Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Lacey, WA and Montreal

For one person, living is cheaper in Montreal: $2,018 a month against $2,713 in Lacey, WA, rent and utilities included – about $8,300 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

Lacey, WA
🇺🇸 United States
$2,713
/mo nomad
Montreal
🇨🇦 Canada
$2,018
/mo nomad
Monthly Cost of Living

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $2,713 in Lacey, WA versus $2,018 in Montreal.

  • Lacey, WA $2,713
  • Montreal $2,018

Estimated couple costs with rent: $3,810 in Lacey, WA versus $3,085 in Montreal.

  • Lacey, WA $3,810
  • Montreal $3,085

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $4,907 in Lacey, WA versus $4,152 in Montreal.

  • Lacey, WA $4,907
  • Montreal $4,152

Living in Lacey, WA is roughly 34% more expensive than in Montreal, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Lacey, WA 101% above, Montreal 49% above.

Currency
🍽 Eating Out
Lacey, WA
Montreal
Difference
Meal at Budget Restaurant
$25.13 $25.13
$18.82 CA$26.61
33.53%
Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range
$70.8 $70.8
$70.3 CA$99.4
0.73%
Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)
$14.98 $14.98
$10.66 CA$15.06
40.53%
Cappuccino
$6.75 $6.75
$3.84 CA$5.43
75.78%
Coke/Pepsi/Fanta/Sprite (0.33 liter bottle)
$3.27 $3.27
$1.92 CA$2.71
70.31%
Water (0.33 liter bottle)
$2.94 $2.94
$1.54 CA$2.18
90.91%
Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)
$8.14 $8.14
$6.23 CA$8.81
30.66%
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$8.14 $8.14
$7.10 CA$10.03
14.65%
🛒 Groceries & Markets
Lacey, WA
Montreal
Difference
Milk (1 liter)
$1.11 $1.11
$2.31 CA$3.27
-51.95%
White Bread (500g)
$4.61 $4.61
$3.14 CA$4.44
46.82%
Rice (white) (1kg)
$3.17 $3.17
$3.21 CA$4.54
-1.25%
Eggs
$5.06 $5.06
$3.52 CA$4.97
43.75%
Local Cheese (1kg)
$18.05 $18.05
$12.81 CA$18.11
40.91%
Chicken Fillets (1kg)
$10.77 $10.77
$11.46 CA$16.20
-6.02%
Beef Round Steak (1kg)
$16.60 $16.60
$13.39 CA$18.92
23.97%
Apples (1kg)
$5.07 $5.07
$3.14 CA$4.43
61.46%
Banana (1kg)
$1.66 $1.66
$1.44 CA$2.03
15.28%
Oranges (1kg)
$4.07 $4.07
$3.47 CA$4.91
17.29%
Tomato (1kg)
$4.66 $4.66
$3.07 CA$4.34
51.79%
Potato (1kg)
$2.69 $2.69
$1.90 CA$2.69
41.58%
Onion (1kg)
$2.43 $2.43
$1.77 CA$2.50
37.29%
Lettuce (1 head)
$2.87 $2.87
$2.34 CA$3.31
22.65%
Water (1.5 liter bottle)
$2.46 $2.46
$1.55 CA$2.19
58.71%
Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)
$12.53 $12.53
$11.38 CA$16.09
10.11%
Wine (Bottle)
$15.10 $15.10
$10.63 CA$15.03
42.05%
Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)
$2.39 $2.39
$2.27 CA$3.21
5.29%
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$2.32 $2.32
$2.82 CA$3.99
-17.73%
🚌 Getting Around
Lacey, WA
Montreal
Difference
One-way Ticket (Public Transport)
$2.23 $2.23
$2.66 CA$3.76
-16.17%
Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)
-
$77.3 CA$109
-
Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)
$2.64 $2.64
$3.20 CA$4.53
-17.50%
Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)
$1.71 $1.71
$1.48 CA$2.09
15.54%
Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)
$29.77 $29.77
$32.88 CA$46.48
-9.46%
Gasoline (1 liter)
$1.36 $1.36
$1.34 CA$1.90
1.49%
Midsize Hatchback 1.4l (Volkswagen Golf, Toyota Prius, Honda Civic, etc)
$36.5K $36.5K
$28.2K CA$39.8K
29.52%
Compact Sedan 1.6l (Toyota Corolla, Mazda3, Kia K4, Hyundai Elantra, etc)
$26.0K $26.0K
$19.6K CA$27.8K
32.56%
🧾 Monthly Utilities & Internet
Lacey, WA
Montreal
Difference
Utilities for 2 People in 2-bedroom Apartment (Heating, Electricity, Gas, Water, Garbage) (85m2)
$217 $217
$76.0 CA$107
185.78%
SIM Card Monthly Plan (Calls and 10GB+ Data)
$69.5 $69.5
$33.95 CA$48.00
104.83%
Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)
$93.5 $93.5
$42.31 CA$59.8
120.96%
🎉 Sport & Entertainment
Lacey, WA
Montreal
Difference
Gym Membership (Monthly)
$42.35 $42.35
$29.76 CA$42.07
42.31%
Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)
-
$20.28 CA$28.67
-
Cinema Ticket
$12.71 $12.71
$11.15 CA$15.77
13.99%
🧸 Childcare & Education
Lacey, WA
Montreal
Difference
Preschool or Kindergarten, Full Day, Private, 1 Child (Monthly)
$1,456 $1,456
$507 CA$717
187.06%
International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)
$31.2K $31.2K
$16.1K CA$22.7K
94.19%
👕👟 Clothing & Footwear
Lacey, WA
Montreal
Difference
Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)
$44.47 $44.47
$57.6 CA$81.4
-22.73%
Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)
$53.9 $53.9
$37.58 CA$53.1
43.53%
Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)
$88.5 $88.5
$91.9 CA$130
-3.73%
Men's Leather Business Shoes
$100 $100
$110 CA$155
-8.31%
🏠 Accommodation & Living
Lacey, WA
Montreal
Difference
1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$1,674 $1,674
$1,260 CA$1,782
32.81%
1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$1,283 $1,283
$948 CA$1,340
35.41%
3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$2,816 $2,816
$2,137 CA$3,021
31.77%
3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$1,842 $1,842
$1,614 CA$2,281
14.18%
Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)
$3,007 $3,007
$4,960 CA$7,011
-39.37%
Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)
$2,138 $2,138
$3,838 CA$5,425
-44.29%
💵 Salaries & Financials
Lacey, WA
Montreal
Difference
Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)
$4,295 $4,295
$2,827 CA$3,997
51.92%
20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)
6.81
4.48
52.01%

