Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Bellevue, WA and Montreal

For one person, living is cheaper in Montreal: $2,018 a month against $3,719 in Bellevue, WA, rent and utilities included – about $20,400 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

181

Cost of Living Index in Bellevue, WA
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Bellevue, WA Living Index
99

Cost of Living Index in Montreal
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Montreal Living Index

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Bellevue, WA

🇺🇸 United States

$3,719

/mo nomad

Montreal

🇨🇦 Canada

$2,018

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $3,719 in Bellevue, WA versus $2,018 in Montreal.

Bellevue, WA $3,719
Montreal $2,018

Estimated couple costs with rent: $5,673 in Bellevue, WA versus $3,085 in Montreal.

Bellevue, WA $5,673
Montreal $3,085

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $7,628 in Bellevue, WA versus $4,152 in Montreal.

Bellevue, WA $7,628
Montreal $4,152

Living in Bellevue, WA is roughly 84% more expensive than in Montreal, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Bellevue, WA 175% above, Montreal 49% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$25.37 $25.37

$18.82 CA$26.61

34.80%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$102 $102

$70.3 CA$99.4

44.43%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$13.04 $13.04

$10.66 CA$15.06

22.33%

Cappuccino

$5.82 $5.82

$3.84 CA$5.43

51.56%

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

$3.21 $3.21

$1.92 CA$2.71

67.19%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.62 $2.62

$1.54 CA$2.18

70.13%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$8.07 $8.07

$6.23 CA$8.81

29.53%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$8.08 $8.08

$7.10 CA$10.03

13.80%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.10 $1.10

$2.31 CA$3.27

-52.38%

White Bread (500g)

$4.86 $4.86

$3.14 CA$4.44

54.78%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$6.00 $6.00

$3.21 CA$4.54

86.92%

Eggs

$5.55 $5.55

$3.52 CA$4.97

57.67%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$16.32 $16.32

$12.81 CA$18.11

27.40%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$15.78 $15.78

$11.46 CA$16.20

37.70%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$23.03 $23.03

$13.39 CA$18.92

71.99%

Apples (1kg)

$5.59 $5.59

$3.14 CA$4.43

78.03%

Banana (1kg)

$1.87 $1.87

$1.44 CA$2.03

29.86%

Oranges (1kg)

$5.29 $5.29

$3.47 CA$4.91

52.45%

Tomato (1kg)

$4.53 $4.53

$3.07 CA$4.34

47.56%

Potato (1kg)

$2.64 $2.64

$1.90 CA$2.69

38.95%

Onion (1kg)

$3.18 $3.18

$1.77 CA$2.50

79.66%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.03 $2.03

$2.34 CA$3.31

-13.25%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$2.49 $2.49

$1.55 CA$2.19

60.65%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$12.17 $12.17

$11.38 CA$16.09

6.94%

Wine (Bottle)

$18.59 $18.59

$10.63 CA$15.03

74.88%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.17 $2.17

$2.27 CA$3.21

-4.41%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.76 $4.76

$2.82 CA$3.99

68.79%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.80 $2.80

$2.66 CA$3.76

5.26%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$106 $106

$77.3 CA$109

37.74%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$2.54 $2.54

$3.20 CA$4.53

-20.63%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.65 $1.65

$1.48 CA$2.09

11.49%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$30.32 $30.32

$32.88 CA$46.48

-7.79%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.44 $1.44

$1.34 CA$1.90

7.46%

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

$36.7K $36.7K

$28.2K CA$39.8K

30.50%

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

$25.8K $25.8K

$19.6K CA$27.8K

31.49%

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

$226 $226

$76.0 CA$107

197.37%

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

$54.0 $54.0

$33.95 CA$48.00

58.94%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$65.8 $65.8

$42.31 CA$59.8

55.50%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$134 $134

$29.76 CA$42.07

350.24%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$39.89 $39.89

$20.28 CA$28.67

96.70%

Cinema Ticket

$17.31 $17.31

$11.15 CA$15.77

55.25%

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

$1,980 $1,980

$507 CA$717

290.45%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$31.5K $31.5K

$16.1K CA$22.7K

96.50%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$60.8 $60.8

$57.6 CA$81.4

5.66%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$44.35 $44.35

$37.58 CA$53.1

18.01%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$95.8 $95.8

$91.9 CA$130

4.23%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$127 $127

$110 CA$155

16.18%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,683 $2,683

$1,260 CA$1,782

112.83%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,041 $2,041

$948 CA$1,340

115.39%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$5,658 $5,658

$2,137 CA$3,021

164.78%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$3,822 $3,822

$1,614 CA$2,281

136.84%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$4,604 $4,604

$4,960 CA$7,011

-7.16%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$4,735 $4,735

$3,838 CA$5,425

23.40%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$8,805 $8,805

$2,827 CA$3,997

211.42%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

6.64

4.48

48.21%

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

Last update for Bellevue, WA: October 13, 2026

Last update for Montreal: October 12, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Bellevue, WA

$2K 54.9%

Montreal

$948 47% 53.6% $1.1K

Groceries & Markets

Bellevue, WA

$495 13.3%

Montreal

$346 17.2% 30.1% $149

Eating Out

Bellevue, WA

$392 10.5%

Montreal

$288 14.3% 26.5% $104

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Bellevue, WA

$346 9.3%

Montreal

$152 7.5% 56% $193

Sport & Entertainment

Bellevue, WA

$169 4.5%

Montreal

$52 2.6% 69.1% $117

Clothing & Footwear

Bellevue, WA

$148 4%

Montreal

$133 6.6% 9.6% $14

Getting Around

Bellevue, WA

$128 3.5%

Montreal

$99 4.9% 23.3% $30

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $2,683 in Bellevue, WA and $1,260 in Montreal. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Bellevue, WA pays 211% 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: $102 in Bellevue, WA vs $70.0 in Montreal for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $495 vs $346 per month, with Montreal cheaper across the board.

Good to know

🇺🇸 Bellevue, WA

🇨🇦 Montreal

🕒 Local time

14:53 2:53 PM

17:53 5:53 PM

3 h ahead of Bellevue, WA

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

151,854

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 19, 2026: 1 EUR = 1.12 USD (1 USD = 0.89 EUR).

Canadian Dollar exchange rates as of October 19, 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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Bellevue, WA Montreal 3,660 km ≈ 5 h nonstop flight

From you

Bellevue, 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

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

Montreal is cheaper overall, especially in groceries, eating out, and leisure. The 84% gap adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

Average pay runs 211% higher in Bellevue, 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: $2,683 in Bellevue, WA versus $1,260 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 $70.0 versus $102 in Bellevue, WA. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

All in, you'll spend $3,719 per month in Bellevue, WA versus $2,018 in Montreal – a 84% gap that adds up to real savings over time for anyone picking the cheaper option.

At $2,018 in Montreal versus $3,719 in Bellevue, WA, a $2,000 budget is realistic in Montreal but tight or insufficient in Bellevue, WA. The gap between the two cities makes Montreal the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

For families, Montreal is more practical. Housing and childcare are both notably cheaper than in Bellevue, WA, and the savings on those two alone free up budget for education, activities, and family trips.

Safety-wise, Bellevue, 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 84% less than in Bellevue, WA. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.