Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Montreal and Jackson, MS

For one person, living is cheaper in Montreal: $2,018 a month against $2,445 in Jackson, MS, rent and utilities included – about $5,100 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
118

Cost of Living Index in Jackson, MS
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Jackson, MS Living Index

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Montreal

🇨🇦 Canada

$2,018

/mo nomad

Jackson, MS

🇺🇸 United States

$2,445

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Montreal and in Jackson, MS

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

A single person spends $2,018 per month in Montreal vs $2,445 in Jackson, MS, rent included.

Montreal $2,018
Jackson, MS $2,445

A couple spends around $3,085 per month in Montreal vs $3,524 in Jackson, MS, rent included.

Montreal $3,085
Jackson, MS $3,524

A family of three spends $4,152 per month in Montreal vs $4,603 in Jackson, MS, rent included.

Montreal $4,152
Jackson, MS $4,603

Montreal is about 17% cheaper than Jackson, MS, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in utilities.

Both Montreal and Jackson, MS sit above the global median – Montreal by 49%, Jackson, MS by 81%.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$18.82 CA$26.61

$17.22 $17.22

9.29%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$70.3 CA$99.4

$60.0 $60.0

17.19%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$10.66 CA$15.06

$9.29 $9.29

14.75%

Cappuccino

$3.84 CA$5.43

$4.12 $4.12

-6.80%

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

$1.92 CA$2.71

$1.64 $1.64

17.07%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.54 CA$2.18

$1.65 $1.65

-6.67%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$6.23 CA$8.81

$4.11 $4.11

51.58%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$7.10 CA$10.03

$4.05 $4.05

75.31%

Milk (1 liter)

$2.31 CA$3.27

$0.98 $0.98

135.71%

White Bread (500g)

$3.14 CA$4.44

$3.08 $3.08

1.95%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$3.21 CA$4.54

$4.16 $4.16

-22.84%

Eggs

$3.52 CA$4.97

$3.77 $3.77

-6.63%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$12.81 CA$18.11

$8.11 $8.11

57.95%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$11.46 CA$16.20

$11.22 $11.22

2.14%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$13.39 CA$18.92

$7.12 $7.12

88.06%

Apples (1kg)

$3.14 CA$4.43

$5.50 $5.50

-42.91%

Banana (1kg)

$1.44 CA$2.03

$1.08 $1.08

33.33%

Oranges (1kg)

$3.47 CA$4.91

$1.45 $1.45

139.31%

Tomato (1kg)

$3.07 CA$4.34

$4.80 $4.80

-36.04%

Potato (1kg)

$1.90 CA$2.69

$3.23 $3.23

-41.18%

Onion (1kg)

$1.77 CA$2.50

$1.94 $1.94

-8.76%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.34 CA$3.31

$1.52 $1.52

53.95%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.55 CA$2.19

$2.18 $2.18

-28.90%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$11.38 CA$16.09

$7.70 $7.70

47.79%

Wine (Bottle)

$10.63 CA$15.03

$13.16 $13.16

-19.22%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.27 CA$3.21

$1.70 $1.70

33.53%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.82 CA$3.99

$1.65 $1.65

70.91%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.66 CA$3.76

$4.11 $4.11

-35.28%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$77.3 CA$109

$123 $123

-37.14%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.20 CA$4.53

$2.01 $2.01

59.20%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.48 CA$2.09

$1.35 $1.35

9.63%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$32.88 CA$46.48

$19.04 $19.04

72.69%

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

$35.1K $35.1K

-19.69%

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

$19.6K CA$27.8K

$26.6K $26.6K

-26.16%

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

$76.0 CA$107

$184 $184

-58.62%

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

$33.95 CA$48.00

$69.1 $69.1

-50.86%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$42.31 CA$59.8

$74.2 $74.2

-42.99%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$29.76 CA$42.07

$64.3 $64.3

-53.68%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$20.28 CA$28.67

$16.27 $16.27

24.65%

Cinema Ticket

$11.15 CA$15.77

$12.94 $12.94

-13.83%

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

$507 CA$717

$599 $599

-15.31%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$16.1K CA$22.7K

$25.1K $25.1K

-36.00%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$57.6 CA$81.4

$47.45 $47.45

21.29%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$37.58 CA$53.1

$22.91 $22.91

64.03%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$91.9 CA$130

$83.2 $83.2

10.42%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$110 CA$155

$117 $117

-6.30%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,260 CA$1,782

$955 $955

31.93%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$948 CA$1,340

$1,179 $1,179

-19.64%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,137 CA$3,021

$2,258 $2,258

-5.37%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,614 CA$2,281

$1,885 $1,885

-14.38%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$4,960 CA$7,011

$1,568 $1,568

216.26%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$3,838 CA$5,425

$1,571 $1,571

144.30%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$2,827 CA$3,997

$2,764 $2,764

2.31%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

4.48

6.18

-27.51%

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

Last update for Montreal: October 12, 2026

Last update for Jackson, MS: October 11, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Montreal

$948 47%

Jackson, MS

$1.2K 48.2% 24.4% $232

Groceries & Markets

Montreal

$346 17.2%

Jackson, MS

$322 13.2% 7.1% $25

Eating Out

Montreal

$288 14.3%

Jackson, MS

$257 10.5% 10.8% $31

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Montreal

$152 7.5%

Jackson, MS

$327 13.4% 115% $175

Clothing & Footwear

Montreal

$133 6.6%

Jackson, MS

$122 5% 8.8% $12

Getting Around

Montreal

$99 4.9%

Jackson, MS

$148 6.1% 50.4% $50

Sport & Entertainment

Montreal

$52 2.6%

Jackson, MS

$90 3.7% 73.1% $38

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $1,260 in Montreal versus $955 in Jackson, MS. 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 2% higher in Montreal, which reinforces the cost advantage – you earn more and spend less. Purchasing power leans clearly in its favor.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $70.0 in Montreal versus $60.0 in Jackson, MS. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $346 vs $322 – making Jackson, MS the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇨🇦 Montreal

🇺🇸 Jackson, MS

🕒 Local time

15:27 3:27 PM

14:27 2:27 PM

1 h behind Montreal

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

1,762,949

153,701

💱 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 18, 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 18, 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 Jackson, MS 2,050 km ≈ 3 h nonstop flight

From you

Montreal
Jackson, MS

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 Jackson, MS: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Jackson, MS costs about 21% more than Montreal, and outside of rent the gap comes mainly from utilities. That's enough to noticeably affect everyday spending and lifestyle for anyone choosing between the two.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $3,027 per month in Montreal and $3,667 in Jackson, MS. 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.

Kindergarten costs $507 per month in Montreal and $599 in Jackson, MS. For families with young kids, this one expense can tip the scales when choosing between the two cities.

Interestingly, groceries are about 8% cheaper in Jackson, MS – one category where the pricier city actually offers better value, probably thanks to stronger retail competition or local farming.

A $2,000 monthly budget goes further in Montreal, where all-in costs run around $2,018, than in Jackson, MS at $2,445. In Montreal it covers expenses comfortably, while in Jackson, MS it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.

For digital nomads, it depends on budget. Montreal costs $2,018 versus $2,445 in Jackson, MS. Both have workable remote work infrastructure, but the cost gap matters when income varies month to month.

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, Jackson, MS makes more sense. Both are solid long-term options with distinct trade-offs.