Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Hays, KS and Montreal

For one person, living is cheaper in Hays, KS: $1,737 a month against $2,059 in Montreal, rent and utilities included – about $3,900 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

85

Cost of Living Index in Hays, KS
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Hays, KS Living Index
99

Cost of Living Index in Montreal
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Montreal Living Index

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Hays, KS

🇺🇸 United States

$1,737

/mo nomad

Montreal

🇨🇦 Canada

$2,059

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

A single person spends $1,737 per month in Hays, KS vs $2,059 in Montreal, rent included.

Hays, KS $1,737
Montreal $2,059

A couple spends around $2,467 per month in Hays, KS vs $3,123 in Montreal, rent included.

Hays, KS $2,467
Montreal $3,123

A family of three spends $3,198 per month in Hays, KS vs $4,187 in Montreal, rent included.

Hays, KS $3,198
Montreal $4,187

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

Both Hays, KS and Montreal sit above the global median – Hays, KS by 28%, Montreal by 52%.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$13.33 $13.33

$18.84 CA$26.63

-29.25%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$43.87 $43.87

$73.2 CA$104

-40.08%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$8.11 $8.11

$10.54 CA$14.90

-23.06%

Cappuccino

$3.98 $3.98

$3.97 CA$5.61

0.25%

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

$2.39 $2.39

$1.94 CA$2.74

23.20%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.02 $1.02

$1.57 CA$2.22

-35.03%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.85 $3.85

$6.42 CA$9.08

-40.03%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.33 $4.33

$7.20 CA$10.19

-39.86%

Milk (1 liter)

$0.76 $0.76

$2.32 CA$3.28

-67.24%

White Bread (500g)

$2.26 $2.26

$3.19 CA$4.51

-29.15%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$4.46 $4.46

$3.19 CA$4.50

39.81%

Eggs

$2.06 $2.06

$3.68 CA$5.20

-44.02%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$4.46 $4.46

$13.24 CA$18.72

-66.31%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$8.93 $8.93

$11.69 CA$16.53

-23.61%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$13.33 $13.33

$13.98 CA$19.76

-4.65%

Apples (1kg)

$6.04 $6.04

$3.14 CA$4.44

92.36%

Banana (1kg)

$1.64 $1.64

$1.45 CA$2.05

13.10%

Oranges (1kg)

$5.06 $5.06

$3.38 CA$4.78

49.70%

Tomato (1kg)

$4.42 $4.42

$3.11 CA$4.40

42.12%

Potato (1kg)

$2.93 $2.93

$1.93 CA$2.72

51.81%

Onion (1kg)

$2.17 $2.17

$1.83 CA$2.58

18.58%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.97 $1.97

$2.36 CA$3.34

-16.53%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$2.03 $2.03

$1.50 CA$2.12

35.33%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$9.68 $9.68

$11.12 CA$15.73

-12.95%

Wine (Bottle)

$12.15 $12.15

$10.60 CA$14.98

14.62%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.23 $2.23

$2.22 CA$3.14

0.45%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.85 $3.85

$2.84 CA$4.01

35.56%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.01 $2.01

$2.62 CA$3.71

-23.28%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$79.1 CA$112

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$2.43 $2.43

$3.23 CA$4.56

-24.77%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.57 $1.57

$1.48 CA$2.10

6.08%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$39.71 $39.71

$32.22 CA$45.55

23.25%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$0.92 $0.92

$1.36 CA$1.92

-32.35%

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

$28.1K $28.1K

$27.6K CA$39.1K

1.55%

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

$26.0K $26.0K

$21.2K CA$30.0K

22.46%

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

$269 $269

$77.0 CA$109

248.75%

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

$34.85 $34.85

$34.14 CA$48.26

2.08%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$68.8 $68.8

$42.19 CA$59.7

63.14%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$45.17 $45.17

$30.81 CA$43.56

46.61%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$19.66 CA$27.79

Cinema Ticket

$15.21 $15.21

$11.47 CA$16.22

32.61%

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

$922 $922

$506 CA$716

82.24%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$15.7K $15.7K

$16.2K CA$23.0K

-3.06%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$23.68 $23.68

$57.3 CA$81.0

-58.64%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$31.82 $31.82

$38.10 CA$53.9

-16.48%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$110 $110

$91.9 CA$130

19.17%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$138 $138

$110 CA$155

25.72%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$793 $793

$1,237 CA$1,748

-35.86%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$589 $589

$977 CA$1,381

-39.71%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,034 $1,034

$2,180 CA$3,082

-52.55%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$895 $895

$1,608 CA$2,273

-44.36%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$2,386 $2,386

$5,113 CA$7,228

-53.33%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,615 $2,615

$3,744 CA$5,293

-30.16%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$2,386 $2,386

$2,957 CA$4,180

-19.32%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

6.65

4.48

48.44%

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

Last update for Hays, KS: October 18, 2026

Last update for Montreal: October 20, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Hays, KS

$589 33.9%

Montreal

$977 47.4% 65.9% $388

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Hays, KS

$372 21.4%

Montreal

$153 7.5% 58.8% $219

Groceries & Markets

Hays, KS

$325 18.7%

Montreal

$351 17.1% 7.9% $26

Eating Out

Hays, KS

$220 12.7%

Montreal

$290 14.1% 31.9% $70

Clothing & Footwear

Hays, KS

$136 7.9%

Montreal

$134 6.5% 2% $2.7

Sport & Entertainment

Hays, KS

$76 4.4%

Montreal

$54 2.6% 28.9% $22

Getting Around

Hays, KS

$18 * 1.1%

Montreal

$100 4.9% 448% $82

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

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $793 in Hays, KS 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 24% higher in Montreal, 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 $44.00 in Hays, KS versus $73.0 in Montreal. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $325 vs $351 – making Hays, KS the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇺🇸 Hays, KS

🇨🇦 Montreal

🕒 Local time

02:35 2:35 AM

03:35 3:35 AM

1 h ahead of Hays, KS

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

19,726

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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Between locations

Hays, KS Montreal 2,230 km ≈ 3 h 15 min nonstop flight

From you

Hays, KS
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

Hays, KS vs Montreal: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Yes – Montreal is pricier by about 19%, and outside of rent the gap shows up most in transport.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $2,605 per month in Hays, KS 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 Hays, KS, especially for central apartments. Housing is actually the single biggest factor behind the overall cost gap between these two cities.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $44.00 in Hays, KS and $73.0 in Montreal. That's a good indicator of the overall restaurant and café pricing gap between the two cities.

Groceries cost about 8% more in Montreal, though it depends on what you buy. Local produce may be comparable; imported and premium items show the biggest price gap.

A $2,500 monthly budget goes further in Hays, KS, where all-in costs run around $1,737, than in Montreal at $2,059. In Hays, KS it covers expenses comfortably, while in Montreal it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.

Families tend to lean toward Hays, KS – 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 Hays, KS. 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.