Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Montreal and Port Arthur, TX

For one person, living is cheaper in Montreal: $2,018 a month against $2,568 in Port Arthur, TX, rent and utilities included – about $6,600 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

Montreal
🇨🇦 Canada
$2,018
/mo nomad
Port Arthur, TX
🇺🇸 United States
$2,568
/mo nomad
Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Montreal and in Port Arthur, TX

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 Port Arthur, TX actually costs, broken down by who's living it.

A single person spends $2,018 per month in Montreal vs $2,568 in Port Arthur, TX, rent included.

  • Montreal $2,018
  • Port Arthur, TX $2,568

A couple spends around $3,085 per month in Montreal vs $3,758 in Port Arthur, TX, rent included.

  • Montreal $3,085
  • Port Arthur, TX $3,758

A family of three spends $4,152 per month in Montreal vs $4,949 in Port Arthur, TX, rent included.

  • Montreal $4,152
  • Port Arthur, TX $4,949

Montreal is about 21% cheaper than Port Arthur, TX, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in transport.

Both Montreal and Port Arthur, TX sit above the global median – Montreal by 49%, Port Arthur, TX by 90%.

Currency
🍽 Eating Out
Montreal
Port Arthur, TX
Difference
Meal at Budget Restaurant
$18.82 CA$26.61
$18.64 $18.64
0.97%
Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range
$70.3 CA$99.4
$73.8 $73.8
-4.79%
Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)
$10.66 CA$15.06
$11.12 $11.12
-4.14%
Cappuccino
$3.84 CA$5.43
$5.20 $5.20
-26.15%
Coke/Pepsi/Fanta/Sprite (0.33 liter bottle)
$1.92 CA$2.71
$2.51 $2.51
-23.51%
Water (0.33 liter bottle)
$1.54 CA$2.18
$1.95 $1.95
-21.03%
Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)
$6.23 CA$8.81
$5.93 $5.93
5.06%
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$7.10 CA$10.03
$6.89 $6.89
3.05%
🛒 Groceries & Markets
Montreal
Port Arthur, TX
Difference
Milk (1 liter)
$2.31 CA$3.27
$0.99 $0.99
133.33%
White Bread (500g)
$3.14 CA$4.44
$3.58 $3.58
-12.29%
Rice (white) (1kg)
$3.21 CA$4.54
$4.23 $4.23
-24.11%
Eggs
$3.52 CA$4.97
$4.04 $4.04
-12.87%
Local Cheese (1kg)
$12.81 CA$18.11
$12.47 $12.47
2.73%
Chicken Fillets (1kg)
$11.46 CA$16.20
$11.22 $11.22
2.14%
Beef Round Steak (1kg)
$13.39 CA$18.92
$15.73 $15.73
-14.88%
Apples (1kg)
$3.14 CA$4.43
$4.76 $4.76
-34.03%
Banana (1kg)
$1.44 CA$2.03
$1.59 $1.59
-9.43%
Oranges (1kg)
$3.47 CA$4.91
$4.17 $4.17
-16.79%
Tomato (1kg)
$3.07 CA$4.34
$4.75 $4.75
-35.37%
Potato (1kg)
$1.90 CA$2.69
$2.77 $2.77
-31.41%
Onion (1kg)
$1.77 CA$2.50
$2.87 $2.87
-38.33%
Lettuce (1 head)
$2.34 CA$3.31
$2.03 $2.03
15.27%
Water (1.5 liter bottle)
$1.55 CA$2.19
$2.19 $2.19
-29.22%
Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)
$11.38 CA$16.09
$9.33 $9.33
21.97%
Wine (Bottle)
$10.63 CA$15.03
$14.26 $14.26
-25.46%
Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)
$2.27 CA$3.21
$1.80 $1.80
26.11%
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$2.82 CA$3.99
$3.33 $3.33
-15.32%
🚌 Getting Around
Montreal
Port Arthur, TX
Difference
One-way Ticket (Public Transport)
$2.66 CA$3.76
$2.05 $2.05
29.76%
Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)
$77.3 CA$109
-
-
Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)
$3.20 CA$4.53
$3.58 $3.58
-10.61%
Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)
$1.48 CA$2.09
$1.64 $1.64
-9.76%
Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)
$32.88 CA$46.48
$28.95 $28.95
13.58%
Gasoline (1 liter)
$1.34 CA$1.90
$0.90 $0.90
48.89%
Midsize Hatchback 1.4l (Volkswagen Golf, Toyota Prius, Honda Civic, etc)
$28.2K CA$39.8K
$29.8K $29.8K
-5.57%
Compact Sedan 1.6l (Toyota Corolla, Mazda3, Kia K4, Hyundai Elantra, etc)
$19.6K CA$27.8K
$25.4K $25.4K
-22.65%
🧾 Monthly Utilities & Internet
Montreal
Port Arthur, TX
Difference
Utilities for 2 People in 2-bedroom Apartment (Heating, Electricity, Gas, Water, Garbage) (85m2)
$76.0 CA$107
$189 $189
-59.81%
SIM Card Monthly Plan (Calls and 10GB+ Data)
$33.95 CA$48.00
$52.6 $52.6
-35.49%
Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)
$42.31 CA$59.8
$68.2 $68.2
-37.98%
🎉 Sport & Entertainment
Montreal
Port Arthur, TX
Difference
Gym Membership (Monthly)
$29.76 CA$42.07
$42.58 $42.58
-30.11%
Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)
$20.28 CA$28.67
-
-
Cinema Ticket
$11.15 CA$15.77
$13.44 $13.44
-17.04%
🧸 Childcare & Education
Montreal
Port Arthur, TX
Difference
Preschool or Kindergarten, Full Day, Private, 1 Child (Monthly)
$507 CA$717
$1,320 $1,320
-61.58%
International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)
$16.1K CA$22.7K
$23.1K $23.1K
-30.45%
👕👟 Clothing & Footwear
Montreal
Port Arthur, TX
Difference
Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)
$57.6 CA$81.4
$50.9 $50.9
13.09%
Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)
$37.58 CA$53.1
$40.65 $40.65
-7.55%
Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)
$91.9 CA$130
$85.5 $85.5
7.44%
Men's Leather Business Shoes
$110 CA$155
$114 $114
-3.46%
🏠 Accommodation & Living
Montreal
Port Arthur, TX
Difference
1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$1,260 CA$1,782
$1,582 $1,582
-20.32%
1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$948 CA$1,340
$1,346 $1,346
-29.60%
3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$2,137 CA$3,021
$2,623 $2,623
-18.52%
3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$1,614 CA$2,281
$2,242 $2,242
-28.02%
Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)
$4,960 CA$7,011
$2,777 $2,777
78.61%
Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)
$3,838 CA$5,425
$2,486 $2,486
54.35%
💵 Salaries & Financials
Montreal
Port Arthur, TX
Difference
Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)
$2,827 CA$3,997
-
-
20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)
4.48
6.51
-31.18%

