Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Montreal and Lexington, KY

For one person, living is cheaper in Montreal: $2,064 a month against $2,266 in Lexington, KY, rent and utilities included – about $2,400 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

99

Cost of Living Index in Montreal
Learn more

Montreal Living Index
109

Cost of Living Index in Lexington, KY
Learn more

Lexington, KY Living Index

Jump to prices

Montreal

🇨🇦 Canada

$2,064

/mo nomad

Lexington, KY

🇺🇸 United States

$2,266

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Montreal and in Lexington, KY

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $2,064 in Montreal versus $2,266 in Lexington, KY.

Montreal $2,064
Lexington, KY $2,266

Estimated couple costs with rent: $3,156 in Montreal versus $3,326 in Lexington, KY.

Montreal $3,156
Lexington, KY $3,326

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $4,247 in Montreal versus $4,386 in Lexington, KY.

Montreal $4,247
Lexington, KY $4,386

Living in Montreal costs roughly 9% less than in Lexington, KY, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in utilities.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Montreal 52% above, Lexington, KY 66% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$18.98 CA$26.53

$12.76 $12.76

48.75%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$73.0 CA$102

$57.3 $57.3

27.45%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$10.88 CA$15.21

$8.94 $8.94

21.70%

Cappuccino

$3.81 CA$5.33

$4.92 $4.92

-22.56%

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

$1.94 CA$2.71

$2.52 $2.52

-23.02%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.58 CA$2.21

$2.11 $2.11

-25.12%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$6.37 CA$8.90

$5.14 $5.14

23.93%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$7.26 CA$10.15

$6.17 $6.17

17.67%

Milk (1 liter)

$2.23 CA$3.11

$0.73 $0.73

205.48%

White Bread (500g)

$3.17 CA$4.44

$2.86 $2.86

10.84%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$3.31 CA$4.62

$3.89 $3.89

-14.91%

Eggs

$3.63 CA$5.07

$3.52 $3.52

3.12%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$13.16 CA$18.39

$10.17 $10.17

29.40%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$11.56 CA$16.16

$10.35 $10.35

11.69%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$13.71 CA$19.17

$14.16 $14.16

-3.18%

Apples (1kg)

$3.29 CA$4.60

$5.48 $5.48

-39.96%

Banana (1kg)

$1.46 CA$2.04

$1.54 $1.54

-5.19%

Oranges (1kg)

$3.37 CA$4.71

$5.54 $5.54

-39.17%

Tomato (1kg)

$3.15 CA$4.40

$4.45 $4.45

-29.21%

Potato (1kg)

$1.89 CA$2.64

$4.07 $4.07

-53.56%

Onion (1kg)

$1.79 CA$2.51

$3.20 $3.20

-44.06%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.47 CA$3.45

$2.11 $2.11

17.06%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.58 CA$2.21

$3.19 $3.19

-50.47%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$11.28 CA$15.77

$8.81 $8.81

28.04%

Wine (Bottle)

$10.49 CA$14.67

$13.18 $13.18

-20.41%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.34 CA$3.26

$2.70 $2.70

-13.33%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.91 CA$4.07

$4.15 $4.15

-29.88%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.61 CA$3.65

$1.03 $1.03

153.40%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$79.1 CA$111

$29.42 $29.42

168.97%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.26 CA$4.56

$5.10 $5.10

-36.08%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.44 CA$2.01

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$33.43 CA$46.73

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.33 CA$1.86

$0.93 $0.93

43.01%

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

$28.6K CA$40.0K

$27.3K $27.3K

4.94%

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

$21.1K CA$29.5K

$26.3K $26.3K

-19.80%

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

$80.1 CA$112

$192 $192

-58.35%

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

$34.30 CA$47.94

$108 $108

-68.10%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$42.85 CA$59.9

$75.1 $75.1

-42.95%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$31.14 CA$43.53

$27.36 $27.36

13.82%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$19.41 CA$27.12

$29.72 $29.72

-34.69%

Cinema Ticket

$11.23 CA$15.69

$14.94 $14.94

-24.83%

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

$525 CA$734

$2,240 $2,240

-76.56%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$16.3K CA$22.8K

$25.2K $25.2K

-35.25%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$58.0 CA$81.1

$50.6 $50.6

14.60%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$38.11 CA$53.3

$31.75 $31.75

20.03%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$93.4 CA$131

$115 $115

-19.08%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$110 CA$154

$153 $153

-27.86%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,285 CA$1,796

$1,710 $1,710

-24.83%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$977 CA$1,365

$1,008 $1,008

-3.08%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,271 CA$3,174

$2,665 $2,665

-14.81%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,665 CA$2,327

$1,684 $1,684

-1.15%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$5,139 CA$7,183

$2,294 $2,294

124.08%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$3,834 CA$5,359

$1,961 $1,961

95.53%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$3,002 CA$4,196

$4,152 $4,152

-27.69%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

4.48

6.82

-34.31%

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

Last update for Montreal: October 25, 2026

Last update for Lexington, KY: October 24, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Montreal

$977 47.3%

Lexington, KY

$1K 44.5% 3.2% $31

Groceries & Markets

Montreal

$351 17%

Lexington, KY

$385 17% 9.6% $34

Eating Out

Montreal

$291 14.1%

Lexington, KY

$245 10.8% 15.9% $46

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Montreal

$157 7.6%

Lexington, KY

$375 16.6% 139% $218

Clothing & Footwear

Montreal

$135 6.5%

Lexington, KY

$158 7% 17% $23

Getting Around

Montreal

$100 4.9%

Lexington, KY

$39 * 1.7% 61.4% $61

Sport & Entertainment

Montreal

$54 2.6%

Lexington, KY

$57 2.5% 6.8% $3.6

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 $1,710 in Lexington, KY. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Lexington, KY pays 38% more on average. How far that income stretches comes down to housing choices and lifestyle.

Dining out: $73 in Montreal vs $57 in Lexington, KY. Groceries flip the comparison at $351 vs $385, with Montreal cheaper for home cooking.

Good to know

🇨🇦 Montreal

🇺🇸 Lexington, KY

🕒 Local time

18:39 6:39 PM

Same time as Montreal

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

1,762,949

322,570

💱 Currency

Canadian Dollar CAD $

United States Dollar USD $

📈 Exchange rate

1 CAD = 0.715 USD

1 CAD = 0.638 EUR

1 USD = 0.892 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

USD, EUR to CAD – Canadian Dollar Converter

🇺🇸 United States Dollar ($)

🇨🇦 Canadian Dollar ($)

Canadian Dollar exchange rates as of November 2, 2026: 1 USD = 1.4 CAD (1 CAD = 0.715 USD). 1 EUR = 1.57 CAD (1 CAD = 0.638 EUR).

United States Dollar exchange rates as of November 2, 2026: 1 EUR = 1.12 USD (1 USD = 0.892 EUR).

USD to CAD in detail →

On the map

Lowest

Highest

Between locations

Montreal Lexington, KY 1,230 km ≈ 2 h nonstop flight

From you

Montreal
Lexington, KY

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 Lexington, KY: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Montreal wins on cost – living expenses run 9% lower than in Lexington, KY. 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 28% 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 $1,710 in Lexington, KY. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Dining out is cheaper in Lexington, KY – a meal for two runs $57 versus $73 in Montreal. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

All in, you’ll spend $2,064 per month in Montreal versus $2,266 in Lexington, KY – Montreal is about 9% 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 Lexington, KY are both considered safe, so it’s unlikely to be the deciding factor between them.

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