Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Montreal and Federal Way, WA

For one person, living is cheaper in Montreal: $2,018 a month against $3,324 in Federal Way, WA, rent and utilities included – about $15,700 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
162

Cost of Living Index in Federal Way, WA
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Federal Way, WA Living Index

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Montreal

🇨🇦 Canada

$2,018

/mo nomad

Federal Way, WA

🇺🇸 United States

$3,324

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Montreal and in Federal Way, WA

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 Federal Way, WA actually costs, broken down by who's living it.

A single person spends $2,018 per month in Montreal vs $3,324 in Federal Way, WA, rent included.

Montreal $2,018
Federal Way, WA $3,324

A couple spends around $3,085 per month in Montreal vs $4,324 in Federal Way, WA, rent included.

Montreal $3,085
Federal Way, WA $4,324

A family of three spends $4,152 per month in Montreal vs $5,324 in Federal Way, WA, rent included.

Montreal $4,152
Federal Way, WA $5,324

Montreal is about 39% cheaper than Federal Way, WA, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in utilities.

Both Montreal and Federal Way, WA sit above the global median – Montreal by 49%, Federal Way, WA by 146%.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$18.82 CA$26.61

$24.74 $24.74

-23.93%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$70.3 CA$99.4

$76.1 $76.1

-7.65%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$10.66 CA$15.06

$12.56 $12.56

-15.13%

Cappuccino

$3.84 CA$5.43

$5.82 $5.82

-34.02%

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

$1.92 CA$2.71

$2.93 $2.93

-34.47%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.54 CA$2.18

$1.67 $1.67

-7.78%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$6.23 CA$8.81

$7.06 $7.06

-11.76%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$7.10 CA$10.03

$7.12 $7.12

-0.28%

Milk (1 liter)

$2.31 CA$3.27

$1.09 $1.09

111.93%

White Bread (500g)

$3.14 CA$4.44

$4.07 $4.07

-22.85%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$3.21 CA$4.54

$3.05 $3.05

5.25%

Eggs

$3.52 CA$4.97

$5.09 $5.09

-30.84%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$12.81 CA$18.11

$16.26 $16.26

-21.22%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$11.46 CA$16.20

$10.51 $10.51

9.04%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$13.39 CA$18.92

$19.36 $19.36

-30.84%

Apples (1kg)

$3.14 CA$4.43

$5.13 $5.13

-38.79%

Banana (1kg)

$1.44 CA$2.03

$1.58 $1.58

-8.86%

Oranges (1kg)

$3.47 CA$4.91

$4.31 $4.31

-19.49%

Tomato (1kg)

$3.07 CA$4.34

$4.64 $4.64

-33.84%

Potato (1kg)

$1.90 CA$2.69

$2.69 $2.69

-29.37%

Onion (1kg)

$1.77 CA$2.50

$2.39 $2.39

-25.94%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.34 CA$3.31

$2.23 $2.23

4.93%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.55 CA$2.19

$2.61 $2.61

-40.61%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$11.38 CA$16.09

$13.08 $13.08

-13.00%

Wine (Bottle)

$10.63 CA$15.03

$15.19 $15.19

-30.02%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.27 CA$3.21

$1.71 $1.71

32.75%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.82 CA$3.99

$4.84 $4.84

-41.74%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.66 CA$3.76

$2.65 $2.65

0.38%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$77.3 CA$109

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.20 CA$4.53

$2.63 $2.63

21.67%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.48 CA$2.09

$1.67 $1.67

-11.38%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$32.88 CA$46.48

$29.83 $29.83

10.22%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.34 CA$1.90

$1.32 $1.32

1.52%

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

$28.2K CA$39.8K

$36.4K $36.4K

-22.69%

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

$19.6K CA$27.8K

$25.7K $25.7K

-23.61%

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

$76.0 CA$107

$157 $157

-51.74%

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

$33.95 CA$48.00

$76.9 $76.9

-55.86%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$42.31 CA$59.8

$88.0 $88.0

-51.90%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$29.76 CA$42.07

$12.95 $12.95

129.81%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$20.28 CA$28.67

Cinema Ticket

$11.15 CA$15.77

$11.79 $11.79

-5.43%

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

$507 CA$717

$1,446 $1,446

-64.94%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$16.1K CA$22.7K

$32.2K $32.2K

-50.22%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$57.6 CA$81.4

$45.83 $45.83

25.57%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$37.58 CA$53.1

$44.65 $44.65

-15.83%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$91.9 CA$130

$84.4 $84.4

8.87%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$110 CA$155

$100 $100

9.10%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,260 CA$1,782

$2,017 $2,017

-37.50%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$948 CA$1,340

$2,025 $2,025

-53.21%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,137 CA$3,021

$2,773 $2,773

-22.94%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,614 CA$2,281

$2,419 $2,419

-33.28%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$4,960 CA$7,011

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$3,838 CA$5,425

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$2,827 CA$3,997

$4,440 $4,440

-36.32%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

4.48

6.64

-32.53%

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

Last update for Montreal: October 12, 2026

Last update for Federal Way, WA: October 11, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Montreal

$948 47%

Federal Way, WA

$2K 60.9% 114% $1.1K

Groceries & Markets

Montreal

$346 17.2%

Federal Way, WA

$421 12.7% 21.4% $74

Eating Out

Montreal

$288 14.3%

Federal Way, WA

$373 11.2% 29.7% $85

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Montreal

$152 7.5%

Federal Way, WA

$322 9.7% 112% $170

Clothing & Footwear

Montreal

$133 6.6%

Federal Way, WA

$124 3.7% 7.2% $9.6

Getting Around

Montreal

$99 4.9%

Federal Way, WA

$22 * 0.7% 78.1% $77

Sport & Entertainment

Montreal

$52 2.6%

Federal Way, WA

$37 1.1% 29.8% $16

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

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $1,260 in Montreal versus $2,017 in Federal Way, WA. 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 57% higher in Federal Way, WA, 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 $70.0 in Montreal versus $76.0 in Federal Way, WA. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $346 vs $421 – making Montreal the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇨🇦 Montreal

🇺🇸 Federal Way, WA

🕒 Local time

05:13 5:13 AM

02:13 2:13 AM

3 h behind Montreal

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

1,762,949

101,030

💱 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 18, 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 18, 2026: 1 EUR = 1.12 USD (1 USD = 0.89 EUR).

USD to CAD in detail →

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Between locations

Montreal Federal Way, WA 3,680 km ≈ 5 h nonstop flight

From you

Montreal
Federal Way, WA

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 Federal Way, WA: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Yes – Federal Way, WA is pricier by about 65%, and outside of rent the gap shows up most in utilities.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $3,027 per month in Montreal and $4,985 in Federal Way, WA. 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 $2,018 in Montreal and $3,324 in Federal Way, WA. That's a gap of about 65%.

Kindergarten costs $507 per month in Montreal and $1,446 in Federal Way, WA. For families with young kids, this one expense can tip the scales when choosing between the two cities.

A $2,000 monthly budget goes further in Montreal, where all-in costs run around $2,018, than in Federal Way, WA at $3,324. In Montreal it covers expenses comfortably, while in Federal Way, WA it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.

Families tend to lean toward Montreal – lower housing and cheaper childcare make a real difference, especially on a single income or when paying for private education.

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, Federal Way, WA makes more sense. Both are solid long-term options with distinct trade-offs.