Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between La Crosse, WI and Montreal

For one person, living is cheaper in Montreal: $2,059 a month against $2,200 in La Crosse, WI, rent and utilities included – about $1,700 less a year. Higher rent and utilities in La Crosse, WI outweigh lower spending on other living expenses.

106

Cost of Living Index in La Crosse, WI
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La Crosse, WI Living Index
99

Cost of Living Index in Montreal
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Montreal Living Index

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La Crosse, WI

🇺🇸 United States

$2,200

/mo nomad

Montreal

🇨🇦 Canada

$2,059

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

A single person spends $2,200 per month in La Crosse, WI vs $2,059 in Montreal, rent included.

La Crosse, WI $2,200
Montreal $2,059

A couple spends around $3,364 per month in La Crosse, WI vs $3,123 in Montreal, rent included.

La Crosse, WI $3,364
Montreal $3,123

A family of three spends $4,528 per month in La Crosse, WI vs $4,187 in Montreal, rent included.

La Crosse, WI $4,528
Montreal $4,187

La Crosse, WI costs about 7% more than Montreal, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in transport.

Both La Crosse, WI and Montreal sit above the global median – La Crosse, WI by 62%, Montreal by 52%.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$14.80 $14.80

$18.84 CA$26.63

-21.44%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$70.6 $70.6

$73.2 CA$104

-3.65%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$11.19 $11.19

$10.54 CA$14.90

6.17%

Cappuccino

$5.77 $5.77

$3.97 CA$5.61

45.34%

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

$2.13 $2.13

$1.94 CA$2.74

9.79%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.18 $1.18

$1.57 CA$2.22

-24.84%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$4.60 $4.60

$6.42 CA$9.08

-28.35%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$5.97 $5.97

$7.20 CA$10.19

-17.08%

Milk (1 liter)

$0.68 $0.68

$2.32 CA$3.28

-70.69%

White Bread (500g)

$2.43 $2.43

$3.19 CA$4.51

-23.82%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$4.72 $4.72

$3.19 CA$4.50

47.96%

Eggs

$2.47 $2.47

$3.68 CA$5.20

-32.88%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$10.08 $10.08

$13.24 CA$18.72

-23.87%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$10.71 $10.71

$11.69 CA$16.53

-8.38%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$16.63 $16.63

$13.98 CA$19.76

18.96%

Apples (1kg)

$5.02 $5.02

$3.14 CA$4.44

59.87%

Banana (1kg)

$1.10 $1.10

$1.45 CA$2.05

-24.14%

Oranges (1kg)

$3.05 $3.05

$3.38 CA$4.78

-9.76%

Tomato (1kg)

$5.21 $5.21

$3.11 CA$4.40

67.52%

Potato (1kg)

$2.05 $2.05

$1.93 CA$2.72

6.22%

Onion (1kg)

$2.28 $2.28

$1.83 CA$2.58

24.59%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.95 $1.95

$2.36 CA$3.34

-17.37%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.80 $1.80

$1.50 CA$2.12

20.00%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$9.83 $9.83

$11.12 CA$15.73

-11.60%

Wine (Bottle)

$10.94 $10.94

$10.60 CA$14.98

3.21%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.83 $1.83

$2.22 CA$3.14

-17.57%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.97 $1.97

$2.84 CA$4.01

-30.63%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.97 $0.97

$2.62 CA$3.71

-62.98%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$35.06 $35.06

$79.1 CA$112

-55.70%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.41 $3.41

$3.23 CA$4.56

5.57%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.89 $1.89

$1.48 CA$2.10

27.70%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$44.31 $44.31

$32.22 CA$45.55

37.52%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$0.88 $0.88

$1.36 CA$1.92

-35.29%

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

$32.9K $32.9K

$27.6K CA$39.1K

18.91%

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

$24.7K $24.7K

$21.2K CA$30.0K

16.75%

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

$204 $204

$77.0 CA$109

165.37%

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

$54.7 $54.7

$34.14 CA$48.26

60.19%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$66.7 $66.7

$42.19 CA$59.7

58.17%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$39.29 $39.29

$30.81 CA$43.56

27.52%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$4.03 $4.03

$19.66 CA$27.79

-79.50%

Cinema Ticket

$11.84 $11.84

$11.47 CA$16.22

3.23%

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

$892 $892

$506 CA$716

76.33%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$16.2K CA$23.0K

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$63.6 $63.6

$57.3 CA$81.0

11.02%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$63.8 $63.8

$38.10 CA$53.9

67.38%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$78.9 $78.9

$91.9 CA$130

-14.14%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$122 $122

$110 CA$155

10.84%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$771 $771

$1,237 CA$1,748

-37.65%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,003 $1,003

$977 CA$1,381

2.72%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,226 $2,226

$2,180 CA$3,082

2.11%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,913 $1,913

$1,608 CA$2,273

18.97%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$2,011 $2,011

$5,113 CA$7,228

-60.67%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,969 $1,969

$3,744 CA$5,293

-47.42%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$4,043 $4,043

$2,957 CA$4,180

36.72%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

6.63

4.48

47.99%

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

Last update for La Crosse, WI: October 19, 2026

Last update for Montreal: October 20, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

La Crosse, WI

$1K 45.6%

Montreal

$977 47.4% 2.7% $27

Groceries & Markets

La Crosse, WI

$339 15.4%

Montreal

$351 17.1% 3.7% $12

Monthly Utilities & Internet

La Crosse, WI

$326 14.8%

Montreal

$153 7.5% 52.9% $172

Eating Out

La Crosse, WI

$269 12.3%

Montreal

$290 14.1% 7.8% $21

Clothing & Footwear

La Crosse, WI

$148 6.7%

Montreal

$134 6.5% 9.4% $14

Sport & Entertainment

La Crosse, WI

$63 2.9%

Montreal

$54 2.6% 14.6% $9.2

Getting Around

La Crosse, WI

$52 2.4%

Montreal

$100 4.9% 93.6% $48

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $771 in La Crosse, WI versus $1,237 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 37% higher in La Crosse, WI, 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 $71.0 in La Crosse, WI versus $73.0 in Montreal. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $339 vs $351 – making La Crosse, WI the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇺🇸 La Crosse, WI

🇨🇦 Montreal

🕒 Local time

05:37 5:37 AM

06:37 6:37 AM

1 h ahead of La Crosse, WI

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

52,680

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 20, 2026: 1 EUR = 1.12 USD (1 USD = 0.89 EUR).

Canadian Dollar exchange rates as of October 20, 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

La Crosse, WI Montreal 1,410 km ≈ 2 h 15 min nonstop flight

From you

La Crosse, WI
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

La Crosse, WI vs Montreal: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Monthly costs with rent: $2,200 in La Crosse, WI, $2,059 in Montreal – roughly 7% apart. Outside of rent, the biggest gap is in transport.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $3,299 per month in La Crosse, WI and $3,089 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.

Interestingly, groceries are about 4% cheaper in La Crosse, WI – one category where the pricier city actually offers better value, probably thanks to stronger retail competition or local farming.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $71.0 in La Crosse, WI and $73.0 in Montreal. That's a good indicator of the overall restaurant and café pricing gap between the two cities.

A $2,000 monthly budget goes further in Montreal, where all-in costs run around $2,059, than in La Crosse, WI at $2,200. In Montreal it covers expenses comfortably, while in La Crosse, WI 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 $2,059 in Montreal to $2,200 in La Crosse, WI. 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, La Crosse, WI makes more sense. Both are solid long-term options with distinct trade-offs.