Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Kansas City, KS and Montreal

For one person, living is cheaper in Montreal: $2,018 a month against $2,693 in Kansas City, KS, rent and utilities included – about $8,100 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

Kansas City, KS
🇺🇸 United States
$2,693
/mo nomad
Montreal
🇨🇦 Canada
$2,018
/mo nomad
Monthly Cost of Living

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

A single person spends $2,693 per month in Kansas City, KS vs $2,018 in Montreal, rent included.

  • Kansas City, KS $2,693
  • Montreal $2,018

A couple spends around $4,087 per month in Kansas City, KS vs $3,085 in Montreal, rent included.

  • Kansas City, KS $4,087
  • Montreal $3,085

A family of three spends $5,482 per month in Kansas City, KS vs $4,152 in Montreal, rent included.

  • Kansas City, KS $5,482
  • Montreal $4,152

Kansas City, KS costs about 33% more than Montreal, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in leisure.

Both Kansas City, KS and Montreal sit above the global median – Kansas City, KS by 99%, Montreal by 49%.

Currency
🍽 Eating Out
Kansas City, KS
Montreal
Difference
Meal at Budget Restaurant
$23.66 $23.66
$18.82 CA$26.61
25.72%
Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range
$81.4 $81.4
$70.3 CA$99.4
15.83%
Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)
$12.44 $12.44
$10.66 CA$15.06
16.70%
Cappuccino
$6.15 $6.15
$3.84 CA$5.43
60.16%
Coke/Pepsi/Fanta/Sprite (0.33 liter bottle)
$3.14 $3.14
$1.92 CA$2.71
63.54%
Water (0.33 liter bottle)
$2.52 $2.52
$1.54 CA$2.18
63.64%
Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)
$5.11 $5.11
$6.23 CA$8.81
-17.98%
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$9.14 $9.14
$7.10 CA$10.03
28.73%
🛒 Groceries & Markets
Kansas City, KS
Montreal
Difference
Milk (1 liter)
$1.07 $1.07
$2.31 CA$3.27
-53.68%
White Bread (500g)
$3.46 $3.46
$3.14 CA$4.44
10.19%
Rice (white) (1kg)
$5.13 $5.13
$3.21 CA$4.54
59.81%
Eggs
$4.47 $4.47
$3.52 CA$4.97
26.99%
Local Cheese (1kg)
$13.87 $13.87
$12.81 CA$18.11
8.27%
Chicken Fillets (1kg)
$9.63 $9.63
$11.46 CA$16.20
-15.97%
Beef Round Steak (1kg)
$13.78 $13.78
$13.39 CA$18.92
2.91%
Apples (1kg)
$4.21 $4.21
$3.14 CA$4.43
34.08%
Banana (1kg)
$2.08 $2.08
$1.44 CA$2.03
44.44%
Oranges (1kg)
$5.76 $5.76
$3.47 CA$4.91
65.99%
Tomato (1kg)
$5.53 $5.53
$3.07 CA$4.34
80.13%
Potato (1kg)
$3.39 $3.39
$1.90 CA$2.69
78.42%
Onion (1kg)
$3.85 $3.85
$1.77 CA$2.50
117.51%
Lettuce (1 head)
$2.34 $2.34
$2.34 CA$3.31
-
Water (1.5 liter bottle)
$2.16 $2.16
$1.55 CA$2.19
39.35%
Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)
$9.59 $9.59
$11.38 CA$16.09
-15.73%
Wine (Bottle)
$17.31 $17.31
$10.63 CA$15.03
62.84%
Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)
$1.80 $1.80
$2.27 CA$3.21
-20.70%
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$3.76 $3.76
$2.82 CA$3.99
33.33%
🚌 Getting Around
Kansas City, KS
Montreal
Difference
One-way Ticket (Public Transport)
$1.47 $1.47
$2.66 CA$3.76
-44.74%
Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)
$54.2 $54.2
$77.3 CA$109
-29.86%
Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)
$4.88 $4.88
$3.20 CA$4.53
52.50%
Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)
$1.27 $1.27
$1.48 CA$2.09
-14.19%
Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)
$41.88 $41.88
$32.88 CA$46.48
27.37%
Gasoline (1 liter)
$1.02 $1.02
$1.34 CA$1.90
-23.88%
Midsize Hatchback 1.4l (Volkswagen Golf, Toyota Prius, Honda Civic, etc)
$34.5K $34.5K
$28.2K CA$39.8K
22.39%
Compact Sedan 1.6l (Toyota Corolla, Mazda3, Kia K4, Hyundai Elantra, etc)
$24.8K $24.8K
$19.6K CA$27.8K
26.38%
🧾 Monthly Utilities & Internet
Kansas City, KS
Montreal
Difference
Utilities for 2 People in 2-bedroom Apartment (Heating, Electricity, Gas, Water, Garbage) (85m2)
$202 $202
$76.0 CA$107
166.05%
SIM Card Monthly Plan (Calls and 10GB+ Data)
$54.8 $54.8
$33.95 CA$48.00
61.53%
Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)
$66.4 $66.4
$42.31 CA$59.8
56.89%
🎉 Sport & Entertainment
Kansas City, KS
Montreal
Difference
Gym Membership (Monthly)
$113 $113
$29.76 CA$42.07
279.67%
Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)
$63.7 $63.7
$20.28 CA$28.67
214.25%
Cinema Ticket
$15.24 $15.24
$11.15 CA$15.77
36.68%
🧸 Childcare & Education
Kansas City, KS
Montreal
Difference
Preschool or Kindergarten, Full Day, Private, 1 Child (Monthly)
$448 $448
$507 CA$717
-11.62%
International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)
$21.4K $21.4K
$16.1K CA$22.7K
33.20%
👕👟 Clothing & Footwear
Kansas City, KS
Montreal
Difference
Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)
$60.0 $60.0
$57.6 CA$81.4
4.21%
Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)
$43.36 $43.36
$37.58 CA$53.1
15.38%
Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)
$105 $105
$91.9 CA$130
14.10%
Men's Leather Business Shoes
$145 $145
$110 CA$155
32.10%
🏠 Accommodation & Living
Kansas City, KS
Montreal
Difference
1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$1,510 $1,510
$1,260 CA$1,782
19.79%
1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$1,226 $1,226
$948 CA$1,340
29.37%
3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$2,771 $2,771
$2,137 CA$3,021
29.68%
3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$2,180 $2,180
$1,614 CA$2,281
35.11%
Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)
$2,198 $2,198
$4,960 CA$7,011
-55.69%
Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)
$2,178 $2,178
$3,838 CA$5,425
-43.24%
💵 Salaries & Financials
Kansas City, KS
Montreal
Difference
Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)
$3,127 $3,127
$2,827 CA$3,997
10.58%
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 Kansas City, KS: 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
Kansas City, KS
$1.2K
Montreal
$948 22.7% $278
Groceries & Markets
Kansas City, KS
$403
Montreal
$346 14.1% $57
Eating Out
Kansas City, KS
$367
Montreal
$288 21.6% $79
Monthly Utilities & Internet
Kansas City, KS
$323
Montreal
$152 52.9% $171
Clothing & Footwear
Kansas City, KS
$159
Montreal
$133 16% $25
Sport & Entertainment
Kansas City, KS
$143
Montreal
$52 63.7% $91
Getting Around
Kansas City, KS
$71
Montreal
$99 38.2% $27

