Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Houston, MO and Montreal

For one person, living is cheaper in Montreal: $2,018 a month against $2,699 in Houston, MO, rent and utilities included – about $8,200 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

132

Cost of Living Index in Houston, MO
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Houston, MO Living Index
99

Cost of Living Index in Montreal
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Montreal Living Index

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Houston, MO

🇺🇸 United States

$2,699

/mo nomad

Montreal

🇨🇦 Canada

$2,018

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $2,699 in Houston, MO versus $2,018 in Montreal.

Houston, MO $2,699
Montreal $2,018

Estimated couple costs with rent: $3,960 in Houston, MO versus $3,085 in Montreal.

Houston, MO $3,960
Montreal $3,085

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $5,221 in Houston, MO versus $4,152 in Montreal.

Houston, MO $5,221
Montreal $4,152

Living in Houston, MO is roughly 34% more expensive than in Montreal, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Houston, MO 100% above, Montreal 49% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$18.08 $18.08

$18.82 CA$26.61

-3.93%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$77.5 $77.5

$70.3 CA$99.4

10.30%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$12.09 $12.09

$10.66 CA$15.06

13.41%

Cappuccino

$5.18 $5.18

$3.84 CA$5.43

34.90%

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

$2.42 $2.42

$1.92 CA$2.71

26.04%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.75 $1.75

$1.54 CA$2.18

13.64%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$5.60 $5.60

$6.23 CA$8.81

-10.11%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$7.20 $7.20

$7.10 CA$10.03

1.41%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.24 $1.24

$2.31 CA$3.27

-46.32%

White Bread (500g)

$3.80 $3.80

$3.14 CA$4.44

21.02%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$5.71 $5.71

$3.21 CA$4.54

77.88%

Eggs

$3.90 $3.90

$3.52 CA$4.97

10.80%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$13.29 $13.29

$12.81 CA$18.11

3.75%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$15.41 $15.41

$11.46 CA$16.20

34.47%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$20.59 $20.59

$13.39 CA$18.92

53.77%

Apples (1kg)

$8.21 $8.21

$3.14 CA$4.43

161.46%

Banana (1kg)

$2.39 $2.39

$1.44 CA$2.03

65.97%

Oranges (1kg)

$5.55 $5.55

$3.47 CA$4.91

59.94%

Tomato (1kg)

$5.26 $5.26

$3.07 CA$4.34

71.34%

Potato (1kg)

$4.32 $4.32

$1.90 CA$2.69

127.37%

Onion (1kg)

$4.96 $4.96

$1.77 CA$2.50

180.23%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.83 $2.83

$2.34 CA$3.31

20.94%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$2.82 $2.82

$1.55 CA$2.19

81.94%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$8.24 $8.24

$11.38 CA$16.09

-27.59%

Wine (Bottle)

$15.19 $15.19

$10.63 CA$15.03

42.90%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.83 $2.83

$2.27 CA$3.21

24.67%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.22 $3.22

$2.82 CA$3.99

14.18%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.90 $1.90

$2.66 CA$3.76

-28.57%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$77.3 CA$109

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.40 $3.40

$3.20 CA$4.53

6.25%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.59 $1.59

$1.48 CA$2.09

7.43%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$39.87 $39.87

$32.88 CA$46.48

21.26%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.01 $1.01

$1.34 CA$1.90

-24.63%

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

$35.7K $35.7K

$28.2K CA$39.8K

26.90%

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

$24.5K $24.5K

$19.6K CA$27.8K

24.79%

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

$244 $244

$76.0 CA$107

220.68%

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

$68.3 $68.3

$33.95 CA$48.00

101.06%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$74.7 $74.7

$42.31 CA$59.8

76.48%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$44.02 $44.02

$29.76 CA$42.07

47.92%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$20.28 CA$28.67

Cinema Ticket

$13.93 $13.93

$11.15 CA$15.77

24.93%

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

$1,425 $1,425

$507 CA$717

181.08%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$23.6K $23.6K

$16.1K CA$22.7K

47.12%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$58.8 $58.8

$57.6 CA$81.4

2.19%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$39.41 $39.41

$37.58 CA$53.1

4.87%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$87.1 $87.1

$91.9 CA$130

-5.18%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$119 $119

$110 CA$155

8.83%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,347 $1,347

$1,260 CA$1,782

6.86%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,292 $1,292

$948 CA$1,340

36.36%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,488 $2,488

$2,137 CA$3,021

16.43%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,150 $2,150

$1,614 CA$2,281

33.21%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$2,726 $2,726

$4,960 CA$7,011

-45.03%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,291 $2,291

$3,838 CA$5,425

-40.29%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$2,827 CA$3,997

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

6.72

4.48

50.00%

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

Last update for Houston, MO: 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

Houston, MO

$1.3K 47.9%

Montreal

$948 47% 26.7% $345

Groceries & Markets

Houston, MO

$490 18.2%

Montreal

$346 17.2% 29.4% $144

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Houston, MO

$387 14.3%

Montreal

$152 7.5% 60.6% $234

Eating Out

Houston, MO

$302 11.2%

Montreal

$288 14.3% 4.7% $14

Clothing & Footwear

Houston, MO

$137 5.1%

Montreal

$133 6.6% 2.6% $3.6

Sport & Entertainment

Houston, MO

$72 2.7%

Montreal

$52 2.6% 27.6% $20

Getting Around

Houston, MO

$19 * 0.7%

Montreal

$99 4.9% 419% $80

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 $1,347 in Houston, MO and $1,260 in Montreal. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Dining out: $78.0 in Houston, MO vs $70.0 in Montreal for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $490 vs $346 per month, with Montreal cheaper across the board.

Good to know

🇺🇸 Houston, MO

🇨🇦 Montreal

🕒 Local time

04:13 4:13 AM

05:13 5:13 AM

1 h ahead of Houston, MO

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

2,304,580

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 20, 2026: 1 EUR = 1.12 USD (1 USD = 0.89 EUR).

Canadian Dollar exchange rates as of October 20, 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

Houston, MO Montreal 1,780 km ≈ 2 h 45 min nonstop flight

From you

Houston, MO
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

Houston, MO vs Montreal: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Montreal is cheaper overall, especially in groceries, eating out, and utilities. The 34% gap adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

You'd need roughly $4,049 in Houston, MO and $3,027 in Montreal to live well. The gap comes down to housing and overall price levels. Both cities are liveable on less, but these numbers represent actual comfort.

Rent for a central apartment: $1,347 in Houston, MO versus $1,260 in Montreal. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $1,425 in Houston, MO versus $507 in Montreal. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Dining out is cheaper in Montreal – a meal for two runs $70.0 versus $78.0 in Houston, MO. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

At $2,018 in Montreal versus $2,699 in Houston, MO, a $2,000 budget is realistic in Montreal but tight or insufficient in Houston, MO. The gap between the two cities makes Montreal the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

For families, Montreal is more practical. Housing and childcare are both notably cheaper than in Houston, MO, and the savings on those two alone free up budget for education, activities, and family trips.

Safety-wise, Houston, MO 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 Montreal gentler on the wallet – expenses run 34% less than in Houston, MO. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.