Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Dallas, TX and Montreal

For one person, living is cheaper in Montreal: $2,003 a month against $2,882 in Dallas, TX, rent and utilities included – about $10,500 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

141

Cost of Living Index in Dallas, TX
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Dallas, TX Living Index
99

Cost of Living Index in Montreal
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Montreal Living Index

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Dallas, TX

🇺🇸 United States

$2,882

/mo nomad

Montreal

🇨🇦 Canada

$2,003

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

A single person spends $2,882 per month in Dallas, TX vs $2,003 in Montreal, rent included.

Dallas, TX $2,882
Montreal $2,003

A couple spends around $4,362 per month in Dallas, TX vs $3,048 in Montreal, rent included.

Dallas, TX $4,362
Montreal $3,048

A family of three spends $5,841 per month in Dallas, TX vs $4,092 in Montreal, rent included.

Dallas, TX $5,841
Montreal $4,092

Dallas, TX costs about 44% more than Montreal, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Both Dallas, TX and Montreal sit above the global median – Dallas, TX by 115%, Montreal by 49%.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$21.21 $21.21

$19.31 CA$27.46

9.84%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$90.5 $90.5

$75.5 CA$107

19.84%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$12.10 $12.10

$10.63 CA$15.11

13.83%

Cappuccino

$6.22 $6.22

$3.93 CA$5.58

58.27%

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

$3.24 $3.24

$1.92 CA$2.73

68.75%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.31 $2.31

$1.48 CA$2.11

56.08%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$8.21 $8.21

$6.30 CA$8.96

30.32%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$7.91 $7.91

$7.19 CA$10.22

10.01%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.04 $1.04

$2.22 CA$3.16

-53.15%

White Bread (500g)

$3.12 $3.12

$3.06 CA$4.35

1.96%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$4.73 $4.73

$2.94 CA$4.18

60.88%

Eggs

$4.85 $4.85

$3.53 CA$5.02

37.39%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$13.13 $13.13

$13.19 CA$18.76

-0.45%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$11.44 $11.44

$11.24 CA$15.98

1.78%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$18.71 $18.71

$13.81 CA$19.65

35.48%

Apples (1kg)

$5.87 $5.87

$3.40 CA$4.84

72.65%

Banana (1kg)

$1.59 $1.59

$1.44 CA$2.05

10.42%

Oranges (1kg)

$4.83 $4.83

$3.26 CA$4.64

48.16%

Tomato (1kg)

$4.18 $4.18

$2.88 CA$4.09

45.14%

Potato (1kg)

$2.31 $2.31

$1.86 CA$2.64

24.19%

Onion (1kg)

$3.18 $3.18

$1.82 CA$2.60

74.73%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.92 $1.92

$2.43 CA$3.45

-20.99%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$2.92 $2.92

$1.52 CA$2.17

92.11%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$9.88 $9.88

$11.45 CA$16.29

-13.71%

Wine (Bottle)

$15.94 $15.94

$10.36 CA$14.73

53.86%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$3.44 $3.44

$2.22 CA$3.15

54.95%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.43 $4.43

$2.82 CA$4.01

57.09%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$3.04 $3.04

$2.58 CA$3.66

17.83%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$125 $125

$76.9 CA$109

61.98%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$2.95 $2.95

$3.25 CA$4.63

-9.23%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.71 $1.71

$1.48 CA$2.11

15.54%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$24.36 $24.36

$33.04 CA$46.99

-26.27%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.02 $1.02

$1.36 CA$1.93

-25.00%

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

$35.7K $35.7K

$27.4K CA$39.0K

30.23%

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

$28.5K $28.5K

$20.0K CA$28.4K

42.58%

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

$196 $196

$76.1 CA$108

157.61%

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

$60.7 $60.7

$34.68 CA$49.32

75.06%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$64.5 $64.5

$42.69 CA$60.7

51.14%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$60.4 $60.4

$28.94 CA$41.17

108.74%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$20.34 $20.34

$20.33 CA$28.91

0.05%

Cinema Ticket

$15.18 $15.18

$11.21 CA$15.94

35.41%

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

$2,083 $2,083

$505 CA$718

312.33%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$24.4K $24.4K

$16.0K CA$22.8K

52.64%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$64.9 $64.9

$58.5 CA$83.2

11.01%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$49.38 $49.38

$38.00 CA$54.1

29.95%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$124 $124

$92.7 CA$132

33.33%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$138 $138

$106 CA$150

30.43%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,784 $1,784

$1,240 CA$1,764

43.83%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,411 $1,411

$986 CA$1,402

43.15%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$3,806 $3,806

$2,102 CA$2,990

81.05%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,401 $2,401

$1,615 CA$2,297

48.68%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$9,381 $9,381

$5,043 CA$7,173

86.02%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$3,212 $3,212

$3,830 CA$5,447

-16.14%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$4,512 $4,512

$2,920 CA$4,154

54.50%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

6.86

4.46

53.81%

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

Last update for Dallas, TX: October 3, 2026

Last update for Montreal: October 6, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Dallas, TX

$1.4K 48.2%

Montreal

$986 47.9% 30.1% $425

Groceries & Markets

Dallas, TX

$426 14.6%

Montreal

$344 16.7% 19.3% $82

Eating Out

Dallas, TX

$360 12.3%

Montreal

$293 14.2% 18.6% $67

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Dallas, TX

$321 11%

Montreal

$154 7.5% 52.2% $168

Clothing & Footwear

Dallas, TX

$169 5.8%

Montreal

$133 6.5% 21.5% $36

Getting Around

Dallas, TX

$148 5.1%

Montreal

$98 4.8% 34% $50

Sport & Entertainment

Dallas, TX

$91 3.1%

Montreal

$51 2.5% 43.4% $39

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $1,784 in Dallas, TX 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 55% higher in Dallas, TX, 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 $90.0 in Dallas, TX versus $75.0 in Montreal. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $426 vs $344 – making Montreal the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇺🇸 Dallas, TX

🇨🇦 Montreal

🕒 Local time

04:44 4:44 AM

05:44 5:44 AM

1 h ahead of Dallas, TX

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

1,302,638

1,762,949

💱 Currency

United States Dollar USD $

Canadian Dollar CAD $

📈 Exchange rate

1 USD = 0.892 EUR

1 CAD = 0.703 USD

1 CAD = 0.627 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 = 1.42 CAD (1 CAD = 0.703 USD). 1 EUR = 1.59 CAD (1 CAD = 0.627 EUR).

CAD to USD in detail →

On the map

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Between locations

Dallas, TX Montreal 2,440 km ≈ 3 h 30 min nonstop flight

From you

Dallas, TX
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

Dallas, TX vs Montreal: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Dallas, TX costs about 44% 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 $4,323 per month in Dallas, TX 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 $2,083 per month in Dallas, TX 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 24% more in Dallas, TX, 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 Dallas, TX at $2,882. In Montreal it covers expenses comfortably, while in Dallas, TX it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.

For digital nomads, it depends on budget. Montreal costs $2,003 versus $2,882 in Dallas, TX. 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, Dallas, TX makes more sense. Both are solid long-term options with distinct trade-offs.