Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Montreal and Harlingen, TX

For one person, living is cheaper in Harlingen, TX: $1,492 a month against $2,018 in Montreal, rent and utilities included – about $6,300 less a year. The total is higher in Montreal despite lower rent and utilities.

99

Cost of Living Index in Montreal
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Montreal Living Index
128

Cost of Living Index in Harlingen, TX
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Harlingen, TX Living Index

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Montreal

🇨🇦 Canada

$2,018

/mo nomad

Harlingen, TX

🇺🇸 United States

$1,492

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Montreal and in Harlingen, 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 Harlingen, TX actually costs, broken down by who's living it.

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $2,018 in Montreal versus $1,492 in Harlingen, TX.

Montreal $2,018
Harlingen, TX $1,492

Estimated couple costs with rent: $3,085 in Montreal versus $1,876 in Harlingen, TX.

Montreal $3,085
Harlingen, TX $1,876

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $4,152 in Montreal versus $2,259 in Harlingen, TX.

Montreal $4,152
Harlingen, TX $2,259

Living in Montreal is roughly 35% more expensive than in Harlingen, TX, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Montreal 49% above, Harlingen, TX 11% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$18.82 CA$26.61

$12.27 $12.27

53.38%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$70.3 CA$99.4

$46.71 $46.71

50.48%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$10.66 CA$15.06

$9.11 $9.11

17.01%

Cappuccino

$3.84 CA$5.43

$4.99 $4.99

-23.05%

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

$1.92 CA$2.71

$2.00 $2.00

-4.00%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.54 CA$2.18

$2.00 $2.00

-23.00%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$6.23 CA$8.81

$6.03 $6.03

3.32%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$7.10 CA$10.03

$4.54 $4.54

56.39%

Milk (1 liter)

$2.31 CA$3.27

$0.96 $0.96

140.63%

White Bread (500g)

$3.14 CA$4.44

Rice (white) (1kg)

$3.21 CA$4.54

Eggs

$3.52 CA$4.97

$3.52 $3.52

Local Cheese (1kg)

$12.81 CA$18.11

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$11.46 CA$16.20

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$13.39 CA$18.92

Apples (1kg)

$3.14 CA$4.43

Banana (1kg)

$1.44 CA$2.03

$1.32 $1.32

9.09%

Oranges (1kg)

$3.47 CA$4.91

Tomato (1kg)

$3.07 CA$4.34

Potato (1kg)

$1.90 CA$2.69

Onion (1kg)

$1.77 CA$2.50

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.34 CA$3.31

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.55 CA$2.19

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$11.38 CA$16.09

Wine (Bottle)

$10.63 CA$15.03

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.27 CA$3.21

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.82 CA$3.99

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.66 CA$3.76

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$77.3 CA$109

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.20 CA$4.53

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.48 CA$2.09

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$32.88 CA$46.48

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.34 CA$1.90

$1.03 $1.03

30.10%

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

$28.2K CA$39.8K

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

$19.6K CA$27.8K

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

$76.0 CA$107

$199 $199

-61.84%

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

$33.95 CA$48.00

$99.1 $99.1

-65.74%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$42.31 CA$59.8

$49.44 $49.44

-14.42%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$29.76 CA$42.07

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$20.28 CA$28.67

Cinema Ticket

$11.15 CA$15.77

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

$507 CA$717

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$16.1K CA$22.7K

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$57.6 CA$81.4

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$37.58 CA$53.1

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$91.9 CA$130

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$110 CA$155

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,260 CA$1,782

$836 $836

50.83%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$948 CA$1,340

$873 $873

8.59%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,137 CA$3,021

$1,385 $1,385

54.30%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,614 CA$2,281

$1,015 $1,015

58.99%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$4,960 CA$7,011

$1,886 $1,886

162.90%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$3,838 CA$5,425

$1,869 $1,869

105.36%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$2,827 CA$3,997

$4,030 $4,030

-29.84%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

4.48

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

Last update for Montreal: October 12, 2026

Last update for Harlingen, TX: October 12, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Montreal

$948 47%

Harlingen, TX

$873 58.5% 7.9% $75

Groceries & Markets

Montreal

$346 17.2%

Harlingen, TX

$32 * 2.1% 90.9% $315

Eating Out

Montreal

$288 14.3%

Harlingen, TX

$241 16.1% 16.4% $47

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Montreal

$152 7.5%

Harlingen, TX

$348 23.3% 128% $195

Clothing & Footwear

Montreal

$133 6.6%

Harlingen, TX

- * 0% 100%

Getting Around

Montreal

$99 4.9%

Harlingen, TX

- * 0% 100%

Sport & Entertainment

Montreal

$52 2.6%

Harlingen, TX

- * 0% 100%

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 $1,260 in Montreal and $836 in Harlingen, TX. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Harlingen, TX pays 43% more on average while also being the cheaper of the two. The combined effect is a noticeably stronger local purchasing power.

Dining out: $70.0 in Montreal vs $47.00 in Harlingen, TX for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $346 vs $32.00 per month, with Harlingen, TX cheaper across the board.

Good to know

🇨🇦 Montreal

🇺🇸 Harlingen, TX

🕒 Local time

04:04 4:04 AM

03:04 3:04 AM

1 h behind Montreal

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

1,762,949

71,829

💱 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 19, 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 19, 2026: 1 EUR = 1.12 USD (1 USD = 0.89 EUR).

USD to CAD in detail →

On the map

Lowest

Highest

Between locations

Montreal Harlingen, TX 3,030 km ≈ 4 h 15 min nonstop flight

From you

Montreal
Harlingen, 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 Harlingen, TX: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Harlingen, TX wins on cost – living expenses run 35% lower than in Montreal. Housing and daily spending are where you'll feel the difference most, making Harlingen, TX the obvious pick if budget is a priority.

On paper, salaries run 43% lower in Harlingen, TX. 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: $1,260 in Montreal versus $836 in Harlingen, TX. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

All in, you'll spend $2,018 per month in Montreal versus $1,492 in Harlingen, TX – a 35% gap that adds up to real savings over time for anyone picking the cheaper option.

Supermarket bills run roughly 994% higher in Montreal. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

At $1,492 in Harlingen, TX versus $2,018 in Montreal, a $1,000 budget is realistic in Harlingen, TX but tight or insufficient in Montreal. The gap between the two cities makes Harlingen, TX the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

Both work as nomad bases, but Harlingen, TX delivers better value – similar infrastructure at $1,492 monthly. If stretching your runway or maximizing savings is the goal, the price difference makes Harlingen, TX hard to pass up.

Safety-wise, Montreal and Harlingen, TX 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 Harlingen, TX gentler on the wallet – expenses run 35% less than in Montreal. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.