Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Montreal and Arlington, KY

For one person, living is cheaper in Montreal: $2,059 a month against $2,653 in Arlington, KY, rent and utilities included – about $7,100 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
129

Cost of Living Index in Arlington, KY
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Arlington, KY Living Index

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Montreal

🇨🇦 Canada

$2,059

/mo nomad

Arlington, KY

🇺🇸 United States

$2,653

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Montreal and in Arlington, KY

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 Arlington, KY actually costs, broken down by who's living it.

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $2,059 in Montreal versus $2,653 in Arlington, KY.

Montreal $2,059
Arlington, KY $2,653

Estimated couple costs with rent: $3,123 in Montreal versus $3,917 in Arlington, KY.

Montreal $3,123
Arlington, KY $3,917

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $4,187 in Montreal versus $5,180 in Arlington, KY.

Montreal $4,187
Arlington, KY $5,180

Living in Montreal costs roughly 22% less than in Arlington, KY, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in transport.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Montreal 52% above, Arlington, KY 96% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$18.84 CA$26.63

$18.42 $18.42

2.28%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$73.2 CA$104

$84.1 $84.1

-12.94%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$10.54 CA$14.90

$11.88 $11.88

-11.28%

Cappuccino

$3.97 CA$5.61

$6.64 $6.64

-40.21%

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

$1.94 CA$2.74

$2.83 $2.83

-31.45%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.57 CA$2.22

$2.39 $2.39

-34.31%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$6.42 CA$9.08

$6.89 $6.89

-6.82%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$7.20 CA$10.19

$8.11 $8.11

-11.22%

Milk (1 liter)

$2.32 CA$3.28

$0.77 $0.77

201.30%

White Bread (500g)

$3.19 CA$4.51

$3.96 $3.96

-19.44%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$3.19 CA$4.50

$4.05 $4.05

-21.23%

Eggs

$3.68 CA$5.20

$4.29 $4.29

-14.22%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$13.24 CA$18.72

$12.87 $12.87

2.87%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$11.69 CA$16.53

$14.53 $14.53

-19.55%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$13.98 CA$19.76

$18.27 $18.27

-23.48%

Apples (1kg)

$3.14 CA$4.44

$5.82 $5.82

-46.05%

Banana (1kg)

$1.45 CA$2.05

$1.53 $1.53

-5.23%

Oranges (1kg)

$3.38 CA$4.78

$4.21 $4.21

-19.71%

Tomato (1kg)

$3.11 CA$4.40

$4.87 $4.87

-36.14%

Potato (1kg)

$1.93 CA$2.72

$1.99 $1.99

-3.02%

Onion (1kg)

$1.83 CA$2.58

$2.24 $2.24

-18.30%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.36 CA$3.34

$2.38 $2.38

-0.84%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.50 CA$2.12

$1.49 $1.49

0.67%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$11.12 CA$15.73

$9.37 $9.37

18.68%

Wine (Bottle)

