Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Montreal and Urbandale, IA

For one person, living is cheaper in Montreal: $2,059 a month against $2,310 in Urbandale, IA, rent and utilities included – about $3,000 less a year. Higher rent and utilities in Urbandale, IA outweigh lower spending on other living expenses.

99

Cost of Living Index in Montreal
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Montreal Living Index
113

Cost of Living Index in Urbandale, IA
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Urbandale, IA Living Index

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Montreal

🇨🇦 Canada

$2,059

/mo nomad

Urbandale, IA

🇺🇸 United States

$2,310

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Montreal and in Urbandale, IA

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 Urbandale, IA actually costs, broken down by who's living it.

A single person spends $2,059 per month in Montreal vs $2,310 in Urbandale, IA, rent included.

Montreal $2,059
Urbandale, IA $2,310

A couple spends around $3,123 per month in Montreal vs $3,374 in Urbandale, IA, rent included.

Montreal $3,123
Urbandale, IA $3,374

A family of three spends $4,187 per month in Montreal vs $4,437 in Urbandale, IA, rent included.

Montreal $4,187
Urbandale, IA $4,437

Montreal is about 11% cheaper than Urbandale, IA, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in clothing.

Both Montreal and Urbandale, IA sit above the global median – Montreal by 52%, Urbandale, IA by 70%.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$18.84 CA$26.63

$14.86 $14.86

26.78%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$73.2 CA$104

$50.9 $50.9

43.82%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$10.54 CA$14.90

$9.96 $9.96

5.82%

Cappuccino

$3.97 CA$5.61

$4.97 $4.97

-20.12%

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

$1.94 CA$2.74

$1.21 $1.21

60.33%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.57 CA$2.22

$0.99 $0.99

58.59%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$6.42 CA$9.08

$5.15 $5.15

24.66%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$7.20 CA$10.19

$7.58 $7.58

-5.01%

Milk (1 liter)

$2.32 CA$3.28

$1.01 $1.01

129.70%

White Bread (500g)

$3.19 CA$4.51

$3.25 $3.25

-1.85%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$3.19 CA$4.50

$3.84 $3.84

-16.93%

Eggs

$3.68 CA$5.20

$2.05 $2.05

79.51%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$13.24 CA$18.72

$14.07 $14.07

-5.90%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$11.69 CA$16.53

$9.88 $9.88

18.32%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$13.98 CA$19.76

$13.88 $13.88

0.72%

Apples (1kg)

$3.14 CA$4.44

$3.21 $3.21

-2.18%

Banana (1kg)

$1.45 CA$2.05

$1.61 $1.61

-9.94%

Oranges (1kg)

$3.38 CA$4.78

$3.47 $3.47

-2.59%

Tomato (1kg)

$3.11 CA$4.40

$3.29 $3.29

-5.47%

Potato (1kg)

$1.93 CA$2.72

$3.09 $3.09

-37.54%

Onion (1kg)

$1.83 CA$2.58

$3.37 $3.37

-45.70%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.36 CA$3.34

$2.14 $2.14

10.28%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.50 CA$2.12

$2.10 $2.10

-28.57%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$11.12 CA$15.73

$8.16 $8.16

36.27%

Wine (Bottle)

