Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Montreal and Los Alamos, NM

For one person, living is cheaper in Los Alamos, NM: $1,065 a month against $2,018 in Montreal, rent and utilities included – about $11,400 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

99

Cost of Living Index in Montreal
Learn more

Montreal Living Index
52

Cost of Living Index in Los Alamos, NM
Learn more

Los Alamos, NM Living Index

Jump to prices

Montreal

🇨🇦 Canada

$2,018

/mo nomad

Los Alamos, NM

🇺🇸 United States

$1,065

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Montreal and in Los Alamos, NM

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 Los Alamos, NM actually costs, broken down by who's living it.

A single person spends $2,018 per month in Montreal vs $1,065 in Los Alamos, NM, rent included.

Montreal $2,018
Los Alamos, NM $1,065

A couple spends around $3,085 per month in Montreal vs $1,652 in Los Alamos, NM, rent included.

Montreal $3,085
Los Alamos, NM $1,652

A family of three spends $4,152 per month in Montreal vs $2,240 in Los Alamos, NM, rent included.

Montreal $4,152
Los Alamos, NM $2,240

Montreal costs about 90% more than Los Alamos, NM, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in transport.

Montreal sits 49% above the global median, while Los Alamos, NM is 21% below – they fall on opposite sides of the world average.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$18.82 CA$26.61

$17.10 $17.10

10.06%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$70.3 CA$99.4

$40.29 $40.29

74.46%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$10.66 CA$15.06

$10.04 $10.04

6.18%

Cappuccino

$3.84 CA$5.43

$4.95 $4.95

-22.42%

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

$1.92 CA$2.71

$2.46 $2.46

-21.95%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.54 CA$2.18

$1.48 $1.48

4.05%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$6.23 CA$8.81

$5.94 $5.94

4.88%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$7.10 CA$10.03

$7.17 $7.17

-0.98%

Milk (1 liter)

$2.31 CA$3.27

$0.90 $0.90

156.67%

White Bread (500g)

$3.14 CA$4.44

$2.26 $2.26

38.94%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$3.21 CA$4.54

$4.41 $4.41

-27.21%

Eggs

$3.52 CA$4.97

$4.03 $4.03

-12.66%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$12.81 CA$18.11

$11.61 $11.61

10.34%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$11.46 CA$16.20

$9.55 $9.55

20.00%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$13.39 CA$18.92

$17.69 $17.69

-24.31%

Apples (1kg)

$3.14 CA$4.43

$4.80 $4.80

-34.58%

Banana (1kg)

$1.44 CA$2.03

$1.42 $1.42

1.41%

Oranges (1kg)

$3.47 CA$4.91

$2.85 $2.85

21.75%

Tomato (1kg)

$3.07 CA$4.34

$4.52 $4.52

-32.08%

Potato (1kg)

$1.90 CA$2.69

$1.09 $1.09

74.31%

Onion (1kg)

$1.77 CA$2.50

$3.27 $3.27

-45.87%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.34 CA$3.31

$1.97 $1.97

18.78%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.55 CA$2.19

$0.49 $0.49

216.33%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$11.38 CA$16.09

$10.54 $10.54

7.97%

Wine (Bottle)

$10.63 CA$15.03

$13.91 $13.91

-23.58%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.27 CA$3.21

$2.38 $2.38

-4.62%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.82 CA$3.99

$3.54 $3.54

-20.34%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.66 CA$3.76

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$77.3 CA$109

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.20 CA$4.53

$3.51 $3.51

-8.83%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.48 CA$2.09

$1.97 $1.97

-24.87%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$32.88 CA$46.48

$31.94 $31.94

2.94%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.34 CA$1.90

$0.93 $0.93

44.09%

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

$28.2K CA$39.8K

$30.7K $30.7K

-8.38%

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

$19.6K CA$27.8K

$24.5K $24.5K

-19.91%

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

$76.0 CA$107

$158 $158

-51.81%

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

$33.95 CA$48.00

$40.32 $40.32

-15.80%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$42.31 CA$59.8

$72.6 $72.6

-41.71%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$29.76 CA$42.07

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$20.28 CA$28.67

Cinema Ticket

$11.15 CA$15.77

$13.21 $13.21

-15.59%

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

$507 CA$717

$1,490 $1,490

-65.97%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$16.1K CA$22.7K

$25.4K $25.4K

-36.72%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$57.6 CA$81.4

$20.08 $20.08

186.60%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$37.58 CA$53.1

$43.91 $43.91

-14.42%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$91.9 CA$130

$105 $105

-12.76%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$110 CA$155

$120 $120

-9.01%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,260 CA$1,782

$1,078 $1,078

16.93%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$948 CA$1,340

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,137 CA$3,021

$1,930 $1,930

10.73%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,614 CA$2,281

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$4,960 CA$7,011

$3,277 $3,277

51.34%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$3,838 CA$5,425

$3,380 $3,380

13.54%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$2,827 CA$3,997

$8,229 $8,229

-65.64%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

4.48

6.57

-31.81%

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

Last update for Montreal: October 12, 2026

Last update for Los Alamos, NM: October 11, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Montreal

$948 47%

Los Alamos, NM

- * 0% 100%

Groceries & Markets

Montreal

$346 17.2%

Los Alamos, NM

$338 31.7% 2.5% $8.6

Eating Out

Montreal

$288 14.3%

Los Alamos, NM

$286 26.9% 0.6% $1.7

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Montreal

$152 7.5%

Los Alamos, NM

$271 25.4% 77.7% $118

Clothing & Footwear

Montreal

$133 6.6%

Los Alamos, NM

$130 12.3% 2.3% $3.1

Getting Around

Montreal

$99 4.9%

Los Alamos, NM

$13 * 1.3% 86.4% $85

Sport & Entertainment

Montreal

$52 2.6%

Los Alamos, NM

$26 * 2.5% 49.3% $26

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 $1,078 in Los Alamos, NM. 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 191% higher in Los Alamos, NM, 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 $40.00 in Los Alamos, NM. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $346 vs $338 – making Los Alamos, NM the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇨🇦 Montreal

🇺🇸 Los Alamos, NM

🕒 Local time

13:46 1:46 PM

11:46 11:46 AM

2 h behind Montreal

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

1,762,949

13,179

💱 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

Lowest

Highest

Between locations

Montreal Los Alamos, NM 2,930 km ≈ 4 h 15 min nonstop flight

From you

Montreal
Los Alamos, NM

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 Los Alamos, NM: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Yes – Montreal is pricier by about 90%, and outside of rent the gap shows up most in transport.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $3,027 per month in Montreal and $1,597 in Los Alamos, NM. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

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

Monthly expenses with rent come to $2,018 in Montreal and $1,065 in Los Alamos, NM. That's a gap of about 90%.

Kindergarten costs $507 per month in Montreal and $1,490 in Los Alamos, NM. For families with young kids, this one expense can tip the scales when choosing between the two cities.

A $1,500 monthly budget goes further in Los Alamos, NM, where all-in costs run around $1,065, than in Montreal at $2,018. In Los Alamos, NM it covers expenses comfortably, while in Montreal it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.

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

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 Los Alamos, NM. 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.