Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Boise, ID and Montreal

For one person, living is cheaper in Montreal: $2,003 a month against $2,555 in Boise, ID, rent and utilities included – about $6,600 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

126

Cost of Living Index in Boise, ID
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Boise, ID Living Index
99

Cost of Living Index in Montreal
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Montreal Living Index

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Boise, ID

🇺🇸 United States

$2,555

/mo nomad

Montreal

🇨🇦 Canada

$2,003

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

A single person spends $2,555 per month in Boise, ID vs $2,003 in Montreal, rent included.

Boise, ID $2,555
Montreal $2,003

A couple spends around $3,640 per month in Boise, ID vs $3,048 in Montreal, rent included.

Boise, ID $3,640
Montreal $3,048

A family of three spends $4,725 per month in Boise, ID vs $4,092 in Montreal, rent included.

Boise, ID $4,725
Montreal $4,092

Boise, ID costs about 28% more than Montreal, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Both Boise, ID and Montreal sit above the global median – Boise, ID by 91%, Montreal by 49%.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$19.91 $19.91

$19.31 CA$27.52

3.11%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$71.3 $71.3

$75.5 CA$108

-5.52%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$12.85 $12.85

$10.63 CA$15.15

20.88%

Cappuccino

$6.00 $6.00

$3.93 CA$5.60

52.67%

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

$2.71 $2.71

$1.92 CA$2.73

41.15%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.97 $1.97

$1.48 CA$2.11

33.11%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$6.62 $6.62

$6.30 CA$8.98

5.08%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$6.62 $6.62

$7.19 CA$10.24

-7.93%

Milk (1 liter)

$0.92 $0.92

$2.22 CA$3.17

-58.56%

White Bread (500g)

$3.71 $3.71

$3.06 CA$4.36

21.24%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$6.21 $6.21

$2.94 CA$4.19

111.22%

Eggs

$4.40 $4.40

$3.53 CA$5.03

24.65%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$15.99 $15.99

$13.19 CA$18.79

21.23%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$11.14 $11.14

$11.24 CA$16.02

-0.89%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$17.52 $17.52

$13.81 CA$19.69

26.86%

Apples (1kg)

$4.76 $4.76

$3.40 CA$4.85

40.00%

Banana (1kg)

$1.74 $1.74

$1.44 CA$2.06

20.83%

Oranges (1kg)

$3.91 $3.91

$3.26 CA$4.65

19.94%

Tomato (1kg)

$5.06 $5.06

$2.88 CA$4.10

75.69%

Potato (1kg)

$2.90 $2.90

$1.86 CA$2.65

55.91%

Onion (1kg)

$2.62 $2.62

$1.82 CA$2.60

43.96%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.39 $2.39

$2.43 CA$3.46

-1.65%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$2.52 $2.52

$1.52 CA$2.17

65.79%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$9.07 $9.07

$11.45 CA$16.32

-20.79%

Wine (Bottle)

