Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Milwaukee, WI and Montreal

For one person, living is cheaper in Montreal: $2,003 a month against $2,502 in Milwaukee, WI, rent and utilities included – about $6,000 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

123

Cost of Living Index in Milwaukee, WI
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Milwaukee, WI Living Index
99

Cost of Living Index in Montreal
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Montreal Living Index

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Milwaukee, WI

🇺🇸 United States

$2,502

/mo nomad

Montreal

🇨🇦 Canada

$2,003

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $2,502 in Milwaukee, WI versus $2,003 in Montreal.

Milwaukee, WI $2,502
Montreal $2,003

Estimated couple costs with rent: $3,628 in Milwaukee, WI versus $3,048 in Montreal.

Milwaukee, WI $3,628
Montreal $3,048

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $4,754 in Milwaukee, WI versus $4,092 in Montreal.

Milwaukee, WI $4,754
Montreal $4,092

Living in Milwaukee, WI is roughly 25% more expensive than in Montreal, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Milwaukee, WI 87% above, Montreal 49% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$20.33 $20.33

$19.31 CA$27.52

5.28%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$73.7 $73.7

$75.5 CA$108

-2.44%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$9.85 $9.85

$10.63 CA$15.15

-7.34%

Cappuccino

$5.14 $5.14

$3.93 CA$5.60

30.79%

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

$2.86 $2.86

$1.92 CA$2.73

48.96%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.03 $2.03

$1.48 CA$2.11

37.16%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$6.16 $6.16

$6.30 CA$8.98

-2.22%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$7.61 $7.61

$7.19 CA$10.24

5.84%

Milk (1 liter)

$0.79 $0.79

$2.22 CA$3.17

-64.41%

White Bread (500g)

$3.55 $3.55

$3.06 CA$4.36

16.01%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$5.23 $5.23

$2.94 CA$4.19

77.89%

Eggs

$4.46 $4.46

$3.53 CA$5.03

26.35%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$10.06 $10.06

$13.19 CA$18.79

-23.73%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$13.72 $13.72

$11.24 CA$16.02

22.06%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$16.45 $16.45

$13.81 CA$19.69

19.12%

Apples (1kg)

$5.32 $5.32

$3.40 CA$4.85

56.47%

Banana (1kg)

$1.51 $1.51

$1.44 CA$2.06

4.86%

Oranges (1kg)

$4.52 $4.52

$3.26 CA$4.65

38.65%

Tomato (1kg)

$5.17 $5.17

$2.88 CA$4.10

79.51%

Potato (1kg)

$2.58 $2.58

$1.86 CA$2.65

38.71%

Onion (1kg)

$2.60 $2.60

$1.82 CA$2.60

42.86%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.33 $2.33

$2.43 CA$3.46

-4.12%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$2.40 $2.40

$1.52 CA$2.17

57.89%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$10.88 $10.88

$11.45 CA$16.32

-4.98%

Wine (Bottle)

$15.90 $15.90

$10.36 CA$14.76

53.47%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.97 $1.97

$2.22 CA$3.16

-11.26%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.43 $3.43

$2.82 CA$4.02

21.63%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.17 $2.17

$2.58 CA$3.67

-15.89%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$71.0 $71.0

$76.9 CA$110

-7.66%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$2.84 $2.84

$3.25 CA$4.64

-12.62%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.57 $1.57

$1.48 CA$2.11

6.08%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$20.67 $20.67

$33.04 CA$47.09

-37.44%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$0.99 $0.99

$1.36 CA$1.94

-27.21%

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

$35.8K $35.8K

$27.4K CA$39.1K

30.44%

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

$25.6K $25.6K

$20.0K CA$28.5K

28.25%

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

$198 $198

$76.1 CA$109

160.27%

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

$68.6 $68.6

$34.68 CA$49.43

97.84%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$71.6 $71.6

$42.69 CA$60.9

67.72%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$43.29 $43.29

$28.94 CA$41.26

49.59%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$18.72 $18.72

$20.33 CA$28.97

-7.92%

Cinema Ticket

$14.19 $14.19

$11.21 CA$15.98

26.58%

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

$1,803 $1,803

$505 CA$720

256.96%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$24.5K $24.5K

$16.0K CA$22.8K

52.78%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$54.9 $54.9

$58.5 CA$83.4

-6.21%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$40.46 $40.46

$38.00 CA$54.2

6.47%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$91.7 $91.7

$92.7 CA$132

-1.08%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$117 $117

$106 CA$151

10.74%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,757 $1,757

$1,240 CA$1,768

41.70%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,189 $1,189

$986 CA$1,405

20.59%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,804 $2,804

$2,102 CA$2,996

33.38%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,837 $1,837

$1,615 CA$2,302

13.77%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$2,741 $2,741

$5,043 CA$7,188

-45.64%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,683 $1,683

$3,830 CA$5,459

-56.06%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$3,747 $3,747

$2,920 CA$4,163

28.31%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

6.65

4.46

49.10%

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

Last update for Milwaukee, WI: October 3, 2026

Last update for Montreal: October 6, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Milwaukee, WI

$1.2K 46.5%

Montreal

$986 47.9% 17.1% $203

Groceries & Markets

Milwaukee, WI

$409 16%

Montreal

$344 16.7% 16.1% $66

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Milwaukee, WI

$338 13.2%

Montreal

$154 7.5% 54.6% $185

Eating Out

Milwaukee, WI

$319 12.5%

Montreal

$293 14.2% 8.3% $27

Clothing & Footwear

Milwaukee, WI

$137 5.4%

Montreal

$133 6.5% 3% $4.1

Getting Around

Milwaukee, WI

$90 3.5%

Montreal

$98 4.8% 8.2% $7.4

Sport & Entertainment

Milwaukee, WI

$72 2.8%

Montreal

$51 2.5% 28.3% $20

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,757 in Milwaukee, WI and $1,240 in Montreal. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Milwaukee, WI pays 28% 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: $74.0 in Milwaukee, WI vs $75.0 in Montreal. Groceries flip the comparison at $409 vs $344, with Montreal cheaper for home cooking.

Good to know

🇺🇸 Milwaukee, WI

🇨🇦 Montreal

🕒 Local time

06:33 6:33 AM

07:33 7:33 AM

1 h ahead of Milwaukee, WI

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

605,013

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 10, 2026: 1 EUR = 1.12 USD (1 USD = 0.892 EUR).

Canadian Dollar exchange rates as of October 10, 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 →

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Between locations

Milwaukee, WI Montreal 1,170 km ≈ 2 h nonstop flight

From you

Milwaukee, 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

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

Milwaukee, WI and Montreal differ by about 25% in total monthly costs ($2,502 vs $2,003 including rent). Montreal is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

Average pay runs 28% higher in Milwaukee, 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: $1,757 in Milwaukee, WI versus $1,240 in Montreal. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

All in, you'll spend $2,502 per month in Milwaukee, WI versus $2,003 in Montreal – a 25% gap that adds up to real savings over time for anyone picking the cheaper option.

A monthly transit pass in Montreal runs roughly 8% less than in Milwaukee, WI. Both cities have functional networks, but the price difference matters if you're watching your budget.

At $2,003 in Montreal versus $2,502 in Milwaukee, WI, a $2,000 budget is realistic in Montreal but tight or insufficient in Milwaukee, 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, Milwaukee, 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 25% less than in Milwaukee, WI. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.