Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Montreal and Ithaca, NY

For one person, living is cheaper in Montreal: $2,064 a month against $2,893 in Ithaca, NY, rent and utilities included – about $9,900 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
139

Cost of Living Index in Ithaca, NY
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Ithaca, NY Living Index

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Montreal

🇨🇦 Canada

$2,064

/mo nomad

Ithaca, NY

🇺🇸 United States

$2,893

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

A single person spends $2,064 per month in Montreal vs $2,893 in Ithaca, NY, rent included.

Montreal $2,064
Ithaca, NY $2,893

A couple spends around $3,156 per month in Montreal vs $3,843 in Ithaca, NY, rent included.

Montreal $3,156
Ithaca, NY $3,843

A family of three spends $4,247 per month in Montreal vs $4,792 in Ithaca, NY, rent included.

Montreal $4,247
Ithaca, NY $4,792

Montreal is about 29% cheaper than Ithaca, NY, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

Both Montreal and Ithaca, NY sit above the global median – Montreal by 52%, Ithaca, NY by 113%.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$18.98 CA$26.55

$22.77 $22.77

-16.64%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$73.0 CA$102

$79.3 $79.3

-8.02%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$10.88 CA$15.22

$10.83 $10.83

0.46%

Cappuccino

$3.81 CA$5.34

$5.09 $5.09

-25.15%

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

$1.94 CA$2.71

$2.63 $2.63

-26.24%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.58 CA$2.21

$2.04 $2.04

-22.55%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$6.37 CA$8.91

$5.06 $5.06

25.89%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$7.26 CA$10.16

$9.39 $9.39

-22.68%

Milk (1 liter)

$2.23 CA$3.11

$1.02 $1.02

118.63%

White Bread (500g)

$3.17 CA$4.44

$3.21 $3.21

-1.25%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$3.31 CA$4.63

$7.09 $7.09

-53.31%

Eggs

$3.63 CA$5.08

$3.96 $3.96

-8.33%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$13.16 CA$18.40

$14.66 $14.66

-10.23%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$11.56 CA$16.17

$6.50 $6.50

77.85%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$13.71 CA$19.18

$15.45 $15.45

-11.26%

Apples (1kg)

$3.29 CA$4.60

$4.85 $4.85

-32.16%

Banana (1kg)

$1.46 CA$2.04

$1.68 $1.68

-13.10%

Oranges (1kg)

$3.37 CA$4.71

$5.45 $5.45

-38.17%

Tomato (1kg)

$3.15 CA$4.40

$4.82 $4.82

-34.65%

Potato (1kg)

$1.89 CA$2.64

$3.15 $3.15

-40.00%

Onion (1kg)

$1.79 CA$2.51

$3.72 $3.72

-51.88%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.47 CA$3.46

$2.29 $2.29

7.86%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.58 CA$2.21

$2.06 $2.06

-23.30%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$11.28 CA$15.78

$14.69 $14.69

-23.21%

Wine (Bottle)

