Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Montreal and Houston, TX

For one person, living is cheaper in Montreal: $2,003 a month against $2,711 in Houston, TX, rent and utilities included – about $8,500 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
132

Cost of Living Index in Houston, TX
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Houston, TX Living Index

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Montreal

🇨🇦 Canada

$2,003

/mo nomad

Houston, TX

🇺🇸 United States

$2,711

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $2,003 in Montreal versus $2,711 in Houston, TX.

Montreal $2,003
Houston, TX $2,711

Estimated couple costs with rent: $3,048 in Montreal versus $3,906 in Houston, TX.

Montreal $3,048
Houston, TX $3,906

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $4,092 in Montreal versus $5,101 in Houston, TX.

Montreal $4,092
Houston, TX $5,101

Living in Montreal costs roughly 26% less than in Houston, TX, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in utilities.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Montreal 49% above, Houston, TX 102% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$19.31 CA$27.46

$20.57 $20.57

-6.13%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$75.5 CA$107

$74.3 $74.3

1.59%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$10.63 CA$15.11

$10.26 $10.26

3.61%

Cappuccino

$3.93 CA$5.58

$5.32 $5.32

-26.13%

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

$1.92 CA$2.73

$2.73 $2.73

-29.67%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.48 CA$2.11

$2.26 $2.26

-34.51%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$6.30 CA$8.96

$6.10 $6.10

3.28%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$7.19 CA$10.22

$8.18 $8.18

-12.10%

Milk (1 liter)

$2.22 CA$3.16

$0.81 $0.81

174.07%

White Bread (500g)

$3.06 CA$4.35

$3.28 $3.28

-6.71%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.94 CA$4.18

$4.05 $4.05

-27.41%

Eggs

$3.53 CA$5.02

$3.31 $3.31

6.65%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$13.19 CA$18.76

$11.25 $11.25

17.24%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$11.24 CA$15.98

$12.78 $12.78

-12.05%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$13.81 CA$19.65

$16.23 $16.23

-14.91%

Apples (1kg)

$3.40 CA$4.84

$4.04 $4.04

-15.84%

Banana (1kg)

$1.44 CA$2.05

$1.41 $1.41

2.13%

Oranges (1kg)

$3.26 CA$4.64

$3.11 $3.11

4.82%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.88 CA$4.09

$3.86 $3.86

-25.39%

Potato (1kg)

$1.86 CA$2.64

$2.21 $2.21

-15.84%

Onion (1kg)

$1.82 CA$2.60

$2.76 $2.76

-34.06%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.43 CA$3.45

$1.84 $1.84

32.07%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.52 CA$2.17

$2.49 $2.49

-38.96%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$11.45 CA$16.29

$9.56 $9.56

19.77%

Wine (Bottle)

$10.36 CA$14.73

$14.44 $14.44

-28.25%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.22 CA$3.15

$2.45 $2.45

-9.39%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.82 CA$4.01

$3.05 $3.05

-7.54%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.58 CA$3.66

$1.28 $1.28

101.56%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$76.9 CA$109

$76.3 $76.3

0.84%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.25 CA$4.63

$2.85 $2.85

14.04%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.48 CA$2.11

$1.47 $1.47

0.68%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$33.04 CA$46.99

$23.64 $23.64

39.76%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.36 CA$1.93

$0.96 $0.96

41.67%

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

$27.4K CA$39.0K

$35.6K $35.6K

-23.03%

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

$20.0K CA$28.4K

$27.0K $27.0K

-25.99%

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

$76.1 CA$108

$213 $213

-64.21%

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

$34.68 CA$49.32

$61.1 $61.1

-43.19%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$42.69 CA$60.7

$73.6 $73.6

-41.97%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$28.94 CA$41.17

$40.98 $40.98

-29.38%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$20.33 CA$28.91

$20.54 $20.54

-1.02%

Cinema Ticket

$11.21 CA$15.94

$15.21 $15.21

-26.30%

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

$505 CA$718

$2,153 $2,153

-76.54%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$16.0K CA$22.8K

$22.2K $22.2K

-27.98%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$58.5 CA$83.2

$49.49 $49.49

18.21%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$38.00 CA$54.1

$47.52 $47.52

-20.03%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$92.7 CA$132

$103 $103

-9.98%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$106 CA$150

$96.2 $96.2

9.99%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,240 CA$1,764

$1,685 $1,685

-26.39%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$986 CA$1,402

$1,403 $1,403

-29.74%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,102 CA$2,990

$3,136 $3,136

-32.96%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,615 CA$2,297

$2,207 $2,207

-26.84%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$5,043 CA$7,173

$2,381 $2,381

111.79%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$3,830 CA$5,447

$1,855 $1,855

106.41%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$2,920 CA$4,154

$4,353 $4,353

-32.91%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

4.46

6.7

-33.43%

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

Last update for Montreal: October 6, 2026

Last update for Houston, TX: October 4, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Montreal

$986 47.9%

Houston, TX

$1.4K 51.1% 42.3% $417

Groceries & Markets

Montreal

$344 16.7%

Houston, TX

$374 13.6% 8.8% $30

Eating Out

Montreal

$293 14.2%

Houston, TX

$326 11.9% 11.3% $33

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Montreal

$154 7.5%

Houston, TX

$347 12.6% 126% $194

Clothing & Footwear

Montreal

$133 6.5%

Houston, TX

$133 4.9% 0.4% $0.5

Getting Around

Montreal

$98 4.8%

Houston, TX

$92 3.3% 6.4% $6.3

Sport & Entertainment

Montreal

$51 2.5%

Houston, TX

$71 2.6% 39% $20

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,240 in Montreal and $1,685 in Houston, TX. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Houston, TX pays 49% more on average. The extra income cushions the higher costs, though housing choices and lifestyle decide how much of the gap is truly closed.

Dining out: $75.0 in Montreal vs $74.0 in Houston, TX. Groceries flip the comparison at $344 vs $374, with Montreal cheaper for home cooking.

Good to know

🇨🇦 Montreal

🇺🇸 Houston, TX

🕒 Local time

05:49 5:49 AM

04:49 4:49 AM

1 h behind Montreal

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

1,762,949

2,304,580

💱 Currency

Canadian Dollar CAD $

United States Dollar USD $

📈 Exchange rate

1 CAD = 0.703 USD

1 CAD = 0.627 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 October 10, 2026: 1 USD = 1.42 CAD (1 CAD = 0.703 USD). 1 EUR = 1.59 CAD (1 CAD = 0.627 EUR).

United States Dollar exchange rates as of October 10, 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 Houston, TX 2,580 km ≈ 3 h 45 min nonstop flight

From you

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

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

On paper, salaries run 49% lower in Houston, 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: $1,240 in Montreal versus $1,685 in Houston, TX. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Supermarket bills run roughly 9% higher in Houston, TX. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

Dining out is cheaper in Montreal – a meal for two runs $75.0 versus $74.0 in Houston, TX. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

At $2,003 in Montreal versus $2,711 in Houston, TX, a $2,000 budget is realistic in Montreal but tight or insufficient in Houston, TX. The gap between the two cities makes Montreal the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

Both work as nomad bases, but Montreal delivers better value – similar infrastructure at $2,003 monthly. If stretching your runway or maximizing savings is the goal, the price difference makes Montreal hard to pass up.

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