Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Montreal and Des Moines, IA

For one person, living is cheaper in Montreal: $2,059 a month against $2,171 in Des Moines, IA, rent and utilities included – about $1,300 less a year. Other living expenses account for most of the difference.

99

Cost of Living Index in Montreal
Learn more

Montreal Living Index
105

Cost of Living Index in Des Moines, IA
Learn more

Des Moines, IA Living Index

Jump to prices

Montreal

🇨🇦 Canada

$2,059

/mo nomad

Des Moines, IA

🇺🇸 United States

$2,171

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $2,059 in Montreal versus $2,171 in Des Moines, IA.

Montreal $2,059
Des Moines, IA $2,171

Estimated couple costs with rent: $3,123 in Montreal versus $3,236 in Des Moines, IA.

Montreal $3,123
Des Moines, IA $3,236

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $4,187 in Montreal versus $4,301 in Des Moines, IA.

Montreal $4,187
Des Moines, IA $4,301

Living in Montreal costs roughly 5% less than in Des Moines, IA, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in utilities.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Montreal 52% above, Des Moines, IA 60% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$18.84 CA$26.63

$19.69 $19.69

-4.32%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$73.2 CA$104

$80.8 $80.8

-9.38%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$10.54 CA$14.90

$12.22 $12.22

-13.75%

Cappuccino

$3.97 CA$5.61

$6.16 $6.16

-35.55%

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

$1.94 CA$2.74

$2.93 $2.93

-33.79%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.57 CA$2.22

$2.56 $2.56

-38.67%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$6.42 CA$9.08

$4.99 $4.99

28.66%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$7.20 CA$10.19

$5.89 $5.89

22.24%

Milk (1 liter)

$2.32 CA$3.28

$0.91 $0.91

154.95%

White Bread (500g)

$3.19 CA$4.51

$3.03 $3.03

5.28%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$3.19 CA$4.50

$3.38 $3.38

-5.62%

Eggs

$3.68 CA$5.20

$4.00 $4.00

-8.00%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$13.24 CA$18.72

$9.69 $9.69

36.64%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$11.69 CA$16.53

$9.91 $9.91

17.96%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$13.98 CA$19.76

$13.68 $13.68

2.19%

Apples (1kg)

$3.14 CA$4.44

$4.33 $4.33

-27.48%

Banana (1kg)

$1.45 CA$2.05

$1.51 $1.51

-3.97%

Oranges (1kg)

$3.38 CA$4.78

$4.54 $4.54

-25.55%

Tomato (1kg)

$3.11 CA$4.40

$3.68 $3.68

-15.49%

Potato (1kg)

$1.93 CA$2.72

$3.07 $3.07

-37.13%

Onion (1kg)

$1.83 CA$2.58

$2.14 $2.14

-14.49%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.36 CA$3.34

$2.38 $2.38

-0.84%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.50 CA$2.12

$2.19 $2.19

-31.51%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$11.12 CA$15.73

$7.85 $7.85

41.66%

Wine (Bottle)

