Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Albuquerque, NM and Montreal

For one person, living is cheaper in Montreal: $2,003 a month against $2,381 in Albuquerque, NM, rent and utilities included – about $4,500 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

114

Cost of Living Index in Albuquerque, NM
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Albuquerque, NM Living Index
99

Cost of Living Index in Montreal
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Montreal Living Index

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Albuquerque, NM

🇺🇸 United States

$2,381

/mo nomad

Montreal

🇨🇦 Canada

$2,003

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

A single person spends $2,381 per month in Albuquerque, NM vs $2,003 in Montreal, rent included.

Albuquerque, NM $2,381
Montreal $2,003

A couple spends around $3,551 per month in Albuquerque, NM vs $3,048 in Montreal, rent included.

Albuquerque, NM $3,551
Montreal $3,048

A family of three spends $4,721 per month in Albuquerque, NM vs $4,092 in Montreal, rent included.

Albuquerque, NM $4,721
Montreal $4,092

Albuquerque, NM costs about 19% more than Montreal, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in transport.

Both Albuquerque, NM and Montreal sit above the global median – Albuquerque, NM by 78%, Montreal by 49%.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$16.88 $16.88

$19.31 CA$27.52

-12.58%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$69.0 $69.0

$75.5 CA$108

-8.61%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$10.12 $10.12

$10.63 CA$15.15

-4.80%

Cappuccino

$4.94 $4.94

$3.93 CA$5.60

25.70%

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

$2.85 $2.85

$1.92 CA$2.73

48.44%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.47 $2.47

$1.48 CA$2.11

66.89%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$5.91 $5.91

$6.30 CA$8.98

-6.19%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$8.15 $8.15

$7.19 CA$10.24

13.35%

Milk (1 liter)

$0.92 $0.92

$2.22 CA$3.17

-58.56%

White Bread (500g)

$3.19 $3.19

$3.06 CA$4.36

4.25%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$4.57 $4.57

$2.94 CA$4.19

55.44%

Eggs

$4.72 $4.72

$3.53 CA$5.03

33.71%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$11.76 $11.76

$13.19 CA$18.79

-10.84%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$9.61 $9.61

$11.24 CA$16.02

-14.50%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$20.63 $20.63

$13.81 CA$19.69

49.38%

Apples (1kg)

$4.66 $4.66

$3.40 CA$4.85

37.06%

Banana (1kg)

$1.49 $1.49

$1.44 CA$2.06

3.47%

Oranges (1kg)

$4.26 $4.26

$3.26 CA$4.65

30.67%

Tomato (1kg)

$5.31 $5.31

$2.88 CA$4.10

84.37%

Potato (1kg)

$3.13 $3.13

$1.86 CA$2.65

68.28%

Onion (1kg)

$3.21 $3.21

$1.82 CA$2.60

76.37%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.06 $2.06

$2.43 CA$3.46

-15.23%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$2.81 $2.81

$1.52 CA$2.17

84.87%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$10.44 $10.44

$11.45 CA$16.32

-8.82%

Wine (Bottle)