$15.45 $15.45

$10.36 CA$14.76

49.13%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.04 $2.04

$2.22 CA$3.16

-8.11%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.21 $3.21

$2.82 CA$4.02

13.83%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.52 $1.52

$2.58 CA$3.67

-41.09%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$42.11 $42.11

$76.9 CA$110

-45.23%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$2.62 $2.62

$3.25 CA$4.64

-19.38%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.49 $1.49

$1.48 CA$2.11

0.68%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$23.80 $23.80

$33.04 CA$47.09

-27.97%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.20 $1.20

$1.36 CA$1.94

-11.76%

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

$35.7K $35.7K

$27.4K CA$39.1K

30.15%

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

$25.3K $25.3K

$20.0K CA$28.5K

26.85%

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

$173 $173

$76.1 CA$109

127.13%

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

$57.8 $57.8

$34.68 CA$49.43

66.61%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$76.9 $76.9

$42.69 CA$60.9

80.07%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$40.56 $40.56

$28.94 CA$41.26

40.15%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$37.63 $37.63

$20.33 CA$28.97

85.10%

Cinema Ticket

$12.34 $12.34

$11.21 CA$15.98

10.08%

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

$979 $979

$505 CA$720

93.76%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$24.2K $24.2K

$16.0K CA$22.8K

51.10%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$55.0 $55.0

$58.5 CA$83.4

-6.00%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$40.53 $40.53

$38.00 CA$54.2

6.66%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$87.8 $87.8

$92.7 CA$132

-5.33%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$110 $110

$106 CA$151

4.31%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,604 $1,604

$1,240 CA$1,768

29.39%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,297 $1,297

$986 CA$1,405

31.50%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,398 $2,398

$2,102 CA$2,996

14.06%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,795 $1,795

$1,615 CA$2,302

11.19%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$7,339 $7,339

$5,043 CA$7,188

45.53%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$3,076 $3,076

$3,830 CA$5,459

-19.68%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$4,367 $4,367

$2,920 CA$4,163

49.53%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

6.68

4.46

49.78%

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

Last update for Boise, ID: October 6, 2026

Last update for Montreal: October 6, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Boise, ID

$1.3K 49.6%

Montreal

$986 47.9% 24% $311

Groceries & Markets

Boise, ID

$421 16.1%

Montreal

$344 16.7% 18.4% $78

Eating Out

Boise, ID

$335 12.8%

Montreal

$293 14.2% 12.5% $42

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Boise, ID

$308 11.8%

Montreal

$154 7.5% 50.1% $154

Clothing & Footwear

Boise, ID

$132 5.1%

Montreal

$133 6.5% 0.5% $0.6

Sport & Entertainment

Boise, ID

$65 2.5%

Montreal

$51 2.5% 21.3% $14

Getting Around

Boise, ID

$58 2.2%

Montreal

$98 4.8% 68% $40

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $1,604 in Boise, ID versus $1,240 in Montreal. Rent is usually the largest line item in a monthly budget, so the gap here sets the tone for the overall comparison.

Salaries run about 50% higher in Boise, ID, which partly offsets the higher cost of living there. Purchasing power depends on which expenses matter most to you.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $71.0 in Boise, ID versus $75.0 in Montreal. Groceries tell a different story – $421 in Boise, ID vs $344 in Montreal – so Montreal wins on supermarket bills even if dining out costs more.

Good to know

🇺🇸 Boise, ID

🇨🇦 Montreal

🕒 Local time

06:28 6:28 AM

08:28 8:28 AM

2 h ahead of Boise, ID

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

235,684

1,762,949

💱 Currency

United States Dollar USD $

Canadian Dollar CAD $

📈 Exchange rate

1 USD = 0.892 EUR

1 CAD = 0.702 USD

1 CAD = 0.626 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 10, 2026: 1 EUR = 1.12 USD (1 USD = 0.892 EUR).

Canadian Dollar exchange rates as of October 10, 2026: 1 USD = 1.43 CAD (1 CAD = 0.702 USD). 1 EUR = 1.6 CAD (1 CAD = 0.626 EUR).

CAD to USD in detail →

On the map

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Between locations

Boise, ID Montreal 3,340 km ≈ 4 h 45 min nonstop flight

From you

Boise, ID
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

Boise, ID vs Montreal: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Boise, ID costs about 28% more than Montreal, and outside of rent the gap comes mainly from groceries. That's enough to noticeably affect everyday spending and lifestyle for anyone choosing between the two.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $3,833 per month in Boise, ID and $3,005 in Montreal. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

Rent is clearly cheaper in Montreal, especially for central apartments. Housing is actually the single biggest factor behind the overall cost gap between these two cities.

Kindergarten costs $979 per month in Boise, ID and $505 in Montreal. For families with young kids, this one expense can tip the scales when choosing between the two cities.

Groceries cost about 23% more in Boise, ID, though it depends on what you buy. Local produce may be comparable; imported and premium items show the biggest price gap.

A $2,000 monthly budget goes further in Montreal, where all-in costs run around $2,003, than in Boise, ID at $2,555. In Montreal it covers expenses comfortably, while in Boise, ID it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.

For digital nomads, it depends on budget. Montreal costs $2,003 versus $2,555 in Boise, ID. Both have workable remote work infrastructure, but the cost gap matters when income varies month to month.

Both have safer and rougher neighborhoods, but overall safety is comparable to other large cities. Neighborhood choice matters more than the city-level comparison – central, well-trafficked areas feel secure in both.

If budget matters most, go with Montreal. If higher salaries, better infrastructure, or specific career opportunities are the priority, Boise, ID makes more sense. Both are solid long-term options with distinct trade-offs.