Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Montreal and Bochum

For one person, living is cheaper in Bochum: $1,806 a month against $2,018 in Montreal, rent and utilities included – about $2,500 less a year. Higher rent and utilities in Montreal outweigh lower spending on other living expenses.

Montreal
🇨🇦 Canada
$2,018
/mo nomad
Bochum
🇩🇪 Germany
$1,806
/mo nomad
Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Montreal and in Bochum

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

A single person spends $2,018 per month in Montreal vs $1,806 in Bochum, rent included.

  • Montreal $2,018
  • Bochum $1,806

A couple spends around $3,085 per month in Montreal vs $2,869 in Bochum, rent included.

  • Montreal $3,085
  • Bochum $2,869

A family of three spends $4,152 per month in Montreal vs $3,933 in Bochum, rent included.

  • Montreal $4,152
  • Bochum $3,933

Montreal costs about 12% more than Bochum, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in clothing.

Both Montreal and Bochum sit above the global median – Montreal by 49%, Bochum by 34%.

Currency
🍽 Eating Out
Montreal
Bochum
Difference
Meal at Budget Restaurant
$18.82 CA$26.61
$16.55 €14.72
13.72%
Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range
$70.3 CA$99.4
$79.2 €70.4
-11.23%
Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)
$10.66 CA$15.06
$12.43 €11.05
-14.24%
Cappuccino
$3.84 CA$5.43
$4.16 €3.70
-7.69%
Coke/Pepsi/Fanta/Sprite (0.33 liter bottle)
$1.92 CA$2.71
$3.17 €2.82
-39.43%
Water (0.33 liter bottle)
$1.54 CA$2.18
$3.00 €2.67
-48.67%
Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)
$6.23 CA$8.81
$5.73 €5.09
8.73%
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$7.10 CA$10.03
$5.15 €4.58
37.86%
🛒 Groceries & Markets
Montreal
Bochum
Difference
Milk (1 liter)
$2.31 CA$3.27
$1.21 €1.08
90.91%
White Bread (500g)
$3.14 CA$4.44
$2.36 €2.10
33.05%
Rice (white) (1kg)
$3.21 CA$4.54
$3.65 €3.25
-12.05%
Eggs
$3.52 CA$4.97
$3.67 €3.26
-4.09%
Local Cheese (1kg)
$12.81 CA$18.11
$14.61 €12.99
-12.32%
Chicken Fillets (1kg)
$11.46 CA$16.20
$12.42 €11.05
-7.73%
Beef Round Steak (1kg)
$13.39 CA$18.92
$23.25 €20.68
-42.41%
Apples (1kg)
$3.14 CA$4.43
$3.31 €2.95
-5.14%
Banana (1kg)
$1.44 CA$2.03
$2.02 €1.79
-28.71%
Oranges (1kg)
$3.47 CA$4.91
$2.13 €1.90
62.91%
Tomato (1kg)
$3.07 CA$4.34
$4.02 €3.58
-23.63%
Potato (1kg)
$1.90 CA$2.69
$1.33 €1.18
42.86%
Onion (1kg)
$1.77 CA$2.50
$1.22 €1.09
45.08%
Lettuce (1 head)
$2.34 CA$3.31
$1.55 €1.38
50.97%
Water (1.5 liter bottle)
$1.55 CA$2.19
$1.08 €0.96
43.52%
Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)
$11.38 CA$16.09
$9.67 €8.60
17.68%
Wine (Bottle)
$10.63 CA$15.03
$6.54 €5.82
62.54%
Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)
$2.27 CA$3.21
$0.91 €0.81
149.45%
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$2.82 CA$3.99
$1.63 €1.45
73.01%
🚌 Getting Around
Montreal
Bochum
Difference
One-way Ticket (Public Transport)
$2.66 CA$3.76
$3.80 €3.38
-30.00%
Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)
$77.3 CA$109
$65.0 €57.8
18.93%
Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)
$3.20 CA$4.53
$5.55 €4.93
-42.34%
Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)
$1.48 CA$2.09
$2.72 €2.42
-45.59%
Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)
$32.88 CA$46.48
$34.12 €30.35
-3.63%
Gasoline (1 liter)
$1.34 CA$1.90
$2.06 €1.83
-34.95%
Midsize Hatchback 1.4l (Volkswagen Golf, Toyota Prius, Honda Civic, etc)
$28.2K CA$39.8K
$32.2K €28.7K
-12.60%
Compact Sedan 1.6l (Toyota Corolla, Mazda3, Kia K4, Hyundai Elantra, etc)
$19.6K CA$27.8K
$38.5K €34.3K
-49.06%
🧾 Monthly Utilities & Internet
Montreal
Bochum
Difference
Utilities for 2 People in 2-bedroom Apartment (Heating, Electricity, Gas, Water, Garbage) (85m2)
$76.0 CA$107
$324 €289
-76.59%
SIM Card Monthly Plan (Calls and 10GB+ Data)
$33.95 CA$48.00
$30.22 €26.88
12.34%
Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)
$42.31 CA$59.8
$36.16 €32.17
17.01%
🎉 Sport & Entertainment
Montreal
Bochum
Difference
Gym Membership (Monthly)
$29.76 CA$42.07
$30.24 €26.89
-1.59%
Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)
$20.28 CA$28.67
$26.57 €23.63
-23.67%
Cinema Ticket
$11.15 CA$15.77
$16.45 €14.64
-32.22%
🧸 Childcare & Education
Montreal
Bochum
Difference
Preschool or Kindergarten, Full Day, Private, 1 Child (Monthly)
$507 CA$717
$400 €356
26.66%
International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)
$16.1K CA$22.7K
$21.9K €19.4K
-26.55%
👕👟 Clothing & Footwear
Montreal
Bochum
Difference
Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)
$57.6 CA$81.4
$89.1 €79.2
-35.37%
Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)
$37.58 CA$53.1
$41.59 €37.00
-9.64%
Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)
$91.9 CA$130
$95.7 €85.2
-4.01%
Men's Leather Business Shoes
$110 CA$155
$134 €120
-18.43%
🏠 Accommodation & Living
Montreal
Bochum
Difference
1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$1,260 CA$1,782
$805 €716
56.68%
1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$948 CA$1,340
$463 €411
104.88%
3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$2,137 CA$3,021
$1,290 €1,148
65.60%
3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$1,614 CA$2,281
$1,014 €902
59.11%
Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)
$4,960 CA$7,011
$3,951 €3,515
25.52%
Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)
$3,838 CA$5,425
$4,240 €3,772
-9.50%
💵 Salaries & Financials
Montreal
Bochum
Difference
Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)
$2,827 CA$3,997
$2,674 €2,379
5.72%
20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)
4.48
3.83
16.97%

