Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Federal Way, WA and Montreal

For one person, living is cheaper in Montreal: $2,018 a month against $3,324 in Federal Way, WA, rent and utilities included – about $15,700 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

162

Cost of Living Index in Federal Way, WA
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Federal Way, WA Living Index
99

Cost of Living Index in Montreal
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Montreal Living Index

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Federal Way, WA

🇺🇸 United States

$3,324

/mo nomad

Montreal

🇨🇦 Canada

$2,018

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

A single person spends $3,324 per month in Federal Way, WA vs $2,018 in Montreal, rent included.

Federal Way, WA $3,324
Montreal $2,018

A couple spends around $4,324 per month in Federal Way, WA vs $3,085 in Montreal, rent included.

Federal Way, WA $4,324
Montreal $3,085

A family of three spends $5,324 per month in Federal Way, WA vs $4,152 in Montreal, rent included.

Federal Way, WA $5,324
Montreal $4,152

Federal Way, WA costs about 65% more than Montreal, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in utilities.

Both Federal Way, WA and Montreal sit above the global median – Federal Way, WA by 146%, Montreal by 49%.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$24.74 $24.74

$18.82 CA$26.61

31.46%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$76.1 $76.1

$70.3 CA$99.4

8.28%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$12.56 $12.56

$10.66 CA$15.06

17.82%

Cappuccino

$5.82 $5.82

$3.84 CA$5.43

51.56%

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

$2.93 $2.93

$1.92 CA$2.71

52.60%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.67 $1.67

$1.54 CA$2.18

8.44%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$7.06 $7.06

$6.23 CA$8.81

13.32%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$7.12 $7.12

$7.10 CA$10.03

0.28%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.09 $1.09

$2.31 CA$3.27

-52.81%

White Bread (500g)

$4.07 $4.07

$3.14 CA$4.44

29.62%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$3.05 $3.05

$3.21 CA$4.54

-4.98%

Eggs

$5.09 $5.09

$3.52 CA$4.97

44.60%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$16.26 $16.26

$12.81 CA$18.11

26.93%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$10.51 $10.51

$11.46 CA$16.20

-8.29%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$19.36 $19.36

$13.39 CA$18.92

44.59%

Apples (1kg)

$5.13 $5.13

$3.14 CA$4.43

63.38%

Banana (1kg)

$1.58 $1.58

$1.44 CA$2.03

9.72%

Oranges (1kg)

$4.31 $4.31

$3.47 CA$4.91

24.21%

Tomato (1kg)

$4.64 $4.64

$3.07 CA$4.34

51.14%

Potato (1kg)

$2.69 $2.69

$1.90 CA$2.69

41.58%

Onion (1kg)

$2.39 $2.39

$1.77 CA$2.50

35.03%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.23 $2.23

$2.34 CA$3.31

-4.70%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$2.61 $2.61

$1.55 CA$2.19

68.39%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$13.08 $13.08

$11.38 CA$16.09

14.94%

Wine (Bottle)

$15.19 $15.19

$10.63 CA$15.03

42.90%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.71 $1.71

$2.27 CA$3.21

-24.67%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.84 $4.84

$2.82 CA$3.99

71.63%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.65 $2.65

$2.66 CA$3.76

-0.38%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$77.3 CA$109

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$2.63 $2.63

$3.20 CA$4.53

-17.81%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.67 $1.67

$1.48 CA$2.09

12.84%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$29.83 $29.83

$32.88 CA$46.48

-9.28%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.32 $1.32

$1.34 CA$1.90

-1.49%

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

$36.4K $36.4K

$28.2K CA$39.8K

29.34%

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

$25.7K $25.7K

$19.6K CA$27.8K

30.90%

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

$157 $157

$76.0 CA$107

107.23%

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

$76.9 $76.9

$33.95 CA$48.00

126.54%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$88.0 $88.0

$42.31 CA$59.8

107.92%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$12.95 $12.95

$29.76 CA$42.07

-56.49%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$20.28 CA$28.67

Cinema Ticket

$11.79 $11.79

$11.15 CA$15.77

5.74%

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

$1,446 $1,446

$507 CA$717

185.20%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$32.2K $32.2K

$16.1K CA$22.7K

100.88%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$45.83 $45.83

$57.6 CA$81.4

-20.36%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$44.65 $44.65

$37.58 CA$53.1

18.81%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$84.4 $84.4

$91.9 CA$130

-8.15%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$100 $100

$110 CA$155

-8.34%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,017 $2,017

$1,260 CA$1,782

59.99%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,025 $2,025

$948 CA$1,340

113.73%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,773 $2,773

$2,137 CA$3,021

29.77%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,419 $2,419

$1,614 CA$2,281

49.88%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$4,960 CA$7,011

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$3,838 CA$5,425

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$4,440 $4,440

$2,827 CA$3,997

57.03%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

6.64

4.48

48.21%

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

Last update for Federal Way, WA: October 11, 2026

Last update for Montreal: October 12, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Federal Way, WA

$2K 60.9%

Montreal

$948 47% 53.2% $1.1K

Groceries & Markets

Federal Way, WA

$421 12.7%

Montreal

$346 17.2% 17.7% $74

Eating Out

Federal Way, WA

$373 11.2%

Montreal

$288 14.3% 22.9% $85

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Federal Way, WA

$322 9.7%

Montreal

$152 7.5% 52.8% $170

Clothing & Footwear

Federal Way, WA

$124 3.7%

Montreal

$133 6.6% 7.7% $9.6

Sport & Entertainment

Federal Way, WA

$37 1.1%

Montreal

$52 2.6% 42.5% $16

Getting Around

Federal Way, WA

$22 * 0.7%

Montreal

$99 4.9% 357% $77

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

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $2,017 in Federal Way, WA versus $1,260 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 57% higher in Federal Way, WA, 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 $76.0 in Federal Way, WA versus $70.0 in Montreal. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $421 vs $346 – making Montreal the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇺🇸 Federal Way, WA

🇨🇦 Montreal

🕒 Local time

02:12 2:12 AM

05:12 5:12 AM

3 h ahead of Federal Way, WA

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

101,030

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 18, 2026: 1 EUR = 1.12 USD (1 USD = 0.89 EUR).

Canadian Dollar exchange rates as of October 18, 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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Between locations

Federal Way, WA Montreal 3,680 km ≈ 5 h nonstop flight

From you

Federal Way, WA
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

Federal Way, WA vs Montreal: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Yes – Federal Way, WA is pricier by about 65%, and outside of rent the gap shows up most in utilities.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $4,985 per month in Federal Way, WA and $3,027 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.

Monthly expenses with rent come to $3,324 in Federal Way, WA and $2,018 in Montreal. That's a gap of about 65%.

Kindergarten costs $1,446 per month in Federal Way, WA and $507 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 Montreal, where all-in costs run around $2,018, than in Federal Way, WA at $3,324. In Montreal it covers expenses comfortably, while in Federal Way, WA 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, Federal Way, WA makes more sense. Both are solid long-term options with distinct trade-offs.