Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Montreal and Hempstead, NY

For one person, living is cheaper in Hempstead, NY: $1,474 a month against $2,064 in Montreal, rent and utilities included – about $7,100 less a year. Higher rent and utilities in Montreal outweigh lower spending on other living expenses.

99

Cost of Living Index in Montreal
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Montreal Living Index
71

Cost of Living Index in Hempstead, NY
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Hempstead, NY Living Index

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Montreal

🇨🇦 Canada

$2,064

/mo nomad

Hempstead, NY

🇺🇸 United States

$1,474

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Montreal and in Hempstead, NY

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 Hempstead, NY actually costs, broken down by who's living it.

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $2,064 in Montreal versus $1,474 in Hempstead, NY.

Montreal $2,064
Hempstead, NY $1,474

Estimated couple costs with rent: $3,156 in Montreal versus $2,319 in Hempstead, NY.

Montreal $3,156
Hempstead, NY $2,319

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $4,247 in Montreal versus $3,164 in Hempstead, NY.

Montreal $4,247
Hempstead, NY $3,164

Living in Montreal is roughly 40% more expensive than in Hempstead, NY.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Montreal 52% above, Hempstead, NY 8% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$18.98 CA$26.53

$19.94 $19.94

-4.81%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$73.0 CA$102

$76.1 $76.1

-4.09%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$10.88 CA$15.21

$12.73 $12.73

-14.53%

Cappuccino

$3.81 CA$5.33

$5.14 $5.14

-25.88%

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

$1.94 CA$2.71

$2.91 $2.91

-33.33%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.58 CA$2.21

$2.33 $2.33

-32.19%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$6.37 CA$8.90

$6.05 $6.05

5.29%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$7.26 CA$10.15

$8.20 $8.20

-11.46%

Milk (1 liter)

$2.23 CA$3.11

$1.26 $1.26

76.98%

White Bread (500g)

$3.17 CA$4.44

$1.65 $1.65

92.12%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$3.31 CA$4.62

$2.45 $2.45

35.10%

Eggs

$3.63 CA$5.07

$3.62 $3.62

0.28%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$13.16 CA$18.39

$9.56 $9.56

37.66%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$11.56 CA$16.16

$12.17 $12.17

-5.01%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$13.71 CA$19.17

$12.13 $12.13

13.03%

Apples (1kg)

$3.29 CA$4.60

$2.98 $2.98

10.40%

Banana (1kg)

$1.46 CA$2.04

$1.53 $1.53

-4.58%

Oranges (1kg)

$3.37 CA$4.71

$1.80 $1.80

87.22%

Tomato (1kg)

$3.15 CA$4.40

$5.67 $5.67

-44.44%

Potato (1kg)

$1.89 CA$2.64

$2.88 $2.88

-34.38%

Onion (1kg)

$1.79 CA$2.51

$2.63 $2.63

-31.94%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.47 CA$3.45

$2.56 $2.56

-3.52%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.58 CA$2.21

$2.48 $2.48

-36.29%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$11.28 CA$15.77

$11.96 $11.96

-5.69%

Wine (Bottle)

