Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Montreal and Olympia, WA

For one person, living is cheaper in Montreal: $2,018 a month against $2,954 in Olympia, WA, rent and utilities included – about $11,200 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
145

Cost of Living Index in Olympia, WA
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Olympia, WA Living Index

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Montreal

🇨🇦 Canada

$2,018

/mo nomad

Olympia, WA

🇺🇸 United States

$2,954

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Montreal and in Olympia, WA

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 Olympia, WA actually costs, broken down by who's living it.

A single person spends $2,018 per month in Montreal vs $2,954 in Olympia, WA, rent included.

Montreal $2,018
Olympia, WA $2,954

A couple spends around $3,085 per month in Montreal vs $4,132 in Olympia, WA, rent included.

Montreal $3,085
Olympia, WA $4,132

A family of three spends $4,152 per month in Montreal vs $5,310 in Olympia, WA, rent included.

Montreal $4,152
Olympia, WA $5,310

Montreal is about 32% cheaper than Olympia, WA, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in utilities.

Both Montreal and Olympia, WA sit above the global median – Montreal by 49%, Olympia, WA by 119%.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$18.82 CA$26.61

$24.73 $24.73

-23.90%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$70.3 CA$99.4

$63.9 $63.9

9.95%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$10.66 CA$15.06

$12.36 $12.36

-13.75%

Cappuccino

$3.84 CA$5.43

$6.20 $6.20

-38.06%

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

$1.92 CA$2.71

$2.86 $2.86

-32.87%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.54 CA$2.18

$1.68 $1.68

-8.33%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$6.23 CA$8.81

$7.16 $7.16

-12.99%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$7.10 CA$10.03

$7.07 $7.07

0.42%

Milk (1 liter)

$2.31 CA$3.27

$1.09 $1.09

111.93%

White Bread (500g)

$3.14 CA$4.44

$4.55 $4.55

-30.99%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$3.21 CA$4.54

$3.22 $3.22

-0.31%

Eggs

$3.52 CA$4.97

$5.03 $5.03

-30.02%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$12.81 CA$18.11

$18.09 $18.09

-29.19%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$11.46 CA$16.20

$10.50 $10.50

9.14%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$13.39 CA$18.92

$16.86 $16.86

-20.58%

Apples (1kg)

$3.14 CA$4.43

$5.09 $5.09

-38.31%

Banana (1kg)

$1.44 CA$2.03

$1.62 $1.62

-11.11%

Oranges (1kg)

$3.47 CA$4.91

$3.96 $3.96

-12.37%

Tomato (1kg)

$3.07 CA$4.34

$4.57 $4.57

-32.82%

Potato (1kg)

$1.90 CA$2.69

$2.64 $2.64

-28.03%

Onion (1kg)

$1.77 CA$2.50

$2.43 $2.43

-27.16%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.34 CA$3.31

$2.40 $2.40

-2.50%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.55 CA$2.19

$2.50 $2.50

-38.00%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$11.38 CA$16.09

$12.74 $12.74

-10.68%

Wine (Bottle)

$10.63 CA$15.03

$15.04 $15.04

-29.32%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.27 CA$3.21

$2.46 $2.46

-7.72%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.82 CA$3.99

$2.39 $2.39

17.99%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.66 CA$3.76

$0.86 $0.86

209.30%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$77.3 CA$109

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.20 CA$4.53

$5.03 $5.03

-36.38%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.48 CA$2.09

$2.69 $2.69

-44.98%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$32.88 CA$46.48

$51.8 $51.8

-36.46%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.34 CA$1.90

$1.30 $1.30

3.08%

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

$28.2K CA$39.8K

$36.5K $36.5K

-22.92%

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

$19.6K CA$27.8K

$25.3K $25.3K

-22.33%

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

$76.0 CA$107

$160 $160

-52.42%

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

$33.95 CA$48.00

$70.5 $70.5

-51.86%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$42.31 CA$59.8

$95.5 $95.5

-55.69%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$29.76 CA$42.07

$68.7 $68.7

-56.69%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$20.28 CA$28.67

$5.09 $5.09

298.43%

Cinema Ticket

$11.15 CA$15.77

$11.88 $11.88

-6.14%

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

$507 CA$717

$1,455 $1,455

-65.16%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$16.1K CA$22.7K

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$57.6 CA$81.4

$44.71 $44.71

28.72%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$37.58 CA$53.1

$54.6 $54.6

-31.13%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$91.9 CA$130

$90.1 $90.1

1.98%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$110 CA$155

$102 $102

7.14%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,260 CA$1,782

$1,717 $1,717

-26.60%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$948 CA$1,340

$1,585 $1,585

-40.21%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,137 CA$3,021

$3,131 $3,131

-31.76%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,614 CA$2,281

$2,338 $2,338

-30.97%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$4,960 CA$7,011

$3,139 $3,139

58.00%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$3,838 CA$5,425

$2,980 $2,980

28.77%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$2,827 CA$3,997

$5,022 $5,022

-43.70%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

4.48

6.81

-34.21%

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

Last update for Montreal: October 12, 2026

Last update for Olympia, WA: October 10, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Montreal

$948 47%

Olympia, WA

$1.6K 53.7% 67.3% $637

Groceries & Markets

Montreal

$346 17.2%

Olympia, WA

$420 14.2% 21.3% $74

Eating Out

Montreal

$288 14.3%

Olympia, WA

$377 12.8% 31.1% $90

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Montreal

$152 7.5%

Olympia, WA

$326 11% 114% $173

Clothing & Footwear

Montreal

$133 6.6%

Olympia, WA

$131 4.4% 1.7% $2.2

Getting Around

Montreal

$99 4.9%

Olympia, WA

$22 * 0.7% 77.8% $77

Sport & Entertainment

Montreal

$52 2.6%

Olympia, WA

$92 3.1% 77.6% $40

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 $1,717 in Olympia, WA. 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 78% higher in Olympia, WA, 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 $70.0 in Montreal versus $64.0 in Olympia, WA. Groceries tell a different story – $346 in Montreal vs $420 in Olympia, WA – so Montreal wins on supermarket bills even if dining out costs more.

Good to know

🇨🇦 Montreal

🇺🇸 Olympia, WA

🕒 Local time

23:23 11:23 PM

20:23 8:23 PM

3 h behind Montreal

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

1,762,949

55,605

💱 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 19, 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 19, 2026: 1 EUR = 1.12 USD (1 USD = 0.89 EUR).

USD to CAD in detail →

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Montreal Olympia, WA 3,730 km ≈ 5 h nonstop flight

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Montreal
Olympia, WA

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 Olympia, WA: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Olympia, WA costs about 46% more than Montreal, and outside of rent the gap comes mainly from utilities. That's enough to noticeably affect everyday spending and lifestyle for anyone choosing between the two.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $3,027 per month in Montreal and $4,431 in Olympia, WA. 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.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $70.0 in Montreal and $64.0 in Olympia, WA. That's a good indicator of the overall restaurant and café pricing gap between the two cities.

Groceries cost about 21% more in Olympia, WA, though it depends on what you buy. Local produce may be comparable; imported and premium items show the biggest price gap.

A $2,000 monthly budget goes further in Montreal, where all-in costs run around $2,018, than in Olympia, WA at $2,954. In Montreal it covers expenses comfortably, while in Olympia, WA it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.

For digital nomads, it depends on budget. Montreal costs $2,018 versus $2,954 in Olympia, WA. 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, Olympia, WA makes more sense. Both are solid long-term options with distinct trade-offs.