Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Dubuque, IA and Montreal

For one person, living is cheaper in Dubuque, IA: $1,731 a month against $2,059 in Montreal, rent and utilities included – about $3,900 less a year. Rent and utilities account for about half of the difference.

84

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

Cost of Living Index in Montreal
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Montreal Living Index

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Dubuque, IA

🇺🇸 United States

$1,731

/mo nomad

Montreal

🇨🇦 Canada

$2,059

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

A single person spends $1,731 per month in Dubuque, IA vs $2,059 in Montreal, rent included.

Dubuque, IA $1,731
Montreal $2,059

A couple spends around $2,538 per month in Dubuque, IA vs $3,123 in Montreal, rent included.

Dubuque, IA $2,538
Montreal $3,123

A family of three spends $3,345 per month in Dubuque, IA vs $4,187 in Montreal, rent included.

Dubuque, IA $3,345
Montreal $4,187

Dubuque, IA is about 16% cheaper than Montreal, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in transport.

Both Dubuque, IA and Montreal sit above the global median – Dubuque, IA by 28%, Montreal by 52%.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$13.85 $13.85

$18.84 CA$26.63

-26.49%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$49.71 $49.71

$73.2 CA$104

-32.11%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$11.80 $11.80

$10.54 CA$14.90

11.95%

Cappuccino

$4.99 $4.99

$3.97 CA$5.61

25.69%

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

$2.02 $2.02

$1.94 CA$2.74

4.12%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.95 $0.95

$1.57 CA$2.22

-39.49%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.01 $3.01

$6.42 CA$9.08

-53.12%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.53 $4.53

$7.20 CA$10.19

-37.08%

Milk (1 liter)

$0.78 $0.78

$2.32 CA$3.28

-66.38%

White Bread (500g)

$2.71 $2.71

$3.19 CA$4.51

-15.05%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.82 $2.82

$3.19 CA$4.50

-11.60%

Eggs

$2.85 $2.85

$3.68 CA$5.20

-22.55%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$14.05 $14.05

$13.24 CA$18.72

6.12%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$10.38 $10.38

$11.69 CA$16.53

-11.21%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$10.63 $10.63

$13.98 CA$19.76

-23.96%

Apples (1kg)

$3.32 $3.32

$3.14 CA$4.44

5.73%

Banana (1kg)

$1.21 $1.21

$1.45 CA$2.05

-16.55%

Oranges (1kg)

$3.26 $3.26

$3.38 CA$4.78

-3.55%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.45 $2.45

$3.11 CA$4.40

-21.22%

Potato (1kg)

$1.36 $1.36

$1.93 CA$2.72

-29.53%

Onion (1kg)

$1.67 $1.67

$1.83 CA$2.58

-8.74%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.42 $2.42

$2.36 CA$3.34

2.54%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.79 $1.79

$1.50 CA$2.12

19.33%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$8.70 $8.70

$11.12 CA$15.73

-21.76%

Wine (Bottle)

$13.36 $13.36

$10.60 CA$14.98

26.04%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.69 $1.69

$2.22 CA$3.14

-23.87%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.82 $2.82

$2.84 CA$4.01

-0.70%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.62 CA$3.71

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$79.1 CA$112

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.23 CA$4.56

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.48 CA$2.10

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$32.22 CA$45.55

Gasoline (1 liter)

$0.91 $0.91

$1.36 CA$1.92

-33.09%

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

$24.5K $24.5K

$27.6K CA$39.1K

-11.27%

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

$25.0K $25.0K

$21.2K CA$30.0K

18.11%

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

$176 $176

$77.0 CA$109

128.78%

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

$52.0 $52.0

$34.14 CA$48.26

52.23%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$50.7 $50.7

$42.19 CA$59.7

20.27%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$36.87 $36.87

$30.81 CA$43.56

19.67%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$19.66 CA$27.79

Cinema Ticket

$8.17 $8.17

$11.47 CA$16.22

-28.77%

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

$812 $812

$506 CA$716

60.40%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$16.2K CA$23.0K

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$55.6 $55.6

$57.3 CA$81.0

-2.97%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$35.65 $35.65

$38.10 CA$53.9

-6.43%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$86.1 $86.1

$91.9 CA$130

-6.30%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$88.7 $88.7

$110 CA$155

-19.20%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$985 $985

$1,237 CA$1,748

-20.38%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$725 $725

$977 CA$1,381

-25.79%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,476 $1,476

$2,180 CA$3,082

-32.30%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,201 $1,201

$1,608 CA$2,273

-25.34%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$1,732 $1,732

$5,113 CA$7,228

-66.13%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,707 $1,707

$3,744 CA$5,293

-54.42%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$3,768 $3,768

$2,957 CA$4,180

27.44%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

5.25

4.48

17.19%

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

Last update for Dubuque, 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

Dubuque, IA

$725 41.9%

Montreal

$977 47.4% 34.8% $252

Groceries & Markets

Dubuque, IA

$312 18%

Montreal

$351 17.1% 12.5% $39

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Dubuque, IA

$279 16.1%

Montreal

$153 7.5% 45% $126

Eating Out

Dubuque, IA

$242 14%

Montreal

$290 14.1% 20% $48

Clothing & Footwear

Dubuque, IA

$120 6.9%

Montreal

$134 6.5% 11.7% $14

Sport & Entertainment

Dubuque, IA

$53 3.1%

Montreal

$54 2.6% 1% $0.5

Getting Around

Dubuque, IA

- * 0%

Montreal

$100 4.9%

Categories marked with * are only partly priced – their share counts the items that do have prices.

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $985 in Dubuque, IA 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 27% higher in Dubuque, IA, which reinforces the cost advantage – you earn more and spend less. Purchasing power leans clearly in its favor.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $50.0 in Dubuque, IA versus $73.0 in Montreal. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $312 vs $351 – making Dubuque, IA the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇺🇸 Dubuque, IA

🇨🇦 Montreal

🕒 Local time

22:54 10:54 PM

23:54 11:54 PM

1 h ahead of Dubuque, IA

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

59,667

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 22, 2026: 1 EUR = 1.12 USD (1 USD = 0.89 EUR).

Canadian Dollar exchange rates as of October 22, 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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Highest

Between locations

Dubuque, IA Montreal 1,400 km ≈ 2 h 15 min nonstop flight

From you

Dubuque, 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

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

Montreal costs about 19% more than Dubuque, IA, and outside of rent the gap comes mainly from transport. That's enough to noticeably affect everyday spending and lifestyle for anyone choosing between the two.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $2,596 per month in Dubuque, IA 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 Dubuque, IA, especially for central apartments. Housing is actually the single biggest factor behind the overall cost gap between these two cities.

Monthly expenses with rent come to $1,731 in Dubuque, IA and $2,059 in Montreal. That's a gap of about 19%.

Kindergarten costs $812 per month in Dubuque, IA and $506 in Montreal. For families with young kids, this one expense can tip the scales when choosing between the two cities.

A $2,000 monthly budget goes further in Dubuque, IA, where all-in costs run around $1,731, than in Montreal at $2,059. In Dubuque, IA it covers expenses comfortably, while in Montreal it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.

For digital nomads, it depends on budget. Dubuque, IA costs $1,731 versus $2,059 in Montreal. 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 Dubuque, IA. If higher salaries, better infrastructure, or specific career opportunities are the priority, Montreal makes more sense. Both are solid long-term options with distinct trade-offs.