Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Surprise, AZ and Montreal

For one person, living is cheaper in Surprise, AZ: $1,305 a month against $2,003 in Montreal, rent and utilities included – about $8,400 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

63

Cost of Living Index in Surprise, AZ
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Surprise, AZ Living Index
99

Cost of Living Index in Montreal
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Montreal Living Index

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Surprise, AZ

🇺🇸 United States

$1,305

/mo nomad

Montreal

🇨🇦 Canada

$2,003

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

A single person spends $1,305 per month in Surprise, AZ vs $2,003 in Montreal, rent included.

Surprise, AZ $1,305
Montreal $2,003

A couple spends around $3,606 per month in Surprise, AZ vs $3,048 in Montreal, rent included.

Surprise, AZ $3,606
Montreal $3,048

A family of three spends $5,906 per month in Surprise, AZ vs $4,092 in Montreal, rent included.

Surprise, AZ $5,906
Montreal $4,092

Surprise, AZ is about 35% cheaper than Montreal, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in transport.

Surprise, AZ sits 3% below the global median, while Montreal is 49% above – they fall on opposite sides of the world average.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$20.25 $20.25

$19.31 CA$27.53

4.87%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$84.2 $84.2

$75.5 CA$108

11.46%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$12.84 $12.84

$10.63 CA$15.15

20.79%

Cappuccino

$6.01 $6.01

$3.93 CA$5.60

52.93%

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

$2.65 $2.65

$1.92 CA$2.74

38.02%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.46 $2.46

$1.48 CA$2.11

66.22%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$7.20 $7.20

$6.30 CA$8.98

14.29%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$8.13 $8.13

$7.19 CA$10.25

13.07%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.00 $1.00

$2.22 CA$3.17

-54.95%

White Bread (500g)

$3.52 $3.52

$3.06 CA$4.37

15.03%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$5.19 $5.19

$2.94 CA$4.19

76.53%

Eggs

$4.73 $4.73

$3.53 CA$5.04

33.99%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$13.40 $13.40

$13.19 CA$18.80

1.59%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$11.30 $11.30

$11.24 CA$16.02

0.53%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$14.80 $14.80

$13.81 CA$19.69

7.17%

Apples (1kg)

$4.61 $4.61

$3.40 CA$4.85

35.59%

Banana (1kg)

$1.94 $1.94

$1.44 CA$2.06

34.72%

Oranges (1kg)

$3.88 $3.88

$3.26 CA$4.65

19.02%

Tomato (1kg)

$4.21 $4.21

$2.88 CA$4.10

46.18%

Potato (1kg)

$2.55 $2.55

$1.86 CA$2.65

37.10%

Onion (1kg)

$2.88 $2.88

$1.82 CA$2.60

58.24%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.13 $2.13

$2.43 CA$3.46

-12.35%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$2.17 $2.17

$1.52 CA$2.17

42.76%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$10.66 $10.66

$11.45 CA$16.33

-6.90%

Wine (Bottle)

