Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Montreal and Topeka, KS

For one person, living costs are similar in Montreal and in Topeka, KS: $2,018 and $1,922 a month, rent and utilities included.

99

Cost of Living Index in Montreal
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Montreal Living Index
94

Cost of Living Index in Topeka, KS
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Topeka, KS Living Index

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Montreal

🇨🇦 Canada

$2,018

/mo nomad

Topeka, KS

🇺🇸 United States

$1,922

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Montreal and in Topeka, KS

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 Topeka, KS actually costs, broken down by who's living it.

A single person spends $2,018 per month in Montreal vs $1,922 in Topeka, KS, rent included.

Montreal $2,018
Topeka, KS $1,922

A couple spends around $3,085 per month in Montreal vs $2,865 in Topeka, KS, rent included.

Montreal $3,085
Topeka, KS $2,865

A family of three spends $4,152 per month in Montreal vs $3,807 in Topeka, KS, rent included.

Montreal $4,152
Topeka, KS $3,807

Montreal costs about 5% more than Topeka, KS, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

Both Montreal and Topeka, KS sit above the global median – Montreal by 49%, Topeka, KS by 42%.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$18.82 CA$26.61

$13.47 $13.47

39.72%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$70.3 CA$99.4

$51.7 $51.7

35.93%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$10.66 CA$15.06

$9.87 $9.87

8.00%

Cappuccino

$3.84 CA$5.43

$3.40 $3.40

12.94%

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

$1.92 CA$2.71

$2.26 $2.26

-15.04%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.54 CA$2.18

$1.73 $1.73

-10.98%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$6.23 CA$8.81

$4.51 $4.51

38.14%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$7.10 CA$10.03

$8.82 $8.82

-19.50%

Milk (1 liter)

$2.31 CA$3.27

$0.81 $0.81

185.19%

White Bread (500g)

$3.14 CA$4.44

$2.68 $2.68

17.16%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$3.21 CA$4.54

$2.99 $2.99

7.36%

Eggs

$3.52 CA$4.97

$3.97 $3.97

-11.34%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$12.81 CA$18.11

$8.99 $8.99

42.49%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$11.46 CA$16.20

$8.24 $8.24

39.08%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$13.39 CA$18.92

$14.74 $14.74

-9.16%

Apples (1kg)

$3.14 CA$4.43

$4.67 $4.67

-32.76%

Banana (1kg)

$1.44 CA$2.03

$1.57 $1.57

-8.28%

Oranges (1kg)

$3.47 CA$4.91

$5.14 $5.14

-32.49%

Tomato (1kg)

$3.07 CA$4.34

$4.21 $4.21

-27.08%

Potato (1kg)

$1.90 CA$2.69

$3.39 $3.39

-43.95%

Onion (1kg)

$1.77 CA$2.50

$2.53 $2.53

-30.04%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.34 CA$3.31

$1.84 $1.84

27.17%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.55 CA$2.19

$0.84 $0.84

84.52%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$11.38 CA$16.09

$8.85 $8.85

28.59%

Wine (Bottle)

$10.63 CA$15.03

$12.23 $12.23

-13.08%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.27 CA$3.21

$1.85 $1.85

22.70%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.82 CA$3.99

$1.64 $1.64

71.95%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.66 CA$3.76

$4.02 $4.02

-33.83%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$77.3 CA$109

$50.3 $50.3

53.60%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.20 CA$4.53

$2.76 $2.76

15.94%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.48 CA$2.09

$1.57 $1.57

-5.73%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$32.88 CA$46.48

$33.70 $33.70

-2.43%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.34 CA$1.90

$0.94 $0.94

42.55%

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

$28.2K CA$39.8K

$24.0K $24.0K

17.32%

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

$19.6K CA$27.8K

$25.0K $25.0K

-21.36%

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

$76.0 CA$107

$143 $143

-46.99%

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

$33.95 CA$48.00

$48.04 $48.04

-29.33%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$42.31 CA$59.8

$66.0 $66.0

-35.86%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$29.76 CA$42.07

$44.74 $44.74

-33.48%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$20.28 CA$28.67

$15.30 $15.30

32.55%

Cinema Ticket

$11.15 CA$15.77

$15.25 $15.25

-26.89%

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

$507 CA$717

$438 $438

15.84%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$16.1K CA$22.7K

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$57.6 CA$81.4

$38.30 $38.30

50.26%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$37.58 CA$53.1

$28.87 $28.87

30.17%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$91.9 CA$130

$88.8 $88.8

3.54%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$110 CA$155

$80.8 $80.8

35.70%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,260 CA$1,782

$790 $790

59.49%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$948 CA$1,340

$853 $853

11.13%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,137 CA$3,021

$1,302 $1,302

64.10%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,614 CA$2,281

$1,467 $1,467

9.97%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$4,960 CA$7,011

$1,292 $1,292

283.85%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$3,838 CA$5,425

$1,342 $1,342

185.97%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$2,827 CA$3,997

$3,554 $3,554

-20.44%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

4.48

6.24

-28.21%

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

Last update for Montreal: October 12, 2026

Last update for Topeka, KS: October 12, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Montreal

$948 47%

Topeka, KS

$853 44.4% 10% $95

Groceries & Markets

Montreal

$346 17.2%

Topeka, KS

$319 16.6% 7.9% $27

Eating Out

Montreal

$288 14.3%

Topeka, KS

$234 12.2% 18.6% $54

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Montreal

$152 7.5%

Topeka, KS

$257 13.4% 69% $105

Clothing & Footwear

Montreal

$133 6.6%

Topeka, KS

$107 5.5% 20.2% $27

Getting Around

Montreal

$99 4.9%

Topeka, KS

$77 4% 21.8% $22

Sport & Entertainment

Montreal

$52 2.6%

Topeka, KS

$75 3.9% 44.5% $23

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $1,260 in Montreal versus $790 in Topeka, KS. 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 26% higher in Topeka, KS, which reinforces the cost advantage – you earn more and spend less. Purchasing power leans clearly in its favor.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $70.0 in Montreal versus $52.0 in Topeka, KS. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $346 vs $319 – making Topeka, KS the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇨🇦 Montreal

🇺🇸 Topeka, KS

🕒 Local time

12:40 12:40 PM

11:40 11:40 AM

1 h behind Montreal

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

1,762,949

124,331

💱 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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Between locations

Montreal Topeka, KS 1,950 km ≈ 3 h nonstop flight

From you

Montreal
Topeka, KS

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 Topeka, KS: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Montreal costs about 5% more than Topeka, KS, and outside of rent the gap comes mainly from eating out. 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 $2,883 in Topeka, KS. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

Rent is clearly cheaper in Topeka, KS, especially for central apartments. Housing is actually the single biggest factor behind the overall cost gap between these two cities.

Groceries cost about 9% more in Montreal, though it depends on what you buy. Local produce may be comparable; imported and premium items show the biggest price gap.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $70.0 in Montreal and $52.0 in Topeka, KS. That's a good indicator of the overall restaurant and café pricing gap between the two cities.

A $2,500 monthly budget goes further in Topeka, KS, where all-in costs run around $1,922, than in Montreal at $2,018. In Topeka, KS it covers expenses comfortably, while in Montreal it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.

For digital nomads, it depends on budget. Topeka, KS costs $1,922 versus $2,018 in Montreal. 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 Topeka, KS. If higher salaries, better infrastructure, or specific career opportunities are the priority, Montreal makes more sense. Both are solid long-term options with distinct trade-offs.