Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Montreal and Jalalabad

For one person, living is cheaper in Jalalabad: $501 a month against $2,018 in Montreal, rent and utilities included – about $18,200 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
24

Cost of Living Index in Jalalabad
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Jalalabad Living Index

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Montreal

🇨🇦 Canada

$2,018

/mo nomad

Jalalabad

🇦🇫 Afghanistan

$501

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Montreal and in Jalalabad

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

A single person spends $2,018 per month in Montreal vs $501 in Jalalabad, rent included.

Montreal $2,018
Jalalabad $501

A couple spends around $3,085 per month in Montreal vs $684 in Jalalabad, rent included.

Montreal $3,085
Jalalabad $684

A family of three spends $4,152 per month in Montreal vs $868 in Jalalabad, rent included.

Montreal $4,152
Jalalabad $868

Montreal costs about 303% more than Jalalabad, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Montreal sits 49% above the global median, while Jalalabad is 63% below – they fall on opposite sides of the world average.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$18.82 CA$26.61

$2.26 ؋146

732.74%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$70.3 CA$99.4

$7.56 ؋490

829.76%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$10.66 CA$15.06

$3.80 ؋246

180.53%

Cappuccino

$3.84 CA$5.43

$0.75 ؋48.49

412.00%

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

$1.92 CA$2.71

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.54 CA$2.18

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$6.23 CA$8.81

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$7.10 CA$10.03

Milk (1 liter)

$2.31 CA$3.27

$0.88 ؋56.9

162.50%

White Bread (500g)

$3.14 CA$4.44

$0.37 ؋23.66

748.65%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$3.21 CA$4.54

$1.89 ؋122

69.84%

Eggs

$3.52 CA$4.97

$1.69 ؋110

108.28%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$12.81 CA$18.11

$5.53 ؋359

131.65%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$11.46 CA$16.20

$2.70 ؋175

324.44%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$13.39 CA$18.92

$6.20 ؋402

115.97%

Apples (1kg)

$3.14 CA$4.43

$0.61 ؋39.26

414.75%

Banana (1kg)

$1.44 CA$2.03

$0.65 ؋42.08

121.54%

Oranges (1kg)

$3.47 CA$4.91

$0.79 ؋51.1

339.24%

Tomato (1kg)

$3.07 CA$4.34

$0.48 ؋30.89

539.58%

Potato (1kg)

$1.90 CA$2.69

$0.39 ؋25.38

387.18%

Onion (1kg)

$1.77 CA$2.50

$0.30 ؋19.38

490.00%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.34 CA$3.31

$0.32 ؋21.06

631.25%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.55 CA$2.19

$0.30 ؋19.42

416.67%

Bottle of Non-Alcoholic Wine (Mid-Range)

$3.90 ؋253

Local Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$0.79 ؋51.4

Imported Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.10 ؋71.1

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$11.38 CA$16.09

$2.33 ؋151

388.41%

Wine (Bottle)