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $1,510 in Kansas City, KS 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 11% higher in Kansas City, KS, 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 Kansas City, KS versus $70.0 in Montreal. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $403 vs $346 – making Montreal the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know
🇺🇸 Kansas City, KS
🇨🇦 Montreal
🕒 Local time
12:15 12:15 PM
13:15 1:15 PM
1 h ahead of Kansas City, KS
🌤 Weather
👥 Population
463,202
1,762,949
Exchange rates and currency converter

CAD, EUR to USD – United States Dollar Converter

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).

On the map
Between locations
  • Kansas City, KS Montreal 1,860 km ≈ 2 h 45 min nonstop flight
From you
  • Kansas City, 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
Kansas City, KS vs Montreal: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions
Which city is more expensive, Kansas City, KS or Montreal?
Kansas City, KS costs about 33% more than Montreal, and outside of rent the gap comes mainly from leisure. That's enough to noticeably affect everyday spending and lifestyle for anyone choosing between the two.
How much do you need to earn to live comfortably in Kansas City, KS and in Montreal?
For a comfortable life, plan on about $4,040 per month in Kansas City, KS and $3,027 in Montreal. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.
Where is rent cheaper, Kansas City, KS or Montreal?
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.
How do childcare costs compare in Kansas City, KS and in Montreal?
Kindergarten costs $448 per month in Kansas City, KS and $507 in Montreal. For families with young kids, this one expense can tip the scales when choosing between the two cities.
Are groceries more expensive in Kansas City, KS or in Montreal?
Groceries cost about 16% more in Kansas City, KS, though it depends on what you buy. Local produce may be comparable; imported and premium items show the biggest price gap.
Can you live on $2,000/month in Kansas City, KS or in Montreal?
A $2,000 monthly budget goes further in Montreal, where all-in costs run around $2,018, than in Kansas City, KS at $2,693. In Montreal it covers expenses comfortably, while in Kansas City, KS it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.
Which city is better for digital nomads, Kansas City, KS or Montreal?
For digital nomads, it depends on budget. Montreal costs $2,018 versus $2,693 in Kansas City, KS. Both have workable remote work infrastructure, but the cost gap matters when income varies month to month.
How safe is Kansas City, KS compared to Montreal?
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.
Should I move to Kansas City, KS or to Montreal?
If budget matters most, go with Montreal. If higher salaries, better infrastructure, or specific career opportunities are the priority, Kansas City, KS makes more sense. Both are solid long-term options with distinct trade-offs.

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