Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Iowa City, IA and Montreal

For one person, living is cheaper in Montreal: $2,018 a month against $2,368 in Iowa City, IA, rent and utilities included – about $4,200 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

114

Cost of Living Index in Iowa City, IA
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Iowa City, IA Living Index
99

Cost of Living Index in Montreal
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Montreal Living Index

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Iowa City, IA

🇺🇸 United States

$2,368

/mo nomad

Montreal

🇨🇦 Canada

$2,018

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $2,368 in Iowa City, IA versus $2,018 in Montreal.

Iowa City, IA $2,368
Montreal $2,018

Estimated couple costs with rent: $3,367 in Iowa City, IA versus $3,085 in Montreal.

Iowa City, IA $3,367
Montreal $3,085

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $4,366 in Iowa City, IA versus $4,152 in Montreal.

Iowa City, IA $4,366
Montreal $4,152

Living in Iowa City, IA is roughly 17% more expensive than in Montreal, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in transport.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Iowa City, IA 75% above, Montreal 49% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$14.24 $14.24

$18.82 CA$26.61

-24.34%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$68.1 $68.1

$70.3 CA$99.4

-3.12%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$8.74 $8.74

$10.66 CA$15.06

-18.01%

Cappuccino

$5.78 $5.78

$3.84 CA$5.43

50.52%

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

$2.76 $2.76

$1.92 CA$2.71

43.75%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.17 $2.17

$1.54 CA$2.18

40.91%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$4.90 $4.90

$6.23 CA$8.81

-21.35%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$6.80 $6.80

$7.10 CA$10.03

-4.23%

Milk (1 liter)

$0.83 $0.83

$2.31 CA$3.27

-64.07%

White Bread (500g)

$2.76 $2.76

$3.14 CA$4.44

-12.10%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.02 $2.02

$3.21 CA$4.54

-37.07%

Eggs

$3.60 $3.60

$3.52 CA$4.97

2.27%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$9.51 $9.51

$12.81 CA$18.11

-25.76%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$10.32 $10.32

$11.46 CA$16.20

-9.95%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$20.56 $20.56

$13.39 CA$18.92

53.55%

Apples (1kg)

$3.32 $3.32

$3.14 CA$4.43

5.73%

Banana (1kg)

$1.23 $1.23

$1.44 CA$2.03

-14.58%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.75 $2.75

$3.47 CA$4.91

-20.75%

Tomato (1kg)

$4.86 $4.86

$3.07 CA$4.34

58.31%

Potato (1kg)

$2.03 $2.03

$1.90 CA$2.69

6.84%

Onion (1kg)

$2.37 $2.37

$1.77 CA$2.50

33.90%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.70 $1.70

$2.34 CA$3.31

-27.35%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$2.43 $2.43

$1.55 CA$2.19

56.77%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$8.79 $8.79

$11.38 CA$16.09

-22.76%

Wine (Bottle)

$13.27 $13.27

$10.63 CA$15.03

24.84%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.77 $1.77

$2.27 CA$3.21

-22.03%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.32 $4.32

$2.82 CA$3.99

53.19%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.66 CA$3.76

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$15.96 $15.96

$77.3 CA$109

-79.35%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.97 $3.97

$3.20 CA$4.53

24.06%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.99 $1.99

$1.48 CA$2.09

34.46%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$43.23 $43.23

$32.88 CA$46.48

31.48%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.00 $1.00

$1.34 CA$1.90

-25.37%

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

$36.0K $36.0K

$28.2K CA$39.8K

28.03%

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

$25.2K $25.2K

$19.6K CA$27.8K

28.58%

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

$266 $266

$76.0 CA$107

249.61%

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

$53.3 $53.3

$33.95 CA$48.00

57.03%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$81.9 $81.9

$42.31 CA$59.8

93.67%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$48.68 $48.68

$29.76 CA$42.07

63.58%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$19.82 $19.82

$20.28 CA$28.67

-2.27%

Cinema Ticket

$13.74 $13.74

$11.15 CA$15.77

23.23%

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

$1,285 $1,285

$507 CA$717

153.35%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$23.7K $23.7K

$16.1K CA$22.7K

47.62%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$64.3 $64.3

$57.6 CA$81.4

11.69%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$50.1 $50.1

$37.58 CA$53.1

33.42%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$101 $101

$91.9 CA$130

9.37%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$113 $113

$110 CA$155

3.01%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,179 $1,179

$1,260 CA$1,782

-6.45%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,096 $1,096

$948 CA$1,340

15.66%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,297 $2,297

$2,137 CA$3,021

7.48%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,671 $1,671

$1,614 CA$2,281

3.53%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,825 $3,825

$4,960 CA$7,011

-22.88%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,963 $1,963

$3,838 CA$5,425

-48.86%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$3,701 $3,701

$2,827 CA$3,997

30.90%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

6.45

4.48

43.97%

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

Last update for Iowa City, IA: October 11, 2026

Last update for Montreal: October 12, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Iowa City, IA

$1.1K 46.3%

Montreal

$948 47% 13.5% $148

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Iowa City, IA

$401 16.9%

Montreal

$152 7.5% 62% $249

Groceries & Markets

Iowa City, IA

$350 14.8%

Montreal

$346 17.2% 1.1% $3.8

Eating Out

Iowa City, IA

$267 11.3%

Montreal

$288 14.3% 7.7% $21

Clothing & Footwear

Iowa City, IA

$148 6.2%

Montreal

$133 6.6% 9.5% $14

Sport & Entertainment

Iowa City, IA

$76 3.2%

Montreal

$52 2.6% 31.6% $24

Getting Around

Iowa City, IA

$30 * 1.3%

Montreal

$99 4.9% 230% $69

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 $1,179 in Iowa City, IA and $1,260 in Montreal. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Iowa City, IA pays 31% 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: $68.0 in Iowa City, IA vs $70.0 in Montreal. Groceries flip the comparison at $350 vs $346, with Montreal cheaper for home cooking.

Good to know

🇺🇸 Iowa City, IA

🇨🇦 Montreal

🕒 Local time

15:31 3:31 PM

16:31 4:31 PM

1 h ahead of Iowa City, IA

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

74,828

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 19, 2026: 1 EUR = 1.12 USD (1 USD = 0.89 EUR).

Canadian Dollar exchange rates as of October 19, 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

Iowa City, IA Montreal 1,500 km ≈ 2 h 30 min nonstop flight

From you

Iowa City, IA
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

Iowa City, IA vs Montreal: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Montreal is cheaper overall, especially in groceries, clothing, and utilities. The 17% gap adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

Average pay runs 31% higher in Iowa City, IA, 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: $1,179 in Iowa City, IA versus $1,260 in Montreal. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

A monthly transit pass in Montreal runs roughly 384% less than in Iowa City, IA. Both cities have functional networks, but the price difference matters if you're watching your budget.

Childcare runs $1,285 in Iowa City, IA versus $507 in Montreal. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

At $2,018 in Montreal versus $2,368 in Iowa City, IA, a $2,000 budget is realistic in Montreal but tight or insufficient in Iowa City, IA. 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 Iowa City, IA, and the savings on those two alone free up budget for education, activities, and family trips.

Safety-wise, Iowa City, IA 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 17% less than in Iowa City, IA. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.