Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Montreal and El Paso, TX

For one person, living is cheaper in Montreal: $2,003 a month against $2,130 in El Paso, TX, rent and utilities included – about $1,500 less a year. Other living expenses account for most of the difference.

99

Cost of Living Index in Montreal
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Montreal Living Index
101

Cost of Living Index in El Paso, TX
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El Paso, TX Living Index

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Montreal

🇨🇦 Canada

$2,003

/mo nomad

El Paso, TX

🇺🇸 United States

$2,130

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Montreal and in El Paso, TX

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

A single person spends $2,003 per month in Montreal vs $2,130 in El Paso, TX, rent included.

Montreal $2,003
El Paso, TX $2,130

A couple spends around $3,048 per month in Montreal vs $3,193 in El Paso, TX, rent included.

Montreal $3,048
El Paso, TX $3,193

A family of three spends $4,092 per month in Montreal vs $4,257 in El Paso, TX, rent included.

Montreal $4,092
El Paso, TX $4,257

Montreal is about 6% cheaper than El Paso, TX, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in utilities.

Both Montreal and El Paso, TX sit above the global median – Montreal by 49%, El Paso, TX by 59%.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$19.31 CA$27.52

$18.73 $18.73

3.10%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$75.5 CA$108

$77.0 $77.0

-1.88%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$10.63 CA$15.15

$12.19 $12.19

-12.80%

Cappuccino

$3.93 CA$5.60

$6.19 $6.19

-36.51%

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

$1.92 CA$2.73

$2.30 $2.30

-16.52%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.48 CA$2.11

$1.54 $1.54

-3.90%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$6.30 CA$8.98

$5.87 $5.87

7.33%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$7.19 CA$10.24

$6.61 $6.61

8.77%

Milk (1 liter)

$2.22 CA$3.17

$0.87 $0.87

155.17%

White Bread (500g)

$3.06 CA$4.36

$3.01 $3.01

1.66%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.94 CA$4.19

$2.45 $2.45

20.00%

Eggs

$3.53 CA$5.03

$3.61 $3.61

-2.22%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$13.19 CA$18.79

$11.94 $11.94

10.47%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$11.24 CA$16.02

$11.76 $11.76

-4.42%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$13.81 CA$19.69

$13.07 $13.07

5.66%

Apples (1kg)

$3.40 CA$4.85

$3.59 $3.59

-5.29%

Banana (1kg)

$1.44 CA$2.06

$1.48 $1.48

-2.70%

Oranges (1kg)

$3.26 CA$4.65

$2.58 $2.58

26.36%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.88 CA$4.10

$3.56 $3.56

-19.10%

Potato (1kg)

$1.86 CA$2.65

$2.16 $2.16

-13.89%

Onion (1kg)

$1.82 CA$2.60

$2.80 $2.80

-35.00%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.43 CA$3.46

$1.76 $1.76

38.07%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.52 CA$2.17

$1.58 $1.58

-3.80%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$11.45 CA$16.32

$9.43 $9.43

21.42%

Wine (Bottle)

