Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Westminster, CA and Montreal

For one person, living is cheaper in Montreal: $2,059 a month against $2,479 in Westminster, CA, rent and utilities included – about $5,000 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

129

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

Cost of Living Index in Montreal
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Montreal Living Index

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Westminster, CA

🇺🇸 United States

$2,479

/mo nomad

Montreal

🇨🇦 Canada

$2,059

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

A single person spends $2,479 per month in Westminster, CA vs $2,059 in Montreal, rent included.

Westminster, CA $2,479
Montreal $2,059

A couple spends around $3,908 per month in Westminster, CA vs $3,123 in Montreal, rent included.

Westminster, CA $3,908
Montreal $3,123

A family of three spends $5,337 per month in Westminster, CA vs $4,187 in Montreal, rent included.

Westminster, CA $5,337
Montreal $4,187

Westminster, CA costs about 20% more than Montreal, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

Both Westminster, CA and Montreal sit above the global median – Westminster, CA by 83%, Montreal by 52%.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$25.14 $25.14

$18.84 CA$26.63

33.44%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$77.0 $77.0

$73.2 CA$104

5.18%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$11.68 $11.68

$10.54 CA$14.90

10.82%

Cappuccino

$5.53 $5.53

$3.97 CA$5.61

39.29%

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

$2.77 $2.77

$1.94 CA$2.74

42.78%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.05 $2.05

$1.57 CA$2.22

30.57%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$7.37 $7.37

$6.42 CA$9.08

14.80%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$9.43 $9.43

$7.20 CA$10.19

30.97%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.18 $1.18

$2.32 CA$3.28

-49.14%

White Bread (500g)

$5.20 $5.20

$3.19 CA$4.51

63.01%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$4.25 $4.25

$3.19 CA$4.50

33.23%

Eggs

$4.92 $4.92

$3.68 CA$5.20

33.70%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$12.55 $12.55

$13.24 CA$18.72

-5.21%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$8.93 $8.93

$11.69 CA$16.53

-23.61%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$13.82 $13.82

$13.98 CA$19.76

-1.14%

Apples (1kg)

$4.87 $4.87

$3.14 CA$4.44

55.10%

Banana (1kg)

$1.78 $1.78

$1.45 CA$2.05

22.76%

Oranges (1kg)

$4.02 $4.02

$3.38 CA$4.78

18.93%

Tomato (1kg)

$5.58 $5.58

$3.11 CA$4.40

79.42%

Potato (1kg)

$3.57 $3.57

$1.93 CA$2.72

84.97%

Onion (1kg)

$3.14 $3.14

$1.83 CA$2.58

71.58%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.17 $2.17

$2.36 CA$3.34

-8.05%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$2.30 $2.30

$1.50 CA$2.12

53.33%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$11.87 $11.87

$11.12 CA$15.73

6.74%

Wine (Bottle)

$15.10 $15.10

$10.60 CA$14.98

42.45%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.69 $1.69

$2.22 CA$3.14

-23.87%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.19 $3.19

$2.84 CA$4.01

12.32%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.88 $1.88

$2.62 CA$3.71

-28.24%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$79.1 CA$112

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$4.38 $4.38

$3.23 CA$4.56

35.60%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.91 $1.91

$1.48 CA$2.10

29.05%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$35.29 $35.29

$32.22 CA$45.55

9.53%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.59 $1.59

$1.36 CA$1.92

16.91%

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

$27.6K $27.6K

$27.6K CA$39.1K

-0.12%

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

$26.2K $26.2K

$21.2K CA$30.0K

23.82%

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

$212 $212

$77.0 CA$109

174.82%

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

$71.2 $71.2

$34.14 CA$48.26

108.47%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$69.3 $69.3

$42.19 CA$59.7

64.23%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$47.31 $47.31

$30.81 CA$43.56

53.55%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$19.66 CA$27.79

Cinema Ticket

$11.89 $11.89

$11.47 CA$16.22

3.66%

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

$1,192 $1,192

$506 CA$716

135.60%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$42.5K $42.5K

$16.2K CA$23.0K

161.59%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$74.2 $74.2

$57.3 CA$81.0

29.53%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$47.57 $47.57

$38.10 CA$53.9

24.86%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$104 $104

$91.9 CA$130

13.39%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$103 $103

$110 CA$155

-6.47%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,465 $1,465

$1,237 CA$1,748

18.45%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,108 $1,108

$977 CA$1,381

13.41%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,743 $2,743

$2,180 CA$3,082

25.84%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,324 $2,324

$1,608 CA$2,273

44.50%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$2,933 $2,933

$5,113 CA$7,228

-42.64%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,679 $2,679

$3,744 CA$5,293

-28.46%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$4,559 $4,559

$2,957 CA$4,180

54.19%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

6.31

4.48

40.85%

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

Last update for Westminster, 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

Westminster, CA

$1.1K 44.7%

Montreal

$977 47.4% 11.8% $131

Groceries & Markets

Westminster, CA

$402 16.2%

Montreal

$351 17.1% 12.6% $50

Eating Out

Westminster, CA

$377 15.2%

Montreal

$290 14.1% 23% $87

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Westminster, CA

$352 14.2%

Montreal

$153 7.5% 56.4% $199

Clothing & Footwear

Westminster, CA

$148 6%

Montreal

$134 6.5% 9.6% $14

Sport & Entertainment

Westminster, CA

$71 2.9%

Montreal

$54 2.6% 24.4% $17

Getting Around

Westminster, CA

$21 * 0.9%

Montreal

$100 4.9% 367% $79

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

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $1,465 in Westminster, 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 54% higher in Westminster, 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 $77.0 in Westminster, CA versus $73.0 in Montreal. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $402 vs $351 – making Montreal the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇺🇸 Westminster, CA

🇨🇦 Montreal

🕒 Local time

10:47 10:47 AM

13:47 1:47 PM

3 h ahead of Westminster, CA

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

110,945

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 →

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Westminster, CA Montreal 3,970 km ≈ 5 h nonstop flight

From you

Westminster, 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

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

Westminster, CA costs about 20% 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 $3,719 per month in Westminster, 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.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $77.0 in Westminster, CA and $73.0 in Montreal. That's a good indicator of the overall restaurant and café pricing gap between the two cities.

Groceries cost about 14% more in Westminster, CA, 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 Westminster, CA at $2,479. In Montreal it covers expenses comfortably, while in Westminster, CA it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.

For digital nomads, it depends on budget. Montreal costs $2,059 versus $2,479 in Westminster, 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, Westminster, CA makes more sense. Both are solid long-term options with distinct trade-offs.