Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Montreal and Madison, WI

For one person, living is cheaper in Montreal: $2,003 a month against $2,994 in Madison, WI, rent and utilities included – about $11,900 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

99

Cost of Living Index in Montreal
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Montreal Living Index
148

Cost of Living Index in Madison, WI
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Madison, WI Living Index

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Montreal

🇨🇦 Canada

$2,003

/mo nomad

Madison, WI

🇺🇸 United States

$2,994

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Montreal and in Madison, WI

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 Madison, WI actually costs, broken down by who's living it.

A single person spends $2,003 per month in Montreal vs $2,994 in Madison, WI, rent included.

Montreal $2,003
Madison, WI $2,994

A couple spends around $3,048 per month in Montreal vs $4,424 in Madison, WI, rent included.

Montreal $3,048
Madison, WI $4,424

A family of three spends $4,092 per month in Montreal vs $5,854 in Madison, WI, rent included.

Montreal $4,092
Madison, WI $5,854

Montreal is about 33% cheaper than Madison, WI, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Both Montreal and Madison, WI sit above the global median – Montreal by 49%, Madison, WI by 123%.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$19.31 CA$27.52

$19.62 $19.62

-1.58%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$75.5 CA$108

$68.0 $68.0

11.01%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$10.63 CA$15.15

$13.07 $13.07

-18.67%

Cappuccino

$3.93 CA$5.60

$5.63 $5.63

-30.20%

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

$1.92 CA$2.73

$3.16 $3.16

-39.24%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.48 CA$2.11

$2.53 $2.53

-41.50%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$6.30 CA$8.98

$7.08 $7.08

-11.02%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$7.19 CA$10.24

$8.23 $8.23

-12.64%

Milk (1 liter)

$2.22 CA$3.17

$0.98 $0.98

126.53%

White Bread (500g)

$3.06 CA$4.36

$3.43 $3.43

-10.79%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.94 CA$4.19

$4.13 $4.13

-28.81%

Eggs

$3.53 CA$5.03

$3.61 $3.61

-2.22%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$13.19 CA$18.79

$14.92 $14.92

-11.60%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$11.24 CA$16.02

$13.28 $13.28

-15.36%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$13.81 CA$19.69

$20.06 $20.06

-31.16%

Apples (1kg)

$3.40 CA$4.85

$4.75 $4.75

-28.42%

Banana (1kg)

$1.44 CA$2.06

$1.62 $1.62

-11.11%

Oranges (1kg)

$3.26 CA$4.65

$5.31 $5.31

-38.61%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.88 CA$4.10

$4.98 $4.98

-42.17%

Potato (1kg)

$1.86 CA$2.65

$2.79 $2.79

-33.33%

Onion (1kg)

$1.82 CA$2.60

$3.12 $3.12

-41.67%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.43 CA$3.46

$2.19 $2.19

10.96%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.52 CA$2.17

$2.42 $2.42

-37.19%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$11.45 CA$16.32

$10.77 $10.77

6.31%

Wine (Bottle)

