Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Ames, IA and Montreal

For one person, living is cheaper in Montreal: $2,018 a month against $2,142 in Ames, IA, rent and utilities included – about $1,500 less a year. The total is higher in Ames, IA despite lower rent and utilities.

104

Cost of Living Index in Ames, IA
Learn more

Ames, IA Living Index
99

Cost of Living Index in Montreal
Learn more

Montreal Living Index

Jump to prices

Ames, IA

🇺🇸 United States

$2,142

/mo nomad

Montreal

🇨🇦 Canada

$2,018

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $2,142 in Ames, IA versus $2,018 in Montreal.

Ames, IA $2,142
Montreal $2,018

Estimated couple costs with rent: $3,242 in Ames, IA versus $3,085 in Montreal.

Ames, IA $3,242
Montreal $3,085

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $4,342 in Ames, IA versus $4,152 in Montreal.

Ames, IA $4,342
Montreal $4,152

Living in Ames, IA is roughly 6% more expensive than in Montreal, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Ames, IA 59% above, Montreal 49% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$18.13 $18.13

$18.82 CA$26.61

-3.67%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$52.0 $52.0

$70.3 CA$99.4

-25.99%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$12.18 $12.18

$10.66 CA$15.06

14.26%

Cappuccino

$4.87 $4.87

$3.84 CA$5.43

26.82%

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

$2.60 $2.60

$1.92 CA$2.71

35.42%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.25 $2.25

$1.54 CA$2.18

46.10%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$4.05 $4.05

$6.23 CA$8.81

-34.99%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$6.81 $6.81

$7.10 CA$10.03

-4.08%

Milk (1 liter)

$0.89 $0.89

$2.31 CA$3.27

-61.47%

White Bread (500g)

$3.55 $3.55

$3.14 CA$4.44

13.06%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$3.26 $3.26

$3.21 CA$4.54

1.56%

Eggs

$3.34 $3.34

$3.52 CA$4.97

-5.11%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$10.08 $10.08

$12.81 CA$18.11

-21.31%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$13.62 $13.62

$11.46 CA$16.20

18.85%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$19.05 $19.05

$13.39 CA$18.92

42.27%

Apples (1kg)

$5.88 $5.88

$3.14 CA$4.43

87.26%

Banana (1kg)

$1.82 $1.82

$1.44 CA$2.03

26.39%

Oranges (1kg)

$6.69 $6.69

$3.47 CA$4.91

92.80%

Tomato (1kg)

$5.22 $5.22

$3.07 CA$4.34

70.03%

Potato (1kg)

$4.54 $4.54

$1.90 CA$2.69

138.95%

Onion (1kg)

$4.07 $4.07

$1.77 CA$2.50

129.94%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.32 $2.32

$2.34 CA$3.31

-0.85%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$2.44 $2.44

$1.55 CA$2.19

57.42%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$13.03 $13.03

$11.38 CA$16.09

14.50%

Wine (Bottle)

