Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Ann Arbor, MI and Montreal

For one person, living is cheaper in Montreal: $2,059 a month against $2,750 in Ann Arbor, MI, rent and utilities included – about $8,300 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

133

Cost of Living Index in Ann Arbor, MI
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Ann Arbor, MI Living Index
99

Cost of Living Index in Montreal
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Montreal Living Index

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Ann Arbor, MI

🇺🇸 United States

$2,750

/mo nomad

Montreal

🇨🇦 Canada

$2,059

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $2,750 in Ann Arbor, MI versus $2,059 in Montreal.

Ann Arbor, MI $2,750
Montreal $2,059

Estimated couple costs with rent: $4,198 in Ann Arbor, MI versus $3,123 in Montreal.

Ann Arbor, MI $4,198
Montreal $3,123

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $5,646 in Ann Arbor, MI versus $4,187 in Montreal.

Ann Arbor, MI $5,646
Montreal $4,187

Living in Ann Arbor, MI is roughly 34% more expensive than in Montreal, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Ann Arbor, MI 103% above, Montreal 52% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$18.66 $18.66

$18.84 CA$26.63

-0.96%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$59.3 $59.3

$73.2 CA$104

-18.98%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$11.76 $11.76

$10.54 CA$14.90

11.57%

Cappuccino

$5.18 $5.18

$3.97 CA$5.61

30.48%

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

$2.90 $2.90

$1.94 CA$2.74

49.48%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.09 $2.09

$1.57 CA$2.22

33.12%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$6.47 $6.47

$6.42 CA$9.08

0.78%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$8.14 $8.14

$7.20 CA$10.19

13.06%

Milk (1 liter)

$0.99 $0.99

$2.32 CA$3.28

-57.33%

White Bread (500g)

$3.83 $3.83

$3.19 CA$4.51

20.06%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$4.88 $4.88

$3.19 CA$4.50

52.98%

Eggs

$3.82 $3.82

$3.68 CA$5.20

3.80%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$19.36 $19.36

$13.24 CA$18.72

46.22%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$13.03 $13.03

$11.69 CA$16.53

11.46%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$14.93 $14.93

$13.98 CA$19.76

6.80%

Apples (1kg)

$6.91 $6.91

$3.14 CA$4.44

120.06%

Banana (1kg)

$1.86 $1.86

$1.45 CA$2.05

28.28%

Oranges (1kg)

$3.81 $3.81

$3.38 CA$4.78

12.72%

Tomato (1kg)

$4.50 $4.50

$3.11 CA$4.40

44.69%

Potato (1kg)

$2.39 $2.39

$1.93 CA$2.72

23.83%

Onion (1kg)

$2.85 $2.85

$1.83 CA$2.58

55.74%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.52 $2.52

$2.36 CA$3.34

6.78%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$2.02 $2.02

$1.50 CA$2.12

34.67%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$10.32 $10.32

$11.12 CA$15.73

-7.19%

Wine (Bottle)

$15.09 $15.09

$10.60 CA$14.98

42.36%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.18 $2.18

$2.22 CA$3.14

-1.80%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.79 $3.79

$2.84 CA$4.01

33.45%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.78 $1.78

$2.62 CA$3.71

-32.06%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$45.62 $45.62

$79.1 CA$112

-42.36%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$2.93 $2.93

$3.23 CA$4.56

-9.29%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.51 $1.51

$1.48 CA$2.10

2.03%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$26.09 $26.09

$32.22 CA$45.55

-19.03%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.06 $1.06

$1.36 CA$1.92

-22.06%

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

$29.6K $29.6K

$27.6K CA$39.1K

7.08%

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

$26.2K $26.2K

$21.2K CA$30.0K

23.68%

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

$201 $201

$77.0 CA$109

160.86%

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

$58.9 $58.9

$34.14 CA$48.26

72.52%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$73.0 $73.0

$42.19 CA$59.7

73.12%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$63.2 $63.2

$30.81 CA$43.56

105.13%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$19.46 $19.46

$19.66 CA$27.79

-1.02%

Cinema Ticket

$13.22 $13.22

$11.47 CA$16.22

15.26%

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

$1,999 $1,999

$506 CA$716

294.89%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$19.6K $19.6K

$16.2K CA$23.0K

20.90%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$55.8 $55.8

$57.3 CA$81.0

-2.64%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$44.52 $44.52

$38.10 CA$53.9

16.85%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$113 $113

$91.9 CA$130

23.02%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$106 $106

$110 CA$155

-3.37%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,077 $2,077

$1,237 CA$1,748

67.98%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,375 $1,375

$977 CA$1,381

40.77%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$3,811 $3,811

$2,180 CA$3,082

74.83%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,692 $2,692

$1,608 CA$2,273

67.43%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$5,516 $5,516

$5,113 CA$7,228

7.88%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,597 $2,597

$3,744 CA$5,293

-30.65%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$5,148 $5,148

$2,957 CA$4,180

74.09%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

6.6

4.48

47.32%

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

Last update for Ann Arbor, MI: October 17, 2026

Last update for Montreal: October 20, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Ann Arbor, MI

$1.4K 50%

Montreal

$977 47.4% 29% $398

Groceries & Markets

Ann Arbor, MI

$430 15.7%

Montreal

$351 17.1% 18.4% $79

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Ann Arbor, MI

$333 12.1%

Montreal

$153 7.5% 53.9% $180

Eating Out

Ann Arbor, MI

$315 11.5%

Montreal

$290 14.1% 7.9% $25

Clothing & Footwear

Ann Arbor, MI

$144 5.2%

Montreal

$134 6.5% 7% $10

Sport & Entertainment

Ann Arbor, MI

$90 3.3%

Montreal

$54 2.6% 40% $36

Getting Around

Ann Arbor, MI

$63 2.3%

Montreal

$100 4.9% 58.5% $37

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $2,077 in Ann Arbor, MI and $1,237 in Montreal. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Ann Arbor, MI pays 74% 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: $59.0 in Ann Arbor, MI vs $73.0 in Montreal. Groceries flip the comparison at $430 vs $351, with Montreal cheaper for home cooking.

Good to know

🇺🇸 Ann Arbor, MI

🇨🇦 Montreal

🕒 Local time

18:33 6:33 PM

Same time as Ann Arbor, MI

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

123,851

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 21, 2026: 1 EUR = 1.12 USD (1 USD = 0.89 EUR).

Canadian Dollar exchange rates as of October 21, 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 →

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Between locations

Ann Arbor, MI Montreal 890 km ≈ 1 h 30 min nonstop flight

From you

Ann Arbor, MI
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

Ann Arbor, MI vs Montreal: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Ann Arbor, MI and Montreal differ by about 34% in total monthly costs ($2,750 vs $2,059 including rent). Montreal is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

Average pay runs 74% higher in Ann Arbor, MI, 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: $2,077 in Ann Arbor, MI versus $1,237 in Montreal. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Dining out is cheaper in Montreal – a meal for two runs $73.0 versus $59.0 in Ann Arbor, MI. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

All in, you'll spend $2,750 per month in Ann Arbor, MI versus $2,059 in Montreal – a 34% gap that adds up to real savings over time for anyone picking the cheaper option.

At $2,059 in Montreal versus $2,750 in Ann Arbor, MI, a $2,000 budget is realistic in Montreal but tight or insufficient in Ann Arbor, MI. The gap between the two cities makes Montreal the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

Both cities offer a good standard of living with different trade-offs. Neither is objectively better – the right pick depends on what matters most: affordability, career, cultural scene, or climate.

Safety-wise, Ann Arbor, MI 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 34% less than in Ann Arbor, MI. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.