$10.60 CA$14.98

$14.79 $14.79

-28.33%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.22 CA$3.14

$1.70 $1.70

30.59%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.84 CA$4.01

$3.09 $3.09

-8.09%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.62 CA$3.71

$1.73 $1.73

51.45%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$79.1 CA$112

$58.1 $58.1

36.12%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.23 CA$4.56

$1.97 $1.97

63.96%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.48 CA$2.10

$1.23 $1.23

20.33%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$32.22 CA$45.55

$19.70 $19.70

63.55%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.36 CA$1.92

$0.93 $0.93

46.24%

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

$27.6K CA$39.1K

$27.2K $27.2K

1.73%

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

$21.2K CA$30.0K

$25.1K $25.1K

-15.73%

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

$77.0 CA$109

$185 $185

-58.27%

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

$34.14 CA$48.26

$53.6 $53.6

-36.28%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$42.19 CA$59.7

$70.2 $70.2

-39.88%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$30.81 CA$43.56

$63.8 $63.8

-51.69%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$19.66 CA$27.79

$20.14 $20.14

-2.38%

Cinema Ticket

$11.47 CA$16.22

$9.99 $9.99

14.81%

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

$506 CA$716

$1,187 $1,187

-57.35%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$16.2K CA$23.0K

$12.0K $12.0K

35.86%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$57.3 CA$81.0

$59.5 $59.5

-3.75%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$38.10 CA$53.9

$42.98 $42.98

-11.35%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$91.9 CA$130

$101 $101

-8.97%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$110 CA$155

$145 $145

-24.34%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,237 CA$1,748

$1,177 $1,177

5.11%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$977 CA$1,381

$872 $872

11.95%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,180 CA$3,082

$1,738 $1,738

25.43%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,608 CA$2,273

$1,394 $1,394

15.36%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$5,113 CA$7,228

$2,320 $2,320

120.38%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$3,744 CA$5,293

$2,325 $2,325

61.07%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$2,957 CA$4,180

$3,647 $3,647

-18.91%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

4.48

6.56

-31.71%

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

Last update for Montreal: October 20, 2026

Last update for Des Moines, IA: October 19, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Montreal

$977 47.4%

Des Moines, IA

$872 40.2% 10.7% $104

Groceries & Markets

Montreal

$351 17.1%

Des Moines, IA

$349 16.1% 0.5% $1.6

Eating Out

Montreal

$290 14.1%

Des Moines, IA

$327 15.1% 12.5% $36

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Montreal

$153 7.5%

Des Moines, IA

$308 14.2% 101% $155

Clothing & Footwear

Montreal

$134 6.5%

Des Moines, IA

$157 7.2% 17.3% $23

Getting Around

Montreal

$100 4.9%

Des Moines, IA

$73 3.4% 27% $27

Sport & Entertainment

Montreal

$54 2.6%

Des Moines, IA

$84 3.9% 55.8% $30

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,237 in Montreal and $1,177 in Des Moines, IA. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Des Moines, IA pays 23% 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 $81.0 in Des Moines, IA. Groceries flip the comparison at $351 vs $349, with Des Moines, IA cheaper for home cooking.

Good to know

🇨🇦 Montreal

🇺🇸 Des Moines, IA

🕒 Local time

09:16 9:16 AM

08:16 8:16 AM

1 h behind Montreal

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

1,762,949

214,133

💱 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 22, 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 22, 2026: 1 EUR = 1.12 USD (1 USD = 0.89 EUR).

USD to CAD in detail →

On the map

Lowest

Highest

Between locations

Montreal Des Moines, IA 1,700 km ≈ 2 h 45 min nonstop flight

From you

Montreal
Des Moines, 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 Des Moines, IA: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Montreal wins on cost – living expenses run 5% lower than in Des Moines, IA. Housing and daily spending are where you'll feel the difference most, making Montreal the obvious pick if budget is a priority.

On paper, salaries run 23% lower in Des Moines, 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 $1,177 in Des Moines, IA. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Dining out is cheaper in Montreal – a meal for two runs $73.0 versus $81.0 in Des Moines, IA. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

All in, you'll spend $2,059 per month in Montreal versus $2,171 in Des Moines, IA – a 5% gap that adds up to real savings over time for anyone picking the cheaper option.

At $2,059 in Montreal versus $2,171 in Des Moines, IA, a $2,000 budget is realistic in Montreal but tight or insufficient in Des Moines, IA. The gap between the two cities makes Montreal the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

Both work as nomad bases, but Montreal delivers better value – similar infrastructure at $2,059 monthly. If stretching your runway or maximizing savings is the goal, the price difference makes Montreal hard to pass up.

Safety-wise, Montreal and Des Moines, 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 Montreal gentler on the wallet – expenses run 5% less than in Des Moines, IA. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.