Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Independence, KS and Montreal

For one person, living costs are similar in Independence, KS and in Montreal: $1,974 and $2,018 a month, rent and utilities included.

96

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

Cost of Living Index in Montreal
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Montreal Living Index

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Independence, KS

🇺🇸 United States

$1,974

/mo nomad

Montreal

🇨🇦 Canada

$2,018

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,974 in Independence, KS versus $2,018 in Montreal.

Independence, KS $1,974
Montreal $2,018

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,922 in Independence, KS versus $3,085 in Montreal.

Independence, KS $2,922
Montreal $3,085

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,870 in Independence, KS versus $4,152 in Montreal.

Independence, KS $3,870
Montreal $4,152

Living in Independence, KS costs roughly 2% less than in Montreal, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in transport.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Independence, KS 46% above, Montreal 49% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$19.64 $19.64

$18.82 CA$26.61

4.36%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$74.6 $74.6

$70.3 CA$99.4

6.09%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$11.23 $11.23

$10.66 CA$15.06

5.35%

Cappuccino

$5.17 $5.17

$3.84 CA$5.43

34.64%

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

$2.60 $2.60

$1.92 CA$2.71

35.42%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.05 $2.05

$1.54 CA$2.18

33.12%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$5.94 $5.94

$6.23 CA$8.81

-4.65%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$7.46 $7.46

$7.10 CA$10.03

5.07%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.01 $1.01

$2.31 CA$3.27

-56.28%

White Bread (500g)

$3.51 $3.51

$3.14 CA$4.44

11.78%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$4.14 $4.14

$3.21 CA$4.54

28.97%

Eggs

$4.26 $4.26

$3.52 CA$4.97

21.02%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$12.27 $12.27

$12.81 CA$18.11

-4.22%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$10.48 $10.48

$11.46 CA$16.20

-8.55%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$17.23 $17.23

$13.39 CA$18.92

28.68%

Apples (1kg)

$5.15 $5.15

$3.14 CA$4.43

64.01%

Banana (1kg)

$1.57 $1.57

$1.44 CA$2.03

9.03%

Oranges (1kg)

$4.83 $4.83

$3.47 CA$4.91

39.19%

Tomato (1kg)

$5.00 $5.00

$3.07 CA$4.34

62.87%

Potato (1kg)

$2.42 $2.42

$1.90 CA$2.69

27.37%

Onion (1kg)

$2.78 $2.78

$1.77 CA$2.50

57.06%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.16 $2.16

$2.34 CA$3.31

-7.69%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$2.53 $2.53

$1.55 CA$2.19

63.23%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$9.32 $9.32

$11.38 CA$16.09

-18.10%

Wine (Bottle)

$14.76 $14.76

$10.63 CA$15.03

38.85%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.02 $2.02

$2.27 CA$3.21

-11.01%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.30 $3.30

$2.82 CA$3.99

17.02%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.28 $2.28

$2.66 CA$3.76

-14.29%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$77.3 CA$109

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.34 $3.34

$3.20 CA$4.53

4.37%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.72 $1.72

$1.48 CA$2.09

16.22%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$25.62 $25.62

$32.88 CA$46.48

-22.08%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$0.99 $0.99

$1.34 CA$1.90

-26.12%

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

$35.5K $35.5K

$28.2K CA$39.8K

25.99%

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

$25.9K $25.9K

$19.6K CA$27.8K

31.82%

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

$203 $203

$76.0 CA$107

167.54%

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

$57.2 $57.2

$33.95 CA$48.00

68.54%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$71.2 $71.2

$42.31 CA$59.8

68.26%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$41.43 $41.43

$29.76 CA$42.07

39.21%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$20.28 CA$28.67

Cinema Ticket

$13.73 $13.73

$11.15 CA$15.77

23.14%

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

$1,424 $1,424

$507 CA$717

180.89%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$22.3K $22.3K

$16.1K CA$22.7K

38.77%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$52.6 $52.6

$57.6 CA$81.4

-8.53%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$46.65 $46.65

$37.58 CA$53.1

24.14%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$89.0 $89.0

$91.9 CA$130

-3.13%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$116 $116

$110 CA$155

6.24%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,621 $1,621

$1,260 CA$1,782

28.58%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$702 $702

$948 CA$1,340

-25.88%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,472 $2,472

$2,137 CA$3,021

15.67%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,071 $1,071

$1,614 CA$2,281

-33.65%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$2,763 $2,763

$4,960 CA$7,011

-44.28%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,454 $2,454

$3,838 CA$5,425

-36.05%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$5,296 $5,296

$2,827 CA$3,997

87.29%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

6.57

4.48

46.65%

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

Last update for Independence, KS: October 13, 2026

Last update for Montreal: October 12, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Independence, KS

$702 35.6%

Montreal

$948 47% 34.9% $245

Groceries & Markets

Independence, KS

$397 20.1%

Montreal

$346 17.2% 12.8% $51

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Independence, KS

$332 16.8%

Montreal

$152 7.5% 54.1% $179

Eating Out

Independence, KS

$316 16%

Montreal

$288 14.3% 8.9% $28

Clothing & Footwear

Independence, KS

$137 7%

Montreal

$133 6.6% 2.7% $3.7

Sport & Entertainment

Independence, KS

$69 3.5%

Montreal

$52 2.6% 24.4% $17

Getting Around

Independence, KS

$21 * 1.1%

Montreal

$99 4.9% 368% $77

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 $1,621 in Independence, KS and $1,260 in Montreal. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Independence, KS pays 87% more on average while also being the cheaper of the two. The combined effect is a noticeably stronger local purchasing power.

Dining out: $75.0 in Independence, KS vs $70.0 in Montreal for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $397 vs $346 per month, with Montreal cheaper across the board.

Good to know

🇺🇸 Independence, KS

🇨🇦 Montreal

🕒 Local time

18:22 6:22 PM

19:22 7:22 PM

1 h ahead of Independence, KS

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

117,213

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 18, 2026: 1 EUR = 1.12 USD (1 USD = 0.89 EUR).

Canadian Dollar exchange rates as of October 18, 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

Independence, KS Montreal 2,050 km ≈ 3 h nonstop flight

From you

Independence, 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

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

Independence, KS wins on cost – living expenses run 2% lower than in Montreal. Housing and daily spending are where you'll feel the difference most, making Independence, KS the obvious pick if budget is a priority.

Average pay runs 87% higher in Independence, KS, 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: $1,621 in Independence, KS versus $1,260 in Montreal. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $1,424 in Independence, KS 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 Independence, KS – a meal for two runs $75.0 versus $70.0 in Montreal. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

At $1,974 in Independence, KS versus $2,018 in Montreal, a $2,000 budget is realistic in Independence, KS but tight or insufficient in Montreal. The gap between the two cities makes Independence, KS the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

Both work as nomad bases, but Independence, KS delivers better value – similar infrastructure at $1,974 monthly. If stretching your runway or maximizing savings is the goal, the price difference makes Independence, KS hard to pass up.

Safety-wise, Independence, KS 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 Independence, KS gentler on the wallet – expenses run 2% less than in Montreal. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.