Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Montreal and Wausau, WI

For one person, living is cheaper in Wausau, WI: $1,726 a month against $2,003 in Montreal, rent and utilities included – about $3,300 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
85

Cost of Living Index in Wausau, WI
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Wausau, WI Living Index

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Montreal

🇨🇦 Canada

$2,003

/mo nomad

Wausau, WI

🇺🇸 United States

$1,726

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Montreal and in Wausau, WI

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 Wausau, WI actually costs, broken down by who's living it.

A single person spends $2,003 per month in Montreal vs $1,726 in Wausau, WI, rent included.

Montreal $2,003
Wausau, WI $1,726

A couple spends around $3,048 per month in Montreal vs $2,735 in Wausau, WI, rent included.

Montreal $3,048
Wausau, WI $2,735

A family of three spends $4,092 per month in Montreal vs $3,743 in Wausau, WI, rent included.

Montreal $4,092
Wausau, WI $3,743

Montreal costs about 16% more than Wausau, WI, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in transport.

Both Montreal and Wausau, WI sit above the global median – Montreal by 49%, Wausau, WI by 29%.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$19.31 CA$27.53

$19.87 $19.87

-2.82%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$75.5 CA$108

$75.2 $75.2

0.45%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$10.63 CA$15.15

$8.71 $8.71

22.04%

Cappuccino

$3.93 CA$5.60

$4.85 $4.85

-18.97%

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

$1.92 CA$2.74

$2.82 $2.82

-31.91%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.48 CA$2.11

$1.94 $1.94

-23.71%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$6.30 CA$8.98

$5.62 $5.62

12.10%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$7.19 CA$10.25

$5.42 $5.42

32.66%

Milk (1 liter)

$2.22 CA$3.17

$0.85 $0.85

161.18%

White Bread (500g)

$3.06 CA$4.37

$2.84 $2.84

7.75%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.94 CA$4.19

$5.26 $5.26

-44.11%

Eggs

$3.53 CA$5.04

$4.66 $4.66

-24.25%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$13.19 CA$18.80

$8.62 $8.62

53.02%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$11.24 CA$16.02

$6.80 $6.80

65.29%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$13.81 CA$19.69

$13.53 $13.53

2.07%

Apples (1kg)

$3.40 CA$4.85

$4.17 $4.17

-18.47%

Banana (1kg)

$1.44 CA$2.06

$1.53 $1.53

-5.88%

Oranges (1kg)

$3.26 CA$4.65

$4.02 $4.02

-18.91%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.88 CA$4.10

$4.10 $4.10

-29.76%

Potato (1kg)

$1.86 CA$2.65

$1.86 $1.86

Onion (1kg)

$1.82 CA$2.60

$2.44 $2.44

-25.41%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.43 CA$3.46

$2.25 $2.25

8.00%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.52 CA$2.17

$0.99 $0.99

53.54%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$11.45 CA$16.33

$8.60 $8.60

33.14%

Wine (Bottle)

$10.36 CA$14.77

$8.92 $8.92

16.14%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.22 CA$3.16

$1.95 $1.95

13.85%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.82 CA$4.02

$2.20 $2.20

28.18%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.58 CA$3.67

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$76.9 CA$110

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.25 CA$4.64

$2.76 $2.76

17.75%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.48 CA$2.11

$1.58 $1.58

-6.33%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$33.04 CA$47.11

$20.77 $20.77

59.08%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.36 CA$1.94

$0.81 $0.81

67.90%

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

$27.4K CA$39.1K

$36.3K $36.3K

-24.51%

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

$20.0K CA$28.5K

$25.0K $25.0K

-19.96%

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

$76.1 CA$109

$157 $157

-51.62%

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

$34.68 CA$49.45

$68.3 $68.3

-49.22%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$42.69 CA$60.9

$71.5 $71.5

-40.29%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$28.94 CA$41.27

$30.56 $30.56

-5.30%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$20.33 CA$28.98

Cinema Ticket

$11.21 CA$15.98

$5.93 $5.93

89.04%

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

$505 CA$720

$1,806 $1,806

-72.04%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$16.0K CA$22.8K

$24.6K $24.6K

-34.97%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$58.5 CA$83.4

$24.53 $24.53

138.48%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$38.00 CA$54.2

$40.50 $40.50

-6.17%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$92.7 CA$132

$65.8 $65.8

40.90%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$106 CA$151

$83.5 $83.5

26.74%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,240 CA$1,768

$928 $928

33.63%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$986 CA$1,406

$698 $698

41.35%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,102 CA$2,997

$1,565 $1,565

34.30%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,615 CA$2,302

$1,398 $1,398

15.51%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$5,043 CA$7,191

$1,662 $1,662

203.35%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$3,830 CA$5,461

$1,714 $1,714

123.47%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$2,920 CA$4,164

$3,486 $3,486

-16.21%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

4.46

6.65

-32.93%

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

Last update for Montreal: October 6, 2026

Last update for Wausau, WI: October 4, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Montreal

$986 47.9%

Wausau, WI

$698 39.8% 29.3% $288

Groceries & Markets

Montreal

$344 16.7%

Wausau, WI

$307 17.5% 10.7% $37

Eating Out

Montreal

$293 14.2%

Wausau, WI

$301 17.2% 2.9% $8.4

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Montreal

$154 7.5%

Wausau, WI

$297 17% 93.6% $144

Clothing & Footwear

Montreal

$133 6.5%

Wausau, WI

$96 5.5% 27.4% $36

Getting Around

Montreal

$98 4.8%

Wausau, WI

$11 * 0.6% 89.1% $87

Sport & Entertainment

Montreal

$51 2.5%

Wausau, WI

$42 2.4% 17.4% $8.9

Categories marked with * are only partly priced – their share counts the items that do have prices.

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $1,240 in Montreal versus $928 in Wausau, WI. 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 19% higher in Wausau, WI, 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 $75.0 in Montreal versus $75.0 in Wausau, WI. Groceries tell a different story – $344 in Montreal vs $307 in Wausau, WI – so Wausau, WI wins on supermarket bills even if dining out costs more.

Good to know

🇨🇦 Montreal

🇺🇸 Wausau, WI

🕒 Local time

15:12 3:12 PM

14:12 2:12 PM

1 h behind Montreal

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

1,762,949

38,435

💱 Currency

Canadian Dollar CAD $

United States Dollar USD $

📈 Exchange rate

1 CAD = 0.701 USD

1 CAD = 0.626 EUR

1 USD = 0.892 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 12, 2026: 1 USD = 1.43 CAD (1 CAD = 0.701 USD). 1 EUR = 1.6 CAD (1 CAD = 0.626 EUR).

United States Dollar exchange rates as of October 12, 2026: 1 EUR = 1.12 USD (1 USD = 0.892 EUR).

USD to CAD in detail →

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Montreal Wausau, WI 1,260 km ≈ 2 h nonstop flight

From you

Montreal
Wausau, WI

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 Wausau, WI: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Montreal costs about 16% more than Wausau, WI, 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.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $3,005 per month in Montreal and $2,589 in Wausau, WI. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

Rent is clearly cheaper in Wausau, WI, 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 $75.0 in Montreal and $75.0 in Wausau, WI. That's a good indicator of the overall restaurant and café pricing gap between the two cities.

Groceries cost about 12% 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 $2,000 monthly budget goes further in Wausau, WI, where all-in costs run around $1,726, than in Montreal at $2,003. In Wausau, WI it covers expenses comfortably, while in Montreal it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.

For digital nomads, it depends on budget. Wausau, WI costs $1,726 versus $2,003 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 Wausau, WI. 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.