$16.11 $16.11

$10.63 CA$15.03

51.55%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.87 $2.87

$2.27 CA$3.21

26.43%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.98 $4.98

$2.82 CA$3.99

76.60%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.99 $0.99

$2.66 CA$3.76

-62.78%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$35.57 $35.57

$77.3 CA$109

-53.98%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$5.09 $5.09

$3.20 CA$4.53

59.06%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.69 $1.69

$1.48 CA$2.09

14.19%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$24.13 $24.13

$32.88 CA$46.48

-26.61%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$0.96 $0.96

$1.34 CA$1.90

-28.36%

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

$24.7K $24.7K

$28.2K CA$39.8K

-12.14%

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

$25.1K $25.1K

$19.6K CA$27.8K

27.73%

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

$176 $176

$76.0 CA$107

132.10%

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

$54.3 $54.3

$33.95 CA$48.00

60.00%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$71.2 $71.2

$42.31 CA$59.8

68.21%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$69.0 $69.0

$29.76 CA$42.07

131.89%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$19.74 $19.74

$20.28 CA$28.67

-2.66%

Cinema Ticket

$15.97 $15.97

$11.15 CA$15.77

43.23%

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

$1,370 $1,370

$507 CA$717

170.11%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$36.1K $36.1K

$16.1K CA$22.7K

125.17%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$58.4 $58.4

$57.6 CA$81.4

1.48%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$44.68 $44.68

$37.58 CA$53.1

18.89%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$90.1 $90.1

$91.9 CA$130

-1.93%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$105 $105

$110 CA$155

-4.56%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,005 $1,005

$1,260 CA$1,782

-20.25%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$822 $822

$948 CA$1,340

-13.23%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,860 $1,860

$2,137 CA$3,021

-12.94%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,505 $1,505

$1,614 CA$2,281

-6.76%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$2,432 $2,432

$4,960 CA$7,011

-50.96%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,185 $2,185

$3,838 CA$5,425

-43.07%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$3,597 $3,597

$2,827 CA$3,997

27.23%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

6.41

4.48

43.08%

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

Last update for Ames, IA: October 11, 2026

Last update for Montreal: October 12, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Ames, IA

$822 38.4%

Montreal

$948 47% 15.3% $125

Groceries & Markets

Ames, IA

$436 20.4%

Montreal

$346 17.2% 20.6% $90

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Ames, IA

$302 14.1%

Montreal

$152 7.5% 49.6% $150

Eating Out

Ames, IA

$293 13.7%

Montreal

$288 14.3% 1.9% $5.5

Clothing & Footwear

Ames, IA

$134 6.3%

Montreal

$133 6.6% 0.4% $0.5

Sport & Entertainment

Ames, IA

$101 4.7%

Montreal

$52 2.6% 48.4% $49

Getting Around

Ames, IA

$53 2.5%

Montreal

$99 4.9% 85.6% $45

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,005 in Ames, IA and $1,260 in Montreal. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Ames, IA pays 27% 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 Ames, IA vs $70.0 in Montreal. Groceries flip the comparison at $436 vs $346, with Montreal cheaper for home cooking.

Good to know

🇺🇸 Ames, IA

🇨🇦 Montreal

🕒 Local time

16:10 4:10 PM

17:10 5:10 PM

1 h ahead of Ames, IA

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

66,427

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 18, 2026: 1 EUR = 1.12 USD (1 USD = 0.89 EUR).

Canadian Dollar exchange rates as of October 18, 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 →

On the map

Lowest

Highest

Between locations

Ames, IA Montreal 1,650 km ≈ 2 h 30 min nonstop flight

From you

Ames, IA
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

Ames, IA vs Montreal: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Montreal wins on cost – living expenses run 6% lower than in Ames, IA. Housing and daily spending are where you'll feel the difference most, making Montreal the obvious pick if budget is a priority.

Average pay runs 27% higher in Ames, IA, which matters when comparing affordability. Whether that higher income actually nets you more depends on your spending habits and housing choices.

Rent for a central apartment: $1,005 in Ames, IA versus $1,260 in Montreal. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

A monthly transit pass in Montreal runs roughly 117% less than in Ames, IA. Both cities have functional networks, but the price difference matters if you're watching your budget.

Childcare runs $1,370 in Ames, IA versus $507 in Montreal. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

At $2,018 in Montreal versus $2,142 in Ames, IA, a $2,000 budget is realistic in Montreal but tight or insufficient in Ames, IA. The gap between the two cities makes Montreal the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

Both work as nomad bases, but Montreal delivers better value – similar infrastructure at $2,018 monthly. If stretching your runway or maximizing savings is the goal, the price difference makes Montreal hard to pass up.

Safety-wise, Ames, IA 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.

Expats usually find Montreal gentler on the wallet – expenses run 6% less than in Ames, IA. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.