Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Lansing, IL and Montreal

For one person, living is cheaper in Montreal: $2,059 a month against $2,424 in Lansing, IL, rent and utilities included – about $4,400 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

124

Cost of Living Index in Lansing, IL
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Lansing, IL Living Index
99

Cost of Living Index in Montreal
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Montreal Living Index

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Lansing, IL

🇺🇸 United States

$2,424

/mo nomad

Montreal

🇨🇦 Canada

$2,059

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

A single person spends $2,424 per month in Lansing, IL vs $2,059 in Montreal, rent included.

Lansing, IL $2,424
Montreal $2,059

A couple spends around $3,690 per month in Lansing, IL vs $3,123 in Montreal, rent included.

Lansing, IL $3,690
Montreal $3,123

A family of three spends $4,956 per month in Lansing, IL vs $4,187 in Montreal, rent included.

Lansing, IL $4,956
Montreal $4,187

Lansing, IL costs about 18% more than Montreal, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in transport.

Both Lansing, IL and Montreal sit above the global median – Lansing, IL by 79%, Montreal by 52%.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$19.66 $19.66

$18.84 CA$26.63

4.35%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$74.6 $74.6

$73.2 CA$104

1.88%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$11.59 $11.59

$10.54 CA$14.90

9.96%

Cappuccino

$5.19 $5.19

$3.97 CA$5.61

30.73%

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

$2.72 $2.72

$1.94 CA$2.74

40.21%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.96 $1.96

$1.57 CA$2.22

24.84%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$5.90 $5.90

$6.42 CA$9.08

-8.10%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$7.22 $7.22

$7.20 CA$10.19

0.28%

Milk (1 liter)

$0.99 $0.99

$2.32 CA$3.28

-57.33%

White Bread (500g)

$3.57 $3.57

$3.19 CA$4.51

11.91%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$4.45 $4.45

$3.19 CA$4.50

39.50%

Eggs

$4.11 $4.11

$3.68 CA$5.20

11.68%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$12.76 $12.76

$13.24 CA$18.72

-3.63%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$11.39 $11.39

$11.69 CA$16.53

-2.57%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$16.88 $16.88

$13.98 CA$19.76

20.74%

Apples (1kg)

$5.10 $5.10

$3.14 CA$4.44

62.42%

Banana (1kg)

$1.64 $1.64

$1.45 CA$2.05

13.10%

Oranges (1kg)

$4.39 $4.39

$3.38 CA$4.78

29.88%

Tomato (1kg)

$4.79 $4.79

$3.11 CA$4.40

54.02%

Potato (1kg)

$2.82 $2.82

$1.93 CA$2.72

46.11%

Onion (1kg)

$2.91 $2.91

$1.83 CA$2.58

59.02%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.19 $2.19

$2.36 CA$3.34

-7.20%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$2.22 $2.22

$1.50 CA$2.12

48.00%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$9.96 $9.96

$11.12 CA$15.73

-10.43%

Wine (Bottle)

$15.07 $15.07

$10.60 CA$14.98

42.17%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.92 $1.92

$2.22 CA$3.14

-13.51%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.27 $3.27

$2.84 CA$4.01

15.14%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.05 $2.05

$2.62 CA$3.71

-21.76%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$79.1 CA$112

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$2.69 $2.69

$3.23 CA$4.56

-16.72%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.56 $1.56

$1.48 CA$2.10

5.41%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$33.26 $33.26

$32.22 CA$45.55

3.23%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.13 $1.13

$1.36 CA$1.92

-16.91%

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

$27.9K $27.9K

$27.6K CA$39.1K

0.81%

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

$26.3K $26.3K

$21.2K CA$30.0K

24.28%

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

$196 $196

$77.0 CA$109

153.97%

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

$66.0 $66.0

$34.14 CA$48.26

93.29%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$71.0 $71.0

$42.19 CA$59.7

68.29%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$40.95 $40.95

$30.81 CA$43.56

32.91%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$19.66 CA$27.79

Cinema Ticket

$14.18 $14.18

$11.47 CA$16.22

23.63%

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

$1,377 $1,377

$506 CA$716

172.15%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$26.8K $26.8K

$16.2K CA$23.0K

65.34%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$55.9 $55.9

$57.3 CA$81.0

-2.44%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$43.58 $43.58

$38.10 CA$53.9

14.38%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$101 $101

$91.9 CA$130

10.18%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$120 $120

$110 CA$155

9.24%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,607 $1,607

$1,237 CA$1,748

29.96%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,143 $1,143

$977 CA$1,381

17.07%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,651 $2,651

$2,180 CA$3,082

21.60%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,131 $2,131

$1,608 CA$2,273

32.51%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$2,439 $2,439

$5,113 CA$7,228

-52.29%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,500 $2,500

$3,744 CA$5,293

-33.22%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$3,105 $3,105

$2,957 CA$4,180

5.02%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

6.57

4.48

46.65%

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

Last update for Lansing, IL: October 18, 2026

Last update for Montreal: October 20, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Lansing, IL

$1.1K 47.2%

Montreal

$977 47.4% 14.6% $167

Groceries & Markets

Lansing, IL

$398 16.4%

Montreal

$351 17.1% 11.9% $47

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Lansing, IL

$333 13.7%

Montreal

$153 7.5% 53.9% $179

Eating Out

Lansing, IL

$317 13.1%

Montreal

$290 14.1% 8.3% $26

Clothing & Footwear

Lansing, IL

$144 6%

Montreal

$134 6.5% 7.4% $11

Sport & Entertainment

Lansing, IL

$69 2.9%

Montreal

$54 2.6% 22.4% $16

Getting Around

Lansing, IL

$19 * 0.8%

Montreal

$100 4.9% 437% $82

Categories marked with * are only partly priced – their share counts the items that do have prices.

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $1,607 in Lansing, IL 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 5% higher in Lansing, IL, 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 $75.0 in Lansing, IL versus $73.0 in Montreal. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $398 vs $351 – making Montreal the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇺🇸 Lansing, IL

🇨🇦 Montreal

🕒 Local time

17:10 5:10 PM

18:10 6:10 PM

1 h ahead of Lansing, IL

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

112,644

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

Lansing, IL Montreal 1,210 km ≈ 2 h nonstop flight

From you

Lansing, IL
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

Lansing, IL vs Montreal: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Yes – Lansing, IL is pricier by about 18%, and outside of rent the gap shows up most in transport.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $3,636 per month in Lansing, IL 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.

Monthly expenses with rent come to $2,424 in Lansing, IL and $2,059 in Montreal. That's a gap of about 18%.

Kindergarten costs $1,377 per month in Lansing, IL and $506 in Montreal. For families with young kids, this one expense can tip the scales when choosing between the two cities.

A $2,000 monthly budget goes further in Montreal, where all-in costs run around $2,059, than in Lansing, IL at $2,424. In Montreal it covers expenses comfortably, while in Lansing, IL it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.

Families tend to lean toward Montreal – lower housing and cheaper childcare make a real difference, especially on a single income or when paying for private education.

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