Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Montreal and Salt Lake City, UT

For one person, living is cheaper in Montreal: $2,003 a month against $2,740 in Salt Lake City, UT, rent and utilities included – about $8,800 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

Montreal
🇨🇦 Canada
$2,003
/mo nomad
Salt Lake City, UT
🇺🇸 United States
$2,740
/mo nomad
Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Montreal and in Salt Lake City, UT

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 Salt Lake City, UT actually costs, broken down by who's living it.

A single person spends $2,003 per month in Montreal vs $2,740 in Salt Lake City, UT, rent included.

  • Montreal $2,003
  • Salt Lake City, UT $2,740

A couple spends around $3,048 per month in Montreal vs $3,899 in Salt Lake City, UT, rent included.

  • Montreal $3,048
  • Salt Lake City, UT $3,899

A family of three spends $4,092 per month in Montreal vs $5,058 in Salt Lake City, UT, rent included.

  • Montreal $4,092
  • Salt Lake City, UT $5,058

Montreal is about 27% cheaper than Salt Lake City, UT, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in utilities.

Both Montreal and Salt Lake City, UT sit above the global median – Montreal by 49%, Salt Lake City, UT by 104%.

Currency
🍽 Eating Out
Montreal
Salt Lake City, UT
Difference
Meal at Budget Restaurant
$19.31 CA$27.46
$17.91 $17.91
7.82%
Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range
$75.5 CA$107
$73.3 $73.3
3.00%
Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)
$10.63 CA$15.11
$10.16 $10.16
4.63%
Cappuccino
$3.93 CA$5.58
$5.12 $5.12
-23.24%
Coke/Pepsi/Fanta/Sprite (0.33 liter bottle)
$1.92 CA$2.73
$2.28 $2.28
-15.79%
Water (0.33 liter bottle)
$1.48 CA$2.11
$1.72 $1.72
-13.95%
Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)
$6.30 CA$8.96
$6.06 $6.06
3.96%
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$7.19 CA$10.22
$7.97 $7.97
-9.79%
🛒 Groceries & Markets
Montreal
Salt Lake City, UT
Difference
Milk (1 liter)
$2.22 CA$3.16
$0.89 $0.89
149.44%
White Bread (500g)
$3.06 CA$4.35
$3.92 $3.92
-21.94%
Rice (white) (1kg)
$2.94 CA$4.18
$4.20 $4.20
-30.00%
Eggs
$3.53 CA$5.02
$4.14 $4.14
-14.73%
Local Cheese (1kg)
$13.19 CA$18.76
$12.04 $12.04
9.55%
Chicken Fillets (1kg)
$11.24 CA$15.98
$12.45 $12.45
-9.72%
Beef Round Steak (1kg)
$13.81 CA$19.65
$17.55 $17.55
-21.31%
Apples (1kg)
$3.40 CA$4.84
$3.98 $3.98
-14.57%
Banana (1kg)
$1.44 CA$2.05
$1.43 $1.43
0.70%
Oranges (1kg)
$3.26 CA$4.64
$3.58 $3.58
-8.94%
Tomato (1kg)
$2.88 CA$4.09
$4.07 $4.07
-29.24%
Potato (1kg)
$1.86 CA$2.64
$2.22 $2.22
-16.22%
Onion (1kg)
$1.82 CA$2.60
$2.49 $2.49
-26.91%
Lettuce (1 head)
$2.43 CA$3.45
$1.93 $1.93
25.91%
Water (1.5 liter bottle)
$1.52 CA$2.17
$1.86 $1.86
-18.28%
Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)
$11.45 CA$16.29
$10.06 $10.06
13.82%
Wine (Bottle)
$10.36 CA$14.73
$14.72 $14.72
-29.62%
Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)
$2.22 CA$3.15
$2.69 $2.69
-17.47%
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$2.82 CA$4.01
$3.40 $3.40
-17.06%
🚌 Getting Around
Montreal
Salt Lake City, UT
Difference
One-way Ticket (Public Transport)
$2.58 CA$3.66
$2.43 $2.43
6.17%
Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)
$76.9 CA$109
$83.7 $83.7
-8.11%
Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)
$3.25 CA$4.63
$2.44 $2.44
33.20%
Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)
$1.48 CA$2.11
$2.28 $2.28
-35.09%
Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)
$33.04 CA$46.99
$25.47 $25.47
29.72%
Gasoline (1 liter)
$1.36 CA$1.93
$1.17 $1.17
16.24%
Midsize Hatchback 1.4l (Volkswagen Golf, Toyota Prius, Honda Civic, etc)
$27.4K CA$39.0K
$37.3K $37.3K
-26.45%
Compact Sedan 1.6l (Toyota Corolla, Mazda3, Kia K4, Hyundai Elantra, etc)
$20.0K CA$28.4K
$25.5K $25.5K
-21.56%
🧾 Monthly Utilities & Internet
Montreal
Salt Lake City, UT
Difference
Utilities for 2 People in 2-bedroom Apartment (Heating, Electricity, Gas, Water, Garbage) (85m2)
$76.1 CA$108
$191 $191
-60.18%
SIM Card Monthly Plan (Calls and 10GB+ Data)
$34.68 CA$49.32
$48.41 $48.41
-28.36%
Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)
$42.69 CA$60.7
$78.2 $78.2
-45.40%
🎉 Sport & Entertainment
Montreal
Salt Lake City, UT
Difference
Gym Membership (Monthly)
$28.94 CA$41.17
$34.17 $34.17
-15.31%
Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)
$20.33 CA$28.91
$27.04 $27.04
-24.82%
Cinema Ticket
$11.21 CA$15.94
$15.09 $15.09
-25.71%
🧸 Childcare & Education
Montreal
Salt Lake City, UT
Difference
Preschool or Kindergarten, Full Day, Private, 1 Child (Monthly)
$505 CA$718
$1,316 $1,316
-61.61%
International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)
$16.0K CA$22.8K
$20.6K $20.6K
-22.43%
👕👟 Clothing & Footwear
Montreal
Salt Lake City, UT
Difference
Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)
$58.5 CA$83.2
$70.7 $70.7
-17.30%
Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)
$38.00 CA$54.1
$45.22 $45.22
-15.97%
Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)
$92.7 CA$132
$110 $110
-15.79%
Men's Leather Business Shoes
$106 CA$150
$107 $107
-1.48%
🏠 Accommodation & Living
Montreal
Salt Lake City, UT
Difference
1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$1,240 CA$1,764
$1,632 $1,632
-24.03%
1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$986 CA$1,402
$1,371 $1,371
-28.06%
3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$2,102 CA$2,990
$2,889 $2,889
-27.25%
3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$1,615 CA$2,297
$2,141 $2,141
-24.57%
Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)
$5,043 CA$7,173
$4,154 $4,154
21.40%
Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)
$3,830 CA$5,447
$2,972 $2,972
28.86%
💵 Salaries & Financials
Montreal
Salt Lake City, UT
Difference
Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)
$2,920 CA$4,154
$4,304 $4,304
-32.15%
20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)
4.46
6.46
-30.96%

