Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Allentown, PA and Montreal

For one person, living is cheaper in Montreal: $2,064 a month against $2,765 in Allentown, PA, rent and utilities included – about $8,400 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

Allentown, PA, United States
Montreal, Canada
Allentown, PA
🇺🇸 United States
$2,765
/mo nomad
Montreal
🇨🇦 Canada
$2,064
/mo nomad
Monthly Cost of Living

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

A single person spends $2,765 per month in Allentown, PA vs $2,064 in Montreal, rent included.

  • Allentown, PA $2,765
  • Montreal $2,064

A couple spends around $3,896 per month in Allentown, PA vs $3,156 in Montreal, rent included.

  • Allentown, PA $3,896
  • Montreal $3,156

A family of three spends $5,027 per month in Allentown, PA vs $4,247 in Montreal, rent included.

  • Allentown, PA $5,027
  • Montreal $4,247

Allentown, PA costs about 34% more than Montreal, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in utilities.

Both Allentown, PA and Montreal sit above the global median – Allentown, PA by 103%, Montreal by 52%.

Currency
🍽 Eating Out
Allentown, PA
Montreal
Difference
Meal at Budget Restaurant
$19.81 $19.81
$18.98 CA$26.64
4.37%
Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range
$91.8 $91.8
$73.0 CA$102
25.77%
Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)
$12.23 $12.23
$10.88 CA$15.27
12.41%
Cappuccino
$5.60 $5.60
$3.81 CA$5.35
46.98%
Coke/Pepsi/Fanta/Sprite (0.33 liter bottle)
$2.62 $2.62
$1.94 CA$2.72
35.05%
Water (0.33 liter bottle)
$1.57 $1.57
$1.58 CA$2.22
-0.63%
Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)
$4.92 $4.92
$6.37 CA$8.94
-22.76%
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$5.84 $5.84
$7.26 CA$10.20
-19.56%
🛒 Groceries & Markets
Allentown, PA
Montreal
Difference
Milk (1 liter)
$1.19 $1.19
$2.23 CA$3.13
-46.64%
White Bread (500g)
$2.10 $2.10
$3.17 CA$4.45
-33.75%
Rice (white) (1kg)
$2.43 $2.43
$3.31 CA$4.64
-26.59%
Eggs
$3.65 $3.65
$3.63 CA$5.09
0.55%
Local Cheese (1kg)
$15.62 $15.62
$13.16 CA$18.47
18.69%
Chicken Fillets (1kg)
$8.37 $8.37
$11.56 CA$16.22
-27.60%
Beef Round Steak (1kg)
$18.95 $18.95
$13.71 CA$19.25
38.22%
Apples (1kg)
$6.78 $6.78
$3.29 CA$4.62
106.08%
Banana (1kg)
$1.65 $1.65
$1.46 CA$2.05
13.01%
Oranges (1kg)
$2.86 $2.86
$3.37 CA$4.73
-15.13%
Tomato (1kg)
$6.65 $6.65
$3.15 CA$4.42
111.11%
Potato (1kg)
$2.68 $2.68
$1.89 CA$2.65
41.80%
Onion (1kg)
$3.30 $3.30
$1.79 CA$2.52
84.36%
Lettuce (1 head)
$2.23 $2.23
$2.47 CA$3.47
-9.72%
Water (1.5 liter bottle)
$2.53 $2.53
$1.58 CA$2.22
60.13%
Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)
$11.71 $11.71
$11.28 CA$15.84
3.81%
Wine (Bottle)
$14.72 $14.72
$10.49 CA$14.73
40.32%
Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)
$2.33 $2.33
$2.34 CA$3.28
-0.43%
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$2.71 $2.71
$2.91 CA$4.09
-6.87%
🚌 Getting Around
Allentown, PA
Montreal
Difference
One-way Ticket (Public Transport)
$2.55 $2.55
$2.61 CA$3.66
-2.30%
Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)
$61.0 $61.0
$79.1 CA$111
-22.87%
Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)
$2.94 $2.94
$3.26 CA$4.57
-9.82%
Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)
$2.20 $2.20
$1.44 CA$2.02
52.78%
Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)
$41.24 $41.24
$33.43 CA$46.92
23.36%
Gasoline (1 liter)
$1.10 $1.10
$1.33 CA$1.87
-17.29%
Midsize Hatchback 1.4l (Volkswagen Golf, Toyota Prius, Honda Civic, etc)
$27.2K $27.2K
$28.6K CA$40.2K
-4.93%
Compact Sedan 1.6l (Toyota Corolla, Mazda3, Kia K4, Hyundai Elantra, etc)
$26.5K $26.5K
$21.1K CA$29.6K
25.50%
🧾 Monthly Utilities & Internet
Allentown, PA
Montreal
Difference
Utilities for 2 People in 2-bedroom Apartment (Heating, Electricity, Gas, Water, Garbage) (85m2)
$188 $188
$80.1 CA$112
134.89%
SIM Card Monthly Plan (Calls and 10GB+ Data)
$54.2 $54.2
$34.30 CA$48.14
58.08%
Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)
$70.6 $70.6
$42.85 CA$60.1
64.83%
🎉 Sport & Entertainment
Allentown, PA
Montreal
Difference
Gym Membership (Monthly)
$30.16 $30.16
$31.14 CA$43.71
-3.15%
Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)
$25.42 $25.42
$19.41 CA$27.24
30.96%
Cinema Ticket
$13.03 $13.03
$11.23 CA$15.76
16.03%
🧸 Childcare & Education
Allentown, PA
Montreal
Difference
Preschool or Kindergarten, Full Day, Private, 1 Child (Monthly)
$1,204 $1,204
$525 CA$737
129.29%
International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)
$11.8K $11.8K
$16.3K CA$22.9K
-27.84%
👕👟 Clothing & Footwear
Allentown, PA
Montreal
Difference
Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)
$37.88 $37.88
$58.0 CA$81.4
-34.69%
Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)
$51.3 $51.3
$38.11 CA$53.5
34.48%
Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)
$89.7 $89.7
$93.4 CA$131
-3.93%
Men's Leather Business Shoes
$118 $118
$110 CA$155
6.97%
🏠 Accommodation & Living
Allentown, PA
Montreal
Difference
1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$1,668 $1,668
$1,285 CA$1,803
29.77%
1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$1,470 $1,470
$977 CA$1,371
50.49%
3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$2,481 $2,481
$2,271 CA$3,187
9.27%
3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$2,048 $2,048
$1,665 CA$2,336
23.00%
Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)
$2,166 $2,166
$5,139 CA$7,212
-57.85%
Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)
$1,905 $1,905
$3,834 CA$5,381
-50.32%
💵 Salaries & Financials
Allentown, PA
Montreal
Difference
Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)
$3,074 $3,074
$3,002 CA$4,213
2.38%
20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)
6.43
4.48
43.53%

