Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Montreal and Emporia, KS

For one person, living is cheaper in Emporia, KS: $1,558 a month against $2,059 in Montreal, rent and utilities included – about $6,000 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
75

Cost of Living Index in Emporia, KS
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Emporia, KS Living Index

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Montreal

🇨🇦 Canada

$2,059

/mo nomad

Emporia, KS

🇺🇸 United States

$1,558

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Montreal and in Emporia, KS

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 Emporia, KS actually costs, broken down by who's living it.

A single person spends $2,059 per month in Montreal vs $1,558 in Emporia, KS, rent included.

Montreal $2,059
Emporia, KS $1,558

A couple spends around $3,123 per month in Montreal vs $2,497 in Emporia, KS, rent included.

Montreal $3,123
Emporia, KS $2,497

A family of three spends $4,187 per month in Montreal vs $3,435 in Emporia, KS, rent included.

Montreal $4,187
Emporia, KS $3,435

Montreal costs about 32% more than Emporia, KS, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in transport.

Both Montreal and Emporia, KS sit above the global median – Montreal by 52%, Emporia, KS by 15%.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$18.84 CA$26.63

$15.83 $15.83

19.01%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$73.2 CA$104

$75.6 $75.6

-3.20%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$10.54 CA$14.90

$11.90 $11.90

-11.43%

Cappuccino

$3.97 CA$5.61

$4.45 $4.45

-10.79%

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

$1.94 CA$2.74

$2.33 $2.33

-16.74%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.57 CA$2.22

$1.69 $1.69

-7.10%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$6.42 CA$9.08

$5.05 $5.05

27.13%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$7.20 CA$10.19

$6.06 $6.06

18.81%

Milk (1 liter)

$2.32 CA$3.28

$0.88 $0.88

163.64%

White Bread (500g)

$3.19 CA$4.51

$3.30 $3.30

-3.33%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$3.19 CA$4.50

$1.92 $1.92

66.15%

Eggs

$3.68 CA$5.20

$2.85 $2.85

29.12%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$13.24 CA$18.72

$8.30 $8.30

59.52%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$11.69 CA$16.53

$8.45 $8.45

38.34%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$13.98 CA$19.76

$14.40 $14.40

-2.92%

Apples (1kg)

$3.14 CA$4.44

$4.99 $4.99

-37.07%

Banana (1kg)

$1.45 CA$2.05

$1.20 $1.20

20.83%

Oranges (1kg)

$3.38 CA$4.78

$2.84 $2.84

19.01%

Tomato (1kg)

$3.11 CA$4.40

$2.79 $2.79

11.47%

Potato (1kg)

$1.93 CA$2.72

$1.64 $1.64

17.68%

Onion (1kg)

$1.83 CA$2.58

$2.76 $2.76

-33.70%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.36 CA$3.34

$1.88 $1.88

25.53%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.50 CA$2.12

$2.32 $2.32

-35.34%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$11.12 CA$15.73

$9.13 $9.13

21.80%

Wine (Bottle)

$10.60 CA$14.98

$9.49 $9.49

11.70%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.22 CA$3.14

$1.84 $1.84

20.65%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.84 CA$4.01

$2.57 $2.57

10.51%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.62 CA$3.71

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$79.1 CA$112

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.23 CA$4.56

$4.91 $4.91

-34.22%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.48 CA$2.10

$1.82 $1.82

-18.68%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$32.22 CA$45.55

$34.41 $34.41

-6.36%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.36 CA$1.92

$0.89 $0.89

52.81%

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

$27.6K CA$39.1K

$27.5K $27.5K

0.35%

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

$21.2K CA$30.0K

$25.8K $25.8K

-17.90%

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

$77.0 CA$109

$144 $144

-46.63%

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

$34.14 CA$48.26

$46.93 $46.93

-27.25%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$42.19 CA$59.7

$49.14 $49.14

-14.14%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$30.81 CA$43.56

$44.39 $44.39

-30.59%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$19.66 CA$27.79

Cinema Ticket

$11.47 CA$16.22

$12.43 $12.43

-7.72%

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

$506 CA$716

$824 $824

-38.58%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$16.2K CA$23.0K

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$57.3 CA$81.0

$48.75 $48.75

17.46%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$38.10 CA$53.9

$25.34 $25.34

50.36%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$91.9 CA$130

$89.5 $89.5

2.74%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$110 CA$155

$83.4 $83.4

31.67%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,237 CA$1,748

$685 $685

80.56%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$977 CA$1,381

$546 $546

78.97%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,180 CA$3,082

$1,752 $1,752

24.42%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,608 CA$2,273

$1,108 $1,108

45.08%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$5,113 CA$7,228

$1,251 $1,251

308.67%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$3,744 CA$5,293

$1,246 $1,246

200.50%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$2,957 CA$4,180

$5,551 $5,551

-46.73%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

4.48

6.37

-29.67%

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

Last update for Montreal: October 20, 2026

Last update for Emporia, KS: October 18, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Montreal

$977 47.4%

Emporia, KS

$546 35% 44.1% $431

Groceries & Markets

Montreal

$351 17.1%

Emporia, KS

$308 19.8% 12.3% $43

Eating Out

Montreal

$290 14.1%

Emporia, KS

$269 17.3% 7.3% $21

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Montreal

$153 7.5%

Emporia, KS

$240 15.4% 56.7% $87

Clothing & Footwear

Montreal

$134 6.5%

Emporia, KS

$111 7.1% 16.9% $23

Getting Around

Montreal

$100 4.9%

Emporia, KS

$14 * 0.9% 86% $86

Sport & Entertainment

Montreal

$54 2.6%

Emporia, KS

$69 4.5% 28.8% $16

Categories marked with * are only partly priced – their share counts the items that do have prices.

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $1,237 in Montreal versus $685 in Emporia, KS. 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 88% higher in Emporia, KS, which reinforces the cost advantage – you earn more and spend less. Purchasing power leans clearly in its favor.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $73.0 in Montreal versus $76.0 in Emporia, KS. Groceries tell a different story – $351 in Montreal vs $308 in Emporia, KS – so Emporia, KS wins on supermarket bills even if dining out costs more.

Good to know

🇨🇦 Montreal

🇺🇸 Emporia, KS

🕒 Local time

06:24 6:24 AM

05:24 5:24 AM

1 h behind Montreal

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

1,762,949

26,188

💱 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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Between locations

Montreal Emporia, KS 2,020 km ≈ 3 h nonstop flight

From you

Montreal
Emporia, KS

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 Emporia, KS: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Montreal costs about 32% more than Emporia, KS, and outside of rent the gap comes mainly from transport. That's enough to noticeably affect everyday spending and lifestyle for anyone choosing between the two.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $3,089 per month in Montreal and $2,337 in Emporia, KS. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

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

A mid-range dinner for two costs $73.0 in Montreal and $76.0 in Emporia, KS. That's a good indicator of the overall restaurant and café pricing gap between the two cities.

Groceries cost about 14% more in Montreal, though it depends on what you buy. Local produce may be comparable; imported and premium items show the biggest price gap.

A $1,000 monthly budget goes further in Emporia, KS, where all-in costs run around $1,558, than in Montreal at $2,059. In Emporia, KS it covers expenses comfortably, while in Montreal it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.

For digital nomads, it depends on budget. Emporia, KS costs $1,558 versus $2,059 in Montreal. 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 Emporia, KS. If higher salaries, better infrastructure, or specific career opportunities are the priority, Montreal makes more sense. Both are solid long-term options with distinct trade-offs.