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

Last update for Lacey, WA: October 12, 2026

Last update for Montreal: October 12, 2026

Monthly budget structure
Share of the monthly basket for one person, rent included.
Accommodation & Living
Lacey, WA
$1.3K
Montreal
$948 26.2% $336
Groceries & Markets
Lacey, WA
$424
Montreal
$346 18.2% $77
Eating Out
Lacey, WA
$409
Montreal
$288 29.6% $121
Monthly Utilities & Internet
Lacey, WA
$380
Montreal
$152 60% $228
Clothing & Footwear
Lacey, WA
$129
Montreal
$133 3.2% $4.2
Sport & Entertainment
Lacey, WA
$68
Montreal
$52 23.2% $16
Getting Around
Lacey, WA
$20 *
Montreal
$99 390% $78

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 $1,674 in Lacey, WA and $1,260 in Montreal. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Lacey, WA pays 52% 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: $71.0 in Lacey, WA vs $70.0 in Montreal for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $424 vs $346 per month, with Montreal cheaper across the board.

Good to know
🇺🇸 Lacey, WA
🇨🇦 Montreal
🕒 Local time
12:19 12:19 PM
15:19 3:19 PM
3 h ahead of Lacey, WA
🌤 Weather
👥 Population
53,526
1,762,949
Exchange rates and currency converter

CAD, EUR to USD – United States Dollar Converter

United States Dollar exchange rates as of October 17, 2026: 1 EUR = 1.12 USD (1 USD = 0.889 EUR).

Canadian Dollar exchange rates as of October 17, 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
  • Lacey, WA Montreal 3,730 km ≈ 5 h nonstop flight
From you
  • Lacey, WA
  • 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
Lacey, WA vs Montreal: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions
Is Montreal cheaper than Lacey, WA?
Montreal is cheaper overall, especially in groceries, eating out, and utilities. The 34% gap adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.
Where can you earn more: Lacey, WA or Montreal?
Average pay runs 52% higher in Lacey, WA, which matters when comparing affordability. Whether that higher income actually nets you more depends on your spending habits and housing choices.
What is the rent difference between Lacey, WA and Montreal?
Rent for a central apartment: $1,674 in Lacey, WA versus $1,260 in Montreal. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.
Which city has cheaper kindergarten?
Childcare runs $1,456 in Lacey, WA versus $507 in Montreal. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.
Is eating out cheaper in Lacey, WA or in Montreal?
Dining out is cheaper in Montreal – a meal for two runs $70.0 versus $71.0 in Lacey, WA. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.
Is $2,000 a realistic budget for living in Lacey, WA or in Montreal?
At $2,018 in Montreal versus $2,713 in Lacey, WA, a $2,000 budget is realistic in Montreal but tight or insufficient in Lacey, WA. The gap between the two cities makes Montreal the clear choice for anyone on this budget.
Is Lacey, WA or Montreal more family-friendly?
For families, Montreal is more practical. Housing and childcare are both notably cheaper than in Lacey, WA, and the savings on those two alone free up budget for education, activities, and family trips.
Which city is safer, Lacey, WA or Montreal?
Safety-wise, Lacey, WA 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.
Which city is easier to live in as a foreigner?
Expats usually find Montreal gentler on the wallet – expenses run 34% less than in Lacey, WA. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.

Lacey, WA vs other spots: cost of living compared

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