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

Last update for Allentown, PA: October 25, 2026

Last update for Montreal: October 25, 2026

Monthly budget structure
Share of the monthly basket for one person, rent included.
Accommodation & Living
Allentown, PA
$1.5K
Montreal
$977 33.6% $493
Groceries & Markets
Allentown, PA
$392
Montreal
$351 10.3% $40
Eating Out
Allentown, PA
$315
Montreal
$291 7.8% $25
Monthly Utilities & Internet
Allentown, PA
$313
Montreal
$157 49.8% $156
Clothing & Footwear
Allentown, PA
$134
Montreal
$135 1% $1.3
Getting Around
Allentown, PA
$85
Montreal
$100 17.5% $15
Sport & Entertainment
Allentown, PA
$56
Montreal
$54 4.7% $2.6

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $1,668 in Allentown, PA versus $1,285 in Montreal. Rent is usually the largest line item in a monthly budget, so the gap here sets the tone for the overall comparison.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $92 in Allentown, PA versus $73 in Montreal. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $392 vs $351 – making Montreal the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know
🇺🇸 Allentown, PA
🇨🇦 Montreal
🕒 Local time
19:08 7:08 PM
19:08 7:08 PM
Same time as Allentown, PA
🌤 Weather
👥 Population
120,443
1,762,949
Exchange rates and currency converter

CAD, EUR to USD – United States Dollar Converter

United States Dollar exchange rates as of October 28, 2026: 1 EUR = 1.11 USD (1 USD = 0.898 EUR).

Canadian Dollar exchange rates as of October 28, 2026: 1 USD = 1.4 CAD (1 CAD = 0.713 USD). 1 EUR = 1.56 CAD (1 CAD = 0.64 EUR).

On the map
Between locations
  • Allentown, PA Montreal 570 km ≈ 1 h 15 min nonstop flight
From you
  • Allentown, PA
  • 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
Allentown, PA vs Montreal: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions
Which city is more expensive, Allentown, PA or Montreal?
Allentown, PA costs about 34% more than Montreal, and outside of rent the gap comes mainly from utilities. That’s enough to noticeably affect everyday spending and lifestyle for anyone choosing between the two.
How much do you need to earn to live comfortably in Allentown, PA and in Montreal?
For a comfortable life, plan on about $4,147 per month in Allentown, PA and $3,096 in Montreal. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.
Where is rent cheaper, Allentown, PA or Montreal?
Rent is clearly cheaper in Montreal, especially for central apartments: a one-bedroom in the center costs $1,285 there versus $1,668 in Allentown, PA.
How expensive is transport in Allentown, PA compared to Montreal?
Public transport costs about 23% less in Allentown, PA. For daily commuters, that gap adds up to noticeable savings over a year.
How do childcare costs compare in Allentown, PA and in Montreal?
Kindergarten costs $1,204 per month in Allentown, PA and $525 in Montreal. For families with young kids, this one expense can tip the scales when choosing between the two cities.
Can you live on $2,000/month in Allentown, PA or in Montreal?
$2,000 is a stretch for both – monthly costs hit $2,765 in Allentown, PA and $2,064 in Montreal. You’ll need shared housing and careful budgeting no matter which city you pick.
Which city is better for families?
Families tend to lean toward Montreal – lower housing and cheaper childcare make a real difference, especially on a single income or when paying for private education.

Allentown, PA vs other spots: cost of living compared

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