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

Last update for Montreal: October 12, 2026

Last update for Port Arthur, TX: October 10, 2026

Monthly budget structure
Share of the monthly basket for one person, rent included.
Accommodation & Living
Montreal
$948
Port Arthur, TX
$1.3K 42% $398
Groceries & Markets
Montreal
$346
Port Arthur, TX
$386 11.4% $39
Eating Out
Montreal
$288
Port Arthur, TX
$306 6.3% $18
Monthly Utilities & Internet
Montreal
$152
Port Arthur, TX
$310 104% $158
Clothing & Footwear
Montreal
$133
Port Arthur, TX
$131 2% $2.7
Getting Around
Montreal
$99
Port Arthur, TX
$20 * 79.7% $79
Sport & Entertainment
Montreal
$52
Port Arthur, TX
$69 33.4% $17

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 $1,582 in Port Arthur, TX. Rent is usually the largest line item in a monthly budget, so the gap here sets the tone for the overall comparison.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $70.0 in Montreal versus $74.0 in Port Arthur, TX. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $346 vs $386 – making Montreal the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know
🇨🇦 Montreal
🇺🇸 Port Arthur, TX
🕒 Local time
10:27 10:27 AM
09:27 9:27 AM
1 h behind Montreal
🌤 Weather
👥 Population
1,762,949
54,135
Exchange rates and currency converter

USD, EUR to CAD – Canadian Dollar Converter

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).

On the map
Between locations
  • Montreal Port Arthur, TX 2,480 km ≈ 3 h 30 min nonstop flight
From you
  • Montreal
  • Port Arthur, TX

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 Port Arthur, TX: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions
Which city is more expensive, Montreal or Port Arthur, TX?
Port Arthur, TX costs about 27% more than Montreal, and outside of rent the gap comes mainly from transport. That's enough to noticeably affect everyday spending and lifestyle for anyone choosing between the two.
How much do you need to earn to live comfortably in Montreal and in Port Arthur, TX?
For a comfortable life, plan on about $3,027 per month in Montreal and $3,852 in Port Arthur, TX. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.
Where is rent cheaper, Montreal or Port Arthur, TX?
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.
How do dining costs compare in Montreal and in Port Arthur, TX?
A mid-range dinner for two costs $70.0 in Montreal and $74.0 in Port Arthur, TX. That's a good indicator of the overall restaurant and café pricing gap between the two cities.
Are groceries more expensive in Montreal or in Port Arthur, TX?
Groceries cost about 11% more in Port Arthur, TX, though it depends on what you buy. Local produce may be comparable; imported and premium items show the biggest price gap.
Can you live on $2,000/month in Montreal or in Port Arthur, TX?
A $2,000 monthly budget goes further in Montreal, where all-in costs run around $2,018, than in Port Arthur, TX at $2,568. In Montreal it covers expenses comfortably, while in Port Arthur, TX it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.
Which city is better for digital nomads, Montreal or Port Arthur, TX?
For digital nomads, it depends on budget. Montreal costs $2,018 versus $2,568 in Port Arthur, TX. Both have workable remote work infrastructure, but the cost gap matters when income varies month to month.
How safe is Montreal compared to Port Arthur, TX?
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.
Should I move to Montreal or to Port Arthur, TX?
If budget matters most, go with Montreal. If higher salaries, better infrastructure, or specific career opportunities are the priority, Port Arthur, TX makes more sense. Both are solid long-term options with distinct trade-offs.

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