Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Alexandria, LA and Montreal

For one person, living costs are similar in Alexandria, LA and in Montreal: $2,032 and $2,003 a month, rent and utilities included.

Alexandria, LA
🇺🇸 United States
$2,032
/mo nomad
Montreal
🇨🇦 Canada
$2,003
/mo nomad
Monthly Cost of Living

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $2,032 in Alexandria, LA versus $2,003 in Montreal.

  • Alexandria, LA $2,032
  • Montreal $2,003

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,888 in Alexandria, LA versus $3,048 in Montreal.

  • Alexandria, LA $2,888
  • Montreal $3,048

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,745 in Alexandria, LA versus $4,092 in Montreal.

  • Alexandria, LA $3,745
  • Montreal $4,092

Living in Alexandria, LA is roughly 1% more expensive than in Montreal, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in transport.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Alexandria, LA 52% above, Montreal 49% above.

Currency
🍽 Eating Out
Alexandria, LA
Montreal
Difference
Meal at Budget Restaurant
$16.26 $16.26
$19.31 CA$27.52
-15.79%
Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range
$51.9 $51.9
$75.5 CA$108
-31.22%
Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)
$10.07 $10.07
$10.63 CA$15.15
-5.27%
Cappuccino
$5.34 $5.34
$3.93 CA$5.60
35.88%
Coke/Pepsi/Fanta/Sprite (0.33 liter bottle)
$2.44 $2.44
$1.92 CA$2.73
27.08%
Water (0.33 liter bottle)
$2.20 $2.20
$1.48 CA$2.11
48.65%
Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)
$6.03 $6.03
$6.30 CA$8.98
-4.29%
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$8.07 $8.07
$7.19 CA$10.24
12.24%
🛒 Groceries & Markets
Alexandria, LA
Montreal
Difference
Milk (1 liter)
$1.35 $1.35
$2.22 CA$3.17
-39.19%
White Bread (500g)
$1.66 $1.66
$3.06 CA$4.36
-45.75%
Rice (white) (1kg)
$6.03 $6.03
$2.94 CA$4.19
105.10%
Eggs
$5.47 $5.47
$3.53 CA$5.03
54.96%
Local Cheese (1kg)
$8.63 $8.63
$13.19 CA$18.79
-34.57%
Chicken Fillets (1kg)
$6.73 $6.73
$11.24 CA$16.02
-40.12%
Beef Round Steak (1kg)
$15.60 $15.60
$13.81 CA$19.69
12.96%
Apples (1kg)
$5.24 $5.24
$3.40 CA$4.85
54.12%
Banana (1kg)
$1.29 $1.29
$1.44 CA$2.06
-10.42%
Oranges (1kg)
$5.37 $5.37
$3.26 CA$4.65
64.72%
Tomato (1kg)
$5.71 $5.71
$2.88 CA$4.10
98.26%
Potato (1kg)
$4.29 $4.29
$1.86 CA$2.65
130.65%
Onion (1kg)
$2.23 $2.23
$1.82 CA$2.60
22.53%
Lettuce (1 head)
$2.25 $2.25
$2.43 CA$3.46
-7.41%
Water (1.5 liter bottle)
$2.57 $2.57
$1.52 CA$2.17
69.08%
Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)
$9.20 $9.20
$11.45 CA$16.32
-19.65%
Wine (Bottle)
$16.54 $16.54
$10.36 CA$14.76
59.65%
Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)
$2.58 $2.58
$2.22 CA$3.16
16.22%
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$4.01 $4.01
$2.82 CA$4.02
42.20%
🚌 Getting Around
Alexandria, LA
Montreal
Difference
One-way Ticket (Public Transport)
-
$2.58 CA$3.67
-
Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)
-
$76.9 CA$110
-
Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)
$3.42 $3.42
$3.25 CA$4.64
5.23%
Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)
$1.52 $1.52
$1.48 CA$2.11
2.70%
Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)
$35.07 $35.07
$33.04 CA$47.09
6.14%
Gasoline (1 liter)
$0.68 $0.68
$1.36 CA$1.94
-50.00%
Midsize Hatchback 1.4l (Volkswagen Golf, Toyota Prius, Honda Civic, etc)
$36.2K $36.2K
$27.4K CA$39.1K
32.02%
Compact Sedan 1.6l (Toyota Corolla, Mazda3, Kia K4, Hyundai Elantra, etc)
$25.2K $25.2K
$20.0K CA$28.5K
26.24%
🧾 Monthly Utilities & Internet
Alexandria, LA
Montreal
Difference
Utilities for 2 People in 2-bedroom Apartment (Heating, Electricity, Gas, Water, Garbage) (85m2)
$185 $185
$76.1 CA$109
143.31%
SIM Card Monthly Plan (Calls and 10GB+ Data)
$71.5 $71.5
$34.68 CA$49.43
106.06%
Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)
$72.3 $72.3
$42.69 CA$60.9
69.38%
🎉 Sport & Entertainment
Alexandria, LA
Montreal
Difference
Gym Membership (Monthly)
-
$28.94 CA$41.26
-
Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)
-
$20.33 CA$28.97
-
Cinema Ticket
$12.59 $12.59
$11.21 CA$15.98
12.31%
🧸 Childcare & Education
Alexandria, LA
Montreal
Difference
Preschool or Kindergarten, Full Day, Private, 1 Child (Monthly)
$1,591 $1,591
$505 CA$720
214.93%
International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)
$10.3K $10.3K
$16.0K CA$22.8K
-35.90%
👕👟 Clothing & Footwear
Alexandria, LA
Montreal
Difference
Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)
$57.6 $57.6
$58.5 CA$83.4
-1.57%
Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)
$43.39 $43.39
$38.00 CA$54.2
14.18%
Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)
$87.9 $87.9
$92.7 CA$132
-5.15%
Men's Leather Business Shoes
$119 $119
$106 CA$151
12.57%
🏠 Accommodation & Living
Alexandria, LA
Montreal
Difference
1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$919 $919
$1,240 CA$1,768
-25.87%
1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$898 $898
$986 CA$1,405
-8.90%
3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$1,428 $1,428
$2,102 CA$2,996
-32.07%
3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$1,291 $1,291
$1,615 CA$2,302
-20.05%
Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)
$1,276 $1,276
$5,043 CA$7,188
-74.70%
Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)
$1,277 $1,277
$3,830 CA$5,459
-66.66%
💵 Salaries & Financials
Alexandria, LA
Montreal
Difference
Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)
$2,947 $2,947
$2,920 CA$4,163
0.90%
20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)
6.66
4.46
49.33%

