Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Lawrence, KS and Montreal

For one person, living is cheaper in Montreal: $2,003 a month against $2,242 in Lawrence, KS, rent and utilities included – about $2,900 less a year. Other living expenses account for most of the difference.

107

Cost of Living Index in Lawrence, KS
Learn more

Lawrence, KS Living Index
99

Cost of Living Index in Montreal
Learn more

Montreal Living Index

Jump to prices

Lawrence, KS

🇺🇸 United States

$2,242

/mo nomad

Montreal

🇨🇦 Canada

$2,003

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

A single person spends $2,242 per month in Lawrence, KS vs $2,003 in Montreal, rent included.

Lawrence, KS $2,242
Montreal $2,003

A couple spends around $3,313 per month in Lawrence, KS vs $3,048 in Montreal, rent included.

Lawrence, KS $3,313
Montreal $3,048

A family of three spends $4,383 per month in Lawrence, KS vs $4,092 in Montreal, rent included.

Lawrence, KS $4,383
Montreal $4,092

Lawrence, KS costs about 12% more than Montreal, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in transport.

Both Lawrence, KS and Montreal sit above the global median – Lawrence, KS by 67%, Montreal by 49%.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$15.03 $15.03

$19.31 CA$27.52

-22.16%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$75.6 $75.6

$75.5 CA$108

0.07%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$10.97 $10.97

$10.63 CA$15.15

3.20%

Cappuccino

$5.08 $5.08

$3.93 CA$5.60

29.26%

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

$2.50 $2.50

$1.92 CA$2.73

30.21%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.82 $1.82

$1.48 CA$2.11

22.97%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$5.88 $5.88

$6.30 CA$8.98

-6.67%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$7.37 $7.37

$7.19 CA$10.24

2.50%

Milk (1 liter)

$0.83 $0.83

$2.22 CA$3.17

-62.61%

White Bread (500g)

$3.13 $3.13

$3.06 CA$4.36

2.29%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$4.31 $4.31

$2.94 CA$4.19

46.60%

Eggs

$3.91 $3.91

$3.53 CA$5.03

10.76%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$11.06 $11.06

$13.19 CA$18.79

-16.15%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$12.67 $12.67

$11.24 CA$16.02

12.72%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$16.68 $16.68

$13.81 CA$19.69

20.78%

Apples (1kg)

$5.41 $5.41

$3.40 CA$4.85

59.12%

Banana (1kg)

$2.11 $2.11

$1.44 CA$2.06

46.53%

Oranges (1kg)

$4.92 $4.92

$3.26 CA$4.65

50.92%

Tomato (1kg)

$4.13 $4.13

$2.88 CA$4.10

43.40%

Potato (1kg)

$1.80 $1.80

$1.86 CA$2.65

-3.23%

Onion (1kg)

$2.96 $2.96

$1.82 CA$2.60

62.64%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.69 $1.69

$2.43 CA$3.46

-30.45%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$2.82 $2.82

$1.52 CA$2.17

85.53%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$7.06 $7.06

$11.45 CA$16.32

-38.34%

Wine (Bottle)

