Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Montreal and El Dorado, AR

For one person, living is cheaper in El Dorado, AR: $1,746 a month against $2,059 in Montreal, rent and utilities included – about $3,800 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
84

Cost of Living Index in El Dorado, AR
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El Dorado, AR Living Index

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Montreal

🇨🇦 Canada

$2,059

/mo nomad

El Dorado, AR

🇺🇸 United States

$1,746

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Montreal and in El Dorado, AR

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 El Dorado, AR actually costs, broken down by who's living it.

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $2,059 in Montreal versus $1,746 in El Dorado, AR.

Montreal $2,059
El Dorado, AR $1,746

Estimated couple costs with rent: $3,123 in Montreal versus $2,547 in El Dorado, AR.

Montreal $3,123
El Dorado, AR $2,547

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $4,187 in Montreal versus $3,348 in El Dorado, AR.

Montreal $4,187
El Dorado, AR $3,348

Living in Montreal is roughly 18% more expensive than in El Dorado, AR, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in transport.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Montreal 52% above, El Dorado, AR 29% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$18.84 CA$26.63

$17.29 $17.29

8.96%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$73.2 CA$104

$59.0 $59.0

24.08%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$10.54 CA$14.90

$10.86 $10.86

-2.95%

Cappuccino

$3.97 CA$5.61

$5.04 $5.04

-21.23%

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

$1.94 CA$2.74

$3.04 $3.04

-36.18%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.57 CA$2.22

$2.41 $2.41

-34.85%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$6.42 CA$9.08

$4.95 $4.95

29.70%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$7.20 CA$10.19

$6.31 $6.31

14.10%

Milk (1 liter)

$2.32 CA$3.28

$1.10 $1.10

110.91%

White Bread (500g)

$3.19 CA$4.51

$2.70 $2.70

18.15%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$3.19 CA$4.50

$2.80 $2.80

13.93%

Eggs

$3.68 CA$5.20

$3.36 $3.36

9.52%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$13.24 CA$18.72

$10.17 $10.17

30.19%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$11.69 CA$16.53

$11.99 $11.99

-2.50%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$13.98 CA$19.76

$22.50 $22.50

-37.87%

Apples (1kg)

$3.14 CA$4.44

$4.31 $4.31

-27.15%

Banana (1kg)

$1.45 CA$2.05

$1.45 $1.45

Oranges (1kg)

$3.38 CA$4.78

$4.48 $4.48

-24.55%

Tomato (1kg)

$3.11 CA$4.40

$3.76 $3.76

-17.29%

Potato (1kg)

$1.93 CA$2.72

$1.57 $1.57

22.93%

Onion (1kg)

$1.83 CA$2.58

$2.51 $2.51

-27.09%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.36 CA$3.34

$1.92 $1.92

22.92%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.50 CA$2.12

$1.84 $1.84

-18.48%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$11.12 CA$15.73

$9.36 $9.36

18.80%

Wine (Bottle)

$10.60 CA$14.98

$13.55 $13.55

-21.77%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.22 CA$3.14

$1.77 $1.77

25.42%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.84 CA$4.01

$1.69 $1.69

68.05%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.62 CA$3.71

$1.81 $1.81

44.75%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$79.1 CA$112

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.23 CA$4.56

$2.46 $2.46

31.30%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.48 CA$2.10

$1.52 $1.52

-2.63%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$32.22 CA$45.55

$24.11 $24.11

33.64%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.36 CA$1.92

$0.92 $0.92

47.83%

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

$27.6K CA$39.1K

$26.7K $26.7K

3.45%

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

$21.2K CA$30.0K

$26.3K $26.3K

-19.47%

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

$77.0 CA$109

$134 $134

-42.31%

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

$34.14 CA$48.26

$59.8 $59.8

-42.91%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$42.19 CA$59.7

$39.23 $39.23

7.55%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$30.81 CA$43.56

$42.36 $42.36

-27.27%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$19.66 CA$27.79

Cinema Ticket

$11.47 CA$16.22

$9.09 $9.09

26.18%

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

$506 CA$716

$1,036 $1,036

-51.13%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$16.2K CA$23.0K

$19.1K $19.1K

-15.08%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$57.3 CA$81.0

$50.9 $50.9

12.54%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$38.10 CA$53.9

$34.32 $34.32

11.01%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$91.9 CA$130

$79.1 $79.1

16.27%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$110 CA$155

$61.0 $61.0

79.95%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,237 CA$1,748

$1,537 $1,537

-19.53%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$977 CA$1,381

$678 $678

44.15%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,180 CA$3,082

$1,892 $1,892

15.22%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,608 CA$2,273

$941 $941

70.87%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$5,113 CA$7,228

$1,185 $1,185

331.46%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$3,744 CA$5,293

$1,146 $1,146

226.82%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$2,957 CA$4,180

$4,169 $4,169

-29.07%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

4.48

6.75

-33.63%

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

Last update for Montreal: October 20, 2026

Last update for El Dorado, AR: October 18, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Montreal

$977 47.4%

El Dorado, AR

$678 38.8% 30.6% $299

Groceries & Markets

Montreal

$351 17.1%

El Dorado, AR

$366 21% 4.3% $15

Eating Out

Montreal

$290 14.1%

El Dorado, AR

$291 16.6% 0% $0.1

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Montreal

$153 7.5%

El Dorado, AR

$233 13.3% 51.6% $79

Clothing & Footwear

Montreal

$134 6.5%

El Dorado, AR

$101 5.8% 24.2% $32

Getting Around

Montreal

$100 4.9%

El Dorado, AR

$17 * 1% 82.8% $83

Sport & Entertainment

Montreal

$54 2.6%

El Dorado, AR

$61 3.5% 12.6% $6.8

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 $1,537 in El Dorado, AR. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

El Dorado, AR pays 41% 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 El Dorado, AR. Groceries flip the comparison at $351 vs $366, with Montreal cheaper for home cooking.

Good to know

🇨🇦 Montreal

🇺🇸 El Dorado, AR

🕒 Local time

11:26 11:26 AM

10:26 10:26 AM

1 h behind Montreal

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

1,762,949

17,756

💱 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

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Highest

Between locations

Montreal El Dorado, AR 2,130 km ≈ 3 h 15 min nonstop flight

From you

Montreal
El Dorado, AR

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 El Dorado, AR: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

El Dorado, AR is cheaper overall, especially in clothing and transport. The 18% gap adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

On paper, salaries run 41% lower in El Dorado, AR. 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 $1,537 in El Dorado, AR. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

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

All in, you'll spend $2,059 per month in Montreal versus $1,746 in El Dorado, AR – a 18% gap that adds up to real savings over time for anyone picking the cheaper option.

At $1,746 in El Dorado, AR versus $2,059 in Montreal, a $2,500 budget is realistic in El Dorado, AR but tight or insufficient in Montreal. The gap between the two cities makes El Dorado, AR the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

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

Safety-wise, Montreal and El Dorado, AR 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 El Dorado, AR gentler on the wallet – expenses run 18% less than in Montreal. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.