$10.36 CA$14.76

$15.75 $15.75

-34.22%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.22 CA$3.16

$2.70 $2.70

-17.78%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.82 CA$4.02

$4.43 $4.43

-36.34%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.58 CA$3.67

$2.06 $2.06

25.24%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$76.9 CA$110

$65.5 $65.5

17.35%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.25 CA$4.64

$3.97 $3.97

-18.14%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.48 CA$2.11

$2.02 $2.02

-26.73%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$33.04 CA$47.09

$43.09 $43.09

-23.32%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.36 CA$1.94

$1.01 $1.01

34.65%

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

$27.4K CA$39.1K

$36.0K $36.0K

-23.80%

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

$20.0K CA$28.5K

$25.6K $25.6K

-22.04%

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

$76.1 CA$109

$269 $269

-71.72%

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

$34.68 CA$49.43

$52.5 $52.5

-33.99%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$42.69 CA$60.9

$83.8 $83.8

-49.04%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$28.94 CA$41.26

$58.4 $58.4

-50.46%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$20.33 CA$28.97

$10.54 $10.54

92.88%

Cinema Ticket

$11.21 CA$15.98

$15.27 $15.27

-26.59%

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

$505 CA$720

$1,705 $1,705

-70.38%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$16.0K CA$22.8K

$23.0K $23.0K

-30.50%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$58.5 CA$83.4

$63.0 $63.0

-7.10%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$38.00 CA$54.2

$50.0 $50.0

-24.06%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$92.7 CA$132

$108 $108

-13.93%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$106 CA$151

$121 $121

-12.74%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,240 CA$1,768

$1,789 $1,789

-30.67%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$986 CA$1,405

$1,572 $1,572

-37.29%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,102 CA$2,996

$3,177 $3,177

-33.84%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,615 CA$2,302

$2,565 $2,565

-37.06%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$5,043 CA$7,188

$4,524 $4,524

11.47%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$3,830 CA$5,459

$2,489 $2,489

53.89%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$2,920 CA$4,163

$4,383 $4,383

-33.37%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

4.46

6.69

-33.33%

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

Last update for Montreal: October 6, 2026

Last update for Madison, WI: October 5, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Montreal

$986 47.9%

Madison, WI

$1.6K 51.1% 59.5% $586

Groceries & Markets

Montreal

$344 16.7%

Madison, WI

$432 14% 25.8% $89

Eating Out

Montreal

$293 14.2%

Madison, WI

$338 11% 15.5% $45

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Montreal

$154 7.5%

Madison, WI

$405 13.2% 164% $252

Clothing & Footwear

Montreal

$133 6.5%

Madison, WI

$154 5% 15.9% $21

Getting Around

Montreal

$98 4.8%

Madison, WI

$88 2.9% 10.3% $10

Sport & Entertainment

Montreal

$51 2.5%

Madison, WI

$89 2.9% 73.2% $38

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $1,240 in Montreal versus $1,789 in Madison, WI. 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 50% higher in Madison, WI, 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 $68.0 in Madison, WI. Groceries tell a different story – $344 in Montreal vs $432 in Madison, WI – so Montreal wins on supermarket bills even if dining out costs more.

Good to know

🇨🇦 Montreal

🇺🇸 Madison, WI

🕒 Local time

06:33 6:33 AM

05:33 5:33 AM

1 h behind Montreal

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

1,762,949

248,951

💱 Currency

Canadian Dollar CAD $

United States Dollar USD $

📈 Exchange rate

1 CAD = 0.702 USD

1 CAD = 0.626 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 October 10, 2026: 1 USD = 1.43 CAD (1 CAD = 0.702 USD). 1 EUR = 1.6 CAD (1 CAD = 0.626 EUR).

United States Dollar exchange rates as of October 10, 2026: 1 EUR = 1.12 USD (1 USD = 0.892 EUR).

USD to CAD in detail →

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Montreal Madison, WI 1,290 km ≈ 2 h nonstop flight

From you

Montreal
Madison, WI

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 Madison, WI: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Monthly costs with rent: $2,003 in Montreal, $2,994 in Madison, WI – roughly 49% apart. Outside of rent, the biggest gap is in groceries.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $3,005 per month in Montreal and $4,491 in Madison, WI. 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.

Public transport costs about 17% less in Montreal. For daily commuters, that gap adds up to noticeable savings over a year.

Kindergarten costs $505 per month in Montreal and $1,705 in Madison, WI. 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 $2,003, than in Madison, WI at $2,994. In Montreal it covers expenses comfortably, while in Madison, WI it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.

It depends on your priorities. Montreal has an edge in some lifestyle areas, with costs from $2,003 in Montreal to $2,994 in Madison, WI. Climate, culture, job market, and personal taste all factor in.

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, Madison, WI makes more sense. Both are solid long-term options with distinct trade-offs.