2.1%

Montreal

$99 4.9% 61.5% $38

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $2,387 in Scottsdale, AZ 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 101% higher in Scottsdale, AZ, 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 $86.0 in Scottsdale, AZ versus $70.0 in Montreal. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $406 vs $346 – making Montreal the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇺🇸 Scottsdale, AZ

🇨🇦 Montreal

🕒 Local time

14:15 2:15 PM

17:15 5:15 PM

3 h ahead of Scottsdale, AZ

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

241,361

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 17, 2026: 1 EUR = 1.12 USD (1 USD = 0.89 EUR).

Canadian Dollar exchange rates as of October 17, 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

Lowest

Highest

Between locations

Scottsdale, AZ Montreal 3,510 km ≈ 5 h nonstop flight

From you

Scottsdale, AZ
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

Scottsdale, AZ vs Montreal: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Scottsdale, AZ 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 $4,366 per month in Scottsdale, AZ 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 17% more in Scottsdale, AZ, 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 $86.0 in Scottsdale, AZ 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 Scottsdale, AZ at $2,911. In Montreal it covers expenses comfortably, while in Scottsdale, AZ it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.

For digital nomads, it depends on budget. Montreal costs $2,018 versus $2,911 in Scottsdale, AZ. 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, Scottsdale, AZ makes more sense. Both are solid long-term options with distinct trade-offs.