Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Arlington, WA and Montreal

For one person, living is cheaper in Montreal: $2,018 a month against $2,803 in Arlington, WA, rent and utilities included – about $9,400 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

136

Cost of Living Index in Arlington, WA
Learn more

Arlington, WA Living Index
99

Cost of Living Index in Montreal
Learn more

Montreal Living Index

Jump to prices

Arlington, WA

🇺🇸 United States

$2,803

/mo nomad

Montreal

🇨🇦 Canada

$2,018

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $2,803 in Arlington, WA versus $2,018 in Montreal.

Arlington, WA $2,803
Montreal $2,018

Estimated couple costs with rent: $4,283 in Arlington, WA versus $3,085 in Montreal.

Arlington, WA $4,283
Montreal $3,085

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $5,763 in Arlington, WA versus $4,152 in Montreal.

Arlington, WA $5,763
Montreal $4,152

Living in Arlington, WA is roughly 39% more expensive than in Montreal, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Arlington, WA 108% above, Montreal 49% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$24.98 $24.98

$18.82 CA$26.61

32.73%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$101 $101

$70.3 CA$99.4

43.35%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$14.24 $14.24

$10.66 CA$15.06

33.58%

Cappuccino

$5.88 $5.88

$3.84 CA$5.43

53.13%

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

$3.04 $3.04

$1.92 CA$2.71

58.33%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.03 $3.03

$1.54 CA$2.18

96.75%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$7.16 $7.16

$6.23 CA$8.81

14.93%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$6.81 $6.81

$7.10 CA$10.03

-4.08%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.03 $1.03

$2.31 CA$3.27

-55.41%

White Bread (500g)

$3.66 $3.66

$3.14 CA$4.44

16.56%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$4.19 $4.19

$3.21 CA$4.54

30.53%

Eggs

$3.94 $3.94

$3.52 CA$4.97

11.93%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$13.98 $13.98

$12.81 CA$18.11

9.13%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$13.33 $13.33

$11.46 CA$16.20

16.32%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$23.00 $23.00

$13.39 CA$18.92

71.77%

Apples (1kg)

$5.30 $5.30

$3.14 CA$4.43

68.79%

Banana (1kg)

$1.90 $1.90

$1.44 CA$2.03

31.94%

Oranges (1kg)

$4.21 $4.21

$3.47 CA$4.91

21.33%

Tomato (1kg)

$4.92 $4.92

$3.07 CA$4.34

60.26%

Potato (1kg)

$2.02 $2.02

$1.90 CA$2.69

6.32%

Onion (1kg)

$2.40 $2.40

$1.77 CA$2.50

35.59%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.77 $2.77

$2.34 CA$3.31

18.38%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$2.50 $2.50

$1.55 CA$2.19

61.29%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$12.72 $12.72

$11.38 CA$16.09

11.78%

Wine (Bottle)

$14.77 $14.77

$10.63 CA$15.03

38.95%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.98 $1.98

$2.27 CA$3.21

-12.78%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.39 $4.39

$2.82 CA$3.99

55.67%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.66 CA$3.76

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$77.3 CA$109

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$2.62 $2.62

$3.20 CA$4.53

-18.13%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.71 $1.71

$1.48 CA$2.09

15.54%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$29.78 $29.78

$32.88 CA$46.48

-9.43%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.36 $1.36

$1.34 CA$1.90

1.49%

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

$36.1K $36.1K

$28.2K CA$39.8K

28.18%

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

$25.2K $25.2K

$19.6K CA$27.8K

28.31%

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

$293 $293

$76.0 CA$107

285.27%

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

$69.9 $69.9

$33.95 CA$48.00

105.74%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$89.2 $89.2

$42.31 CA$59.8

110.71%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$33.54 $33.54

$29.76 CA$42.07

12.70%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$20.28 CA$28.67

Cinema Ticket

$16.84 $16.84

$11.15 CA$15.77

51.03%

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

$2,983 $2,983

$507 CA$717

488.22%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$30.9K $30.9K

$16.1K CA$22.7K

92.58%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$50.9 $50.9

$57.6 CA$81.4

-11.50%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$54.5 $54.5

$37.58 CA$53.1

45.10%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$100 $100

$91.9 CA$130

8.92%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$135 $135

$110 CA$155

22.90%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,522 $1,522

$1,260 CA$1,782

20.79%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,297 $1,297

$948 CA$1,340

36.84%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,826 $2,826

$2,137 CA$3,021

32.26%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,454 $2,454

$1,614 CA$2,281

52.06%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$4,960 CA$7,011

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$3,838 CA$5,425

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$5,858 $5,858

$2,827 CA$3,997

107.18%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

6.81

4.48

52.01%

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

Last update for Arlington, WA: October 12, 2026

Last update for Montreal: October 12, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Arlington, WA

$1.3K 46.3%

Montreal

$948 47% 26.9% $349

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Arlington, WA

$452 16.1%

Montreal

$152 7.5% 66.3% $299

Groceries & Markets

Arlington, WA

$436 15.6%

Montreal

$346 17.2% 20.6% $90

Eating Out

Arlington, WA

$387 13.8%

Montreal

$288 14.3% 25.6% $99

Clothing & Footwear

Arlington, WA

$153 5.5%

Montreal

$133 6.6% 12.8% $20

Sport & Entertainment

Arlington, WA

$67 2.4%

Montreal

$52 2.6% 22.6% $15

Getting Around

Arlington, WA

$11 * 0.4%

Montreal

$99 4.9% 784% $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 $1,522 in Arlington, WA and $1,260 in Montreal. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Arlington, WA pays 107% 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: $101 in Arlington, WA vs $70.0 in Montreal for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $436 vs $346 per month, with Montreal cheaper across the board.

Good to know

🇺🇸 Arlington, WA

🇨🇦 Montreal

🕒 Local time

23:09 11:09 PM

02:09 2:09 AM

3 h ahead of Arlington, WA

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

365,438

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

Arlington, WA Montreal 3,640 km ≈ 5 h nonstop flight

From you

Arlington, WA
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

Arlington, WA vs Montreal: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Arlington, WA and Montreal differ by about 39% in total monthly costs ($2,803 vs $2,018 including rent). Montreal is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

Average pay runs 107% higher in Arlington, WA, 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: $1,522 in Arlington, WA versus $1,260 in Montreal. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Supermarket bills run roughly 26% higher in Arlington, WA. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

All in, you'll spend $2,803 per month in Arlington, WA versus $2,018 in Montreal – a 39% gap that adds up to real savings over time for anyone picking the cheaper option.

At $2,018 in Montreal versus $2,803 in Arlington, WA, a $2,000 budget is realistic in Montreal but tight or insufficient in Arlington, WA. 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, Arlington, WA 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 39% less than in Arlington, WA. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.