$14.16 $14.16

$10.36 CA$14.76

36.68%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.75 $1.75

$2.22 CA$3.16

-21.17%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.66 $1.66

$2.82 CA$4.02

-41.13%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.58 CA$3.67

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$76.9 CA$110

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$2.96 $2.96

$3.25 CA$4.64

-8.92%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.36 $1.36

$1.48 CA$2.11

-8.11%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$25.50 $25.50

$33.04 CA$47.09

-22.82%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$0.94 $0.94

$1.36 CA$1.94

-30.88%

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

$22.6K $22.6K

$27.4K CA$39.1K

-17.49%

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

$24.1K $24.1K

$20.0K CA$28.5K

20.50%

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

$279 $279

$76.1 CA$109

265.90%

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

$63.7 $63.7

$34.68 CA$49.43

83.65%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$64.5 $64.5

$42.69 CA$60.9

51.14%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$44.86 $44.86

$28.94 CA$41.26

55.01%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$12.06 $12.06

$20.33 CA$28.97

-40.68%

Cinema Ticket

$12.24 $12.24

$11.21 CA$15.98

9.19%

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

$992 $992

$505 CA$720

96.50%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$19.4K $19.4K

$16.0K CA$22.8K

21.28%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$51.8 $51.8

$58.5 CA$83.4

-11.45%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$39.24 $39.24

$38.00 CA$54.2

3.26%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$79.4 $79.4

$92.7 CA$132

-14.38%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$102 $102

$106 CA$151

-3.62%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,191 $1,191

$1,240 CA$1,768

-3.98%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$907 $907

$986 CA$1,405

-8.01%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,944 $1,944

$2,102 CA$2,996

-7.50%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,665 $1,665

$1,615 CA$2,302

3.08%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$2,365 $2,365

$5,043 CA$7,188

-53.11%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,112 $2,112

$3,830 CA$5,459

-44.86%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$3,805 $3,805

$2,920 CA$4,163

30.29%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

6.57

4.46

47.31%

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

Last update for Lawrence, KS: October 4, 2026

Last update for Montreal: October 6, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Lawrence, KS

$907 41.6%

Montreal

$986 47.9% 8.7% $79

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Lawrence, KS

$407 18.6%

Montreal

$154 7.5% 62.3% $253

Groceries & Markets

Lawrence, KS

$391 17.9%

Montreal

$344 16.7% 12.2% $48

Eating Out

Lawrence, KS

$275 12.6%

Montreal

$293 14.2% 6.3% $17

Clothing & Footwear

Lawrence, KS

$123 5.6%

Montreal

$133 6.5% 8.3% $10

Sport & Entertainment

Lawrence, KS

$69 3.2%

Montreal

$51 2.5% 25.9% $18

Getting Around

Lawrence, KS

$9.7 * 0.5%

Montreal

$98 4.8% 906% $88

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

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $1,191 in Lawrence, KS versus $1,240 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 30% higher in Lawrence, 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 $76.0 in Lawrence, KS versus $75.0 in Montreal. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $391 vs $344 – making Montreal the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇺🇸 Lawrence, KS

🇨🇦 Montreal

🕒 Local time

03:54 3:54 AM

04:54 4:54 AM

1 h ahead of Lawrence, KS

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

95,358

1,762,949

💱 Currency

United States Dollar USD $

Canadian Dollar CAD $

📈 Exchange rate

1 USD = 0.892 EUR

1 CAD = 0.702 USD

1 CAD = 0.626 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 11, 2026: 1 EUR = 1.12 USD (1 USD = 0.892 EUR).

Canadian Dollar exchange rates as of October 11, 2026: 1 USD = 1.43 CAD (1 CAD = 0.702 USD). 1 EUR = 1.6 CAD (1 CAD = 0.626 EUR).

CAD to USD in detail →

On the map

Lowest

Highest

Between locations

Lawrence, KS Montreal 1,920 km ≈ 3 h nonstop flight

From you

Lawrence, 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

Lawrence, KS vs Montreal: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Lawrence, KS costs about 12% more than Montreal, and outside of rent the gap comes mainly from transport. That's enough to noticeably affect everyday spending and lifestyle for anyone choosing between the two.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $3,363 per month in Lawrence, KS and $3,005 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.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $76.0 in Lawrence, KS and $75.0 in Montreal. That's a good indicator of the overall restaurant and café pricing gap between the two cities.

Groceries cost about 14% more in Lawrence, KS, though it depends on what you buy. Local produce may be comparable; imported and premium items show the biggest price gap.

A $2,000 monthly budget goes further in Montreal, where all-in costs run around $2,003, than in Lawrence, KS at $2,242. In Montreal it covers expenses comfortably, while in Lawrence, KS it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.

For digital nomads, it depends on budget. Montreal costs $2,003 versus $2,242 in Lawrence, KS. Both have workable remote work infrastructure, but the cost gap matters when income varies month to month.

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