Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Burlington, IA and Montreal

For one person, living is cheaper in Burlington, IA: $1,769 a month against $2,059 in Montreal, rent and utilities included – about $3,500 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

86

Cost of Living Index in Burlington, IA
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Burlington, IA Living Index
99

Cost of Living Index in Montreal
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Montreal Living Index

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Burlington, IA

🇺🇸 United States

$1,769

/mo nomad

Montreal

🇨🇦 Canada

$2,059

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,769 in Burlington, IA versus $2,059 in Montreal.

Burlington, IA $1,769
Montreal $2,059

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,675 in Burlington, IA versus $3,123 in Montreal.

Burlington, IA $2,675
Montreal $3,123

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,580 in Burlington, IA versus $4,187 in Montreal.

Burlington, IA $3,580
Montreal $4,187

Living in Burlington, IA costs roughly 14% less than in Montreal, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Burlington, IA 31% above, Montreal 52% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$11.35 $11.35

$18.84 CA$26.63

-39.76%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$59.1 $59.1

$73.2 CA$104

-19.33%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$8.84 $8.84

$10.54 CA$14.90

-16.13%

Cappuccino

$4.74 $4.74

$3.97 CA$5.61

19.40%

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

$1.95 $1.95

$1.94 CA$2.74

0.52%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.02 $2.02

$1.57 CA$2.22

28.66%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.41 $3.41

$6.42 CA$9.08

-46.88%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.58 $4.58

$7.20 CA$10.19

-36.39%

Milk (1 liter)

$0.81 $0.81

$2.32 CA$3.28

-65.09%

White Bread (500g)

$2.82 $2.82

$3.19 CA$4.51

-11.60%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$4.34 $4.34

$3.19 CA$4.50

36.05%

Eggs

$2.92 $2.92

$3.68 CA$5.20

-20.65%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$11.37 $11.37

$13.24 CA$18.72

-14.12%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$11.93 $11.93

$11.69 CA$16.53

2.05%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$14.20 $14.20

$13.98 CA$19.76

1.57%

Apples (1kg)

$4.02 $4.02

$3.14 CA$4.44

28.03%

Banana (1kg)

$1.98 $1.98

$1.45 CA$2.05

36.55%

Oranges (1kg)

$4.61 $4.61

$3.38 CA$4.78

36.39%

Tomato (1kg)

$4.65 $4.65

$3.11 CA$4.40

49.52%

Potato (1kg)

$2.74 $2.74

$1.93 CA$2.72

41.97%

Onion (1kg)

$2.60 $2.60

$1.83 CA$2.58

42.08%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.54 $1.54

$2.36 CA$3.34

-34.75%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$2.06 $2.06

$1.50 CA$2.12

37.33%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$8.16 $8.16

$11.12 CA$15.73

-26.62%

Wine (Bottle)

$16.29 $16.29

$10.60 CA$14.98

53.68%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.89 $1.89

$2.22 CA$3.14

-14.86%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.27 $2.27

$2.84 CA$4.01

-20.07%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.94 $1.94

$2.62 CA$3.71

-25.95%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$15.76 $15.76

$79.1 CA$112

-80.09%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$4.67 $4.67

$3.23 CA$4.56

44.58%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.02 $1.02

$1.48 CA$2.10

-31.08%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$22.19 $22.19

$32.22 CA$45.55

-31.13%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$0.94 $0.94

$1.36 CA$1.92

-30.88%

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

$22.7K $22.7K

$27.6K CA$39.1K

-17.78%

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

$25.0K $25.0K

$21.2K CA$30.0K

17.88%

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

$184 $184

$77.0 CA$109

138.97%

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

$47.16 $47.16

$34.14 CA$48.26

38.14%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$59.2 $59.2

$42.19 CA$59.7

40.25%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$42.42 $42.42

$30.81 CA$43.56

37.68%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$19.66 CA$27.79

Cinema Ticket

$11.92 $11.92

$11.47 CA$16.22

3.92%

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

$1,210 $1,210

$506 CA$716

139.09%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$13.3K $13.3K

$16.2K CA$23.0K

-18.03%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$44.72 $44.72

$57.3 CA$81.0

-21.90%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$30.53 $30.53

$38.10 CA$53.9

-19.87%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$87.0 $87.0

$91.9 CA$130

-5.36%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$37.90 $37.90

$110 CA$155

-65.47%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$754 $754

$1,237 CA$1,748

-39.01%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$707 $707

$977 CA$1,381

-27.63%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,172 $1,172

$2,180 CA$3,082

-46.25%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,280 $1,280

$1,608 CA$2,273

-20.38%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$1,026 $1,026

$5,113 CA$7,228

-79.92%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,033 $1,033

$3,744 CA$5,293

-72.42%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$4,446 $4,446

$2,957 CA$4,180

50.35%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

6.54

4.48

45.98%

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

Last update for Burlington, IA: October 19, 2026

Last update for Montreal: October 20, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Burlington, IA

$707 40%

Montreal

$977 47.4% 38.2% $270

Groceries & Markets

Burlington, IA

$366 20.7%

Montreal

$351 17.1% 4.1% $15

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Burlington, IA

$290 16.4%

Montreal

$153 7.5% 47.2% $137

Eating Out

Burlington, IA

$216 12.2%

Montreal

$290 14.1% 34.2% $74

Clothing & Footwear

Burlington, IA

$90 5.1%

Montreal

$134 6.5% 48.4% $44

Sport & Entertainment

Burlington, IA

$66 3.7%

Montreal

$54 2.6% 18.9% $13

Getting Around

Burlington, IA

$33 1.9%

Montreal

$100 4.9% 201% $67

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $754 in Burlington, IA and $1,237 in Montreal. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Burlington, IA pays 50% more on average while also being the cheaper of the two. The combined effect is a noticeably stronger local purchasing power.

Dining out: $59.0 in Burlington, IA vs $73.0 in Montreal. Groceries flip the comparison at $366 vs $351, with Montreal cheaper for home cooking.

Good to know

🇺🇸 Burlington, IA

🇨🇦 Montreal

🕒 Local time

20:31 8:31 PM

21:31 9:31 PM

1 h ahead of Burlington, IA

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

44,743

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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Burlington, IA Montreal 1,510 km ≈ 2 h 30 min nonstop flight

From you

Burlington, IA
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

Burlington, IA vs Montreal: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Burlington, IA wins on cost – living expenses run 16% lower than in Montreal. Housing and daily spending are where you'll feel the difference most, making Burlington, IA the obvious pick if budget is a priority.

Average pay runs 50% higher in Burlington, IA, 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: $754 in Burlington, IA versus $1,237 in Montreal. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $1,210 in Burlington, IA versus $506 in Montreal. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Shoppers in Montreal pay roughly 4% less for everyday groceries. It's an unusual reversal that partly offsets higher costs elsewhere.

At $1,769 in Burlington, IA versus $2,059 in Montreal, a $2,000 budget is realistic in Burlington, IA but tight or insufficient in Montreal. The gap between the two cities makes Burlington, IA the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

Both work as nomad bases, but Burlington, IA delivers better value – similar infrastructure at $1,769 monthly. If stretching your runway or maximizing savings is the goal, the price difference makes Burlington, IA hard to pass up.

Safety-wise, Burlington, IA 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 Burlington, IA gentler on the wallet – expenses run 16% less than in Montreal. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.