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 $2,073 per month in Montreal vs $2,078 in Louvain-la-Neuve, rent included.

A couple spends around $3,175 per month in Montreal vs $3,029 in Louvain-la-Neuve, rent included.

A family of three spends $4,277 per month in Montreal vs $3,980 in Louvain-la-Neuve, rent included.

Montreal and Louvain-la-Neuve have comparable living costs – the differences are in the details.

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

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$16.22 CA$22.77

$17.26 €15.05

-6.03%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$74.3 CA$104

$89.8 €78.3

-17.28%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$11.14 CA$15.64

$12.28 €10.70

-9.28%

Cappuccino

$3.83 CA$5.37

$3.52 €3.07

8.81%

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

$2.13 CA$3.00

$3.26 €2.84

-34.66%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.45 CA$2.03

$2.99 €2.61

-51.51%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$6.11 CA$8.58

$5.67 €4.94

7.76%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$6.46 CA$9.07

$4.22 €3.68

53.08%

Milk (1 liter)

$2.24 CA$3.14

$1.33 €1.16

68.42%

White Bread (500g)

$3.22 CA$4.52

$2.90 €2.53

11.03%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$3.65 CA$5.13

$2.60 €2.27

40.38%

Eggs

$3.36 CA$4.72

$3.72 €3.24

-9.68%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$15.97 CA$22.41

$16.56 €14.43

-3.56%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$11.84 CA$16.62

$11.10 €9.67

6.67%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$15.18 CA$21.31

$18.78 €16.38

-19.17%

Apples (1kg)

$3.74 CA$5.25

$2.94 €2.56

27.21%

Banana (1kg)

$1.70 CA$2.38

$2.43 €2.12

-30.04%

Oranges (1kg)

$3.98 CA$5.58

$2.74 €2.39

45.26%

Tomato (1kg)

$4.45 CA$6.25

$3.22 €2.81

38.20%

Potato (1kg)

$2.66 CA$3.73

$2.60 €2.27

2.31%

Onion (1kg)

$2.57 CA$3.61

$2.15 €1.87

19.53%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.22 CA$3.12

$1.64 €1.43

35.37%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.71 CA$2.40

$0.90 €0.78

90.00%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$13.02 CA$18.27

$9.33 €8.13

39.55%

Wine (Bottle)

$10.74 CA$15.08

$8.12 €7.08

32.27%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$3.07 CA$4.30

$2.14 €1.87

43.46%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.55 CA$4.98

$3.14 €2.74

13.06%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.69 CA$3.77

$2.82 €2.46

-4.61%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$74.0 CA$104

$55.9 €48.74

32.32%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.64 CA$5.11

$4.98 €4.34

-26.91%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.44 CA$2.02

$2.42 €2.11

-40.50%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$34.18 CA$47.98

$35.38 €30.84

-3.39%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.17 CA$1.64

$1.87 €1.63

-37.43%

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

$24.9K CA$34.9K

$34.9K €30.4K

-28.56%

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

$22.0K CA$30.9K

$28.7K €25.1K

-23.32%

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

$75.2 CA$106

$256 €223

-70.65%

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

$36.93 CA$51.8

$21.97 €19.16

68.09%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$44.25 CA$62.1

$61.0 €53.2

-27.48%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$42.03 CA$59.0

$39.15 €34.13

7.36%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$16.79 CA$23.56

$16.92 €14.75

-0.77%

Cinema Ticket

$10.87 CA$15.26

$15.19 €13.24

-28.44%

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

$624 CA$876

$622 €543

0.29%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$5,856 CA$8,220

$13.7K €11.9K

-57.22%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$61.7 CA$86.6

$107 €93.1

-42.27%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$44.74 CA$62.8

$48.41 €42.20

-7.58%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$102 CA$143

$118 €103

-13.89%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$121 CA$169

$156 €136

-22.55%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,220 CA$1,712

$1,283 €1,119

-4.93%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$956 CA$1,341

$751 €655

27.24%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,044 CA$2,869

$1,548 €1,350

32.05%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,584 CA$2,223

$1,081 €942

46.54%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$5,158 CA$7,239

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$3,803 CA$5,338

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$2,899 CA$4,069

$2,662 €2,321

8.89%

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: July 26, 2026

Last update for Louvain-la-Neuve: July 25, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $1,220 in Montreal versus $1,283 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 9% higher in Montreal. Purchasing power depends on which expenses matter most to you.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $74.0 in Montreal versus $90.0 in Louvain-la-Neuve. Groceries tell a different story – $389 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

For a comfortable life, plan on about $3,110 per month in Montreal and $3,117 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 Montreal, especially for central apartments. Housing is actually the single biggest factor behind the overall cost gap between these two cities.

Interestingly, groceries are about 12% cheaper in Louvain-la-Neuve – one category where the pricier city actually offers better value, probably thanks to stronger retail competition or local farming.

Kindergarten costs $624 per month in Montreal and $622 in Louvain-la-Neuve. For families with young kids, this one expense can tip the scales when choosing between the two cities.

A $2,000 monthly budget goes further in Montreal, where all-in costs run around $2,073, than in Louvain-la-Neuve at $2,078. In Montreal it covers expenses comfortably, while in Louvain-la-Neuve it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.

For digital nomads, it depends on budget. Montreal costs $2,073 versus $2,078 in Louvain-la-Neuve. 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 Montreal. If higher salaries, better infrastructure, or specific career opportunities are the priority, Louvain-la-Neuve makes more sense. Both are solid long-term options with distinct trade-offs.