Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Houston, TX and Montreal

For one person, living is cheaper in Montreal: $2,003 a month against $2,711 in Houston, TX, rent and utilities included – about $8,500 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

132

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

Cost of Living Index in Montreal
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Montreal Living Index

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Houston, TX

🇺🇸 United States

$2,711

/mo nomad

Montreal

🇨🇦 Canada

$2,003

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $2,711 in Houston, TX versus $2,003 in Montreal.

Houston, TX $2,711
Montreal $2,003

Estimated couple costs with rent: $3,906 in Houston, TX versus $3,048 in Montreal.

Houston, TX $3,906
Montreal $3,048

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $5,101 in Houston, TX versus $4,092 in Montreal.

Houston, TX $5,101
Montreal $4,092

Living in Houston, TX is roughly 35% more expensive than in Montreal, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in utilities.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Houston, TX 102% above, Montreal 49% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$20.57 $20.57

$19.31 CA$27.46

6.53%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$74.3 $74.3

$75.5 CA$107

-1.56%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$10.26 $10.26

$10.63 CA$15.11

-3.48%

Cappuccino

$5.32 $5.32

$3.93 CA$5.58

35.37%

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

$2.73 $2.73

$1.92 CA$2.73

42.19%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.26 $2.26

$1.48 CA$2.11

52.70%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$6.10 $6.10

$6.30 CA$8.96

-3.17%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$8.18 $8.18

$7.19 CA$10.22

13.77%

Milk (1 liter)

$0.81 $0.81

$2.22 CA$3.16

-63.51%

White Bread (500g)

$3.28 $3.28

$3.06 CA$4.35

7.19%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$4.05 $4.05

$2.94 CA$4.18

37.76%

Eggs

$3.31 $3.31

$3.53 CA$5.02

-6.23%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$11.25 $11.25

$13.19 CA$18.76

-14.71%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$12.78 $12.78

$11.24 CA$15.98

13.70%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$16.23 $16.23

$13.81 CA$19.65

17.52%

Apples (1kg)

$4.04 $4.04

$3.40 CA$4.84

18.82%

Banana (1kg)

$1.41 $1.41

$1.44 CA$2.05

-2.08%

Oranges (1kg)

$3.11 $3.11

$3.26 CA$4.64

-4.60%

Tomato (1kg)

$3.86 $3.86

$2.88 CA$4.09

34.03%

Potato (1kg)

$2.21 $2.21

$1.86 CA$2.64

18.82%

Onion (1kg)

$2.76 $2.76

$1.82 CA$2.60

51.65%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.84 $1.84

$2.43 CA$3.45

-24.28%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$2.49 $2.49

$1.52 CA$2.17

63.82%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$9.56 $9.56

$11.45 CA$16.29

-16.51%

Wine (Bottle)

$14.44 $14.44

$10.36 CA$14.73

39.38%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.45 $2.45

$2.22 CA$3.15

10.36%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.05 $3.05

$2.82 CA$4.01

8.16%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.28 $1.28

$2.58 CA$3.66

-50.39%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$76.3 $76.3

$76.9 CA$109

-0.83%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$2.85 $2.85

$3.25 CA$4.63

-12.31%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.47 $1.47

$1.48 CA$2.11

-0.68%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$23.64 $23.64

$33.04 CA$46.99

-28.45%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$0.96 $0.96

$1.36 CA$1.93

-29.41%

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

$35.6K $35.6K

$27.4K CA$39.0K

29.93%

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

$27.0K $27.0K

$20.0K CA$28.4K

35.12%

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

$213 $213

$76.1 CA$108

179.39%

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

$61.1 $61.1

$34.68 CA$49.32

76.04%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$73.6 $73.6

$42.69 CA$60.7

72.31%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$40.98 $40.98

$28.94 CA$41.17

41.60%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$20.54 $20.54

$20.33 CA$28.91

1.03%

Cinema Ticket

$15.21 $15.21

$11.21 CA$15.94

35.68%

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

$2,153 $2,153

$505 CA$718

326.23%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$22.2K $22.2K

$16.0K CA$22.8K

38.84%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$49.49 $49.49

$58.5 CA$83.2

-15.40%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$47.52 $47.52

$38.00 CA$54.1

25.05%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$103 $103

$92.7 CA$132

11.09%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$96.2 $96.2

$106 CA$150

-9.08%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,685 $1,685

$1,240 CA$1,764

35.85%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,403 $1,403

$986 CA$1,402

42.34%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$3,136 $3,136

$2,102 CA$2,990

49.17%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,207 $2,207

$1,615 CA$2,297

36.68%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$2,381 $2,381

$5,043 CA$7,173

-52.78%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,855 $1,855

$3,830 CA$5,447

-51.55%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$4,353 $4,353

$2,920 CA$4,154

49.05%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

6.7

4.46

50.22%

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

Last update for Houston, TX: October 4, 2026

Last update for Montreal: October 6, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Houston, TX

$1.4K 51.1%

Montreal

$986 47.9% 29.7% $417

Groceries & Markets

Houston, TX

$374 13.6%

Montreal

$344 16.7% 8.1% $30

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Houston, TX

$347 12.6%

Montreal

$154 7.5% 55.8% $194

Eating Out

Houston, TX

$326 11.9%

Montreal

$293 14.2% 10.1% $33

Clothing & Footwear

Houston, TX

$133 4.9%

Montreal

$133 6.5% 0.4% $0.5

Getting Around

Houston, TX

$92 3.3%

Montreal

$98 4.8% 6.8% $6.3

Sport & Entertainment

Houston, TX

$71 2.6%

Montreal

$51 2.5% 28.1% $20

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,685 in Houston, TX and $1,240 in Montreal. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Houston, TX pays 49% more on average. The extra income cushions the higher costs, though housing choices and lifestyle decide how much of the gap is truly closed.

Dining out: $74.0 in Houston, TX vs $75.0 in Montreal. Groceries flip the comparison at $374 vs $344, with Montreal cheaper for home cooking.

Good to know

🇺🇸 Houston, TX

🇨🇦 Montreal

🕒 Local time

01:39 1:39 AM

02:39 2:39 AM

1 h ahead of Houston, TX

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

2,304,580

1,762,949

💱 Currency

United States Dollar USD $

Canadian Dollar CAD $

📈 Exchange rate

1 USD = 0.892 EUR

1 CAD = 0.703 USD

1 CAD = 0.627 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 10, 2026: 1 EUR = 1.12 USD (1 USD = 0.892 EUR).

Canadian Dollar exchange rates as of October 10, 2026: 1 USD = 1.42 CAD (1 CAD = 0.703 USD). 1 EUR = 1.6 CAD (1 CAD = 0.627 EUR).

CAD to USD in detail →

On the map

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Between locations

Houston, TX Montreal 2,580 km ≈ 3 h 45 min nonstop flight

From you

Houston, 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

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

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

Average pay runs 49% higher in Houston, 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: $1,685 in Houston, TX versus $1,240 in Montreal. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Supermarket bills run roughly 9% higher in Houston, TX. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

Dining out is cheaper in Montreal – a meal for two runs $75.0 versus $74.0 in Houston, TX. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

At $2,003 in Montreal versus $2,711 in Houston, TX, a $2,000 budget is realistic in Montreal but tight or insufficient in Houston, TX. The gap between the two cities makes Montreal the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

Both work as nomad bases, but Montreal delivers better value – similar infrastructure at $2,003 monthly. If stretching your runway or maximizing savings is the goal, the price difference makes Montreal hard to pass up.

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