Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Montreal and Independence, MO

For one person, living is cheaper in Montreal: $2,064 a month against $2,126 in Independence, MO, rent and utilities included – about $740 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
102

Cost of Living Index in Independence, MO
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Independence, MO Living Index

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Montreal

🇨🇦 Canada

$2,064

/mo nomad

Independence, MO

🇺🇸 United States

$2,126

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $2,064 in Montreal versus $2,126 in Independence, MO.

Montreal $2,064
Independence, MO $2,126

Estimated couple costs with rent: $3,156 in Montreal versus $3,078 in Independence, MO.

Montreal $3,156
Independence, MO $3,078

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $4,247 in Montreal versus $4,029 in Independence, MO.

Montreal $4,247
Independence, MO $4,029

Living in Montreal costs roughly 3% less than in Independence, MO, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in utilities.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Montreal 52% above, Independence, MO 56% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$18.98 CA$26.55

$20.16 $20.16

-5.85%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$73.0 CA$102

$75.1 $75.1

-2.86%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$10.88 CA$15.22

$12.69 $12.69

-14.26%

Cappuccino

$3.81 CA$5.34

$5.06 $5.06

-24.70%

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

$1.94 CA$2.71

$2.69 $2.69

-27.88%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.58 CA$2.21

$1.97 $1.97

-19.80%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$6.37 CA$8.91

$7.02 $7.02

-9.26%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$7.26 CA$10.16

$7.66 $7.66

-5.22%

Milk (1 liter)

$2.23 CA$3.11

$1.09 $1.09

104.59%

White Bread (500g)

$3.17 CA$4.44

$3.17 $3.17

Rice (white) (1kg)

$3.31 CA$4.63

$4.41 $4.41

-24.94%

Eggs

$3.63 CA$5.08

$4.35 $4.35

-16.55%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$13.16 CA$18.40

$11.15 $11.15

18.03%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$11.56 CA$16.17

$9.53 $9.53

21.30%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$13.71 CA$19.18

$13.46 $13.46

1.86%

Apples (1kg)

$3.29 CA$4.60

$4.31 $4.31

-23.67%

Banana (1kg)

$1.46 CA$2.04

$1.55 $1.55

-5.81%

Oranges (1kg)

$3.37 CA$4.71

$4.38 $4.38

-23.06%

Tomato (1kg)

$3.15 CA$4.40

$4.22 $4.22

-25.36%

Potato (1kg)

$1.89 CA$2.64

$3.18 $3.18

-40.57%

Onion (1kg)

$1.79 CA$2.51

$3.00 $3.00

-40.33%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.47 CA$3.46

$1.90 $1.90

30.00%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.58 CA$2.21

$2.11 $2.11

-25.12%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$11.28 CA$15.78

$7.83 $7.83

44.06%

Wine (Bottle)

$10.49 CA$14.68

$15.06 $15.06

-30.35%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.34 CA$3.27

$1.78 $1.78

31.46%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.91 CA$4.07

$3.80 $3.80

-23.42%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.61 CA$3.65

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$79.1 CA$111

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.26 CA$4.56

$2.47 $2.47

31.98%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.44 CA$2.01

$1.22 $1.22

18.03%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$33.43 CA$46.76

$25.23 $25.23

32.50%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.33 CA$1.86

$1.03 $1.03

29.13%

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

$28.6K CA$40.0K

$32.7K $32.7K

-12.33%

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

$21.1K CA$29.5K

$25.6K $25.6K

-17.71%

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

$80.1 CA$112

$255 $255

-68.54%

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

$34.30 CA$47.98

$63.9 $63.9

-46.35%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$42.85 CA$59.9

$72.5 $72.5

-40.88%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$31.14 CA$43.56

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$19.41 CA$27.14

Cinema Ticket

$11.23 CA$15.71

$14.92 $14.92

-24.73%

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

$525 CA$734

$1,037 $1,037

-49.35%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$16.3K CA$22.8K

$19.3K $19.3K

-15.23%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$58.0 CA$81.1

$57.7 $57.7

0.47%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$38.11 CA$53.3

$39.80 $39.80

-4.25%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$93.4 CA$131

$96.3 $96.3

-2.95%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$110 CA$154

$124 $124

-11.34%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,285 CA$1,797

$1,022 $1,022

25.75%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$977 CA$1,366

$861 $861

13.47%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,271 CA$3,176

$2,056 $2,056

10.42%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,665 CA$2,329

$1,311 $1,311

26.97%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$5,139 CA$7,188

$1,512 $1,512

239.90%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$3,834 CA$5,363

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$3,002 CA$4,199

$3,423 $3,423

-12.30%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

4.48

6.56

-31.71%

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

Last update for Montreal: October 25, 2026

Last update for Independence, MO: October 26, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Montreal

$977 47.3%

Independence, MO

$861 40.5% 11.9% $116

Groceries & Markets

Montreal

$351 17%

Independence, MO

$364 17.1% 3.6% $13

Eating Out

Montreal

$291 14.1%

Independence, MO

$329 15.5% 13.2% $38

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Montreal

$157 7.6%

Independence, MO

$391 18.4% 149% $234

Clothing & Footwear

Montreal

$135 6.5%

Independence, MO

$143 6.7% 6.1% $8.3

Getting Around

Montreal

$100 4.9%

Independence, MO

$8.6 * 0.4% 91.5% $91

Sport & Entertainment

Montreal

$54 2.6%

Independence, MO

$30 * 1.4% 44.3% $24

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 $1,285 in Montreal and $1,022 in Independence, MO. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Independence, MO pays 14% more on average. How far that income stretches comes down to housing choices and lifestyle.

Dining out: $73 in Montreal vs $75 in Independence, MO for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $351 vs $364 per month, with Montreal cheaper across the board.

Good to know

🇨🇦 Montreal

🇺🇸 Independence, MO

🕒 Local time

21:55 9:55 PM

20:55 8:55 PM

1 h behind Montreal

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

1,762,949

117,213

💱 Currency

Canadian Dollar CAD $

United States Dollar USD $

📈 Exchange rate

1 CAD = 0.715 USD

1 CAD = 0.642 EUR

1 USD = 0.898 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 29, 2026: 1 USD = 1.4 CAD (1 CAD = 0.715 USD). 1 EUR = 1.56 CAD (1 CAD = 0.642 EUR).

United States Dollar exchange rates as of October 29, 2026: 1 EUR = 1.11 USD (1 USD = 0.898 EUR).

USD to CAD in detail →

On the map

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Between locations

Montreal Independence, MO 1,850 km ≈ 2 h 45 min nonstop flight

From you

Montreal
Independence, MO

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, MO: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Total monthly costs including rent come to $2,064 in Montreal and $2,126 in Independence, MO, so Montreal is about 3% cheaper – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

On paper, salaries run 12% lower in Montreal. 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: $1,285 in Montreal versus $1,022 in Independence, MO. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Supermarket bills run roughly 4% higher in Independence, MO. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

All in, you’ll spend $2,064 per month in Montreal versus $2,126 in Independence, MO – Montreal is about 3% cheaper, which adds up to real savings over time.

Both cities are expensive relative to $2,000. Montreal is the more realistic option, but even there you’ll need to be disciplined with housing, food, and fun money.

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 Independence, MO are both considered safe, so it’s unlikely to be the deciding factor between them.

It comes down to priorities – Montreal wins on affordability, Independence, MO on earning potential. Factor in climate, language, visa rules, and proximity to places that matter to you before deciding.