$10.49 CA$14.68

$14.20 $14.20

-26.13%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.34 CA$3.27

$1.85 $1.85

26.49%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.91 CA$4.07

$4.00 $4.00

-27.25%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.61 CA$3.65

$1.54 $1.54

69.48%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$79.1 CA$111

$45.49 $45.49

73.95%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.26 CA$4.56

$4.98 $4.98

-34.54%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.44 CA$2.01

$1.42 $1.42

1.41%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$33.43 CA$46.76

$29.46 $29.46

13.48%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.33 CA$1.86

$1.06 $1.06

25.47%

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

$28.6K CA$40.0K

$27.2K $27.2K

5.46%

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

$21.1K CA$29.5K

$26.6K $26.6K

-20.70%

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

$80.1 CA$112

$167 $167

-52.09%

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

$34.30 CA$47.98

$46.41 $46.41

-26.09%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$42.85 CA$59.9

$50.5 $50.5

-15.06%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$31.14 CA$43.56

$34.65 $34.65

-10.13%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$19.41 CA$27.14

Cinema Ticket

$11.23 CA$15.71

$10.82 $10.82

3.79%

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

$525 CA$734

$1,518 $1,518

-65.41%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$16.3K CA$22.8K

$16.9K $16.9K

-3.38%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$58.0 CA$81.1

$47.25 $47.25

22.75%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$38.11 CA$53.3

$39.06 $39.06

-2.43%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$93.4 CA$131

$81.2 $81.2

14.99%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$110 CA$154

$107 $107

3.05%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,285 CA$1,797

$2,256 $2,256

-43.05%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$977 CA$1,366

$1,661 $1,661

-41.21%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,271 CA$3,176

$3,044 $3,044

-25.39%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,665 CA$2,329

$1,997 $1,997

-16.61%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$5,139 CA$7,188

$2,681 $2,681

91.69%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$3,834 CA$5,363

$2,035 $2,035

88.46%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$3,002 CA$4,199

$3,468 $3,468

-13.43%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

4.48

6.46

-30.65%

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

Last update for Montreal: October 25, 2026

Last update for Ithaca, NY: October 26, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Montreal

$977 47.3%

Ithaca, NY

$1.7K 57.4% 70.1% $685

Groceries & Markets

Montreal

$351 17%

Ithaca, NY

$386 13.3% 9.9% $35

Eating Out

Montreal

$291 14.1%

Ithaca, NY

$339 11.7% 16.4% $48

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Montreal

$157 7.6%

Ithaca, NY

$264 9.1% 67.9% $107

Clothing & Footwear

Montreal

$135 6.5%

Ithaca, NY

$124 4.3% 8.4% $11

Getting Around

Montreal

$100 4.9%

Ithaca, NY

$64 2.2% 36.3% $36

Sport & Entertainment

Montreal

$54 2.6%

Ithaca, NY

$56 2% 5% $2.7

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $1,285 in Montreal versus $2,256 in Ithaca, NY. 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 16% higher in Ithaca, NY, 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 in Montreal versus $79 in Ithaca, NY. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $351 vs $386 – making Montreal the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇨🇦 Montreal

🇺🇸 Ithaca, NY

🕒 Local time

04:58 4:58 AM

Same time as Montreal

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

1,762,949

22,283

💱 Currency

Canadian Dollar CAD $

United States Dollar USD $

📈 Exchange rate

1 CAD = 0.715 USD

1 CAD = 0.641 EUR

1 USD = 0.896 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 = 0.641 EUR).

United States Dollar exchange rates as of October 29, 2026: 1 EUR = 1.12 USD (1 USD = 0.896 EUR).

USD to CAD in detail →

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Montreal Ithaca, NY 420 km

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Montreal
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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 Ithaca, NY: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Monthly costs with rent: $2,064 in Montreal, $2,893 in Ithaca, NY – Montreal comes out roughly 29% cheaper. Outside of rent, the biggest gap is in eating out.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $3,096 per month in Montreal and $4,340 in Ithaca, NY. 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: a one-bedroom in the center costs $1,285 there versus $2,256 in Ithaca, NY.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $73 in Montreal and $79 in Ithaca, NY. That’s a good indicator of the overall restaurant and café pricing gap between the two cities.

Monthly expenses with rent come to $2,064 in Montreal and $2,893 in Ithaca, NY. That makes Montreal about 29% cheaper.

$2,000 is a stretch for both – monthly costs hit $2,064 in Montreal and $2,893 in Ithaca, NY. You’ll need shared housing and careful budgeting no matter which city you pick.

Families tend to lean toward Montreal – lower housing and cheaper childcare make a real difference, especially on a single income or when paying for private education.

Both cities have a reputation for safety. In either place, the choice of neighborhood matters more than the choice between the two cities.

If budget matters most, go with Montreal. If higher salaries or specific career opportunities are the priority, Ithaca, NY makes more sense. Both are solid long-term options with distinct trade-offs.