$10.60 CA$14.98

$12.04 $12.04

-11.96%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.22 CA$3.14

$1.82 $1.82

21.98%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.84 CA$4.01

$1.87 $1.87

51.87%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.62 CA$3.71

$2.05 $2.05

27.80%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$79.1 CA$112

$66.0 $66.0

19.91%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.23 CA$4.56

$2.46 $2.46

31.30%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.48 CA$2.10

$1.20 $1.20

23.33%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$32.22 CA$45.55

$60.2 $60.2

-46.50%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.36 CA$1.92

$0.98 $0.98

38.78%

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

$27.6K CA$39.1K

$34.6K $34.6K

-20.01%

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

$21.2K CA$30.0K

$25.6K $25.6K

-17.29%

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

$77.0 CA$109

$140 $140

-44.84%

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

$34.14 CA$48.26

$14.79 $14.79

130.83%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$42.19 CA$59.7

$25.01 $25.01

68.69%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$30.81 CA$43.56

$35.57 $35.57

-13.38%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$19.66 CA$27.79

$20.34 $20.34

-3.34%

Cinema Ticket

$11.47 CA$16.22

$14.81 $14.81

-22.55%

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

$506 CA$716

$1,164 $1,164

-56.53%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$16.2K CA$23.0K

$20.7K $20.7K

-21.57%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$57.3 CA$81.0

$61.3 $61.3

-6.65%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$38.10 CA$53.9

$21.96 $21.96

73.50%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$91.9 CA$130

$45.54 $45.54

101.84%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$110 CA$155

$75.1 $75.1

46.18%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,237 CA$1,748

$933 $933

32.54%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$977 CA$1,381

$1,290 $1,290

-24.31%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,180 CA$3,082

$1,237 $1,237

76.26%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,608 CA$2,273

$2,164 $2,164

-25.70%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$5,113 CA$7,228

$2,777 $2,777

84.16%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$3,744 CA$5,293

$2,710 $2,710

38.19%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$2,957 CA$4,180

$3,637 $3,637

-18.70%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

4.48

6.56

-31.71%

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

Last update for Montreal: October 20, 2026

Last update for Urbandale, IA: October 19, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Montreal

$977 47.4%

Urbandale, IA

$1.3K 55.9% 32.1% $314

Groceries & Markets

Montreal

$351 17.1%

Urbandale, IA

$342 14.8% 2.5% $8.9

Eating Out

Montreal

$290 14.1%

Urbandale, IA

$258 11.2% 11.1% $32

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Montreal

$153 7.5%

Urbandale, IA

$179 7.8% 17% $26

Clothing & Footwear

Montreal

$134 6.5%

Urbandale, IA

$92 4% 31.3% $42

Getting Around

Montreal

$100 4.9%

Urbandale, IA

$83 3.6% 17.6% $18

Sport & Entertainment

Montreal

$54 2.6%

Urbandale, IA

$65 2.8% 21.3% $11

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $1,237 in Montreal versus $933 in Urbandale, IA. 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 23% higher in Urbandale, IA, 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 $73.0 in Montreal versus $51.0 in Urbandale, IA. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $351 vs $342 – making Urbandale, IA the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇨🇦 Montreal

🇺🇸 Urbandale, IA

🕒 Local time

22:30 10:30 PM

21:30 9:30 PM

1 h behind Montreal

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

1,762,949

45,580

💱 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 21, 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 21, 2026: 1 EUR = 1.12 USD (1 USD = 0.89 EUR).

USD to CAD in detail →

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Between locations

Montreal Urbandale, IA 1,680 km ≈ 2 h 30 min nonstop flight

From you

Montreal
Urbandale, IA

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 Urbandale, IA: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Urbandale, IA costs about 12% more than Montreal, and outside of rent the gap comes mainly from clothing. That's enough to noticeably affect everyday spending and lifestyle for anyone choosing between the two.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $3,089 per month in Montreal and $3,465 in Urbandale, IA. 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.

Interestingly, groceries are about 3% cheaper in Urbandale, IA – one category where the pricier city actually offers better value, probably thanks to stronger retail competition or local farming.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $73.0 in Montreal and $51.0 in Urbandale, IA. That's a good indicator of the overall restaurant and café pricing gap between the two cities.

A $2,000 monthly budget goes further in Montreal, where all-in costs run around $2,059, than in Urbandale, IA at $2,310. In Montreal it covers expenses comfortably, while in Urbandale, IA it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.

For digital nomads, it depends on budget. Montreal costs $2,059 versus $2,310 in Urbandale, IA. 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, Urbandale, IA makes more sense. Both are solid long-term options with distinct trade-offs.