$10.60 CA$14.98

$15.88 $15.88

-33.25%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.22 CA$3.14

$2.42 $2.42

-8.26%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.84 CA$4.01

$4.67 $4.67

-39.19%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.62 CA$3.71

$1.99 $1.99

31.66%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$79.1 CA$112

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.23 CA$4.56

$4.89 $4.89

-33.95%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.48 CA$2.10

$1.51 $1.51

-1.99%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$32.22 CA$45.55

$20.90 $20.90

54.16%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.36 CA$1.92

$1.05 $1.05

29.52%

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

$27.6K CA$39.1K

$37.3K $37.3K

-25.94%

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

$21.2K CA$30.0K

$26.9K $26.9K

-21.27%

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

$77.0 CA$109

$230 $230

-66.51%

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

$34.14 CA$48.26

$74.5 $74.5

-54.18%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$42.19 CA$59.7

$75.1 $75.1

-43.81%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$30.81 CA$43.56

$40.90 $40.90

-24.67%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$19.66 CA$27.79

Cinema Ticket

$11.47 CA$16.22

$15.19 $15.19

-24.49%

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

$506 CA$716

$1,442 $1,442

-64.89%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$16.2K CA$23.0K

$30.8K $30.8K

-47.32%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$57.3 CA$81.0

$55.3 $55.3

3.56%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$38.10 CA$53.9

$43.53 $43.53

-12.47%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$91.9 CA$130

$92.3 $92.3

-0.37%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$110 CA$155

$139 $139

-21.05%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,237 CA$1,748

$1,617 $1,617

-23.50%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$977 CA$1,381

$1,282 $1,282

-23.82%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,180 CA$3,082

$2,513 $2,513

-13.24%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,608 CA$2,273

$2,161 $2,161

-25.59%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$5,113 CA$7,228

$2,807 $2,807

82.13%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$3,744 CA$5,293

$2,068 $2,068

81.06%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$2,957 CA$4,180

$6,051 $6,051

-51.13%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

4.48

6.55

-31.60%

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

Last update for Montreal: October 20, 2026

Last update for Arlington, KY: October 20, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Montreal

$977 47.4%

Arlington, KY

$1.3K 48.3% 31.3% $305

Groceries & Markets

Montreal

$351 17.1%

Arlington, KY

$417 15.7% 18.9% $66

Eating Out

Montreal

$290 14.1%

Arlington, KY

$334 12.6% 15.1% $44

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Montreal

$153 7.5%

Arlington, KY

$380 14.3% 148% $226

Clothing & Footwear

Montreal

$134 6.5%

Arlington, KY

$149 5.6% 11.1% $15

Getting Around

Montreal

$100 4.9%

Arlington, KY

$20 * 0.8% 79.6% $80

Sport & Entertainment

Montreal

$54 2.6%

Arlington, KY

$71 2.7% 32.6% $18

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

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,237 in Montreal and $1,617 in Arlington, KY. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Arlington, KY pays 105% 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: $73.0 in Montreal vs $84.0 in Arlington, KY for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $351 vs $417 per month, with Montreal cheaper across the board.

Good to know

🇨🇦 Montreal

🇺🇸 Arlington, KY

🕒 Local time

19:48 7:48 PM

18:48 6:48 PM

1 h behind Montreal

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

1,762,949

365,438

💱 Currency

Canadian Dollar CAD $

United States Dollar USD $

📈 Exchange rate

1 CAD = 0.707 USD

1 CAD = 0.629 EUR

1 USD = 0.89 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 20, 2026: 1 USD = 1.41 CAD (1 CAD = 0.707 USD). 1 EUR = 1.59 CAD (1 CAD = 0.629 EUR).

United States Dollar exchange rates as of October 20, 2026: 1 EUR = 1.12 USD (1 USD = 0.89 EUR).

USD to CAD in detail →

On the map

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Between locations

Montreal Arlington, KY 1,610 km ≈ 2 h 30 min nonstop flight

From you

Montreal
Arlington, KY

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 Arlington, KY: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Montreal and Arlington, KY differ by about 29% in total monthly costs ($2,059 vs $2,653 including rent). Montreal is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

On paper, salaries run 105% lower in Arlington, KY. That's worth factoring in alongside costs, though remote workers earning in a stronger currency may not notice the difference at all.

Rent for a central apartment: $1,237 in Montreal versus $1,617 in Arlington, KY. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Supermarket bills run roughly 19% higher in Arlington, KY. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

All in, you'll spend $2,059 per month in Montreal versus $2,653 in Arlington, KY – a 29% gap that adds up to real savings over time for anyone picking the cheaper option.

At $2,059 in Montreal versus $2,653 in Arlington, KY, a $2,000 budget is realistic in Montreal but tight or insufficient in Arlington, KY. 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, Montreal and Arlington, KY 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 29% less than in Arlington, KY. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.