Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Montreal and Albuquerque, NM

For one person, living is cheaper in Montreal: $2,003 a month against $2,381 in Albuquerque, NM, rent and utilities included – about $4,500 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

99

Cost of Living Index in Montreal
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Montreal Living Index
114

Cost of Living Index in Albuquerque, NM
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Albuquerque, NM Living Index

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Montreal

🇨🇦 Canada

$2,003

/mo nomad

Albuquerque, NM

🇺🇸 United States

$2,381

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Montreal and in Albuquerque, NM

Real prices from locals and on-the-ground checks – rent, groceries, transit and the daily extras. Here's what a month in Montreal and in Albuquerque, NM actually costs, broken down by who's living it.

A single person spends $2,003 per month in Montreal vs $2,381 in Albuquerque, NM, rent included.

Montreal $2,003
Albuquerque, NM $2,381

A couple spends around $3,048 per month in Montreal vs $3,551 in Albuquerque, NM, rent included.

Montreal $3,048
Albuquerque, NM $3,551

A family of three spends $4,092 per month in Montreal vs $4,721 in Albuquerque, NM, rent included.

Montreal $4,092
Albuquerque, NM $4,721

Montreal is about 16% cheaper than Albuquerque, NM, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in transport.

Both Montreal and Albuquerque, NM sit above the global median – Montreal by 49%, Albuquerque, NM by 78%.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$19.31 CA$27.52

$16.88 $16.88

14.40%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$75.5 CA$108

$69.0 $69.0

9.42%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$10.63 CA$15.15

$10.12 $10.12

5.04%

Cappuccino

$3.93 CA$5.60

$4.94 $4.94

-20.45%

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

$1.92 CA$2.73

$2.85 $2.85

-32.63%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.48 CA$2.11

$2.47 $2.47

-40.08%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$6.30 CA$8.98

$5.91 $5.91

6.60%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$7.19 CA$10.24

$8.15 $8.15

-11.78%

Milk (1 liter)

$2.22 CA$3.17

$0.92 $0.92

141.30%

White Bread (500g)

$3.06 CA$4.36

$3.19 $3.19

-4.08%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.94 CA$4.19

$4.57 $4.57

-35.67%

Eggs

$3.53 CA$5.03

$4.72 $4.72

-25.21%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$13.19 CA$18.79

$11.76 $11.76

12.16%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$11.24 CA$16.02

$9.61 $9.61

16.96%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$13.81 CA$19.69

$20.63 $20.63

-33.06%

Apples (1kg)

$3.40 CA$4.85

$4.66 $4.66

-27.04%

Banana (1kg)

$1.44 CA$2.06

$1.49 $1.49

-3.36%

Oranges (1kg)

$3.26 CA$4.65

$4.26 $4.26

-23.47%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.88 CA$4.10

$5.31 $5.31

-45.76%

Potato (1kg)

$1.86 CA$2.65

$3.13 $3.13

-40.58%

Onion (1kg)

$1.82 CA$2.60

$3.21 $3.21

-43.30%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.43 CA$3.46

$2.06 $2.06

17.96%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.52 CA$2.17

$2.81 $2.81

-45.91%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$11.45 CA$16.32

$10.44 $10.44

9.67%

Wine (Bottle)

