Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Denver, CO and Montreal

For one person, living is cheaper in Montreal: $2,003 a month against $3,160 in Denver, CO, rent and utilities included – about $13,900 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

155

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

Cost of Living Index in Montreal
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Montreal Living Index

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Denver, CO

🇺🇸 United States

$3,160

/mo nomad

Montreal

🇨🇦 Canada

$2,003

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $3,160 in Denver, CO versus $2,003 in Montreal.

Denver, CO $3,160
Montreal $2,003

Estimated couple costs with rent: $4,580 in Denver, CO versus $3,048 in Montreal.

Denver, CO $4,580
Montreal $3,048

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $6,000 in Denver, CO versus $4,092 in Montreal.

Denver, CO $6,000
Montreal $4,092

Living in Denver, CO is roughly 58% more expensive than in Montreal, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Denver, CO 136% above, Montreal 49% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$19.90 $19.90

$19.31 CA$27.52

3.06%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$87.7 $87.7

$75.5 CA$108

16.11%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$11.72 $11.72

$10.63 CA$15.15

10.25%

Cappuccino

$5.84 $5.84

$3.93 CA$5.60

48.60%

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

$3.00 $3.00

$1.92 CA$2.73

56.25%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.29 $2.29

$1.48 CA$2.11

54.73%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$7.01 $7.01

$6.30 CA$8.98

11.27%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$7.94 $7.94

$7.19 CA$10.24

10.43%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.16 $1.16

$2.22 CA$3.17

-47.75%

White Bread (500g)

$5.26 $5.26

$3.06 CA$4.36

71.90%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$7.19 $7.19

$2.94 CA$4.19

144.56%

Eggs

$5.24 $5.24

$3.53 CA$5.03

48.44%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$16.13 $16.13

$13.19 CA$18.79

22.29%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$17.04 $17.04

$11.24 CA$16.02

51.60%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$17.89 $17.89

$13.81 CA$19.69

29.54%

Apples (1kg)

$5.24 $5.24

$3.40 CA$4.85

54.12%

Banana (1kg)

$2.07 $2.07

$1.44 CA$2.06

43.75%

Oranges (1kg)

$4.88 $4.88

$3.26 CA$4.65

49.69%

Tomato (1kg)

$5.34 $5.34

$2.88 CA$4.10

85.42%

Potato (1kg)

$2.63 $2.63

$1.86 CA$2.65

41.40%

Onion (1kg)

$2.78 $2.78

$1.82 CA$2.60

52.75%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.27 $2.27

$2.43 CA$3.46

-6.58%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$2.49 $2.49

$1.52 CA$2.17

63.82%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$10.41 $10.41

$11.45 CA$16.32

-9.08%

Wine (Bottle)

$19.12 $19.12

$10.36 CA$14.76

84.56%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.78 $2.78

$2.22 CA$3.16

25.23%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.60 $3.60

$2.82 CA$4.02

27.66%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.71 $2.71

$2.58 CA$3.67

5.04%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$88.6 $88.6

$76.9 CA$110

15.18%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.51 $3.51

$3.25 CA$4.64

8.00%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.71 $1.71

$1.48 CA$2.11

15.54%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$30.38 $30.38

$33.04 CA$47.09

-8.05%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.08 $1.08

$1.36 CA$1.94

-20.59%

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

$34.8K $34.8K

$27.4K CA$39.1K

26.70%

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

$25.4K $25.4K

$20.0K CA$28.5K

27.38%

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

$167 $167

$76.1 CA$109

119.30%

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

$75.9 $75.9

$34.68 CA$49.43

118.71%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$69.1 $69.1

$42.69 CA$60.9

61.91%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$61.5 $61.5

$28.94 CA$41.26

112.61%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$24.75 $24.75

$20.33 CA$28.97

21.74%

Cinema Ticket

$14.82 $14.82

$11.21 CA$15.98

32.20%

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

$2,416 $2,416

$505 CA$720

378.33%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$34.5K $34.5K

$16.0K CA$22.8K

115.32%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$71.6 $71.6

$58.5 CA$83.4

22.31%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$45.65 $45.65

$38.00 CA$54.2

20.13%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$103 $103

$92.7 CA$132

10.86%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$129 $129

$106 CA$151

22.05%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,012 $2,012

$1,240 CA$1,768

62.27%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,713 $1,713

$986 CA$1,405

73.71%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$3,277 $3,277

$2,102 CA$2,996

55.92%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,619 $2,619

$1,615 CA$2,302

62.19%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$5,649 $5,649

$5,043 CA$7,188

12.01%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$3,760 $3,760

$3,830 CA$5,459

-1.83%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$4,413 $4,413

$2,920 CA$4,163

51.09%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

6.9

4.46

54.71%

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

Last update for Denver, CO: October 5, 2026

Last update for Montreal: October 6, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Denver, CO

$1.7K 53.2%

Montreal

$986 47.9% 42.4% $727

Groceries & Markets

Denver, CO

$498 15.5%

Montreal

$344 16.7% 31% $154

Eating Out

Denver, CO

$337 10.5%

Montreal

$293 14.2% 13% $44

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Denver, CO

$312 9.7%

Montreal

$154 7.5% 50.8% $158

Clothing & Footwear

Denver, CO

$157 4.9%

Montreal

$133 6.5% 15.5% $24

Getting Around

Denver, CO

$111 3.5%

Montreal

$98 4.8% 12.2% $14

Sport & Entertainment

Denver, CO

$91 2.8%

Montreal

$51 2.5% 43.7% $40

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $2,012 in Denver, CO and $1,240 in Montreal. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Denver, CO pays 51% 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: $88.0 in Denver, CO vs $75.0 in Montreal for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $498 vs $344 per month, with Montreal cheaper across the board.

Good to know

🇺🇸 Denver, CO

🇨🇦 Montreal

🕒 Local time

20:11 8:11 PM

22:11 10:11 PM

2 h ahead of Denver, CO

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

715,522

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

Denver, CO Montreal 2,630 km ≈ 3 h 45 min nonstop flight

From you

Denver, 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

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

Montreal wins on cost – living expenses run 58% lower than in Denver, CO. Housing and daily spending are where you'll feel the difference most, making Montreal the obvious pick if budget is a priority.

Average pay runs 51% higher in Denver, CO, 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: $2,012 in Denver, CO versus $1,240 in Montreal. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Supermarket bills run roughly 45% higher in Denver, CO. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

Dining out is cheaper in Montreal – a meal for two runs $75.0 versus $88.0 in Denver, CO. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

At $2,003 in Montreal versus $3,160 in Denver, CO, a $2,000 budget is realistic in Montreal but tight or insufficient in Denver, CO. The gap between the two cities makes Montreal the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

Both work as nomad bases, but Montreal delivers better value – similar infrastructure at $2,003 monthly. If stretching your runway or maximizing savings is the goal, the price difference makes Montreal hard to pass up.

Safety-wise, Denver, CO 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 58% less than in Denver, CO. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.