$10.49 CA$14.67

$15.17 $15.17

-30.85%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.34 CA$3.26

$2.32 $2.32

0.86%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.91 CA$4.07

$4.42 $4.42

-34.16%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.61 CA$3.65

$2.93 $2.93

-10.92%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$79.1 CA$111

$130 $130

-39.31%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.26 CA$4.56

$2.89 $2.89

12.80%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.44 CA$2.01

$0.63 $0.63

128.57%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$33.43 CA$46.73

$24.40 $24.40

37.01%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.33 CA$1.86

$1.14 $1.14

16.67%

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

$28.6K CA$40.0K

$31.7K $31.7K

-9.71%

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

$21.1K CA$29.5K

$26.6K $26.6K

-20.66%

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

$80.1 CA$112

$230 $230

-65.20%

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

$34.30 CA$47.94

$64.4 $64.4

-46.76%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$42.85 CA$59.9

$66.9 $66.9

-35.92%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$31.14 CA$43.53

$112 $112

-72.23%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$19.41 CA$27.12

Cinema Ticket

$11.23 CA$15.69

$14.88 $14.88

-24.53%

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

$525 CA$734

$2,082 $2,082

-74.78%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$16.3K CA$22.8K

$42.5K $42.5K

-61.55%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$58.0 CA$81.1

$48.96 $48.96

18.46%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$38.11 CA$53.3

$44.40 $44.40

-14.17%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$93.4 CA$131

$102 $102

-8.77%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$110 CA$154

$141 $141

-22.01%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,285 CA$1,796

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$977 CA$1,365

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,271 CA$3,174

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,665 CA$2,327

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$5,139 CA$7,183

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$3,834 CA$5,359

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$3,002 CA$4,196

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

4.48

6.66

-32.73%

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

Last update for Montreal: October 25, 2026

Last update for Hempstead, NY: October 26, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Montreal

$977 47.3%

Hempstead, NY

- * 0% 100%

Groceries & Markets

Montreal

$351 17%

Hempstead, NY

$344 23.3% 2.1% $7.5

Eating Out

Montreal

$291 14.1%

Hempstead, NY

$327 22.2% 12.4% $36

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Montreal

$157 7.6%

Hempstead, NY

$361 24.5% 130% $204

Clothing & Footwear

Montreal

$135 6.5%

Hempstead, NY

$152 10.3% 12.5% $17

Getting Around

Montreal

$100 4.9%

Hempstead, NY

$148 10.1% 48.1% $48

Sport & Entertainment

Montreal

$54 2.6%

Hempstead, NY

$142 9.6% 165% $88

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

Cost Breakdown

Dining out: $73 in Montreal vs $76 in Hempstead, NY. Groceries flip the comparison at $351 vs $344, with Hempstead, NY cheaper for home cooking.

Good to know

🇨🇦 Montreal

🇺🇸 Hempstead, NY

🕒 Local time

15:19 3:19 PM

Same time as Montreal

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

1,762,949

793,409

💱 Currency

Canadian Dollar CAD $

United States Dollar USD $

📈 Exchange rate

1 CAD = 0.715 USD

1 CAD = 0.638 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 November 2, 2026: 1 USD = 1.4 CAD (1 CAD = 0.715 USD). 1 EUR = 1.57 CAD (1 CAD = 0.638 EUR).

United States Dollar exchange rates as of November 2, 2026: 1 EUR = 1.12 USD (1 USD = 0.892 EUR).

USD to CAD in detail →

On the map

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Between locations

Montreal Hempstead, NY 540 km ≈ 1 h 15 min nonstop flight

From you

Montreal
Hempstead, NY

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 Hempstead, NY: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Total monthly costs including rent come to $2,064 in Montreal and $1,474 in Hempstead, NY, so Hempstead, NY is about 29% cheaper – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

You’d need roughly $3,096 in Montreal and $2,210 in Hempstead, NY to live well. The gap comes down to housing and overall price levels. Both cities are liveable on less, but these numbers represent actual comfort.

A monthly transit pass in Montreal runs roughly 39% less than in Hempstead, NY. The price difference matters if you commute daily and watch your budget.

All in, you’ll spend $2,064 per month in Montreal versus $1,474 in Hempstead, NY – Hempstead, NY is about 29% cheaper, which adds up to real savings over time.

At $1,474 in Hempstead, NY versus $2,064 in Montreal, a $2,000 budget is realistic in Hempstead, NY but tight or insufficient in Montreal. The gap between the two cities makes Hempstead, NY the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

Both cities offer a good standard of living with different trade-offs. Neither is objectively better – the right pick depends on what matters most: affordability, career, cultural scene, or climate.

Safety-wise, Montreal and Hempstead, NY are both considered safe, so it’s unlikely to be the deciding factor between them.