$10.36 CA$14.76

$13.81 $13.81

-24.98%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.22 CA$3.16

$2.42 $2.42

-8.26%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.82 CA$4.02

$3.71 $3.71

-23.99%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.58 CA$3.67

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$76.9 CA$110

$3.98 $3.98

1831.91%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.25 CA$4.64

$3.58 $3.58

-9.22%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.48 CA$2.11

$2.05 $2.05

-27.80%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$33.04 CA$47.09

$31.88 $31.88

3.64%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.36 CA$1.94

$0.97 $0.97

40.21%

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

$27.4K CA$39.1K

$31.2K $31.2K

-12.20%

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

$20.0K CA$28.5K

$24.3K $24.3K

-17.65%

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

$76.1 CA$109

$158 $158

-51.83%

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

$34.68 CA$49.43

$63.6 $63.6

-45.49%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$42.69 CA$60.9

$71.9 $71.9

-40.60%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$28.94 CA$41.26

$48.45 $48.45

-40.27%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$20.33 CA$28.97

$14.35 $14.35

41.67%

Cinema Ticket

$11.21 CA$15.98

$12.88 $12.88

-12.97%

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

$505 CA$720

$1,484 $1,484

-65.97%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$16.0K CA$22.8K

$24.8K $24.8K

-35.53%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$58.5 CA$83.4

$55.3 $55.3

5.82%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$38.00 CA$54.2

$42.89 $42.89

-11.40%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$92.7 CA$132

$106 $106

-12.59%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$106 CA$151

$118 $118

-10.50%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,240 CA$1,768

$1,181 $1,181

4.99%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$986 CA$1,405

$1,119 $1,119

-11.89%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,102 CA$2,996

$2,339 $2,339

-10.12%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,615 CA$2,302

$1,963 $1,963

-17.73%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$5,043 CA$7,188

$2,496 $2,496

102.06%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$3,830 CA$5,459

$2,214 $2,214

73.00%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$2,920 CA$4,163

$3,942 $3,942

-25.91%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

4.46

6.57

-32.12%

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

Last update for Montreal: October 6, 2026

Last update for Albuquerque, NM: October 6, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Montreal

$986 47.9%

Albuquerque, NM

$1.1K 47.7% 13.5% $133

Groceries & Markets

Montreal

$344 16.7%

Albuquerque, NM

$404 17.2% 17.7% $61

Eating Out

Montreal

$293 14.2%

Albuquerque, NM

$292 12.4% 0.4% $1

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Montreal

$154 7.5%

Albuquerque, NM

$294 12.5% 91.2% $140

Clothing & Footwear

Montreal

$133 6.5%

Albuquerque, NM

$145 6.2% 9.3% $12

Getting Around

Montreal

$98 4.8%

Albuquerque, NM

$18 * 0.8% 81.8% $80

Sport & Entertainment

Montreal

$51 2.5%

Albuquerque, NM

$74 3.2% 44.5% $23

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

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $1,240 in Montreal versus $1,181 in Albuquerque, NM. 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 35% higher in Albuquerque, NM, 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 Montreal versus $69.0 in Albuquerque, NM. Groceries tell a different story – $344 in Montreal vs $404 in Albuquerque, NM – so Montreal wins on supermarket bills even if dining out costs more.

Good to know

🇨🇦 Montreal

🇺🇸 Albuquerque, NM

🕒 Local time

05:43 5:43 AM

03:43 3:43 AM

2 h behind Montreal

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

1,762,949

564,559

💱 Currency

Canadian Dollar CAD $

United States Dollar USD $

📈 Exchange rate

1 CAD = 0.702 USD

1 CAD = 0.626 EUR

1 USD = 0.892 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

USD, EUR to CAD – Canadian Dollar Converter

🇺🇸 United States Dollar ($)

🇨🇦 Canadian Dollar ($)

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).

United States Dollar exchange rates as of October 10, 2026: 1 EUR = 1.12 USD (1 USD = 0.892 EUR).

USD to CAD in detail →

On the map

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Highest

Between locations

Montreal Albuquerque, NM 3,010 km ≈ 4 h 15 min nonstop flight

From you

Montreal
Albuquerque, NM

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

Montreal vs Albuquerque, NM: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Albuquerque, NM costs about 19% 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 $3,005 per month in Montreal and $3,571 in Albuquerque, NM. 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 $2,003 in Montreal and $2,381 in Albuquerque, NM. That's a gap of about 19%.

Public transport costs about 1832% less in Montreal. For daily commuters, that gap adds up to noticeable savings over a year.

A $2,000 monthly budget goes further in Montreal, where all-in costs run around $2,003, than in Albuquerque, NM at $2,381. In Montreal it covers expenses comfortably, while in Albuquerque, NM it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.

For digital nomads, it depends on budget. Montreal costs $2,003 versus $2,381 in Albuquerque, NM. 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, Albuquerque, NM makes more sense. Both are solid long-term options with distinct trade-offs.