Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Lake Geneva, WI and Montreal

For one person, living is cheaper in Montreal: $2,059 a month against $2,464 in Lake Geneva, WI, rent and utilities included – about $4,900 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

124

Cost of Living Index in Lake Geneva, WI
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Lake Geneva, WI Living Index
99

Cost of Living Index in Montreal
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Montreal Living Index

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Lake Geneva, WI

🇺🇸 United States

$2,464

/mo nomad

Montreal

🇨🇦 Canada

$2,059

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $2,464 in Lake Geneva, WI versus $2,059 in Montreal.

Lake Geneva, WI $2,464
Montreal $2,059

Estimated couple costs with rent: $3,622 in Lake Geneva, WI versus $3,123 in Montreal.

Lake Geneva, WI $3,622
Montreal $3,123

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $4,780 in Lake Geneva, WI versus $4,187 in Montreal.

Lake Geneva, WI $4,780
Montreal $4,187

Living in Lake Geneva, WI is roughly 20% more expensive than in Montreal, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in transport.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Lake Geneva, WI 82% above, Montreal 52% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$21.49 $21.49

$18.84 CA$26.63

14.07%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$90.0 $90.0

$73.2 CA$104

22.94%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$12.95 $12.95

$10.54 CA$14.90

22.87%

Cappuccino

$5.82 $5.82

$3.97 CA$5.61

46.60%

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

$2.70 $2.70

$1.94 CA$2.74

39.18%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.36 $2.36

$1.57 CA$2.22

50.32%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$6.95 $6.95

$6.42 CA$9.08

8.26%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$8.86 $8.86

$7.20 CA$10.19

23.06%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.01 $1.01

$2.32 CA$3.28

-56.47%

White Bread (500g)

$2.46 $2.46

$3.19 CA$4.51

-22.88%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$5.06 $5.06

$3.19 CA$4.50

58.62%

Eggs

$2.00 $2.00

$3.68 CA$5.20

-45.65%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$13.97 $13.97

$13.24 CA$18.72

5.51%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$9.65 $9.65

$11.69 CA$16.53

-17.45%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$9.92 $9.92

$13.98 CA$19.76

-29.04%

Apples (1kg)

$4.13 $4.13

$3.14 CA$4.44

31.53%

Banana (1kg)

$1.93 $1.93

$1.45 CA$2.05

33.10%

Oranges (1kg)

$4.14 $4.14

$3.38 CA$4.78

22.49%

Tomato (1kg)

$4.72 $4.72

$3.11 CA$4.40

51.77%

Potato (1kg)

$2.66 $2.66

$1.93 CA$2.72

37.82%

Onion (1kg)

$2.66 $2.66

$1.83 CA$2.58

45.36%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.21 $2.21

$2.36 CA$3.34

-6.36%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$2.97 $2.97

$1.50 CA$2.12

98.00%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$8.45 $8.45

$11.12 CA$15.73

-24.01%

Wine (Bottle)

$12.84 $12.84

$10.60 CA$14.98

21.13%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.66 $2.66

$2.22 CA$3.14

19.82%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.37 $3.37

$2.84 CA$4.01

18.66%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.15 $2.15

$2.62 CA$3.71

-17.94%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$79.1 CA$112

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.30 $3.30

$3.23 CA$4.56

2.17%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.36 $1.36

$1.48 CA$2.10

-8.11%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$25.17 $25.17

$32.22 CA$45.55

-21.88%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$0.91 $0.91

$1.36 CA$1.92

-33.09%

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

$35.4K $35.4K

$27.6K CA$39.1K

27.98%

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

$26.3K $26.3K

$21.2K CA$30.0K

24.02%

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

$192 $192

$77.0 CA$109

148.94%

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

$67.3 $67.3

$34.14 CA$48.26

97.13%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$50.6 $50.6

$42.19 CA$59.7

19.84%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$42.35 $42.35

$30.81 CA$43.56

37.46%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$19.66 CA$27.79

Cinema Ticket

$10.13 $10.13

$11.47 CA$16.22

-11.68%

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

$1,687 $1,687

$506 CA$716

233.34%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$31.5K $31.5K

$16.2K CA$23.0K

93.98%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$66.7 $66.7

$57.3 CA$81.0

16.52%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$50.7 $50.7

$38.10 CA$53.9

32.97%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$98.3 $98.3

$91.9 CA$130

6.94%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$146 $146

$110 CA$155

32.76%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,610 $1,610

$1,237 CA$1,748

30.19%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,198 $1,198

$977 CA$1,381

22.69%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,754 $2,754

$2,180 CA$3,082

26.31%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,911 $1,911

$1,608 CA$2,273

18.87%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$2,513 $2,513

$5,113 CA$7,228

-50.86%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,682 $2,682

$3,744 CA$5,293

-28.37%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$3,761 $3,761

$2,957 CA$4,180

27.18%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

6.45

4.48

43.97%

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

Last update for Lake Geneva, WI: October 17, 2026

Last update for Montreal: October 20, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Lake Geneva, WI

$1.2K 48.6%

Montreal

$977 47.4% 18.5% $222

Groceries & Markets

Lake Geneva, WI

$359 14.6%

Montreal

$351 17.1% 2.2% $7.7

Eating Out

Lake Geneva, WI

$353 14.3%

Montreal

$290 14.1% 17.8% $63

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Lake Geneva, WI

$310 12.6%

Montreal

$153 7.5% 50.5% $156

Clothing & Footwear

Lake Geneva, WI

$163 6.6%

Montreal

$134 6.5% 17.8% $29

Sport & Entertainment

Lake Geneva, WI

$63 2.5%

Montreal

$54 2.6% 14.1% $8.8

Getting Around

Lake Geneva, WI

$19 * 0.8%

Montreal

$100 4.9% 436% $82

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 $1,610 in Lake Geneva, WI and $1,237 in Montreal. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Lake Geneva, WI pays 27% 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: $90.0 in Lake Geneva, WI vs $73.0 in Montreal for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $359 vs $351 per month, with Montreal cheaper across the board.

Good to know

🇺🇸 Lake Geneva, WI

🇨🇦 Montreal

🕒 Local time

23:41 11:41 PM

00:41 12:41 AM

1 h ahead of Lake Geneva, WI

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

8,000

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 22, 2026: 1 EUR = 1.12 USD (1 USD = 0.89 EUR).

Canadian Dollar exchange rates as of October 22, 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

Lake Geneva, WI Montreal 1,230 km ≈ 2 h nonstop flight

From you

Lake Geneva, 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

Lake Geneva, WI vs Montreal: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Lake Geneva, WI and Montreal differ by about 20% in total monthly costs ($2,464 vs $2,059 including rent). Montreal is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

Average pay runs 27% higher in Lake Geneva, WI, which matters when comparing affordability. Whether that higher income actually nets you more depends on your spending habits and housing choices.

Rent for a central apartment: $1,610 in Lake Geneva, WI versus $1,237 in Montreal. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $1,687 in Lake Geneva, WI versus $506 in Montreal. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Dining out is cheaper in Montreal – a meal for two runs $73.0 versus $90.0 in Lake Geneva, WI. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

At $2,059 in Montreal versus $2,464 in Lake Geneva, WI, a $2,000 budget is realistic in Montreal but tight or insufficient in Lake Geneva, WI. The gap between the two cities makes Montreal the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

Both cities offer a good standard of living with different trade-offs. Neither is objectively better – the right pick depends on what matters most: affordability, career, cultural scene, or climate.

Safety-wise, Lake Geneva, WI 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.

Expats usually find Montreal gentler on the wallet – expenses run 20% less than in Lake Geneva, WI. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.