Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Montreal and Highlands Ranch, CO

For one person, living is cheaper in Montreal: $2,059 a month against $3,365 in Highlands Ranch, CO, rent and utilities included – about $15,700 less a year. Higher rent and utilities in Highlands Ranch, CO outweigh lower spending on other living expenses.

99

Cost of Living Index in Montreal
Learn more

Montreal Living Index
161

Cost of Living Index in Highlands Ranch, CO
Learn more

Highlands Ranch, CO Living Index

Jump to prices

Montreal

🇨🇦 Canada

$2,059

/mo nomad

Highlands Ranch, CO

🇺🇸 United States

$3,365

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Montreal and in Highlands Ranch, CO

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 Highlands Ranch, CO actually costs, broken down by who's living it.

A single person spends $2,059 per month in Montreal vs $3,365 in Highlands Ranch, CO, rent included.

Montreal $2,059
Highlands Ranch, CO $3,365

A couple spends around $3,123 per month in Montreal vs $2,987 in Highlands Ranch, CO, rent included.

Montreal $3,123
Highlands Ranch, CO $2,987

A family of three spends $4,187 per month in Montreal vs $2,609 in Highlands Ranch, CO, rent included.

Montreal $4,187
Highlands Ranch, CO $2,609

Montreal is about 39% cheaper than Highlands Ranch, CO, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in transport.

Both Montreal and Highlands Ranch, CO sit above the global median – Montreal by 52%, Highlands Ranch, CO by 148%.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$18.84 CA$26.63

$15.27 $15.27

23.38%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$73.2 CA$104

$79.5 $79.5

-7.92%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$10.54 CA$14.90

$10.20 $10.20

3.33%

Cappuccino

$3.97 CA$5.61

$6.26 $6.26

-36.58%

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

$1.94 CA$2.74

$2.48 $2.48

-21.77%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.57 CA$2.22

$2.13 $2.13

-26.29%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$6.42 CA$9.08

$5.06 $5.06

26.88%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$7.20 CA$10.19

$6.15 $6.15

17.07%

Milk (1 liter)

$2.32 CA$3.28

$1.04 $1.04

123.08%

White Bread (500g)

$3.19 CA$4.51

$2.89 $2.89

10.38%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$3.19 CA$4.50

$2.80 $2.80

13.93%

Eggs

$3.68 CA$5.20

$4.28 $4.28

-14.02%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$13.24 CA$18.72

$10.81 $10.81

22.48%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$11.69 CA$16.53

$7.20 $7.20

62.36%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$13.98 CA$19.76

$19.01 $19.01

-26.46%

Apples (1kg)

$3.14 CA$4.44

$4.04 $4.04

-22.28%

Banana (1kg)

$1.45 CA$2.05

$1.50 $1.50

-3.33%

Oranges (1kg)

$3.38 CA$4.78

$4.86 $4.86

-30.45%

Tomato (1kg)

$3.11 CA$4.40

$5.26 $5.26

-40.87%

Potato (1kg)

$1.93 CA$2.72

$3.61 $3.61

-46.54%

Onion (1kg)

$1.83 CA$2.58

$4.58 $4.58

-60.04%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.36 CA$3.34

$2.22 $2.22

6.31%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.50 CA$2.12

$1.71 $1.71

-12.28%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$11.12 CA$15.73

$10.41 $10.41

6.82%

Wine (Bottle)

$10.60 CA$14.98

$16.42 $16.42

-35.44%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.22 CA$3.14

$2.50 $2.50

-11.20%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.84 CA$4.01

$2.61 $2.61

8.81%

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

$2.48 $2.48

30.24%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.48 CA$2.10

$1.89 $1.89

-21.69%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$32.22 CA$45.55

$25.39 $25.39

26.90%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.36 CA$1.92

$1.02 $1.02

33.33%

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

$27.6K CA$39.1K

$28.0K $28.0K

-1.27%

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

$21.2K CA$30.0K

$25.9K $25.9K

-18.32%

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

$77.0 CA$109

$215 $215

-64.13%

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

$34.14 CA$48.26

$56.8 $56.8

-39.85%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$42.19 CA$59.7

$68.8 $68.8

-38.67%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$30.81 CA$43.56

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$19.66 CA$27.79

Cinema Ticket

$11.47 CA$16.22

$11.99 $11.99

-4.34%

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

$506 CA$716

$1,306 $1,306

-61.25%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$16.2K CA$23.0K

$12.3K $12.3K

32.29%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$57.3 CA$81.0

$60.1 $60.1

-4.77%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$38.10 CA$53.9

$68.4 $68.4

-44.28%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$91.9 CA$130

$78.5 $78.5

17.11%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$110 CA$155

$118 $118

-7.08%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,237 CA$1,748

$2,864 $2,864

-56.82%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$977 CA$1,381

$2,190 $2,190

-55.41%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,180 CA$3,082

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,608 CA$2,273

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$5,113 CA$7,228

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$3,744 CA$5,293

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$2,957 CA$4,180

$7,275 $7,275

-59.35%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

4.48

6.7

-33.13%

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

Last update for Montreal: October 20, 2026

Last update for Highlands Ranch, CO: October 19, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Montreal

$977 47.4%

Highlands Ranch, CO

$2.2K 65.1% 124% $1.2K

Groceries & Markets

Montreal

$351 17.1%

Highlands Ranch, CO

$368 10.9% 4.8% $17

Eating Out

Montreal

$290 14.1%

Highlands Ranch, CO

$284 8.4% 2.2% $6.5

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Montreal

$153 7.5%

Highlands Ranch, CO

$340 10.1% 122% $187

Clothing & Footwear

Montreal

$134 6.5%

Highlands Ranch, CO

$146 4.4% 9.5% $13

Getting Around

Montreal

$100 4.9%

Highlands Ranch, CO

$12 * 0.4% 88.1% $88

Sport & Entertainment

Montreal

$54 2.6%

Highlands Ranch, CO

$24 * 0.7% 55.4% $30

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 $2,864 in Highlands Ranch, CO. 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 146% higher in Highlands Ranch, CO, 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 $73.0 in Montreal versus $80.0 in Highlands Ranch, CO. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $351 vs $368 – making Montreal the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇨🇦 Montreal

🇺🇸 Highlands Ranch, CO

🕒 Local time

23:00 11:00 PM

21:00 9:00 PM

2 h behind Montreal

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

1,762,949

💱 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

Lowest

Highest

Between locations

Montreal Highlands Ranch, CO 2,640 km ≈ 3 h 45 min nonstop flight

From you

Montreal
Highlands Ranch, CO

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 Highlands Ranch, CO: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Monthly costs with rent: $2,059 in Montreal, $3,365 in Highlands Ranch, CO – roughly 63% apart. Outside of rent, the biggest gap is in transport.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $3,089 per month in Montreal and $5,047 in Highlands Ranch, CO. 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 $2,059 in Montreal and $3,365 in Highlands Ranch, CO. That's a gap of about 63%.

Kindergarten costs $506 per month in Montreal and $1,306 in Highlands Ranch, CO. 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 $2,059, than in Highlands Ranch, CO at $3,365. In Montreal it covers expenses comfortably, while in Highlands Ranch, CO it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.

It depends on your priorities. Montreal has an edge in some lifestyle areas, with costs from $2,059 in Montreal to $3,365 in Highlands Ranch, CO. Climate, culture, job market, and personal taste all factor in.

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, Highlands Ranch, CO makes more sense. Both are solid long-term options with distinct trade-offs.