Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between New Orleans, LA and Montreal

For one person, living is cheaper in Montreal: $2,003 a month against $2,732 in New Orleans, LA, rent and utilities included – about $8,700 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

131

Cost of Living Index in New Orleans, LA
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New Orleans, LA Living Index
99

Cost of Living Index in Montreal
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Montreal Living Index

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New Orleans, LA

🇺🇸 United States

$2,732

/mo nomad

Montreal

🇨🇦 Canada

$2,003

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in New Orleans, LA and in Montreal

Real prices from locals and on-the-ground checks – rent, groceries, transit and the daily extras. Here's what a month in New Orleans, LA and in Montreal actually costs, broken down by who's living it.

A single person spends $2,732 per month in New Orleans, LA vs $2,003 in Montreal, rent included.

New Orleans, LA $2,732
Montreal $2,003

A couple spends around $4,119 per month in New Orleans, LA vs $3,048 in Montreal, rent included.

New Orleans, LA $4,119
Montreal $3,048

A family of three spends $5,506 per month in New Orleans, LA vs $4,092 in Montreal, rent included.

New Orleans, LA $5,506
Montreal $4,092

New Orleans, LA costs about 36% more than Montreal, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Both New Orleans, LA and Montreal sit above the global median – New Orleans, LA by 104%, Montreal by 49%.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$26.24 $26.24

$19.31 CA$27.52

35.89%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$128 $128

$75.5 CA$108

69.48%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$12.03 $12.03

$10.63 CA$15.15

13.17%

Cappuccino

$5.57 $5.57

$3.93 CA$5.60

41.73%

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

$2.98 $2.98

$1.92 CA$2.73

55.21%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.14 $2.14

$1.48 CA$2.11

44.59%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$5.97 $5.97

$6.30 CA$8.98

-5.24%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$7.91 $7.91

$7.19 CA$10.24

10.01%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.39 $1.39

$2.22 CA$3.17

-37.39%

White Bread (500g)

$4.11 $4.11

$3.06 CA$4.36

34.31%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$5.99 $5.99

$2.94 CA$4.19

103.74%

Eggs

$5.48 $5.48

$3.53 CA$5.03

55.24%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$15.49 $15.49

$13.19 CA$18.79

17.44%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$10.10 $10.10

$11.24 CA$16.02

-10.14%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$15.79 $15.79

$13.81 CA$19.69

14.34%

Apples (1kg)

$5.23 $5.23

$3.40 CA$4.85

53.82%

Banana (1kg)

$1.66 $1.66

$1.44 CA$2.06

15.28%

Oranges (1kg)

$5.42 $5.42

$3.26 CA$4.65

66.26%

Tomato (1kg)

$5.72 $5.72

$2.88 CA$4.10

98.61%

Potato (1kg)

$4.28 $4.28

$1.86 CA$2.65

130.11%

Onion (1kg)

$3.29 $3.29

$1.82 CA$2.60

80.77%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.19 $2.19

$2.43 CA$3.46

-9.88%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$2.58 $2.58

$1.52 CA$2.17

69.74%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$8.87 $8.87

$11.45 CA$16.32

-22.53%

Wine (Bottle)