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

Last update for Alexandria, LA: October 4, 2026

Last update for Montreal: October 6, 2026

Monthly budget structure
Share of the monthly basket for one person, rent included.
Accommodation & Living
Alexandria, LA
$898
Montreal
$986 9.8% $88
Groceries & Markets
Alexandria, LA
$378
Montreal
$344 9% $34
Monthly Utilities & Internet
Alexandria, LA
$329
Montreal
$154 53.3% $175
Eating Out
Alexandria, LA
$289
Montreal
$293 1.2% $3.5
Clothing & Footwear
Alexandria, LA
$139
Montreal
$133 4.2% $5.8
Sport & Entertainment
Alexandria, LA
$25 *
Montreal
$51 104% $26
Getting Around
Alexandria, LA
$11 *
Montreal
$98 788% $87

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

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $919 in Alexandria, LA and $1,240 in Montreal. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Alexandria, LA pays 1% more on average. The extra income cushions the higher costs, though housing choices and lifestyle decide how much of the gap is truly closed.

Dining out: $52.0 in Alexandria, LA vs $75.0 in Montreal. Groceries flip the comparison at $378 vs $344, with Montreal cheaper for home cooking.

Good to know
🇺🇸 Alexandria, LA
🇨🇦 Montreal
🕒 Local time
21:58 9:58 PM
22:58 10:58 PM
1 h ahead of Alexandria, LA
🌤 Weather
👥 Population
160,035
1,762,949
Exchange rates and currency converter

CAD, EUR to USD – United States Dollar Converter

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).

On the map
Between locations
  • Alexandria, LA Montreal 2,270 km ≈ 3 h 15 min nonstop flight
From you
  • Alexandria, LA
  • 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
Alexandria, LA vs Montreal: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions
Is Montreal cheaper than Alexandria, LA?
Montreal is cheaper overall, especially in groceries, utilities, and clothing. The 1% gap adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.
Where can you earn more: Alexandria, LA or Montreal?
Average pay runs 1% higher in Alexandria, LA, which matters when comparing affordability. Whether that higher income actually nets you more depends on your spending habits and housing choices.
What is the rent difference between Alexandria, LA and Montreal?
Rent for a central apartment: $919 in Alexandria, LA versus $1,240 in Montreal. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.
How do food prices compare in Alexandria, LA and in Montreal?
Supermarket bills run roughly 10% higher in Alexandria, LA. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.
What are total monthly expenses in Alexandria, LA and in Montreal?
All in, you'll spend $2,032 per month in Alexandria, LA versus $2,003 in Montreal – a 1% gap that adds up to real savings over time for anyone picking the cheaper option.
Is $2,000 a realistic budget for living in Alexandria, LA or in Montreal?
At $2,003 in Montreal versus $2,032 in Alexandria, LA, a $2,000 budget is realistic in Montreal but tight or insufficient in Alexandria, LA. The gap between the two cities makes Montreal the clear choice for anyone on this budget.
Is Alexandria, LA or Montreal more family-friendly?
For families, Montreal is more practical. Housing and childcare are both notably cheaper than in Alexandria, LA, and the savings on those two alone free up budget for education, activities, and family trips.
Which city is safer, Alexandria, LA or Montreal?
Safety-wise, Alexandria, LA and Montreal are on par. Petty crime is typical for cities this size, and most residents feel comfortable going about their daily routines in either place.
Which city is easier to live in as a foreigner?
Expats usually find Montreal gentler on the wallet – expenses run 1% less than in Alexandria, LA. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.

Alexandria, LA vs other spots: cost of living compared

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