$13.81 $13.81

$10.36 CA$14.76

33.30%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.42 $2.42

$2.22 CA$3.16

9.01%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.71 $3.71

$2.82 CA$4.02

31.56%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.58 CA$3.67

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$3.98 $3.98

$76.9 CA$110

-94.82%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.58 $3.58

$3.25 CA$4.64

10.15%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.05 $2.05

$1.48 CA$2.11

38.51%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$31.88 $31.88

$33.04 CA$47.09

-3.51%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$0.97 $0.97

$1.36 CA$1.94

-28.68%

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

$31.2K $31.2K

$27.4K CA$39.1K

13.90%

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

$24.3K $24.3K

$20.0K CA$28.5K

21.44%

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

$158 $158

$76.1 CA$109

107.59%

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

$63.6 $63.6

$34.68 CA$49.43

83.45%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$71.9 $71.9

$42.69 CA$60.9

68.35%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$48.45 $48.45

$28.94 CA$41.26

67.42%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$14.35 $14.35

$20.33 CA$28.97

-29.41%

Cinema Ticket

$12.88 $12.88

$11.21 CA$15.98

14.90%

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

$1,484 $1,484

$505 CA$720

193.89%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$24.8K $24.8K

$16.0K CA$22.8K

55.12%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$55.3 $55.3

$58.5 CA$83.4

-5.50%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$42.89 $42.89

$38.00 CA$54.2

12.87%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$106 $106

$92.7 CA$132

14.40%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$118 $118

$106 CA$151

11.73%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,181 $1,181

$1,240 CA$1,768

-4.75%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,119 $1,119

$986 CA$1,405

13.50%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,339 $2,339

$2,102 CA$2,996

11.26%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,963 $1,963

$1,615 CA$2,302

21.56%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$2,496 $2,496

$5,043 CA$7,188

-50.51%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,214 $2,214

$3,830 CA$5,459

-42.20%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$3,942 $3,942

$2,920 CA$4,163

34.97%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

6.57

4.46

47.31%

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

Last update for Albuquerque, NM: October 6, 2026

Last update for Montreal: October 6, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Albuquerque, NM

$1.1K 47.7%

Montreal

$986 47.9% 11.9% $133

Groceries & Markets

Albuquerque, NM

$404 17.2%

Montreal

$344 16.7% 15% $61

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Albuquerque, NM

$294 12.5%

Montreal

$154 7.5% 47.7% $140

Eating Out

Albuquerque, NM

$292 12.4%

Montreal

$293 14.2% 0.4% $1

Clothing & Footwear

Albuquerque, NM

$145 6.2%

Montreal

$133 6.5% 8.5% $12

Sport & Entertainment

Albuquerque, NM

$74 3.2%

Montreal

$51 2.5% 30.8% $23

Getting Around

Albuquerque, NM

$18 * 0.8%

Montreal

$98 4.8% 450% $80

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

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $1,181 in Albuquerque, NM 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 35% higher in Albuquerque, NM, 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 Albuquerque, NM versus $75.0 in Montreal. Groceries tell a different story – $404 in Albuquerque, NM vs $344 in Montreal – so Montreal wins on supermarket bills even if dining out costs more.

Good to know

🇺🇸 Albuquerque, NM

🇨🇦 Montreal

🕒 Local time

06:04 6:04 AM

08:04 8:04 AM

2 h ahead of Albuquerque, NM

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

564,559

1,762,949

💱 Currency

United States Dollar USD $

Canadian Dollar CAD $

📈 Exchange rate

1 USD = 0.892 EUR

1 CAD = 0.702 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 10, 2026: 1 EUR = 1.12 USD (1 USD = 0.892 EUR).

Canadian Dollar exchange rates as of October 10, 2026: 1 USD = 1.43 CAD (1 CAD = 0.702 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

Albuquerque, NM Montreal 3,010 km ≈ 4 h 15 min nonstop flight

From you

Albuquerque, NM
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

Albuquerque, NM vs Montreal: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Albuquerque, NM costs about 19% more than Montreal, 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 $3,571 per month in Albuquerque, NM 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.

Monthly expenses with rent come to $2,381 in Albuquerque, NM and $2,003 in Montreal. That's a gap of about 19%.

Public transport costs about 1832% less in Montreal. For daily commuters, that gap adds up to noticeable savings over a year.

A $2,000 monthly budget goes further in Montreal, where all-in costs run around $2,003, than in Albuquerque, NM at $2,381. In Montreal it covers expenses comfortably, while in Albuquerque, NM it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.

For digital nomads, it depends on budget. Montreal costs $2,003 versus $2,381 in Albuquerque, NM. 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, Albuquerque, NM makes more sense. Both are solid long-term options with distinct trade-offs.