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

Last update for Montreal: October 6, 2026

Last update for Salt Lake City, UT: October 4, 2026

Monthly budget structure
Share of the monthly basket for one person, rent included.
Accommodation & Living
Montreal
$986
Salt Lake City, UT
$1.4K 39% $385
Groceries & Markets
Montreal
$344
Salt Lake City, UT
$387 12.6% $43
Eating Out
Montreal
$293
Salt Lake City, UT
$297 1.5% $4.5
Monthly Utilities & Internet
Montreal
$154
Salt Lake City, UT
$318 107% $164
Clothing & Footwear
Montreal
$133
Salt Lake City, UT
$150 13% $17
Getting Around
Montreal
$98
Salt Lake City, UT
$107 9.6% $9.4
Sport & Entertainment
Montreal
$51
Salt Lake City, UT
$64 25.3% $13

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $1,240 in Montreal versus $1,632 in Salt Lake City, UT. 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 47% higher in Salt Lake City, UT, 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 $73.0 in Salt Lake City, UT. Groceries tell a different story – $344 in Montreal vs $387 in Salt Lake City, UT – so Montreal wins on supermarket bills even if dining out costs more.

Good to know
🇨🇦 Montreal
🇺🇸 Salt Lake City, UT
🕒 Local time
02:54 2:54 AM
00:54 12:54 AM
2 h behind Montreal
🌤 Weather
👥 Population
1,762,949
200,133
Exchange rates and currency converter

USD, EUR to CAD – Canadian Dollar Converter

Canadian Dollar exchange rates as of October 10, 2026: 1 USD = 1.42 CAD (1 CAD = 0.703 USD). 1 EUR = 1.6 CAD (1 CAD = 0.627 EUR).

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

On the map
Between locations
  • Montreal Salt Lake City, UT 3,120 km ≈ 4 h 30 min nonstop flight
From you
  • Montreal
  • Salt Lake City, UT

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 Salt Lake City, UT: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions
Which city is more expensive, Montreal or Salt Lake City, UT?
Salt Lake City, UT costs about 37% 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.
How much do you need to earn to live comfortably in Montreal and in Salt Lake City, UT?
For a comfortable life, plan on about $3,005 per month in Montreal and $4,110 in Salt Lake City, UT. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.
Where is rent cheaper, Montreal or Salt Lake City, UT?
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.
Are groceries more expensive in Montreal or in Salt Lake City, UT?
Groceries cost about 13% more in Salt Lake City, UT, though it depends on what you buy. Local produce may be comparable; imported and premium items show the biggest price gap.
How do dining costs compare in Montreal and in Salt Lake City, UT?
A mid-range dinner for two costs $75.0 in Montreal and $73.0 in Salt Lake City, UT. That's a good indicator of the overall restaurant and café pricing gap between the two cities.
Can you live on $2,000/month in Montreal or in Salt Lake City, UT?
A $2,000 monthly budget goes further in Montreal, where all-in costs run around $2,003, than in Salt Lake City, UT at $2,740. In Montreal it covers expenses comfortably, while in Salt Lake City, UT it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.
Which city is better for digital nomads, Montreal or Salt Lake City, UT?
For digital nomads, it depends on budget. Montreal costs $2,003 versus $2,740 in Salt Lake City, UT. Both have workable remote work infrastructure, but the cost gap matters when income varies month to month.
How safe is Montreal compared to Salt Lake City, UT?
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 Salt Lake City, UT?
If budget matters most, go with Montreal. If higher salaries, better infrastructure, or specific career opportunities are the priority, Salt Lake City, UT makes more sense. Both are solid long-term options with distinct trade-offs.

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