Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Highlands Ranch, CO and Montreal

For one person, living is cheaper in Montreal: $2,059 a month against $3,365 in Highlands Ranch, CO, rent and utilities included – about $15,700 less a year. Higher rent and utilities in Highlands Ranch, CO outweigh lower spending on other living expenses.

161

Cost of Living Index in Highlands Ranch, CO
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Highlands Ranch, CO Living Index
99

Cost of Living Index in Montreal
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Montreal Living Index

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Highlands Ranch, CO

🇺🇸 United States

$3,365

/mo nomad

Montreal

🇨🇦 Canada

$2,059

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

A single person spends $3,365 per month in Highlands Ranch, CO vs $2,059 in Montreal, rent included.

Highlands Ranch, CO $3,365
Montreal $2,059

A couple spends around $2,987 per month in Highlands Ranch, CO vs $3,123 in Montreal, rent included.

Highlands Ranch, CO $2,987
Montreal $3,123

A family of three spends $2,609 per month in Highlands Ranch, CO vs $4,187 in Montreal, rent included.

Highlands Ranch, CO $2,609
Montreal $4,187

Highlands Ranch, CO costs about 63% more than Montreal, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in transport.

Both Highlands Ranch, CO and Montreal sit above the global median – Highlands Ranch, CO by 148%, Montreal by 52%.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$15.27 $15.27

$18.84 CA$26.63

-18.95%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$79.5 $79.5

$73.2 CA$104

8.60%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$10.20 $10.20

$10.54 CA$14.90

-3.23%

Cappuccino

$6.26 $6.26

$3.97 CA$5.61

57.68%

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

$2.48 $2.48

$1.94 CA$2.74

27.84%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.13 $2.13

$1.57 CA$2.22

35.67%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$5.06 $5.06

$6.42 CA$9.08

-21.18%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$6.15 $6.15

$7.20 CA$10.19

-14.58%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.04 $1.04

$2.32 CA$3.28

-55.17%

White Bread (500g)

$2.89 $2.89

$3.19 CA$4.51

-9.40%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.80 $2.80

$3.19 CA$4.50

-12.23%

Eggs

$4.28 $4.28

$3.68 CA$5.20

16.30%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$10.81 $10.81

$13.24 CA$18.72

-18.35%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$7.20 $7.20

$11.69 CA$16.53

-38.41%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$19.01 $19.01

$13.98 CA$19.76

35.98%

Apples (1kg)

$4.04 $4.04

$3.14 CA$4.44

28.66%

Banana (1kg)

$1.50 $1.50

$1.45 CA$2.05

3.45%

Oranges (1kg)

$4.86 $4.86

$3.38 CA$4.78

43.79%

Tomato (1kg)

$5.26 $5.26

$3.11 CA$4.40

69.13%

Potato (1kg)

$3.61 $3.61

$1.93 CA$2.72

87.05%

Onion (1kg)

$4.58 $4.58

$1.83 CA$2.58

150.27%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.22 $2.22

$2.36 CA$3.34

-5.93%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.71 $1.71

$1.50 CA$2.12

14.00%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$10.41 $10.41

$11.12 CA$15.73

-6.38%

Wine (Bottle)

$16.42 $16.42

$10.60 CA$14.98

54.91%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.50 $2.50

$2.22 CA$3.14

12.61%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.61 $2.61

$2.84 CA$4.01

-8.10%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.62 CA$3.71

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$79.1 CA$112

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$2.48 $2.48

$3.23 CA$4.56

-23.22%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.89 $1.89

$1.48 CA$2.10

27.70%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$25.39 $25.39

$32.22 CA$45.55

-21.20%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.02 $1.02

$1.36 CA$1.92

-25.00%

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

$28.0K $28.0K

$27.6K CA$39.1K

1.29%

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

$25.9K $25.9K

$21.2K CA$30.0K

22.43%

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

$215 $215

$77.0 CA$109

178.80%

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

$56.8 $56.8

$34.14 CA$48.26

66.26%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$68.8 $68.8

$42.19 CA$59.7

63.05%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$30.81 CA$43.56

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$19.66 CA$27.79

Cinema Ticket

$11.99 $11.99

$11.47 CA$16.22

4.53%

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

$1,306 $1,306

$506 CA$716

158.09%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$12.3K $12.3K

$16.2K CA$23.0K

-24.41%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$60.1 $60.1

$57.3 CA$81.0

5.01%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$68.4 $68.4

$38.10 CA$53.9

79.48%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$78.5 $78.5

$91.9 CA$130

-14.61%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$118 $118

$110 CA$155

7.62%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,864 $2,864

$1,237 CA$1,748

131.57%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,190 $2,190

$977 CA$1,381

124.25%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,180 CA$3,082

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,608 CA$2,273

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$5,113 CA$7,228

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$3,744 CA$5,293

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$7,275 $7,275

$2,957 CA$4,180

146.03%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

6.7

4.48

49.55%

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

Last update for Highlands Ranch, CO: 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

Highlands Ranch, CO

$2.2K 65.1%

Montreal

$977 47.4% 55.4% $1.2K

Groceries & Markets

Highlands Ranch, CO

$368 10.9%

Montreal

$351 17.1% 4.6% $17

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Highlands Ranch, CO

$340 10.1%

Montreal

$153 7.5% 54.9% $187

Eating Out

Highlands Ranch, CO

$284 8.4%

Montreal

$290 14.1% 2.3% $6.5

Clothing & Footwear

Highlands Ranch, CO

$146 4.4%

Montreal

$134 6.5% 8.6% $13

Sport & Entertainment

Highlands Ranch, CO

$24 * 0.7%

Montreal

$54 2.6% 124% $30

Getting Around

Highlands Ranch, CO

$12 * 0.4%

Montreal

$100 4.9% 740% $88

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

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $2,864 in Highlands Ranch, CO 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 146% higher in Highlands Ranch, CO, 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 $80.0 in Highlands Ranch, CO versus $73.0 in Montreal. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $368 vs $351 – making Montreal the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇺🇸 Highlands Ranch, CO

🇨🇦 Montreal

🕒 Local time

16:15 4:15 PM

18:15 6:15 PM

2 h ahead of Highlands Ranch, CO

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

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 21, 2026: 1 EUR = 1.12 USD (1 USD = 0.89 EUR).

Canadian Dollar exchange rates as of October 21, 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

Highlands Ranch, CO Montreal 2,640 km ≈ 3 h 45 min nonstop flight

From you

Highlands Ranch, 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

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

Monthly costs with rent: $3,365 in Highlands Ranch, CO, $2,059 in Montreal – roughly 63% apart. Outside of rent, the biggest gap is in transport.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $5,047 per month in Highlands Ranch, CO 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 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 $3,365 in Highlands Ranch, CO and $2,059 in Montreal. That's a gap of about 63%.

Kindergarten costs $1,306 per month in Highlands Ranch, CO 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 Montreal, where all-in costs run around $2,059, than in Highlands Ranch, CO at $3,365. In Montreal it covers expenses comfortably, while in Highlands Ranch, CO it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.

It depends on your priorities. Montreal has an edge in some lifestyle areas, with costs from $2,059 in Montreal to $3,365 in Highlands Ranch, CO. Climate, culture, job market, and personal taste all factor in.

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, Highlands Ranch, CO makes more sense. Both are solid long-term options with distinct trade-offs.