Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Sunnyvale, CA and Montreal

For one person, living is cheaper in Montreal: $2,059 a month against $4,372 in Sunnyvale, CA, rent and utilities included – about $27,800 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

210

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

Cost of Living Index in Montreal
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Montreal Living Index

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Sunnyvale, CA

🇺🇸 United States

$4,372

/mo nomad

Montreal

🇨🇦 Canada

$2,059

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

A single person spends $4,372 per month in Sunnyvale, CA vs $2,059 in Montreal, rent included.

Sunnyvale, CA $4,372
Montreal $2,059

A couple spends around $5,837 per month in Sunnyvale, CA vs $3,123 in Montreal, rent included.

Sunnyvale, CA $5,837
Montreal $3,123

A family of three spends $7,302 per month in Sunnyvale, CA vs $4,187 in Montreal, rent included.

Sunnyvale, CA $7,302
Montreal $4,187

Sunnyvale, CA costs about 112% more than Montreal, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

Both Sunnyvale, CA and Montreal sit above the global median – Sunnyvale, CA by 223%, Montreal by 52%.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$24.54 $24.54

$18.84 CA$26.63

30.25%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$74.5 $74.5

$73.2 CA$104

1.73%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$12.07 $12.07

$10.54 CA$14.90

14.52%

Cappuccino

$5.86 $5.86

$3.97 CA$5.61

47.61%

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

$2.72 $2.72

$1.94 CA$2.74

40.21%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.63 $2.63

$1.57 CA$2.22

67.52%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$5.41 $5.41

$6.42 CA$9.08

-15.73%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$6.08 $6.08

$7.20 CA$10.19

-15.56%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.42 $1.42

$2.32 CA$3.28

-38.79%

White Bread (500g)

$3.88 $3.88

$3.19 CA$4.51

21.63%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$4.43 $4.43

$3.19 CA$4.50

38.87%

Eggs

$4.90 $4.90

$3.68 CA$5.20

33.15%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$6.58 $6.58

$13.24 CA$18.72

-50.30%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$13.07 $13.07

$11.69 CA$16.53

11.80%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$13.19 $13.19

$13.98 CA$19.76

-5.65%

Apples (1kg)

$2.23 $2.23

$3.14 CA$4.44

-28.98%

Banana (1kg)

$2.12 $2.12

$1.45 CA$2.05

46.21%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.24 $2.24

$3.38 CA$4.78

-33.73%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.23 $2.23

$3.11 CA$4.40

-28.30%

Potato (1kg)

$2.48 $2.48

$1.93 CA$2.72

28.50%

Onion (1kg)

$1.83 $1.83

$1.83 CA$2.58

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.47 $2.47

$2.36 CA$3.34

4.66%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.02 $1.02

$1.50 CA$2.12

-32.00%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$11.88 $11.88

$11.12 CA$15.73

6.83%

Wine (Bottle)

$13.24 $13.24

$10.60 CA$14.98

24.91%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.76 $1.76

$2.22 CA$3.14

-20.72%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.06 $3.06

$2.84 CA$4.01

7.75%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.46 $2.46

$2.62 CA$3.71

-6.11%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$89.7 $89.7

$79.1 CA$112

13.38%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$4.19 $4.19

$3.23 CA$4.56

29.72%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.97 $1.97

$1.48 CA$2.10

33.11%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$30.57 $30.57

$32.22 CA$45.55

-5.12%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.54 $1.54

$1.36 CA$1.92

13.24%

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

$28.4K $28.4K

$27.6K CA$39.1K

2.69%

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

$26.8K $26.8K

$21.2K CA$30.0K

26.62%

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

$256 $256

$77.0 CA$109

232.15%

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

$40.89 $40.89

$34.14 CA$48.26

19.77%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$61.2 $61.2

$42.19 CA$59.7

44.99%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$49.71 $49.71

$30.81 CA$43.56

61.34%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$17.07 $17.07

$19.66 CA$27.79

-13.17%

Cinema Ticket

$15.42 $15.42

$11.47 CA$16.22

34.44%

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

$2,100 $2,100

$506 CA$716

314.90%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$24.9K $24.9K

$16.2K CA$23.0K

53.62%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$63.7 $63.7

$57.3 CA$81.0

11.25%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$34.98 $34.98

$38.10 CA$53.9

-8.19%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$104 $104

$91.9 CA$130

12.88%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$201 $201

$110 CA$155

82.96%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$3,351 $3,351

$1,237 CA$1,748

170.99%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,942 $2,942

$977 CA$1,381

201.18%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$5,393 $5,393

$2,180 CA$3,082

147.39%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$4,211 $4,211

$1,608 CA$2,273

161.88%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$9,573 $9,573

$5,113 CA$7,228

87.22%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$8,574 $8,574

$3,744 CA$5,293

128.98%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$8,663 $8,663

$2,957 CA$4,180

192.95%

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 Sunnyvale, CA: October 20, 2026

Last update for Montreal: October 20, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Sunnyvale, CA

$2.9K 67.3%

Montreal

$977 47.4% 66.8% $2K

Eating Out

Sunnyvale, CA

$363 8.3%

Montreal

$290 14.1% 20.1% $73

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Sunnyvale, CA

$358 8.2%

Montreal

$153 7.5% 57.2% $205

Groceries & Markets

Sunnyvale, CA

$334 7.6%

Montreal

$351 17.1% 5.3% $18

Clothing & Footwear

Sunnyvale, CA

$181 4.2%

Montreal

$134 6.5% 26.3% $48

Getting Around

Sunnyvale, CA

$114 2.6%

Montreal

$100 4.9% 11.7% $13

Sport & Entertainment

Sunnyvale, CA

$81 1.8%

Montreal

$54 2.6% 33.3% $27

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $3,351 in Sunnyvale, 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 193% higher in Sunnyvale, 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 $74.0 in Sunnyvale, CA versus $73.0 in Montreal. Groceries tell a different story – $334 in Sunnyvale, CA vs $351 in Montreal – so Sunnyvale, CA wins on supermarket bills even if dining out costs more.

Good to know

🇺🇸 Sunnyvale, CA

🇨🇦 Montreal

🕒 Local time

12:34 12:34 PM

15:34 3:34 PM

3 h ahead of Sunnyvale, CA

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

152,703

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 20, 2026: 1 EUR = 1.12 USD (1 USD = 0.89 EUR).

Canadian Dollar exchange rates as of October 20, 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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Sunnyvale, CA Montreal 4,080 km ≈ 6 h nonstop flight

From you

Sunnyvale, 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

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

Sunnyvale, CA costs about 112% more than Montreal, and outside of rent the gap comes mainly from eating out. That's enough to noticeably affect everyday spending and lifestyle for anyone choosing between the two.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $6,558 per month in Sunnyvale, 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 5% cheaper in Sunnyvale, 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 $74.0 in Sunnyvale, 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 Sunnyvale, CA at $4,372. In Montreal it covers expenses comfortably, while in Sunnyvale, CA it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.

For digital nomads, it depends on budget. Montreal costs $2,059 versus $4,372 in Sunnyvale, 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, Sunnyvale, CA makes more sense. Both are solid long-term options with distinct trade-offs.