Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Montreal and Burlington, IA

For one person, living is cheaper in Burlington, IA: $1,769 a month against $2,059 in Montreal, rent and utilities included – about $3,500 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
86

Cost of Living Index in Burlington, IA
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Burlington, IA Living Index

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Montreal

🇨🇦 Canada

$2,059

/mo nomad

Burlington, IA

🇺🇸 United States

$1,769

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Montreal and in Burlington, IA

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $2,059 in Montreal versus $1,769 in Burlington, IA.

Montreal $2,059
Burlington, IA $1,769

Estimated couple costs with rent: $3,123 in Montreal versus $2,675 in Burlington, IA.

Montreal $3,123
Burlington, IA $2,675

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $4,187 in Montreal versus $3,580 in Burlington, IA.

Montreal $4,187
Burlington, IA $3,580

Living in Montreal is roughly 16% more expensive than in Burlington, IA, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Montreal 52% above, Burlington, IA 31% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$18.84 CA$26.63

$11.35 $11.35

65.99%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$73.2 CA$104

$59.1 $59.1

23.95%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$10.54 CA$14.90

$8.84 $8.84

19.23%

Cappuccino

$3.97 CA$5.61

$4.74 $4.74

-16.24%

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

$1.94 CA$2.74

$1.95 $1.95

-0.51%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.57 CA$2.22

$2.02 $2.02

-22.28%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$6.42 CA$9.08

$3.41 $3.41

88.27%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$7.20 CA$10.19

$4.58 $4.58

57.21%

Milk (1 liter)

$2.32 CA$3.28

$0.81 $0.81

186.42%

White Bread (500g)

$3.19 CA$4.51

$2.82 $2.82

13.12%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$3.19 CA$4.50

$4.34 $4.34

-26.50%

Eggs

$3.68 CA$5.20

$2.92 $2.92

26.03%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$13.24 CA$18.72

$11.37 $11.37

16.45%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$11.69 CA$16.53

$11.93 $11.93

-2.01%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$13.98 CA$19.76

$14.20 $14.20

-1.55%

Apples (1kg)

$3.14 CA$4.44

$4.02 $4.02

-21.89%

Banana (1kg)

$1.45 CA$2.05

$1.98 $1.98

-26.77%

Oranges (1kg)

$3.38 CA$4.78

$4.61 $4.61

-26.68%

Tomato (1kg)

$3.11 CA$4.40

$4.65 $4.65

-33.12%

Potato (1kg)

$1.93 CA$2.72

$2.74 $2.74

-29.56%

Onion (1kg)

$1.83 CA$2.58

$2.60 $2.60

-29.62%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.36 CA$3.34

$1.54 $1.54

53.25%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.50 CA$2.12

$2.06 $2.06

-27.18%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$11.12 CA$15.73

$8.16 $8.16

36.27%

Wine (Bottle)

$10.60 CA$14.98

$16.29 $16.29

-34.93%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.22 CA$3.14

$1.89 $1.89

17.46%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.84 CA$4.01

$2.27 $2.27

25.11%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.62 CA$3.71

$1.94 $1.94

35.05%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$79.1 CA$112

$15.76 $15.76

402.16%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.23 CA$4.56

$4.67 $4.67

-30.84%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.48 CA$2.10

$1.02 $1.02

45.10%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$32.22 CA$45.55

$22.19 $22.19

45.20%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.36 CA$1.92

$0.94 $0.94

44.68%

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

$27.6K CA$39.1K

$22.7K $22.7K

21.63%

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

$21.2K CA$30.0K

$25.0K $25.0K

-15.17%

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

$77.0 CA$109

$184 $184

-58.15%

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

$34.14 CA$48.26

$47.16 $47.16

-27.61%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$42.19 CA$59.7

$59.2 $59.2

-28.70%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$30.81 CA$43.56

$42.42 $42.42

-27.37%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$19.66 CA$27.79

Cinema Ticket

$11.47 CA$16.22

$11.92 $11.92

-3.78%

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

$506 CA$716

$1,210 $1,210

-58.18%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$16.2K CA$23.0K

$13.3K $13.3K

22.00%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$57.3 CA$81.0

$44.72 $44.72

28.04%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$38.10 CA$53.9

$30.53 $30.53

24.80%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$91.9 CA$130

$87.0 $87.0

5.67%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$110 CA$155

$37.90 $37.90

189.58%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,237 CA$1,748

$754 $754

63.95%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$977 CA$1,381

$707 $707

38.18%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,180 CA$3,082

$1,172 $1,172

86.03%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,608 CA$2,273

$1,280 $1,280

25.59%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$5,113 CA$7,228

$1,026 $1,026

398.12%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$3,744 CA$5,293

$1,033 $1,033

262.54%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$2,957 CA$4,180

$4,446 $4,446

-33.49%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

4.48

6.54

-31.50%

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

Last update for Montreal: October 20, 2026

Last update for Burlington, IA: October 19, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Montreal

$977 47.4%

Burlington, IA

$707 40% 27.6% $270

Groceries & Markets

Montreal

$351 17.1%

Burlington, IA

$366 20.7% 4.3% $15

Eating Out

Montreal

$290 14.1%

Burlington, IA

$216 12.2% 25.5% $74

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Montreal

$153 7.5%

Burlington, IA

$290 16.4% 89.3% $137

Clothing & Footwear

Montreal

$134 6.5%

Burlington, IA

$90 5.1% 32.6% $44

Getting Around

Montreal

$100 4.9%

Burlington, IA

$33 1.9% 66.8% $67

Sport & Entertainment

Montreal

$54 2.6%

Burlington, IA

$66 3.7% 23.3% $13

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,237 in Montreal and $754 in Burlington, IA. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Burlington, IA pays 50% more on average while also being the cheaper of the two. The combined effect is a noticeably stronger local purchasing power.

Dining out: $73.0 in Montreal vs $59.0 in Burlington, IA. Groceries flip the comparison at $351 vs $366, with Montreal cheaper for home cooking.

Good to know

🇨🇦 Montreal

🇺🇸 Burlington, IA

🕒 Local time

22:29 10:29 PM

21:29 9:29 PM

1 h behind Montreal

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

1,762,949

44,743

💱 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 21, 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 21, 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 Burlington, IA 1,510 km ≈ 2 h 30 min nonstop flight

From you

Montreal
Burlington, IA

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 Burlington, IA: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Burlington, IA wins on cost – living expenses run 16% lower than in Montreal. Housing and daily spending are where you'll feel the difference most, making Burlington, IA the obvious pick if budget is a priority.

On paper, salaries run 50% lower in Burlington, IA. 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 $754 in Burlington, IA. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $506 in Montreal versus $1,210 in Burlington, IA. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Shoppers in Montreal pay roughly 4% less for everyday groceries. It's an unusual reversal that partly offsets higher costs elsewhere.

At $1,769 in Burlington, IA versus $2,059 in Montreal, a $2,000 budget is realistic in Burlington, IA but tight or insufficient in Montreal. The gap between the two cities makes Burlington, IA the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

Both work as nomad bases, but Burlington, IA delivers better value – similar infrastructure at $1,769 monthly. If stretching your runway or maximizing savings is the goal, the price difference makes Burlington, IA hard to pass up.

Safety-wise, Montreal and Burlington, IA 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 Burlington, IA gentler on the wallet – expenses run 16% less than in Montreal. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.