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

Last update for Montreal: October 12, 2026

Last update for Bochum: October 10, 2026

Monthly budget structure
Share of the monthly basket for one person, rent included.
Accommodation & Living
Montreal
$948
Bochum
$463 51.2% $485
Groceries & Markets
Montreal
$346
Bochum
$345 0.6% $2
Eating Out
Montreal
$288
Bochum
$283 1.6% $4.6
Monthly Utilities & Internet
Montreal
$152
Bochum
$391 157% $239
Clothing & Footwear
Montreal
$133
Bochum
$162 21.6% $29
Getting Around
Montreal
$99
Bochum
$99 0.8% $0.8
Sport & Entertainment
Montreal
$52
Bochum
$63 21.3% $11

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $1,260 in Montreal versus $805 in Bochum. 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 6% higher in Montreal, 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 $70.0 in Montreal versus $79.0 in Bochum. Groceries tell a different story – $346 in Montreal vs $345 in Bochum – so Bochum wins on supermarket bills even if dining out costs more.

Good to know
🇨🇦 Montreal
🇩🇪 Bochum
🕒 Local time
11:24 11:24 AM
17:24 5:24 PM
6 h ahead of Montreal
🌤 Weather
👥 Population
1,762,949
371,075
💱 Currency
Euro EUR €
Exchange rates and currency converter

EUR, USD to CAD – Canadian Dollar Converter

Canadian Dollar exchange rates as of October 19, 2026: 1 USD = 1.41 CAD (1 CAD = 0.707 USD). 1 EUR = 1.59 CAD (1 CAD = 0.629 EUR).

Euro exchange rates as of October 19, 2026: 1 USD = 0.889 EUR (1 EUR = 1.12 USD).

On the map
Between locations
  • Montreal Bochum 5,680 km ≈ 8 h nonstop flight
From you
  • Montreal
  • Bochum

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 Bochum: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions
How do living costs in Montreal and in Bochum compare overall?
Monthly costs with rent: $2,018 in Montreal, $1,806 in Bochum – roughly 12% apart. Outside of rent, the biggest gap is in clothing.
What salary covers living expenses in Montreal compared to Bochum?
For a comfortable life, plan on about $3,027 per month in Montreal and $2,709 in Bochum. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.
How do rents compare between Montreal and Bochum?
Rent is clearly cheaper in Bochum, especially for central apartments. Housing is actually the single biggest factor behind the overall cost gap between these two cities.
Which city has cheaper restaurants?
A mid-range dinner for two costs $70.0 in Montreal and $79.0 in Bochum. That's a good indicator of the overall restaurant and café pricing gap between the two cities.
Which city is more expensive overall: Montreal or Bochum?
Monthly expenses with rent come to $2,018 in Montreal and $1,806 in Bochum. That's a gap of about 12%.
Which city is more doable on $3,000 per month?
A $3,000 monthly budget goes further in Bochum, where all-in costs run around $1,806, than in Montreal at $2,018. In Bochum it covers expenses comfortably, while in Montreal it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.
How does quality of life compare between Montreal and Bochum?
It depends on your priorities. Montreal has an edge in some lifestyle areas, with costs from $1,806 in Bochum to $2,018 in Montreal. Climate, culture, job market, and personal taste all factor in.
Is Montreal or Bochum safer for residents?
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.
How do I decide between Montreal and Bochum?
If budget matters most, go with Bochum. If higher salaries, better infrastructure, or specific career opportunities are the priority, Montreal makes more sense. Both are solid long-term options with distinct trade-offs.

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