Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Boulder, CO and Montreal

For one person, living is cheaper in Montreal: $2,059 a month against $3,518 in Boulder, CO, rent and utilities included – about $17,500 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

169

Cost of Living Index in Boulder, CO
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Boulder, CO Living Index
99

Cost of Living Index in Montreal
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Montreal Living Index

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Boulder, CO

🇺🇸 United States

$3,518

/mo nomad

Montreal

🇨🇦 Canada

$2,059

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

A single person spends $3,518 per month in Boulder, CO vs $2,059 in Montreal, rent included.

Boulder, CO $3,518
Montreal $2,059

A couple spends around $5,103 per month in Boulder, CO vs $3,123 in Montreal, rent included.

Boulder, CO $5,103
Montreal $3,123

A family of three spends $6,689 per month in Boulder, CO vs $4,187 in Montreal, rent included.

Boulder, CO $6,689
Montreal $4,187

Boulder, CO costs about 71% more than Montreal, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Both Boulder, CO and Montreal sit above the global median – Boulder, CO by 160%, Montreal by 52%.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$19.81 $19.81

$18.84 CA$26.63

5.15%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$79.3 $79.3

$73.2 CA$104

8.29%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$15.07 $15.07

$10.54 CA$14.90

42.98%

Cappuccino

$5.56 $5.56

$3.97 CA$5.61

40.05%

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

$3.70 $3.70

$1.94 CA$2.74

90.72%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.88 $2.88

$1.57 CA$2.22

83.44%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$7.09 $7.09

$6.42 CA$9.08

10.44%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$8.84 $8.84

$7.20 CA$10.19

22.78%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.18 $1.18

$2.32 CA$3.28

-49.14%

White Bread (500g)

$5.55 $5.55

$3.19 CA$4.51

73.98%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$6.50 $6.50

$3.19 CA$4.50

103.76%

Eggs

$5.53 $5.53

$3.68 CA$5.20

50.27%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$11.85 $11.85

$13.24 CA$18.72

-10.50%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$10.91 $10.91

$11.69 CA$16.53

-6.67%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$17.35 $17.35

$13.98 CA$19.76

24.11%

Apples (1kg)

$5.93 $5.93

$3.14 CA$4.44

88.85%

Banana (1kg)

$1.46 $1.46

$1.45 CA$2.05

0.69%

Oranges (1kg)

$6.35 $6.35

$3.38 CA$4.78

87.87%

Tomato (1kg)

$6.09 $6.09

$3.11 CA$4.40

95.82%

Potato (1kg)

$3.92 $3.92

$1.93 CA$2.72

103.11%

Onion (1kg)

$3.84 $3.84

$1.83 CA$2.58

109.84%

Lettuce (1 head)

$3.35 $3.35

$2.36 CA$3.34

41.95%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$2.65 $2.65

$1.50 CA$2.12

76.67%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$10.24 $10.24

$11.12 CA$15.73

-7.91%

Wine (Bottle)

$17.23 $17.23

$10.60 CA$14.98

62.55%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.86 $1.86

$2.22 CA$3.14

-16.22%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.94 $4.94

$2.84 CA$4.01

73.94%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.82 $2.82

$2.62 CA$3.71

7.63%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$152 $152

$79.1 CA$112

91.96%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$2.43 $2.43

$3.23 CA$4.56

-24.77%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.38 $1.38

$1.48 CA$2.10

-6.76%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$24.21 $24.21

$32.22 CA$45.55

-24.86%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.08 $1.08

$1.36 CA$1.92

-20.59%

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

$27.5K $27.5K

$27.6K CA$39.1K

-0.62%

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

$26.9K $26.9K

$21.2K CA$30.0K

26.89%

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

$279 $279

$77.0 CA$109

262.18%

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

$72.1 $72.1

$34.14 CA$48.26

111.28%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$74.2 $74.2

$42.19 CA$59.7

75.75%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$83.1 $83.1

$30.81 CA$43.56

169.72%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$20.21 $20.21

$19.66 CA$27.79

2.80%

Cinema Ticket

$16.72 $16.72

$11.47 CA$16.22

45.77%

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

$1,633 $1,633

$506 CA$716

222.69%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$31.2K $31.2K

$16.2K CA$23.0K

92.34%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$69.2 $69.2

$57.3 CA$81.0

20.83%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$48.21 $48.21

$38.10 CA$53.9

26.54%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$92.2 $92.2

$91.9 CA$130

0.32%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$144 $144

$110 CA$155

30.78%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,374 $2,374

$1,237 CA$1,748

91.94%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,825 $1,825

$977 CA$1,381

86.80%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$4,307 $4,307

$2,180 CA$3,082

97.57%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$3,069 $3,069

$1,608 CA$2,273

90.84%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$4,420 $4,420

$5,113 CA$7,228

-13.56%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$4,495 $4,495

$3,744 CA$5,293

20.06%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$5,629 $5,629

$2,957 CA$4,180

90.37%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

6.55

4.48

46.21%

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

Last update for Boulder, CO: 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

Boulder, CO

$1.8K 51.9%

Montreal

$977 47.4% 46.5% $848

Groceries & Markets

Boulder, CO

$470 13.4%

Montreal

$351 17.1% 25.3% $119

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Boulder, CO

$425 12.1%

Montreal

$153 7.5% 63.9% $272

Eating Out

Boulder, CO

$350 10%

Montreal

$290 14.1% 17% $59

Getting Around

Boulder, CO

$173 4.9%

Montreal

$100 4.9% 41.9% $72

Clothing & Footwear

Boulder, CO

$159 4.5%

Montreal

$134 6.5% 15.9% $25

Sport & Entertainment

Boulder, CO

$117 3.3%

Montreal

$54 2.6% 53.9% $63

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $2,374 in Boulder, CO versus $1,237 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 90% higher in Boulder, CO, 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 $79.0 in Boulder, CO versus $73.0 in Montreal. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $470 vs $351 – making Montreal the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇺🇸 Boulder, CO

🇨🇦 Montreal

🕒 Local time

11:58 11:58 AM

13:58 1:58 PM

2 h ahead of Boulder, CO

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

106,803

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 20, 2026: 1 EUR = 1.12 USD (1 USD = 0.89 EUR).

Canadian Dollar exchange rates as of October 20, 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

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Between locations

Boulder, CO Montreal 2,670 km ≈ 3 h 45 min nonstop flight

From you

Boulder, CO
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

Boulder, CO vs Montreal: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Yes – Boulder, CO is pricier by about 71%, and outside of rent the gap shows up most in groceries.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $5,277 per month in Boulder, CO and $3,089 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.

Groceries cost about 34% more in Boulder, CO, though it depends on what you buy. Local produce may be comparable; imported and premium items show the biggest price gap.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $79.0 in Boulder, CO and $73.0 in Montreal. That's a good indicator of the overall restaurant and café pricing gap between the two cities.

A $2,000 monthly budget goes further in Montreal, where all-in costs run around $2,059, than in Boulder, CO at $3,518. In Montreal it covers expenses comfortably, while in Boulder, CO it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.

Families tend to lean toward Montreal – lower housing and cheaper childcare make a real difference, especially on a single income or when paying for private education.

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, Boulder, CO makes more sense. Both are solid long-term options with distinct trade-offs.