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North America26% Lower than the US

Montreal, Canada

Estimated monthly cost

$3,260

Local average wage

$3,039

what locals earn — not what you need

Monthly cost breakdown

1-bed apartment (city center)$1,253
1-bed apartment (outside center)$989
Utilities (monthly)$78
Internet$43
Mobile plan$35
Monthly transit pass$75
Meal, inexpensive restaurant$18
Meal for two, mid-range$72
Cappuccino$4
Domestic draft beer (1 pint)$6

Source: Numbeo, in USD, fetched 2026-09-15. These are raw market prices — see the estimate box for how they roll up into a monthly budget.

Montreal vs. a mid-size US city

Montreal$3,260
US baseline$4,420

You'd keep about $1,160/month in your pocket — roughly 26% lower than the same lifestyle costs in the US.

Baseline is $4,420/mo — the median of 4 mid-size US metros run through this exact same budget model, so both bars are measured the same way.

How we estimate $3,260/mo

One person living a modest Western lifestyle in Montreal — not a local subsistence budget. Prices are real Numbeo data; the assumptions on top of them are listed at the bottom.

Housing

1-bed, city centre$1,253
1-bed, outside centre$989
Rent used (centre + 15% furnished)$1,441

Living costs

Utilities(electric, water, gas, refuse)$78
Internet(60 Mbps+ broadband)$43
Mobile plan(10GB+ data)$35
Groceries(basket for one, +25% pantry staples)$193
Eating out(30 meals @ $18 + 1 nicer dinner)$612
Getting around(transit pass + 8 taxi trips)$158
Leisure(gym + 2 cinema)$54

Health cover

International health insurance(age 55, mid-tier, excludes US coverage)$350

An estimate, not a scraped price — premiums swing hard with age and plan. Budget more if you're over 60 or want US coverage included.

Subtotal$2,964
+10% buffer(clothing, household, pharmacy, haircuts)$296
Estimated total$3,260/mo

Still excluded: visa and residency fees, flights, shipping your belongings, and one-time setup costs — these vary far too much by nationality and route to average. See the country guide for those.

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