Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Ithaca, NY and Montreal

For one person, living is cheaper in Montreal: $2,018 a month against $2,941 in Ithaca, NY, rent and utilities included – about $11,100 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

142

Cost of Living Index in Ithaca, NY
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Ithaca, NY Living Index
99

Cost of Living Index in Montreal
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Montreal Living Index

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Ithaca, NY

🇺🇸 United States

$2,941

/mo nomad

Montreal

🇨🇦 Canada

$2,018

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

A single person spends $2,941 per month in Ithaca, NY vs $2,018 in Montreal, rent included.

Ithaca, NY $2,941
Montreal $2,018

A couple spends around $3,792 per month in Ithaca, NY vs $3,085 in Montreal, rent included.

Ithaca, NY $3,792
Montreal $3,085

A family of three spends $4,642 per month in Ithaca, NY vs $4,152 in Montreal, rent included.

Ithaca, NY $4,642
Montreal $4,152

Ithaca, NY costs about 46% more than Montreal, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

Both Ithaca, NY and Montreal sit above the global median – Ithaca, NY by 118%, Montreal by 49%.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$22.16 $22.16

$18.82 CA$26.61

17.75%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$81.1 $81.1

$70.3 CA$99.4

15.42%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$11.22 $11.22

$10.66 CA$15.06

5.25%

Cappuccino

$5.04 $5.04

$3.84 CA$5.43

31.25%

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

$2.68 $2.68

$1.92 CA$2.71

39.58%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.03 $2.03

$1.54 CA$2.18

31.82%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$4.88 $4.88

$6.23 CA$8.81

-21.67%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$9.29 $9.29

$7.10 CA$10.03

30.85%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.01 $1.01

$2.31 CA$3.27

-56.28%

White Bread (500g)

$3.34 $3.34

$3.14 CA$4.44

6.37%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$7.20 $7.20

$3.21 CA$4.54

124.30%

Eggs

$4.10 $4.10

$3.52 CA$4.97

16.48%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$14.42 $14.42

$12.81 CA$18.11

12.57%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$6.75 $6.75

$11.46 CA$16.20

-41.10%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$15.31 $15.31

$13.39 CA$18.92

14.34%

Apples (1kg)

$4.73 $4.73

$3.14 CA$4.43

50.64%

Banana (1kg)

$1.69 $1.69

$1.44 CA$2.03

17.36%

Oranges (1kg)

$5.45 $5.45

$3.47 CA$4.91

57.06%

Tomato (1kg)

$4.70 $4.70

$3.07 CA$4.34

53.09%

Potato (1kg)

$3.27 $3.27

$1.90 CA$2.69

72.11%

Onion (1kg)

$3.58 $3.58

$1.77 CA$2.50

102.26%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.32 $2.32

$2.34 CA$3.31

-0.85%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$2.06 $2.06

$1.55 CA$2.19

32.90%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$9.09 $9.09

$11.38 CA$16.09

-20.12%

Wine (Bottle)

