Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Harlingen, TX and Montreal

For one person, living is cheaper in Harlingen, TX: $1,492 a month against $2,018 in Montreal, rent and utilities included – about $6,300 less a year. The total is higher in Montreal despite lower rent and utilities.

128

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

Cost of Living Index in Montreal
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Montreal Living Index

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Harlingen, TX

🇺🇸 United States

$1,492

/mo nomad

Montreal

🇨🇦 Canada

$2,018

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,492 in Harlingen, TX versus $2,018 in Montreal.

Harlingen, TX $1,492
Montreal $2,018

Estimated couple costs with rent: $1,876 in Harlingen, TX versus $3,085 in Montreal.

Harlingen, TX $1,876
Montreal $3,085

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $2,259 in Harlingen, TX versus $4,152 in Montreal.

Harlingen, TX $2,259
Montreal $4,152

Living in Harlingen, TX costs roughly 26% less than in Montreal, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Harlingen, TX 11% above, Montreal 49% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$12.27 $12.27

$18.82 CA$26.61

-34.80%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$46.71 $46.71

$70.3 CA$99.4

-33.55%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$9.11 $9.11

$10.66 CA$15.06

-14.54%

Cappuccino

$4.99 $4.99

$3.84 CA$5.43

29.95%

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

$2.00 $2.00

$1.92 CA$2.71

4.17%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.00 $2.00

$1.54 CA$2.18

29.87%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$6.03 $6.03

$6.23 CA$8.81

-3.21%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.54 $4.54

$7.10 CA$10.03

-36.06%

Milk (1 liter)

$0.96 $0.96

$2.31 CA$3.27

-58.44%

White Bread (500g)

$3.14 CA$4.44

Rice (white) (1kg)

$3.21 CA$4.54

Eggs

$3.52 $3.52

$3.52 CA$4.97

Local Cheese (1kg)

$12.81 CA$18.11

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$11.46 CA$16.20

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$13.39 CA$18.92

Apples (1kg)

$3.14 CA$4.43

Banana (1kg)

$1.32 $1.32

$1.44 CA$2.03

-8.33%

Oranges (1kg)

$3.47 CA$4.91

Tomato (1kg)

$3.07 CA$4.34

Potato (1kg)

$1.90 CA$2.69

Onion (1kg)

$1.77 CA$2.50

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.34 CA$3.31

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.55 CA$2.19

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$11.38 CA$16.09

Wine (Bottle)

$10.63 CA$15.03

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.27 CA$3.21

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.82 CA$3.99

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.66 CA$3.76

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$77.3 CA$109

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.20 CA$4.53

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.48 CA$2.09

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$32.88 CA$46.48

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.03 $1.03

$1.34 CA$1.90

-23.13%

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

$28.2K CA$39.8K

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

$19.6K CA$27.8K

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

$199 $199

$76.0 CA$107

162.03%

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

$99.1 $99.1

$33.95 CA$48.00

191.90%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$49.44 $49.44

$42.31 CA$59.8

16.85%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$29.76 CA$42.07

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$20.28 CA$28.67

Cinema Ticket

$11.15 CA$15.77

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

$507 CA$717

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$16.1K CA$22.7K

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$57.6 CA$81.4

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$37.58 CA$53.1

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$91.9 CA$130

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$110 CA$155

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$836 $836

$1,260 CA$1,782

-33.70%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$873 $873

$948 CA$1,340

-7.91%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,385 $1,385

$2,137 CA$3,021

-35.19%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,015 $1,015

$1,614 CA$2,281

-37.10%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$1,886 $1,886

$4,960 CA$7,011

-61.96%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,869 $1,869

$3,838 CA$5,425

-51.30%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$4,030 $4,030

$2,827 CA$3,997

42.52%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

4.48

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

Last update for Harlingen, TX: October 12, 2026

Last update for Montreal: October 12, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Harlingen, TX

$873 58.5%

Montreal

$948 47% 8.6% $75

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Harlingen, TX

$348 23.3%

Montreal

$152 7.5% 56.2% $195

Eating Out

Harlingen, TX

$241 16.1%

Montreal

$288 14.3% 19.6% $47

Groceries & Markets

Harlingen, TX

$32 * 2.1%

Montreal

$346 17.2% 994% $315

Getting Around

Harlingen, TX

- * 0%

Montreal

$99 4.9%

Sport & Entertainment

Harlingen, TX

- * 0%

Montreal

$52 2.6%

Clothing & Footwear

Harlingen, TX

- * 0%

Montreal

$133 6.6%

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

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $836 in Harlingen, TX and $1,260 in Montreal. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Harlingen, TX pays 43% more on average while also being the cheaper of the two. The combined effect is a noticeably stronger local purchasing power.

Dining out: $47.00 in Harlingen, TX vs $70.0 in Montreal for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $32.00 vs $346 per month, with Harlingen, TX cheaper across the board.

Good to know

🇺🇸 Harlingen, TX

🇨🇦 Montreal

🕒 Local time

02:26 2:26 AM

03:26 3:26 AM

1 h ahead of Harlingen, TX

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

71,829

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 19, 2026: 1 EUR = 1.12 USD (1 USD = 0.89 EUR).

Canadian Dollar exchange rates as of October 19, 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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Between locations

Harlingen, TX Montreal 3,030 km ≈ 4 h 15 min nonstop flight

From you

Harlingen, 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

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

Harlingen, TX wins on cost – living expenses run 35% lower than in Montreal. Housing and daily spending are where you'll feel the difference most, making Harlingen, TX the obvious pick if budget is a priority.

Average pay runs 43% higher in Harlingen, TX, 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: $836 in Harlingen, TX versus $1,260 in Montreal. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

All in, you'll spend $1,492 per month in Harlingen, TX versus $2,018 in Montreal – a 35% gap that adds up to real savings over time for anyone picking the cheaper option.

Supermarket bills run roughly 994% higher in Montreal. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

At $1,492 in Harlingen, TX versus $2,018 in Montreal, a $1,000 budget is realistic in Harlingen, TX but tight or insufficient in Montreal. The gap between the two cities makes Harlingen, TX the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

Both work as nomad bases, but Harlingen, TX delivers better value – similar infrastructure at $1,492 monthly. If stretching your runway or maximizing savings is the goal, the price difference makes Harlingen, TX hard to pass up.

Safety-wise, Harlingen, TX 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 Harlingen, TX gentler on the wallet – expenses run 35% less than in Montreal. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.