Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Montreal and Eau Claire, WI

For one person, living is cheaper in Montreal: $2,059 a month against $2,182 in Eau Claire, WI, rent and utilities included – about $1,500 less a year. Rent and utilities account for about half of the difference.

99

Cost of Living Index in Montreal
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Montreal Living Index
105

Cost of Living Index in Eau Claire, WI
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Eau Claire, WI Living Index

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Montreal

🇨🇦 Canada

$2,059

/mo nomad

Eau Claire, WI

🇺🇸 United States

$2,182

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Montreal and in Eau Claire, WI

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 Eau Claire, WI actually costs, broken down by who's living it.

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $2,059 in Montreal versus $2,182 in Eau Claire, WI.

Montreal $2,059
Eau Claire, WI $2,182

Estimated couple costs with rent: $3,123 in Montreal versus $3,118 in Eau Claire, WI.

Montreal $3,123
Eau Claire, WI $3,118

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $4,187 in Montreal versus $4,054 in Eau Claire, WI.

Montreal $4,187
Eau Claire, WI $4,054

Living in Montreal costs roughly 6% less than in Eau Claire, WI, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in utilities.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Montreal 52% above, Eau Claire, WI 61% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$18.84 CA$26.63

$18.86 $18.86

-0.11%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$73.2 CA$104

$66.4 $66.4

10.32%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$10.54 CA$14.90

$9.85 $9.85

7.01%

Cappuccino

$3.97 CA$5.61

$5.19 $5.19

-23.51%

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

$1.94 CA$2.74

$2.73 $2.73

-28.94%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.57 CA$2.22

$1.47 $1.47

6.80%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$6.42 CA$9.08

$4.09 $4.09

56.97%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$7.20 CA$10.19

$6.16 $6.16

16.88%

Milk (1 liter)

$2.32 CA$3.28

$0.82 $0.82

182.93%

White Bread (500g)

$3.19 CA$4.51

$3.39 $3.39

-5.90%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$3.19 CA$4.50

$4.28 $4.28

-25.47%

Eggs

$3.68 CA$5.20

$3.65 $3.65

0.82%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$13.24 CA$18.72

$12.96 $12.96

2.16%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$11.69 CA$16.53

$13.40 $13.40

-12.76%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$13.98 CA$19.76

$14.63 $14.63

-4.44%

Apples (1kg)

$3.14 CA$4.44

$4.63 $4.63

-32.18%

Banana (1kg)

$1.45 CA$2.05

$1.22 $1.22

18.85%

Oranges (1kg)

$3.38 CA$4.78

$3.38 $3.38

Tomato (1kg)

$3.11 CA$4.40

$4.96 $4.96

-37.30%

Potato (1kg)

$1.93 CA$2.72

$2.84 $2.84

-32.04%

Onion (1kg)

$1.83 CA$2.58

$3.10 $3.10

-40.97%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.36 CA$3.34

$1.50 $1.50

57.33%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.50 CA$2.12

$2.34 $2.34

-35.90%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$11.12 CA$15.73

$10.63 $10.63

4.61%

Wine (Bottle)

$10.60 CA$14.98

$14.84 $14.84

-28.57%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.22 CA$3.14

$2.15 $2.15

3.26%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.84 CA$4.01

$4.54 $4.54

-37.44%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.62 CA$3.71

$2.08 $2.08

25.96%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$79.1 CA$112

$49.80 $49.80

58.92%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.23 CA$4.56

$3.99 $3.99

-19.05%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.48 CA$2.10

$2.04 $2.04

-27.45%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$32.22 CA$45.55

$42.96 $42.96

-25.00%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.36 CA$1.92

$0.88 $0.88

54.55%

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

$27.6K CA$39.1K

$26.8K $26.8K

3.20%

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

$21.2K CA$30.0K

$25.3K $25.3K

-16.34%

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

$77.0 CA$109

$216 $216

-64.28%

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

$34.14 CA$48.26

$48.81 $48.81

-30.06%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$42.19 CA$59.7

$69.0 $69.0

-38.83%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$30.81 CA$43.56

$56.0 $56.0

-44.98%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$19.66 CA$27.79

$20.14 $20.14

-2.38%

Cinema Ticket

$11.47 CA$16.22

$11.07 $11.07

3.61%

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

$506 CA$716

$996 $996

-49.17%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$16.2K CA$23.0K

$23.2K $23.2K

-30.07%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$57.3 CA$81.0

$48.99 $48.99

16.88%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$38.10 CA$53.9

$30.26 $30.26

25.91%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$91.9 CA$130

$108 $108

-15.09%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$110 CA$155

$82.1 $82.1

33.71%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,237 CA$1,748

$1,028 $1,028

20.35%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$977 CA$1,381

$894 $894

9.23%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,180 CA$3,082

$1,820 $1,820

19.78%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,608 CA$2,273

$1,260 $1,260

27.57%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$5,113 CA$7,228

$2,149 $2,149

137.89%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$3,744 CA$5,293

$1,946 $1,946

92.43%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$2,957 CA$4,180

$3,910 $3,910

-24.37%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

4.48

6.65

-32.63%

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

Last update for Montreal: October 20, 2026

Last update for Eau Claire, WI: October 19, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Montreal

$977 47.4%

Eau Claire, WI

$894 41% 8.4% $82

Groceries & Markets

Montreal

$351 17.1%

Eau Claire, WI

$391 17.9% 11.3% $40

Eating Out

Montreal

$290 14.1%

Eau Claire, WI

$292 13.4% 0.6% $1.7

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Montreal

$153 7.5%

Eau Claire, WI

$333 15.3% 117% $180

Clothing & Footwear

Montreal

$134 6.5%

Eau Claire, WI

$121 5.6% 9.2% $12

Getting Around

Montreal

$100 4.9%

Eau Claire, WI

$72 3.3% 27.9% $28

Sport & Entertainment

Montreal

$54 2.6%

Eau Claire, WI

$78 3.6% 45.3% $24

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,237 in Montreal and $1,028 in Eau Claire, WI. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Eau Claire, WI pays 32% 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 $66.0 in Eau Claire, WI. Groceries flip the comparison at $351 vs $391, with Montreal cheaper for home cooking.

Good to know

🇨🇦 Montreal

🇺🇸 Eau Claire, WI

🕒 Local time

15:34 3:34 PM

14:34 2:34 PM

1 h behind Montreal

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

1,762,949

68,802

💱 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 →

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Between locations

Montreal Eau Claire, WI 1,400 km ≈ 2 h 15 min nonstop flight

From you

Montreal
Eau Claire, WI

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 Eau Claire, WI: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Montreal is cheaper overall, especially in groceries, eating out, and utilities. The 6% gap adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

On paper, salaries run 32% lower in Eau Claire, WI. 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 $1,028 in Eau Claire, WI. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Supermarket bills run roughly 11% higher in Eau Claire, WI. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

Dining out is cheaper in Montreal – a meal for two runs $73.0 versus $66.0 in Eau Claire, WI. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

At $2,059 in Montreal versus $2,182 in Eau Claire, WI, a $2,000 budget is realistic in Montreal but tight or insufficient in Eau Claire, WI. The gap between the two cities makes Montreal the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

For families, Montreal is more practical. Housing and childcare are both notably cheaper than in Eau Claire, WI, and the savings on those two alone free up budget for education, activities, and family trips.

Safety-wise, Montreal and Eau Claire, WI 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 6% less than in Eau Claire, WI. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.