Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Louisville, KY and Montreal

For one person, living is cheaper in Montreal: $2,059 a month against $2,241 in Louisville, KY, rent and utilities included – about $2,200 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

108

Cost of Living Index in Louisville, KY
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Louisville, KY Living Index
99

Cost of Living Index in Montreal
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Montreal Living Index

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Louisville, KY

🇺🇸 United States

$2,241

/mo nomad

Montreal

🇨🇦 Canada

$2,059

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $2,241 in Louisville, KY versus $2,059 in Montreal.

Louisville, KY $2,241
Montreal $2,059

Estimated couple costs with rent: $3,445 in Louisville, KY versus $3,123 in Montreal.

Louisville, KY $3,445
Montreal $3,123

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $4,648 in Louisville, KY versus $4,187 in Montreal.

Louisville, KY $4,648
Montreal $4,187

Living in Louisville, KY is roughly 9% more expensive than in Montreal, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Louisville, KY 65% above, Montreal 52% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$14.79 $14.79

$18.84 CA$26.63

-21.50%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$71.4 $71.4

$73.2 CA$104

-2.55%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$9.66 $9.66

$10.54 CA$14.90

-8.35%

Cappuccino

$5.18 $5.18

$3.97 CA$5.61

30.48%

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

$2.19 $2.19

$1.94 CA$2.74

12.89%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.59 $1.59

$1.57 CA$2.22

1.27%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$5.93 $5.93

$6.42 CA$9.08

-7.63%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$7.05 $7.05

$7.20 CA$10.19

-2.08%

Milk (1 liter)

$0.75 $0.75

$2.32 CA$3.28

-67.67%

White Bread (500g)

$3.31 $3.31

$3.19 CA$4.51

3.76%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$5.13 $5.13

$3.19 CA$4.50

60.82%

Eggs

$3.60 $3.60

$3.68 CA$5.20

-2.17%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$15.38 $15.38

$13.24 CA$18.72

16.16%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$12.10 $12.10

$11.69 CA$16.53

3.51%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$16.33 $16.33

$13.98 CA$19.76

16.81%

Apples (1kg)

$5.37 $5.37

$3.14 CA$4.44

71.02%

Banana (1kg)

$1.60 $1.60

$1.45 CA$2.05

10.34%

Oranges (1kg)

$4.54 $4.54

$3.38 CA$4.78

34.32%

Tomato (1kg)

$4.54 $4.54

$3.11 CA$4.40

45.98%

Potato (1kg)

$2.78 $2.78

$1.93 CA$2.72

44.04%

Onion (1kg)

$3.01 $3.01

$1.83 CA$2.58

64.48%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.26 $2.26

$2.36 CA$3.34

-4.24%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$2.36 $2.36

$1.50 CA$2.12

57.33%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$9.24 $9.24

$11.12 CA$15.73

-16.91%

Wine (Bottle)

$15.82 $15.82

$10.60 CA$14.98

49.25%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.76 $2.76

$2.22 CA$3.14

24.32%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.95 $3.95

$2.84 CA$4.01

39.08%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.70 $1.70

$2.62 CA$3.71

-35.11%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$50.6 $50.6

$79.1 CA$112

-36.10%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$2.78 $2.78

$3.23 CA$4.56

-13.93%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.41 $1.41

$1.48 CA$2.10

-4.73%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$30.34 $30.34

$32.22 CA$45.55

-5.83%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$0.95 $0.95

$1.36 CA$1.92

-30.15%

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

$33.9K $33.9K

$27.6K CA$39.1K

22.70%

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

$26.7K $26.7K

$21.2K CA$30.0K

25.81%

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

$180 $180

$77.0 CA$109

133.61%

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

$60.2 $60.2

$34.14 CA$48.26

76.24%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$68.1 $68.1

$42.19 CA$59.7

61.41%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$20.34 $20.34

$30.81 CA$43.56

-33.98%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$2.45 $2.45

$19.66 CA$27.79

-87.54%

Cinema Ticket

$11.13 $11.13

$11.47 CA$16.22

-2.96%

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

$1,268 $1,268

$506 CA$716

150.54%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$16.3K $16.3K

$16.2K CA$23.0K

0.49%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$49.73 $49.73

$57.3 CA$81.0

-13.15%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$41.18 $41.18

$38.10 CA$53.9

8.08%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$97.7 $97.7

$91.9 CA$130

6.27%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$111 $111

$110 CA$155

0.95%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,582 $1,582

$1,237 CA$1,748

27.88%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,006 $1,006

$977 CA$1,381

3.04%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,971 $1,971

$2,180 CA$3,082

-9.59%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,923 $1,923

$1,608 CA$2,273

19.59%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$2,682 $2,682

$5,113 CA$7,228

-47.56%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,779 $1,779

$3,744 CA$5,293

-52.49%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$3,973 $3,973

$2,957 CA$4,180

34.36%

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 Louisville, KY: 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

Louisville, KY

$1K 44.9%

Montreal

$977 47.4% 3% $30

Groceries & Markets

Louisville, KY

$414 18.5%

Montreal

$351 17.1% 15.1% $63

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Louisville, KY

$308 13.8%

Montreal

$153 7.5% 50.2% $155

Eating Out

Louisville, KY

$268 12%

Montreal

$290 14.1% 8.3% $22

Clothing & Footwear

Louisville, KY

$135 6%

Montreal

$134 6.5% 0.8% $1.1

Getting Around

Louisville, KY

$67 3%

Montreal

$100 4.9% 49.2% $33

Sport & Entertainment

Louisville, KY

$43 1.9%

Montreal

$54 2.6% 26.2% $11

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,582 in Louisville, KY and $1,237 in Montreal. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Louisville, KY pays 34% 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 Louisville, KY vs $73.0 in Montreal. Groceries flip the comparison at $414 vs $351, with Montreal cheaper for home cooking.

Good to know

🇺🇸 Louisville, KY

🇨🇦 Montreal

🕒 Local time

00:49 12:49 AM

Same time as Louisville, KY

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

612,780

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 →

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Between locations

Louisville, KY Montreal 1,290 km ≈ 2 h nonstop flight

From you

Louisville, KY
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

Louisville, KY vs Montreal: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Montreal wins on cost – living expenses run 9% lower than in Louisville, KY. Housing and daily spending are where you'll feel the difference most, making Montreal the obvious pick if budget is a priority.

Average pay runs 34% higher in Louisville, KY, 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: $1,582 in Louisville, KY versus $1,237 in Montreal. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Supermarket bills run roughly 18% higher in Louisville, KY. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

Dining out is cheaper in Montreal – a meal for two runs $73.0 versus $71.0 in Louisville, KY. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

At $2,059 in Montreal versus $2,241 in Louisville, KY, a $2,000 budget is realistic in Montreal but tight or insufficient in Louisville, KY. The gap between the two cities makes Montreal the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

Both work as nomad bases, but Montreal delivers better value – similar infrastructure at $2,059 monthly. If stretching your runway or maximizing savings is the goal, the price difference makes Montreal hard to pass up.

Safety-wise, Louisville, KY 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 9% less than in Louisville, KY. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.