Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Tustin, CA and Montreal

For one person, living is cheaper in Montreal: $2,003 a month against $4,359 in Tustin, CA, rent and utilities included – about $28,300 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

211

Cost of Living Index in Tustin, CA
Learn more

Tustin, CA Living Index
99

Cost of Living Index in Montreal
Learn more

Montreal Living Index

Jump to prices

Tustin, CA

🇺🇸 United States

$4,359

/mo nomad

Montreal

🇨🇦 Canada

$2,003

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

A single person spends $4,359 per month in Tustin, CA vs $2,003 in Montreal, rent included.

Tustin, CA $4,359
Montreal $2,003

A couple spends around $6,011 per month in Tustin, CA vs $3,048 in Montreal, rent included.

Tustin, CA $6,011
Montreal $3,048

A family of three spends $7,663 per month in Tustin, CA vs $4,092 in Montreal, rent included.

Tustin, CA $7,663
Montreal $4,092

Tustin, CA costs about 118% more than Montreal, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Both Tustin, CA and Montreal sit above the global median – Tustin, CA by 225%, Montreal by 49%.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$24.78 $24.78

$19.31 CA$27.53

28.33%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$68.7 $68.7

$75.5 CA$108

-8.97%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$15.21 $15.21

$10.63 CA$15.15

43.09%

Cappuccino

$5.66 $5.66

$3.93 CA$5.60

44.02%

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

$3.05 $3.05

$1.92 CA$2.74

58.85%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.35 $2.35

$1.48 CA$2.11

58.78%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$7.40 $7.40

$6.30 CA$8.98

17.46%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$9.73 $9.73

$7.19 CA$10.25

35.33%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.19 $1.19

$2.22 CA$3.17

-46.40%

White Bread (500g)

$5.30 $5.30

$3.06 CA$4.37

73.20%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$4.80 $4.80

$2.94 CA$4.19

63.27%

Eggs

$4.89 $4.89

$3.53 CA$5.04

38.53%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$15.69 $15.69

$13.19 CA$18.80

18.95%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$13.07 $13.07

$11.24 CA$16.02

16.28%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$15.15 $15.15

$13.81 CA$19.69

9.70%

Apples (1kg)

$4.76 $4.76

$3.40 CA$4.85

40.00%

Banana (1kg)

$2.52 $2.52

$1.44 CA$2.06

75.00%

Oranges (1kg)

$3.97 $3.97

$3.26 CA$4.65

21.78%

Tomato (1kg)

$5.51 $5.51

$2.88 CA$4.10

91.32%

Potato (1kg)

$3.67 $3.67

$1.86 CA$2.65

97.31%

Onion (1kg)

$3.16 $3.16

$1.82 CA$2.60

73.63%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.17 $2.17

$2.43 CA$3.46

-10.70%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$2.82 $2.82

$1.52 CA$2.17

85.53%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$11.79 $11.79

$11.45 CA$16.33

2.97%

Wine (Bottle)

$14.93 $14.93

$10.36 CA$14.77

44.11%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.40 $2.40

$2.22 CA$3.16

8.11%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.37 $4.37

$2.82 CA$4.02

54.96%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.03 $2.03

$2.58 CA$3.67

-21.32%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$34.56 $34.56

$76.9 CA$110

-55.05%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.18 $3.18

$3.25 CA$4.64

-2.15%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.83 $1.83

$1.48 CA$2.11

23.65%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$29.85 $29.85

$33.04 CA$47.11

-9.65%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.52 $1.52

$1.36 CA$1.94

11.76%

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

$37.0K $37.0K

$27.4K CA$39.1K

34.79%

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

$25.5K $25.5K

$20.0K CA$28.5K

27.72%

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

$216 $216

$76.1 CA$109

184.17%

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

$86.5 $86.5

$34.68 CA$49.45

149.28%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$72.4 $72.4

$42.69 CA$60.9

69.55%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$99.7 $99.7

$28.94 CA$41.27

244.51%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$25.29 $25.29

$20.33 CA$28.98

24.40%

Cinema Ticket

$17.25 $17.25

$11.21 CA$15.98

53.88%

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

$1,493 $1,493

$505 CA$720

195.57%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$30.2K $30.2K

$16.0K CA$22.8K

88.67%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$72.8 $72.8

$58.5 CA$83.4

24.41%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$40.60 $40.60

$38.00 CA$54.2

6.84%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$107 $107

$92.7 CA$132

15.09%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$152 $152

$106 CA$151

44.07%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$3,040 $3,040

$1,240 CA$1,768

145.14%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,758 $2,758

$986 CA$1,406

179.77%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$4,320 $4,320

$2,102 CA$2,997

105.50%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$4,070 $4,070

$1,615 CA$2,302

152.03%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$7,989 $7,989

$5,043 CA$7,191

58.42%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$5,303 $5,303

$3,830 CA$5,461

38.47%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$4,866 $4,866

$2,920 CA$4,164

66.62%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

6.64

4.46

48.88%

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

Last update for Tustin, CA: October 3, 2026

Last update for Montreal: October 6, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Tustin, CA

$2.8K 63.6%

Montreal

$986 47.9% 64.3% $1.8K

Groceries & Markets

Tustin, CA

$454 10.5%

Montreal

$344 16.7% 24.4% $111

Eating Out

Tustin, CA

$390 9%

Montreal

$293 14.2% 24.9% $97

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Tustin, CA

$375 8.7%

Montreal

$154 7.5% 59.1% $222

Clothing & Footwear

Tustin, CA

$168 3.9%

Montreal

$133 6.5% 20.8% $35

Sport & Entertainment

Tustin, CA

$134 3.1%

Montreal

$51 2.5% 61.7% $83

Getting Around

Tustin, CA

$55 1.3%

Montreal

$98 4.8% 77.9% $43

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $3,040 in Tustin, CA versus $1,240 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 67% higher in Tustin, 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 $69.0 in Tustin, CA versus $75.0 in Montreal. Groceries tell a different story – $454 in Tustin, CA vs $344 in Montreal – so Montreal wins on supermarket bills even if dining out costs more.

Good to know

🇺🇸 Tustin, CA

🇨🇦 Montreal

🕒 Local time

06:46 6:46 AM

09:46 9:46 AM

3 h ahead of Tustin, CA

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

69,665

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

Lowest

Highest

Between locations

Tustin, CA Montreal 3,950 km ≈ 5 h nonstop flight

From you

Tustin, 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

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

Tustin, CA costs about 118% 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 $6,538 per month in Tustin, CA and $3,005 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 32% more in Tustin, CA, 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 $69.0 in Tustin, CA and $75.0 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 $2,003, than in Tustin, CA at $4,359. In Montreal it covers expenses comfortably, while in Tustin, CA it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.

For digital nomads, it depends on budget. Montreal costs $2,003 versus $4,359 in Tustin, 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, Tustin, CA makes more sense. Both are solid long-term options with distinct trade-offs.