$14.03 $14.03

$10.63 CA$15.03

31.98%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.83 $1.83

$2.27 CA$3.21

-19.38%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.85 $3.85

$2.82 CA$3.99

36.52%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.96 $1.96

$2.66 CA$3.76

-26.32%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$45.65 $45.65

$77.3 CA$109

-40.94%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$5.01 $5.01

$3.20 CA$4.53

56.56%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.42 $1.42

$1.48 CA$2.09

-4.05%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$29.94 $29.94

$32.88 CA$46.48

-8.94%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.06 $1.06

$1.34 CA$1.90

-20.90%

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

$36.4K $36.4K

$28.2K CA$39.8K

29.17%

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

$25.0K $25.0K

$19.6K CA$27.8K

27.51%

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

$164 $164

$76.0 CA$107

116.22%

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

$47.70 $47.70

$33.95 CA$48.00

40.50%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$51.0 $51.0

$42.31 CA$59.8

20.42%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$35.26 $35.26

$29.76 CA$42.07

18.48%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$20.28 CA$28.67

Cinema Ticket

$10.84 $10.84

$11.15 CA$15.77

-2.78%

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

$1,466 $1,466

$507 CA$717

189.06%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$16.9K $16.9K

$16.1K CA$22.7K

5.13%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$46.46 $46.46

$57.6 CA$81.4

-19.27%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$40.18 $40.18

$37.58 CA$53.1

6.92%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$78.8 $78.8

$91.9 CA$130

-14.24%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$106 $106

$110 CA$155

-3.06%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,183 $2,183

$1,260 CA$1,782

73.17%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,714 $1,714

$948 CA$1,340

80.89%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,728 $2,728

$2,137 CA$3,021

27.64%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,844 $1,844

$1,614 CA$2,281

14.29%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$2,196 $2,196

$4,960 CA$7,011

-55.71%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,149 $2,149

$3,838 CA$5,425

-44.00%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$3,464 $3,464

$2,827 CA$3,997

22.52%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

6.46

4.48

44.20%

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

Last update for Ithaca, NY: 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

Ithaca, NY

$1.7K 58.3%

Montreal

$948 47% 44.7% $766

Groceries & Markets

Ithaca, NY

$387 13.1%

Montreal

$346 17.2% 10.4% $40

Eating Out

Ithaca, NY

$333 11.3%

Montreal

$288 14.3% 13.6% $45

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Ithaca, NY

$263 8.9%

Montreal

$152 7.5% 42.1% $111

Clothing & Footwear

Ithaca, NY

$122 4.2%

Montreal

$133 6.6% 9.2% $11

Getting Around

Ithaca, NY

$66 2.2%

Montreal

$99 4.9% 50.2% $33

Sport & Entertainment

Ithaca, NY

$57 1.9%

Montreal

$52 2.6% 8.6% $4.9

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $2,183 in Ithaca, NY versus $1,260 in Montreal. Rent is usually the largest line item in a monthly budget, so the gap here sets the tone for the overall comparison.

Salaries run about 23% higher in Ithaca, NY, which partly offsets the higher cost of living there. Purchasing power depends on which expenses matter most to you.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $81.0 in Ithaca, NY versus $70.0 in Montreal. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $387 vs $346 – making Montreal the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇺🇸 Ithaca, NY

🇨🇦 Montreal

🕒 Local time

22:33 10:33 PM

Same time as Ithaca, NY

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

22,283

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 →

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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

Ithaca, NY vs Montreal: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Monthly costs with rent: $2,941 in Ithaca, NY, $2,018 in Montreal – roughly 46% apart. Outside of rent, the biggest gap is in eating out.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $4,412 per month in Ithaca, NY and $3,027 in Montreal. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

Rent is clearly cheaper in Montreal, especially for central apartments. Housing is actually the single biggest factor behind the overall cost gap between these two cities.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $81.0 in Ithaca, NY and $70.0 in Montreal. That's a good indicator of the overall restaurant and café pricing gap between the two cities.

Monthly expenses with rent come to $2,941 in Ithaca, NY and $2,018 in Montreal. That's a gap of about 46%.

A $2,000 monthly budget goes further in Montreal, where all-in costs run around $2,018, than in Ithaca, NY at $2,941. In Montreal it covers expenses comfortably, while in Ithaca, NY it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.

It depends on your priorities. Montreal has an edge in some lifestyle areas, with costs from $2,018 in Montreal to $2,941 in Ithaca, NY. Climate, culture, job market, and personal taste all factor in.

Both have safer and rougher neighborhoods, but overall safety is comparable to other large cities. Neighborhood choice matters more than the city-level comparison – central, well-trafficked areas feel secure in both.

If budget matters most, go with Montreal. If higher salaries, better infrastructure, or specific career opportunities are the priority, Ithaca, NY makes more sense. Both are solid long-term options with distinct trade-offs.