Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Montreal and Lafayette, LA

For one person, living is cheaper in Montreal: $2,018 a month against $2,305 in Lafayette, LA, rent and utilities included – about $3,400 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

99

Cost of Living Index in Montreal
Learn more

Montreal Living Index
112

Cost of Living Index in Lafayette, LA
Learn more

Lafayette, LA Living Index

Jump to prices

Montreal

🇨🇦 Canada

$2,018

/mo nomad

Lafayette, LA

🇺🇸 United States

$2,305

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Montreal and in Lafayette, LA

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $2,018 in Montreal versus $2,305 in Lafayette, LA.

Montreal $2,018
Lafayette, LA $2,305

Estimated couple costs with rent: $3,085 in Montreal versus $3,541 in Lafayette, LA.

Montreal $3,085
Lafayette, LA $3,541

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $4,152 in Montreal versus $4,777 in Lafayette, LA.

Montreal $4,152
Lafayette, LA $4,777

Living in Montreal costs roughly 12% less than in Lafayette, LA, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in transport.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Montreal 49% above, Lafayette, LA 71% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$18.82 CA$26.61

$25.01 $25.01

-24.75%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$70.3 CA$99.4

$98.7 $98.7

-28.76%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$10.66 CA$15.06

$10.02 $10.02

6.39%

Cappuccino

$3.84 CA$5.43

$5.50 $5.50

-30.18%

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

$1.92 CA$2.71

$2.97 $2.97

-35.35%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.54 CA$2.18

$1.88 $1.88

-18.09%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$6.23 CA$8.81

$5.46 $5.46

14.10%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$7.10 CA$10.03

$6.16 $6.16

15.26%

Milk (1 liter)

$2.31 CA$3.27

$1.12 $1.12

106.25%

White Bread (500g)

$3.14 CA$4.44

$4.21 $4.21

-25.42%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$3.21 CA$4.54

$3.62 $3.62

-11.33%

Eggs

$3.52 CA$4.97

$5.34 $5.34

-34.08%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$12.81 CA$18.11

$10.20 $10.20

25.59%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$11.46 CA$16.20

$9.99 $9.99

14.71%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$13.39 CA$18.92

$15.93 $15.93

-15.94%

Apples (1kg)

$3.14 CA$4.43

$5.29 $5.29

-40.64%

Banana (1kg)

$1.44 CA$2.03

$1.46 $1.46

-1.37%

Oranges (1kg)

$3.47 CA$4.91

$5.23 $5.23

-33.65%

Tomato (1kg)

$3.07 CA$4.34

$5.62 $5.62

-45.37%

Potato (1kg)

$1.90 CA$2.69

$2.75 $2.75

-30.91%

Onion (1kg)

$1.77 CA$2.50

$3.24 $3.24

-45.37%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.34 CA$3.31

$2.17 $2.17

7.83%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.55 CA$2.19

$2.27 $2.27

-31.72%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$11.38 CA$16.09

$7.94 $7.94

43.32%

Wine (Bottle)

$10.63 CA$15.03

$16.96 $16.96

-37.32%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.27 CA$3.21

$1.84 $1.84

23.37%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.82 CA$3.99

$3.74 $3.74

-24.60%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.66 CA$3.76

$1.47 $1.47

80.95%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$77.3 CA$109

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.20 CA$4.53

$2.61 $2.61

22.61%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.48 CA$2.09

$0.97 $0.97

52.58%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$32.88 CA$46.48

$35.61 $35.61

-7.67%

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

-19.75%

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

$19.6K CA$27.8K

$25.8K $25.8K

-23.89%

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

$76.0 CA$107

$220 $220

-65.45%

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

$33.95 CA$48.00

$53.5 $53.5

-36.53%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$42.31 CA$59.8

$60.1 $60.1

-29.54%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$29.76 CA$42.07

$63.1 $63.1

-52.85%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$20.28 CA$28.67

$21.41 $21.41

-5.28%

Cinema Ticket

$11.15 CA$15.77

$11.81 $11.81

-5.59%

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

$507 CA$717

$1,593 $1,593

-68.17%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$16.1K CA$22.7K

$10.1K $10.1K

58.20%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$57.6 CA$81.4

$57.6 $57.6

-0.03%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$37.58 CA$53.1

$42.80 $42.80

-12.20%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$91.9 CA$130

$85.1 $85.1

7.97%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$110 CA$155

$119 $119

-8.11%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,260 CA$1,782

$1,108 $1,108

13.71%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$948 CA$1,340

$977 $977

-2.97%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,137 CA$3,021

$1,592 $1,592

34.27%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,614 CA$2,281

$1,713 $1,713

-5.80%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$4,960 CA$7,011

$2,201 $2,201

125.33%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$3,838 CA$5,425

$2,054 $2,054

86.79%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$2,827 CA$3,997

$3,383 $3,383

-16.43%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

4.48

6.3

-28.89%

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

Last update for Montreal: October 12, 2026

Last update for Lafayette, LA: October 12, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Montreal

$948 47%

Lafayette, LA

$977 42.4% 3.1% $29

Groceries & Markets

Montreal

$346 17.2%

Lafayette, LA

$403 17.5% 16.3% $57

Eating Out

Montreal

$288 14.3%

Lafayette, LA

$355 15.4% 23.4% $67

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Montreal

$152 7.5%

Lafayette, LA

$333 14.5% 119% $181

Clothing & Footwear

Montreal

$133 6.6%

Lafayette, LA

$137 6% 2.7% $3.7

Getting Around

Montreal

$99 4.9%

Lafayette, LA

$13 * 0.6% 86.4% $85

Sport & Entertainment

Montreal

$52 2.6%

Lafayette, LA

$87 3.8% 66.6% $35

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 $1,108 in Lafayette, LA. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Lafayette, LA pays 20% more on average. The extra income cushions the higher costs, though housing choices and lifestyle decide how much of the gap is truly closed.

Dining out: $70.0 in Montreal vs $99.0 in Lafayette, LA for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $346 vs $403 per month, with Montreal cheaper across the board.

Good to know

🇨🇦 Montreal

🇺🇸 Lafayette, LA

🕒 Local time

12:02 12:02 PM

11:02 11:02 AM

1 h behind Montreal

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

1,762,949

61,244

💱 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

Lowest

Highest

Between locations

Montreal Lafayette, LA 2,340 km ≈ 3 h 30 min nonstop flight

From you

Montreal
Lafayette, LA

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 Lafayette, LA: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Montreal wins on cost – living expenses run 14% lower than in Lafayette, LA. Housing and daily spending are where you'll feel the difference most, making Montreal the obvious pick if budget is a priority.

On paper, salaries run 20% lower in Lafayette, LA. 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 $1,108 in Lafayette, LA. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $507 in Montreal versus $1,593 in Lafayette, LA. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Dining out is cheaper in Montreal – a meal for two runs $70.0 versus $99.0 in Lafayette, LA. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

At $2,018 in Montreal versus $2,305 in Lafayette, LA, a $2,000 budget is realistic in Montreal but tight or insufficient in Lafayette, LA. The gap between the two cities makes Montreal the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

Both work as nomad bases, but Montreal delivers better value – similar infrastructure at $2,018 monthly. If stretching your runway or maximizing savings is the goal, the price difference makes Montreal hard to pass up.

Safety-wise, Montreal and Lafayette, LA 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 Montreal gentler on the wallet – expenses run 14% less than in Lafayette, LA. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.