$16.60 $16.60

$10.36 CA$14.76

60.23%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.45 $2.45

$2.22 CA$3.16

10.36%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.94 $3.94

$2.82 CA$4.02

39.72%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.27 $1.27

$2.58 CA$3.67

-50.78%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$49.68 $49.68

$76.9 CA$110

-35.39%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.48 $3.48

$3.25 CA$4.64

7.08%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.52 $1.52

$1.48 CA$2.11

2.70%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$34.44 $34.44

$33.04 CA$47.09

4.24%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$0.93 $0.93

$1.36 CA$1.94

-31.62%

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

$36.2K $36.2K

$27.4K CA$39.1K

32.01%

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

$25.6K $25.6K

$20.0K CA$28.5K

28.35%

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

$262 $262

$76.1 CA$109

244.64%

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

$70.5 $70.5

$34.68 CA$49.43

103.32%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$74.3 $74.3

$42.69 CA$60.9

74.00%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$50.3 $50.3

$28.94 CA$41.26

73.81%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$43.64 $43.64

$20.33 CA$28.97

114.66%

Cinema Ticket

$12.69 $12.69

$11.21 CA$15.98

13.20%

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

$1,576 $1,576

$505 CA$720

211.97%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$10.2K $10.2K

$16.0K CA$22.8K

-36.35%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$56.6 $56.6

$58.5 CA$83.4

-3.26%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$43.27 $43.27

$38.00 CA$54.2

13.87%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$86.4 $86.4

$92.7 CA$132

-6.75%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$120 $120

$106 CA$151

13.17%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,827 $1,827

$1,240 CA$1,768

47.36%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,206 $1,206

$986 CA$1,405

22.29%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$3,113 $3,113

$2,102 CA$2,996

48.07%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,030 $2,030

$1,615 CA$2,302

25.71%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$5,207 $5,207

$5,043 CA$7,188

3.26%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,378 $1,378

$3,830 CA$5,459

-64.01%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$4,101 $4,101

$2,920 CA$4,163

40.41%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

6.66

4.46

49.33%

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

Last update for New Orleans, LA: October 5, 2026

Last update for Montreal: October 6, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

New Orleans, LA

$1.2K 44.4%

Montreal

$986 47.9% 18.2% $220

Groceries & Markets

New Orleans, LA

$444 16.4%

Montreal

$344 16.7% 22.6% $100

Monthly Utilities & Internet

New Orleans, LA

$407 15%

Montreal

$154 7.5% 62.3% $254

Eating Out

New Orleans, LA

$379 14%

Montreal

$293 14.2% 22.7% $86

Clothing & Footwear

New Orleans, LA

$138 5.1%

Montreal

$133 6.5% 3.6% $5

Sport & Entertainment

New Orleans, LA

$76 2.8%

Montreal

$51 2.5% 32.1% $24

Getting Around

New Orleans, LA

$66 2.4%

Montreal

$98 4.8% 48.5% $32

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $1,827 in New Orleans, LA versus $1,240 in Montreal. 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 40% higher in New Orleans, LA, 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 $128 in New Orleans, LA versus $75.0 in Montreal. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $444 vs $344 – making Montreal the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇺🇸 New Orleans, LA

🇨🇦 Montreal

🕒 Local time

08:03 8:03 AM

09:03 9:03 AM

1 h ahead of New Orleans, LA

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

391,006

1,762,949

💱 Currency

United States Dollar USD $

Canadian Dollar CAD $

📈 Exchange rate

1 USD = 0.892 EUR

1 CAD = 0.702 USD

1 CAD = 0.626 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

CAD, EUR to USD – United States Dollar Converter

🇨🇦 Canadian Dollar ($)

🇺🇸 United States Dollar ($)

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

Canadian Dollar exchange rates as of October 10, 2026: 1 USD = 1.43 CAD (1 CAD = 0.702 USD). 1 EUR = 1.6 CAD (1 CAD = 0.626 EUR).

CAD to USD in detail →

On the map

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Between locations

New Orleans, LA Montreal 2,250 km ≈ 3 h 15 min nonstop flight

From you

New Orleans, LA
Montreal

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

New Orleans, LA vs Montreal: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

New Orleans, LA costs about 36% more than Montreal, and outside of rent the gap comes mainly from groceries. That's enough to noticeably affect everyday spending and lifestyle for anyone choosing between the two.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $4,098 per month in New Orleans, LA and $3,005 in Montreal. 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.

Groceries cost about 29% more in New Orleans, LA, 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 $128 in New Orleans, LA and $75.0 in Montreal. 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 $2,003, than in New Orleans, LA at $2,732. In Montreal it covers expenses comfortably, while in New Orleans, LA it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.

For digital nomads, it depends on budget. Montreal costs $2,003 versus $2,732 in New Orleans, LA. 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, New Orleans, LA makes more sense. Both are solid long-term options with distinct trade-offs.