$13.77 $13.77

$10.36 CA$14.77

32.92%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.51 $2.51

$2.22 CA$3.16

13.06%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.19 $3.19

$2.82 CA$4.02

13.12%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.58 CA$3.67

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$76.9 CA$110

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$2.80 $2.80

$3.25 CA$4.64

-13.85%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.40 $1.40

$1.48 CA$2.11

-5.41%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$35.29 $35.29

$33.04 CA$47.11

6.81%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.13 $1.13

$1.36 CA$1.94

-16.91%

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

$36.7K $36.7K

$27.4K CA$39.1K

33.91%

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

$25.3K $25.3K

$20.0K CA$28.5K

26.65%

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

$197 $197

$76.1 CA$109

158.76%

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

$62.6 $62.6

$34.68 CA$49.45

80.57%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$73.8 $73.8

$42.69 CA$60.9

72.76%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$60.8 $60.8

$28.94 CA$41.27

110.02%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$20.33 CA$28.98

Cinema Ticket

$13.16 $13.16

$11.21 CA$15.98

17.40%

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

$1,090 $1,090

$505 CA$720

115.87%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$15.6K $15.6K

$16.0K CA$22.8K

-2.62%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$56.0 $56.0

$58.5 CA$83.4

-4.21%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$44.17 $44.17

$38.00 CA$54.2

16.24%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$99.9 $99.9

$92.7 CA$132

7.71%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$115 $115

$106 CA$151

9.15%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,240 CA$1,768

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$986 CA$1,406

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,116 $2,116

$2,102 CA$2,997

0.65%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$3,030 $3,030

$1,615 CA$2,302

87.65%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$5,043 CA$7,191

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,591 $1,591

$3,830 CA$5,461

-58.47%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$4,222 $4,222

$2,920 CA$4,164

44.58%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

6.44

4.46

44.39%

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

Last update for Surprise, AZ: October 4, 2026

Last update for Montreal: October 6, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Groceries & Markets

Surprise, AZ

$392 29.9%

Montreal

$344 16.7% 12.3% $48

Eating Out

Surprise, AZ

$345 26.4%

Montreal

$293 14.2% 15.2% $52

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Surprise, AZ

$333 25.5%

Montreal

$154 7.5% 54% $180

Clothing & Footwear

Surprise, AZ

$142 10.8%

Montreal

$133 6.5% 6.5% $9.2

Sport & Entertainment

Surprise, AZ

$87 6.7%

Montreal

$51 2.5% 41% $36

Getting Around

Surprise, AZ

$9.8 * 0.8%

Montreal

$98 4.8% 896% $88

Accommodation & Living

Surprise, AZ

- * 0%

Montreal

$986 47.9%

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

Cost Breakdown

Salaries run about 45% higher in Surprise, AZ, which reinforces the cost advantage – you earn more and spend less. Purchasing power leans clearly in its favor.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $84.0 in Surprise, AZ versus $75.0 in Montreal. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $392 vs $344 – making Montreal the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇺🇸 Surprise, AZ

🇨🇦 Montreal

🕒 Local time

03:17 3:17 AM

06:17 6:17 AM

3 h ahead of Surprise, AZ

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

143,148

1,762,949

💱 Currency

United States Dollar USD $

Canadian Dollar CAD $

📈 Exchange rate

1 USD = 0.892 EUR

1 CAD = 0.701 USD

1 CAD = 0.626 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 12, 2026: 1 EUR = 1.12 USD (1 USD = 0.892 EUR).

Canadian Dollar exchange rates as of October 12, 2026: 1 USD = 1.43 CAD (1 CAD = 0.701 USD). 1 EUR = 1.6 CAD (1 CAD = 0.626 EUR).

CAD to USD in detail →

On the map

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Between locations

Surprise, AZ Montreal 3,540 km ≈ 5 h nonstop flight

From you

Surprise, 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

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

Montreal costs about 53% more than Surprise, AZ, and outside of rent the gap comes mainly from transport. That's enough to noticeably affect everyday spending and lifestyle for anyone choosing between the two.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $1,958 per month in Surprise, AZ and $3,005 in Montreal. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $84.0 in Surprise, AZ and $75.0 in Montreal. That's a good indicator of the overall restaurant and café pricing gap between the two cities.

Interestingly, groceries are about 14% cheaper in Montreal – one category where the pricier city actually offers better value, probably thanks to stronger retail competition or local farming.

A $2,000 monthly budget goes further in Surprise, AZ, where all-in costs run around $1,305, than in Montreal at $2,003. In Surprise, AZ it covers expenses comfortably, while in Montreal it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.

For digital nomads, it depends on budget. Surprise, AZ costs $1,305 versus $2,003 in Montreal. 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 Surprise, AZ. If higher salaries, better infrastructure, or specific career opportunities are the priority, Montreal makes more sense. Both are solid long-term options with distinct trade-offs.