Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Independence, MO and Montreal

For one person, living costs are similar in Independence, MO and in Montreal: $2,107 and $2,059 a month, rent and utilities included.

102

Cost of Living Index in Independence, MO
Learn more

Independence, MO Living Index
99

Cost of Living Index in Montreal
Learn more

Montreal Living Index

Jump to prices

Independence, MO

🇺🇸 United States

$2,107

/mo nomad

Montreal

🇨🇦 Canada

$2,059

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $2,107 in Independence, MO versus $2,059 in Montreal.

Independence, MO $2,107
Montreal $2,059

Estimated couple costs with rent: $3,070 in Independence, MO versus $3,123 in Montreal.

Independence, MO $3,070
Montreal $3,123

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $4,033 in Independence, MO versus $4,187 in Montreal.

Independence, MO $4,033
Montreal $4,187

Living in Independence, MO is roughly 2% more expensive than in Montreal, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in transport.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Independence, MO 56% above, Montreal 52% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$20.09 $20.09

$18.84 CA$26.63

6.63%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$77.2 $77.2

$73.2 CA$104

5.45%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$12.67 $12.67

$10.54 CA$14.90

20.21%

Cappuccino

$5.15 $5.15

$3.97 CA$5.61

29.72%

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

$2.73 $2.73

$1.94 CA$2.74

40.72%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.96 $1.96

$1.57 CA$2.22

24.84%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$7.03 $7.03

$6.42 CA$9.08

9.50%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$7.38 $7.38

$7.20 CA$10.19

2.50%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.10 $1.10

$2.32 CA$3.28

-52.59%

White Bread (500g)

$3.17 $3.17

$3.19 CA$4.51

-0.63%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$4.40 $4.40

$3.19 CA$4.50

37.93%

Eggs

$4.27 $4.27

$3.68 CA$5.20

16.03%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$11.44 $11.44

$13.24 CA$18.72

-13.60%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$9.61 $9.61

$11.69 CA$16.53

-17.79%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$13.69 $13.69

$13.98 CA$19.76

-2.07%

Apples (1kg)

$4.51 $4.51

$3.14 CA$4.44

43.63%

Banana (1kg)

$1.56 $1.56

$1.45 CA$2.05

7.59%

Oranges (1kg)

$4.41 $4.41

$3.38 CA$4.78

30.47%

Tomato (1kg)

$4.18 $4.18

$3.11 CA$4.40

34.41%

Potato (1kg)

$3.12 $3.12

$1.93 CA$2.72

61.66%

Onion (1kg)

$2.84 $2.84

$1.83 CA$2.58

55.19%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.93 $1.93

$2.36 CA$3.34

-18.22%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$2.11 $2.11

$1.50 CA$2.12

40.67%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$7.96 $7.96

$11.12 CA$15.73

-28.42%

Wine (Bottle)

$14.83 $14.83

$10.60 CA$14.98

39.91%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.81 $1.81

$2.22 CA$3.14

-18.47%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.97 $3.97

$2.84 CA$4.01

39.79%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.62 CA$3.71

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$79.1 CA$112

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$2.49 $2.49

$3.23 CA$4.56

-22.91%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.26 $1.26

$1.48 CA$2.10

-14.86%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$25.39 $25.39

$32.22 CA$45.55

-21.20%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$0.98 $0.98

$1.36 CA$1.92

-27.94%

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

$32.2K $32.2K

$27.6K CA$39.1K

16.38%

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

$25.7K $25.7K

$21.2K CA$30.0K

21.49%

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

$252 $252

$77.0 CA$109

226.57%

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

$64.3 $64.3

$34.14 CA$48.26

88.25%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$72.0 $72.0

$42.19 CA$59.7

70.66%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$30.81 CA$43.56

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$19.66 CA$27.79

Cinema Ticket

$14.87 $14.87

$11.47 CA$16.22

29.64%

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

$962 $962

$506 CA$716

90.05%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$19.4K $19.4K

$16.2K CA$23.0K

19.76%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$58.8 $58.8

$57.3 CA$81.0

2.60%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$39.72 $39.72

$38.10 CA$53.9

4.25%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$95.2 $95.2

$91.9 CA$130

3.57%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$123 $123

$110 CA$155

12.30%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,004 $1,004

$1,237 CA$1,748

-18.83%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$843 $843

$977 CA$1,381

-13.66%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,045 $2,045

$2,180 CA$3,082

-6.21%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,303 $1,303

$1,608 CA$2,273

-18.95%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$1,495 $1,495

$5,113 CA$7,228

-70.77%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$3,744 CA$5,293

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$3,516 $3,516

$2,957 CA$4,180

18.89%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

6.56

4.48

46.43%

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

Last update for Independence, MO: 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

Independence, MO

$843 40%

Montreal

$977 47.4% 15.8% $133

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Independence, MO

$388 18.4%

Montreal

$153 7.5% 60.5% $234

Groceries & Markets

Independence, MO

$366 17.4%

Montreal

$351 17.1% 4.1% $15

Eating Out

Independence, MO

$329 15.6%

Montreal

$290 14.1% 11.8% $39

Clothing & Footwear

Independence, MO

$143 6.8%

Montreal

$134 6.5% 6.3% $9

Sport & Entertainment

Independence, MO

$30 * 1.4%

Montreal

$54 2.6% 80.8% $24

Getting Around

Independence, MO

$8.8 * 0.4%

Montreal

$100 4.9% 1045% $92

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 $1,004 in Independence, MO and $1,237 in Montreal. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Independence, MO pays 19% 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: $77.0 in Independence, MO vs $73.0 in Montreal for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $366 vs $351 per month, with Montreal cheaper across the board.

Good to know

🇺🇸 Independence, MO

🇨🇦 Montreal

🕒 Local time

15:51 3:51 PM

16:51 4:51 PM

1 h ahead of Independence, MO

🌤 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 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

Lowest

Highest

Between locations

Independence, MO Montreal 1,850 km ≈ 2 h 45 min nonstop flight

From you

Independence, 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

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

Independence, MO and Montreal differ by about 2% in total monthly costs ($2,107 vs $2,059 including rent). Montreal is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

Average pay runs 19% higher in Independence, MO, 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: $1,004 in Independence, MO versus $1,237 in Montreal. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Supermarket bills run roughly 4% higher in Independence, MO. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

All in, you'll spend $2,107 per month in Independence, MO versus $2,059 in Montreal – a 2% gap that adds up to real savings over time for anyone picking the cheaper option.

At $2,059 in Montreal versus $2,107 in Independence, MO, a $2,000 budget is realistic in Montreal but tight or insufficient in Independence, MO. The gap between the two cities makes Montreal the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

Both cities offer a good standard of living with different trade-offs. Neither is objectively better – the right pick depends on what matters most: affordability, career, cultural scene, or climate.

Safety-wise, Independence, 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 2% less than in Independence, MO. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.