$10.63 CA$15.03

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.27 CA$3.21

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.82 CA$3.99

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.66 CA$3.76

$0.13 ؋8.72

1946.15%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$77.3 CA$109

$10.98 ؋712

603.92%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.20 CA$4.53

$0.75 ؋48.74

326.67%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.48 CA$2.09

$0.44 ؋28.35

236.36%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$32.88 CA$46.48

$1.56 ؋101

2007.69%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.34 CA$1.90

$1.11 ؋71.9

20.72%

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

$28.2K CA$39.8K

$8,453 ؋548.0K

233.02%

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

$19.6K CA$27.8K

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

$76.0 CA$107

$23.42 ؋1,518

224.34%

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

$33.95 CA$48.00

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$42.31 CA$59.8

$233 ؋15.1K

-81.84%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$29.76 CA$42.07

$7.62 ؋494

290.55%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$20.28 CA$28.67

$4.76 ؋308

326.05%

Cinema Ticket

$11.15 CA$15.77

$1.56 ؋101

614.74%

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

$507 CA$717

$15.22 ؋987

3231.73%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$16.1K CA$22.7K

$1,222 ؋79.2K

1213.05%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$57.6 CA$81.4

$18.51 ؋1,200

210.91%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$37.58 CA$53.1

$15.27 ؋990

146.10%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$91.9 CA$130

$23.21 ؋1,505

295.95%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$110 CA$155

$30.36 ؋1,968

260.94%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,260 CA$1,782

$114 ؋7,396

1004.80%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$948 CA$1,340

$46.83 ؋3,036

1923.40%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,137 CA$3,021

$229 ؋14.9K

831.66%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,614 CA$2,281

$123 ؋8,000

1207.65%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$4,960 CA$7,011

$468 ؋30.4K

958.73%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$3,838 CA$5,425

$232 ؋15.1K

1552.86%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$2,827 CA$3,997

$183 ؋11.9K

1444.78%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

4.48

13.88

-67.72%

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

Last update for Montreal: October 12, 2026

Last update for Jalalabad: October 10, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Montreal

$948 47%

Jalalabad

$47 9.4% 95.1% $901

Groceries & Markets

Montreal

$346 17.2%

Jalalabad

$95 18.9% 72.7% $252

Eating Out

Montreal

$288 14.3%

Jalalabad

$38 * 7.7% 86.6% $249

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Montreal

$152 7.5%

Jalalabad

$256 * 51.2% 68.5% $104

Clothing & Footwear

Montreal

$133 6.6%

Jalalabad

$39 7.9% 70.5% $94

Getting Around

Montreal

$99 4.9%

Jalalabad

$14 2.9% 85.3% $84

Sport & Entertainment

Montreal

$52 2.6%

Jalalabad

$11 2.2% 79.4% $41

Categories marked with * are only partly priced – their share counts the items that do have prices.

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $1,260 in Montreal versus $114 in Jalalabad. 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 1445% higher in Montreal, 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 $70.0 in Montreal versus $8.00 in Jalalabad. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $346 vs $95.0 – making Jalalabad the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇨🇦 Montreal

🇦🇫 Jalalabad

🕒 Local time

00:36 12:36 AM

09:06 9:06 AM

8 h 30 min ahead of Montreal

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

1,762,949

168,600

💱 Currency

Canadian Dollar CAD $

Afghanistan Afghani AFN ؋

📈 Exchange rate

1 CAD = 0.707 USD

1 CAD = 0.629 EUR

100 AFN = 1.54 USD

100 AFN = 1.37 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

AFN, 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).

Afghanistan Afghani exchange rates as of October 19, 2026: 1 USD = 64.83 AFN (100 AFN = 1.54 USD). 1 EUR = 72.88 AFN (100 AFN = 1.37 EUR).

USD to CAD in detail →

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Between locations

Montreal Jalalabad 10,420 km ≈ 14 h nonstop flight

From you

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 Jalalabad: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Monthly costs with rent: $2,018 in Montreal, $501 in Jalalabad – roughly 303% apart. Outside of rent, the biggest gap is in groceries.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $3,027 per month in Montreal and $751 in Jalalabad. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

Rent is clearly cheaper in Jalalabad, especially for central apartments. Housing is actually the single biggest factor behind the overall cost gap between these two cities.

Groceries cost about 266% more in Montreal, though it depends on what you buy. Local produce may be comparable; imported and premium items show the biggest price gap.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $70.0 in Montreal and $8.00 in Jalalabad. That's a good indicator of the overall restaurant and café pricing gap between the two cities.

A $2,000 monthly budget goes further in Jalalabad, where all-in costs run around $501, than in Montreal at $2,018. In Jalalabad it covers expenses comfortably, while in Montreal it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.

It depends on your priorities. Montreal has an edge in some lifestyle areas, with costs from $501 in Jalalabad to $2,018 in Montreal. Climate, culture, job market, and personal taste all factor in.

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 Jalalabad. If higher salaries, better infrastructure, or specific career opportunities are the priority, Montreal makes more sense. Both are solid long-term options with distinct trade-offs.