Cost of Living Comparison Between Montreal and Louvain-la-Neuve Cost of Living Comparison Between Montreal and Louvain-la-Neuve

Monthly Cost of Living

A single person spends $2,088 per month in Montreal vs $2,070 in Louvain-la-Neuve, rent included.

A couple spends around $3,123 per month in Montreal vs $3,071 in Louvain-la-Neuve, rent included.

A family of three spends $4,157 per month in Montreal vs $4,073 in Louvain-la-Neuve, rent included.

Montreal costs about 1% more than Louvain-la-Neuve, driven mainly by Groceries & Markets.

Both Montreal and Louvain-la-Neuve sit above the global median – Montreal by 56%, Louvain-la-Neuve by 55%.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$15.89 CA$21.77

$17.53 €15.01

-9.36%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$74.7 CA$102

$89.7 €76.7

-16.63%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$10.83 CA$14.83

$12.31 €10.54

-12.02%

Cappuccino

$3.80 CA$5.21

$3.38 €2.89

12.43%

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

$2.10 CA$2.88

$3.27 €2.80

-35.78%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.51 CA$2.08

$2.98 €2.55

-49.33%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$6.09 CA$8.34

$5.77 €4.94

5.55%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$6.48 CA$8.88

$4.38 €3.75

47.95%

Milk (1 liter)

$2.32 CA$3.18

$1.29 €1.10

79.84%

White Bread (500g)

$3.26 CA$4.47

$2.77 €2.37

17.69%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$3.79 CA$5.19

$2.48 €2.12

52.82%

Eggs

$3.46 CA$4.73

$3.78 €3.24

-8.47%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$16.07 CA$22.02

$16.73 €14.32

-3.95%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$11.78 CA$16.14

$11.11 €9.51

6.03%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$15.13 CA$20.73

$18.68 €15.99

-19.00%

Apples (1kg)

$3.74 CA$5.12

$2.99 €2.56

25.08%

Banana (1kg)

$1.71 CA$2.34

$2.51 €2.15

-31.87%

Oranges (1kg)

$3.92 CA$5.37

$2.65 €2.27

47.92%

Tomato (1kg)

$4.28 CA$5.87

$3.21 €2.75

33.33%

Potato (1kg)

$2.74 CA$3.75

$2.69 €2.30

1.86%

Onion (1kg)

$2.64 CA$3.62

$2.24 €1.91

17.86%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.28 CA$3.13

$1.71 €1.46

33.33%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.71 CA$2.34

$0.94 €0.80

81.91%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$13.39 CA$18.35

$9.53 €8.16

40.50%

Wine (Bottle)

$10.95 CA$15.00

$8.45 €7.24

29.59%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$3.00 CA$4.11

$2.04 €1.74

47.06%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.60 CA$4.94

$3.03 €2.59

18.81%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.82 CA$3.86

$2.93 €2.51

-3.75%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$75.1 CA$103

$56.7 €48.50

32.51%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.52 CA$4.82

$4.84 €4.14

-27.27%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.46 CA$2.00

$2.44 €2.09

-40.16%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$34.29 CA$46.97

$34.25 €29.32

0.12%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.19 CA$1.63

$1.93 €1.65

-38.34%

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

$25.1K CA$34.3K

$34.5K €29.6K

-27.44%

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

$21.9K CA$30.0K

$29.0K €24.8K

-24.40%

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

$74.7 CA$102

$256 €219

-70.78%

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

$35.83 CA$49.09

$21.36 €18.28

67.74%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$43.53 CA$59.6

$60.9 €52.2

-28.56%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$43.06 CA$59.0

$37.95 €32.48

13.47%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$16.90 CA$23.15

$17.14 €14.67

-1.40%

Cinema Ticket

$11.10 CA$15.21

$14.83 €12.69

-25.15%

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

$609 CA$834

$619 €530

-1.61%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$5,925 CA$8,117

$13.7K €11.7K

-56.68%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$62.8 CA$86.0

$104 €89.4

-39.94%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$44.85 CA$61.5

$47.09 €40.31

-4.76%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$101 CA$138

$116 €99.2

-12.88%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$118 CA$162

$150 €129

-21.40%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,221 CA$1,673

$1,275 €1,091

-4.23%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$955 CA$1,308

$740 €634

28.98%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,105 CA$2,883

$1,578 €1,351

33.34%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,600 CA$2,192

$1,114 €953

43.68%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$5,308 CA$7,272

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$4,045 CA$5,542

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$3,031 CA$4,152

$2,716 €2,325

11.57%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

5.01

3.65

37.26%

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

Last update for Montreal: April 27, 2026

Last update for Louvain-la-Neuve: April 26, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $1,221 in Montreal versus $1,275 in Louvain-la-Neuve. 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 12% 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 $75.0 in Montreal versus $90.0 in Louvain-la-Neuve. Groceries tell a different story – $391 in Montreal vs $348 in Louvain-la-Neuve – so Louvain-la-Neuve wins on supermarket bills even if dining out costs more.

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 Louvain-la-Neuve: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Montreal costs about 1% more than Louvain-la-Neuve, with the gap driven mainly by Groceries & Markets. That's enough to noticeably affect everyday spending and lifestyle for anyone choosing between the two.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $3,132 per month in Montreal and $3,105 in Louvain-la-Neuve. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

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

Groceries cost about 12% 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 $75.0 in Montreal and $90.0 in Louvain-la-Neuve. 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 Louvain-la-Neuve, where all-in costs run around $2,070, than in Montreal at $2,088. In Louvain-la-Neuve it covers expenses comfortably, while in Montreal it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.

For digital nomads, it depends on budget. Louvain-la-Neuve costs $2,070 versus $2,088 in Montreal. 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 Louvain-la-Neuve. 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.