Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Montreal and Independence, KS

For one person, living costs are similar in Montreal and in Independence, KS: $2,018 and $1,974 a month, rent and utilities included.

99

Cost of Living Index in Montreal
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Montreal Living Index
96

Cost of Living Index in Independence, KS
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Independence, KS Living Index

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Montreal

🇨🇦 Canada

$2,018

/mo nomad

Independence, KS

🇺🇸 United States

$1,974

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Montreal and in Independence, KS

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 Independence, KS actually costs, broken down by who's living it.

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $2,018 in Montreal versus $1,974 in Independence, KS.

Montreal $2,018
Independence, KS $1,974

Estimated couple costs with rent: $3,085 in Montreal versus $2,922 in Independence, KS.

Montreal $3,085
Independence, KS $2,922

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $4,152 in Montreal versus $3,870 in Independence, KS.

Montreal $4,152
Independence, KS $3,870

Living in Montreal is roughly 2% more expensive than in Independence, KS, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in transport.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Montreal 49% above, Independence, KS 46% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$18.82 CA$26.61

$19.64 $19.64

-4.18%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$70.3 CA$99.4

$74.6 $74.6

-5.74%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$10.66 CA$15.06

$11.23 $11.23

-5.08%

Cappuccino

$3.84 CA$5.43

$5.17 $5.17

-25.73%

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

$1.92 CA$2.71

$2.60 $2.60

-26.15%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.54 CA$2.18

$2.05 $2.05

-24.88%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$6.23 CA$8.81

$5.94 $5.94

4.88%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$7.10 CA$10.03

$7.46 $7.46

-4.83%

Milk (1 liter)

$2.31 CA$3.27

$1.01 $1.01

128.71%

White Bread (500g)

$3.14 CA$4.44

$3.51 $3.51

-10.54%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$3.21 CA$4.54

$4.14 $4.14

-22.46%

Eggs

$3.52 CA$4.97

$4.26 $4.26

-17.37%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$12.81 CA$18.11

$12.27 $12.27

4.40%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$11.46 CA$16.20

$10.48 $10.48

9.35%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$13.39 CA$18.92

$17.23 $17.23

-22.29%

Apples (1kg)

$3.14 CA$4.43

$5.15 $5.15

-39.03%

Banana (1kg)

$1.44 CA$2.03

$1.57 $1.57

-8.28%

Oranges (1kg)

$3.47 CA$4.91

$4.83 $4.83

-28.16%

Tomato (1kg)

$3.07 CA$4.34

$5.00 $5.00

-38.60%

Potato (1kg)

$1.90 CA$2.69

$2.42 $2.42

-21.49%

Onion (1kg)

$1.77 CA$2.50

$2.78 $2.78

-36.33%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.34 CA$3.31

$2.16 $2.16

8.33%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.55 CA$2.19

$2.53 $2.53

-38.74%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$11.38 CA$16.09

$9.32 $9.32

22.10%

Wine (Bottle)

$10.63 CA$15.03

$14.76 $14.76

-27.98%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.27 CA$3.21

$2.02 $2.02

12.38%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.82 CA$3.99

$3.30 $3.30

-14.55%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.66 CA$3.76

$2.28 $2.28

16.67%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$77.3 CA$109

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.20 CA$4.53

$3.34 $3.34

-4.19%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.48 CA$2.09

$1.72 $1.72

-13.95%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$32.88 CA$46.48

$25.62 $25.62

28.34%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.34 CA$1.90

$0.99 $0.99

35.35%

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

$28.2K CA$39.8K

$35.5K $35.5K

-20.63%

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

$19.6K CA$27.8K

$25.9K $25.9K

-24.14%

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

$76.0 CA$107

$203 $203

-62.62%

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

$33.95 CA$48.00

$57.2 $57.2

-40.67%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$42.31 CA$59.8

$71.2 $71.2

-40.57%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$29.76 CA$42.07

$41.43 $41.43

-28.17%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$20.28 CA$28.67

Cinema Ticket

$11.15 CA$15.77

$13.73 $13.73

-18.79%

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

$507 CA$717

$1,424 $1,424

-64.40%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$16.1K CA$22.7K

$22.3K $22.3K

-27.94%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$57.6 CA$81.4

$52.6 $52.6

9.33%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$37.58 CA$53.1

$46.65 $46.65

-19.44%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$91.9 CA$130

$89.0 $89.0

3.24%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$110 CA$155

$116 $116

-5.88%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,260 CA$1,782

$1,621 $1,621

-22.23%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$948 CA$1,340

$702 $702

34.91%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,137 CA$3,021

$2,472 $2,472

-13.54%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,614 CA$2,281

$1,071 $1,071

50.71%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$4,960 CA$7,011

$2,763 $2,763

79.47%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$3,838 CA$5,425

$2,454 $2,454

56.38%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$2,827 CA$3,997

$5,296 $5,296

-46.61%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

4.48

6.57

-31.81%

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

Last update for Montreal: October 12, 2026

Last update for Independence, KS: October 13, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Montreal

$948 47%

Independence, KS

$702 35.6% 25.9% $245

Groceries & Markets

Montreal

$346 17.2%

Independence, KS

$397 20.1% 14.6% $51

Eating Out

Montreal

$288 14.3%

Independence, KS

$316 16% 9.8% $28

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Montreal

$152 7.5%

Independence, KS

$332 16.8% 118% $179

Clothing & Footwear

Montreal

$133 6.6%

Independence, KS

$137 7% 2.7% $3.7

Getting Around

Montreal

$99 4.9%

Independence, KS

$21 * 1.1% 78.6% $77

Sport & Entertainment

Montreal

$52 2.6%

Independence, KS

$69 3.5% 32.3% $17

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 $1,621 in Independence, KS. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Independence, KS pays 87% 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 $75.0 in Independence, KS for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $346 vs $397 per month, with Montreal cheaper across the board.

Good to know

🇨🇦 Montreal

🇺🇸 Independence, KS

🕒 Local time

20:09 8:09 PM

19:09 7:09 PM

1 h behind Montreal

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

1,762,949

117,213

💱 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

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Highest

Between locations

Montreal Independence, KS 2,050 km ≈ 3 h nonstop flight

From you

Montreal
Independence, KS

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 Independence, KS: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Independence, KS wins on cost – living expenses run 2% lower than in Montreal. Housing and daily spending are where you'll feel the difference most, making Independence, KS the obvious pick if budget is a priority.

On paper, salaries run 87% lower in Independence, KS. 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 $1,621 in Independence, KS. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $507 in Montreal versus $1,424 in Independence, KS. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Dining out is cheaper in Independence, KS – a meal for two runs $75.0 versus $70.0 in Montreal. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

At $1,974 in Independence, KS versus $2,018 in Montreal, a $2,000 budget is realistic in Independence, KS but tight or insufficient in Montreal. The gap between the two cities makes Independence, KS the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

Both work as nomad bases, but Independence, KS delivers better value – similar infrastructure at $1,974 monthly. If stretching your runway or maximizing savings is the goal, the price difference makes Independence, KS hard to pass up.

Safety-wise, Montreal and Independence, KS 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 Independence, KS gentler on the wallet – expenses run 2% less than in Montreal. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.