$10.36 CA$14.76

$9.54 $9.54

8.60%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.22 CA$3.16

$2.09 $2.09

6.22%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.82 CA$4.02

$4.74 $4.74

-40.51%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.58 CA$3.67

$1.47 $1.47

75.51%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$76.9 CA$110

$48.29 $48.29

59.23%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.25 CA$4.64

$1.69 $1.69

92.31%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.48 CA$2.11

$1.39 $1.39

6.47%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$33.04 CA$47.09

$27.39 $27.39

20.63%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.36 CA$1.94

$0.96 $0.96

41.67%

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

$27.4K CA$39.1K

$36.7K $36.7K

-25.34%

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

$20.0K CA$28.5K

$24.7K $24.7K

-19.27%

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

$76.1 CA$109

$163 $163

-53.16%

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

$34.68 CA$49.43

$70.4 $70.4

-50.70%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$42.69 CA$60.9

$68.8 $68.8

-37.96%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$28.94 CA$41.26

$18.42 $18.42

57.11%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$20.33 CA$28.97

$8.56 $8.56

137.50%

Cinema Ticket

$11.21 CA$15.98

$12.05 $12.05

-6.97%

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

$505 CA$720

$579 $579

-12.73%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$16.0K CA$22.8K

$6,916 $6,916

131.51%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$58.5 CA$83.4

$47.02 $47.02

24.42%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$38.00 CA$54.2

$36.19 $36.19

5.00%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$92.7 CA$132

$102 $102

-9.17%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$106 CA$151

$174 $174

-39.22%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,240 CA$1,768

$1,155 $1,155

7.40%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$986 CA$1,405

$890 $890

10.80%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,102 CA$2,996

$1,738 $1,738

20.92%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,615 CA$2,302

$1,480 $1,480

9.11%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$5,043 CA$7,188

$1,781 $1,781

183.14%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$3,830 CA$5,459

$1,746 $1,746

119.39%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$2,920 CA$4,163

$3,336 $3,336

-12.46%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

4.46

6.51

-31.49%

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

Last update for Montreal: October 6, 2026

Last update for El Paso, TX: October 6, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Montreal

$986 47.9%

El Paso, TX

$890 42.3% 9.7% $96

Groceries & Markets

Montreal

$344 16.7%

El Paso, TX

$329 15.6% 4.3% $15

Eating Out

Montreal

$293 14.2%

El Paso, TX

$319 15.1% 8.8% $26

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Montreal

$154 7.5%

El Paso, TX

$302 14.3% 96.5% $148

Clothing & Footwear

Montreal

$133 6.5%

El Paso, TX

$162 7.7% 21.8% $29

Getting Around

Montreal

$98 4.8%

El Paso, TX

$63 3% 35.8% $35

Sport & Entertainment

Montreal

$51 2.5%

El Paso, TX

$43 2% 17.2% $8.8

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $1,240 in Montreal versus $1,155 in El Paso, TX. 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 14% higher in El Paso, TX, 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 $75.0 in Montreal versus $77.0 in El Paso, TX. Groceries tell a different story – $344 in Montreal vs $329 in El Paso, TX – so El Paso, TX wins on supermarket bills even if dining out costs more.

Good to know

🇨🇦 Montreal

🇺🇸 El Paso, TX

🕒 Local time

06:43 6:43 AM

04:43 4:43 AM

2 h behind Montreal

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

1,762,949

678,815

💱 Currency

Canadian Dollar CAD $

United States Dollar USD $

📈 Exchange rate

1 CAD = 0.702 USD

1 CAD = 0.626 EUR

1 USD = 0.892 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 10, 2026: 1 USD = 1.43 CAD (1 CAD = 0.702 USD). 1 EUR = 1.6 CAD (1 CAD = 0.626 EUR).

United States Dollar exchange rates as of October 10, 2026: 1 EUR = 1.12 USD (1 USD = 0.892 EUR).

USD to CAD in detail →

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Between locations

Montreal El Paso, TX 3,210 km ≈ 4 h 30 min nonstop flight

From you

Montreal
El Paso, TX

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 Paso, TX: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

El Paso, TX costs about 6% more than Montreal, and outside of rent the gap comes mainly from utilities. That's enough to noticeably affect everyday spending and lifestyle for anyone choosing between the two.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $3,005 per month in Montreal and $3,195 in El Paso, TX. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

Rent is clearly cheaper in Montreal, especially for central apartments. Housing is actually the single biggest factor behind the overall cost gap between these two cities.

Monthly expenses with rent come to $2,003 in Montreal and $2,130 in El Paso, TX. That's a gap of about 6%.

Public transport costs about 59% less in Montreal. For daily commuters, that gap adds up to noticeable savings over a year.

A $2,000 monthly budget goes further in Montreal, where all-in costs run around $2,003, than in El Paso, TX at $2,130. In Montreal it covers expenses comfortably, while in El Paso, TX it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.

For digital nomads, it depends on budget. Montreal costs $2,003 versus $2,130 in El Paso, TX. Both have workable remote work infrastructure, but the cost gap matters when income varies month to month.

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.

If budget matters most, go with Montreal. If higher salaries, better infrastructure, or specific career opportunities are the priority, El Paso, TX makes more sense. Both are solid long-term options with distinct trade-offs.