Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Jackson, MS and Montreal

For one person, living is cheaper in Montreal: $2,018 a month against $2,445 in Jackson, MS, rent and utilities included – about $5,100 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

118

Cost of Living Index in Jackson, MS
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Jackson, MS Living Index
99

Cost of Living Index in Montreal
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Montreal Living Index

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Jackson, MS

🇺🇸 United States

$2,445

/mo nomad

Montreal

🇨🇦 Canada

$2,018

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

A single person spends $2,445 per month in Jackson, MS vs $2,018 in Montreal, rent included.

Jackson, MS $2,445
Montreal $2,018

A couple spends around $3,524 per month in Jackson, MS vs $3,085 in Montreal, rent included.

Jackson, MS $3,524
Montreal $3,085

A family of three spends $4,603 per month in Jackson, MS vs $4,152 in Montreal, rent included.

Jackson, MS $4,603
Montreal $4,152

Jackson, MS costs about 21% more than Montreal, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in utilities.

Both Jackson, MS and Montreal sit above the global median – Jackson, MS by 81%, Montreal by 49%.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$17.22 $17.22

$18.82 CA$26.61

-8.50%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$60.0 $60.0

$70.3 CA$99.4

-14.67%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$9.29 $9.29

$10.66 CA$15.06

-12.85%

Cappuccino

$4.12 $4.12

$3.84 CA$5.43

7.29%

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

$1.64 $1.64

$1.92 CA$2.71

-14.58%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.65 $1.65

$1.54 CA$2.18

7.14%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$4.11 $4.11

$6.23 CA$8.81

-34.03%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.05 $4.05

$7.10 CA$10.03

-42.96%

Milk (1 liter)

$0.98 $0.98

$2.31 CA$3.27

-57.58%

White Bread (500g)

$3.08 $3.08

$3.14 CA$4.44

-1.91%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$4.16 $4.16

$3.21 CA$4.54

29.60%

Eggs

$3.77 $3.77

$3.52 CA$4.97

7.10%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$8.11 $8.11

$12.81 CA$18.11

-36.69%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$11.22 $11.22

$11.46 CA$16.20

-2.09%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$7.12 $7.12

$13.39 CA$18.92

-46.83%

Apples (1kg)

$5.50 $5.50

$3.14 CA$4.43

75.16%

Banana (1kg)

$1.08 $1.08

$1.44 CA$2.03

-25.00%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.45 $1.45

$3.47 CA$4.91

-58.21%

Tomato (1kg)

$4.80 $4.80

$3.07 CA$4.34

56.35%

Potato (1kg)

$3.23 $3.23

$1.90 CA$2.69

70.00%

Onion (1kg)

$1.94 $1.94

$1.77 CA$2.50

9.60%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.52 $1.52

$2.34 CA$3.31

-35.04%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$2.18 $2.18

$1.55 CA$2.19

40.65%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$7.70 $7.70

$11.38 CA$16.09

-32.34%

Wine (Bottle)

$13.16 $13.16

$10.63 CA$15.03

23.80%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.70 $1.70

$2.27 CA$3.21

-25.11%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.65 $1.65

$2.82 CA$3.99

-41.49%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$4.11 $4.11

$2.66 CA$3.76

54.51%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$123 $123

$77.3 CA$109

59.09%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$2.01 $2.01

$3.20 CA$4.53

-37.19%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.35 $1.35

$1.48 CA$2.09

-8.78%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$19.04 $19.04

$32.88 CA$46.48

-42.09%

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)

$35.1K $35.1K

$28.2K CA$39.8K

24.52%

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

$26.6K $26.6K

$19.6K CA$27.8K

35.42%

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

$184 $184

$76.0 CA$107

141.68%

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

$69.1 $69.1

$33.95 CA$48.00

103.51%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$74.2 $74.2

$42.31 CA$59.8

75.42%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$64.3 $64.3

$29.76 CA$42.07

115.89%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$16.27 $16.27

$20.28 CA$28.67

-19.77%

Cinema Ticket

$12.94 $12.94

$11.15 CA$15.77

16.05%

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

$599 $599

$507 CA$717

18.08%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$25.1K $25.1K

$16.1K CA$22.7K

56.25%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$47.45 $47.45

$57.6 CA$81.4

-17.55%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$22.91 $22.91

$37.58 CA$53.1

-39.04%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$83.2 $83.2

$91.9 CA$130

-9.43%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$117 $117

$110 CA$155

6.73%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$955 $955

$1,260 CA$1,782

-24.20%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,179 $1,179

$948 CA$1,340

24.44%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,258 $2,258

$2,137 CA$3,021

5.68%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,885 $1,885

$1,614 CA$2,281

16.80%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$1,568 $1,568

$4,960 CA$7,011

-68.38%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,571 $1,571

$3,838 CA$5,425

-59.07%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$2,764 $2,764

$2,827 CA$3,997

-2.26%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

6.18

4.48

37.95%

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

Last update for Jackson, MS: 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

Jackson, MS

$1.2K 48.2%

Montreal

$948 47% 19.6% $232

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Jackson, MS

$327 13.4%

Montreal

$152 7.5% 53.4% $175

Groceries & Markets

Jackson, MS

$322 13.2%

Montreal

$346 17.2% 7.7% $25

Eating Out

Jackson, MS

$257 10.5%

Montreal

$288 14.3% 12% $31

Getting Around

Jackson, MS

$148 6.1%

Montreal

$99 4.9% 33.5% $50

Clothing & Footwear

Jackson, MS

$122 5%

Montreal

$133 6.6% 9.6% $12

Sport & Entertainment

Jackson, MS

$90 3.7%

Montreal

$52 2.6% 42.2% $38

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $955 in Jackson, MS 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 2% higher in Montreal, which reinforces the cost advantage – you earn more and spend less. Purchasing power leans clearly in its favor.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $60.0 in Jackson, MS versus $70.0 in Montreal. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $322 vs $346 – making Jackson, MS the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇺🇸 Jackson, MS

🇨🇦 Montreal

🕒 Local time

14:27 2:27 PM

15:27 3:27 PM

1 h ahead of Jackson, MS

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

153,701

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

Jackson, MS Montreal 2,050 km ≈ 3 h nonstop flight

From you

Jackson, MS
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

Jackson, MS vs Montreal: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Jackson, MS costs about 21% more than Montreal, and outside of rent the gap comes mainly from utilities. That's enough to noticeably affect everyday spending and lifestyle for anyone choosing between the two.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $3,667 per month in Jackson, MS 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.

Kindergarten costs $599 per month in Jackson, MS and $507 in Montreal. For families with young kids, this one expense can tip the scales when choosing between the two cities.

Interestingly, groceries are about 8% cheaper in Jackson, MS – one category where the pricier city actually offers better value, probably thanks to stronger retail competition or local farming.

A $2,000 monthly budget goes further in Montreal, where all-in costs run around $2,018, than in Jackson, MS at $2,445. In Montreal it covers expenses comfortably, while in Jackson, MS it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.

For digital nomads, it depends on budget. Montreal costs $2,018 versus $2,445 in Jackson, MS. Both have workable remote work infrastructure, but the cost gap matters when income varies month to month.

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, Jackson, MS makes more sense. Both are solid long-term options with distinct trade-offs.