Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Northampton, MA and Montreal

For one person, living is cheaper in Montreal: $2,064 a month against $2,841 in Northampton, MA, rent and utilities included – about $9,300 less a year. Higher rent and utilities in Northampton, MA outweigh lower spending on other living expenses.

138

Cost of Living Index in Northampton, MA
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Northampton, MA Living Index
99

Cost of Living Index in Montreal
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Montreal Living Index

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Northampton, MA

🇺🇸 United States

$2,841

/mo nomad

Montreal

🇨🇦 Canada

$2,064

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Northampton, MA 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 Northampton, MA and in Montreal actually costs, broken down by who's living it.

A single person spends $2,841 per month in Northampton, MA vs $2,064 in Montreal, rent included.

Northampton, MA $2,841
Montreal $2,064

A couple spends around $4,134 per month in Northampton, MA vs $3,156 in Montreal, rent included.

Northampton, MA $4,134
Montreal $3,156

A family of three spends $5,427 per month in Northampton, MA vs $4,247 in Montreal, rent included.

Northampton, MA $5,427
Montreal $4,247

Northampton, MA costs about 38% more than Montreal, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in utilities.

Both Northampton, MA and Montreal sit above the global median – Northampton, MA by 109%, Montreal by 52%.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$17.78 $17.78

$18.98 CA$26.64

-6.32%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$79.1 $79.1

$73.0 CA$102

8.36%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$10.69 $10.69

$10.88 CA$15.27

-1.75%

Cappuccino

$4.60 $4.60

$3.81 CA$5.35

20.73%

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

$2.80 $2.80

$1.94 CA$2.72

44.33%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.27 $2.27

$1.58 CA$2.22

43.67%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$5.10 $5.10

$6.37 CA$8.94

-19.94%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$7.83 $7.83

$7.26 CA$10.20

7.85%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.08 $1.08

$2.23 CA$3.13

-51.57%

White Bread (500g)

$4.05 $4.05

$3.17 CA$4.45

27.76%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$5.44 $5.44

$3.31 CA$4.64

64.35%

Eggs

$4.77 $4.77

$3.63 CA$5.09

31.40%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$11.23 $11.23

$13.16 CA$18.47

-14.67%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$6.73 $6.73

$11.56 CA$16.22

-41.78%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$17.52 $17.52

$13.71 CA$19.25

27.79%

Apples (1kg)

$5.88 $5.88

$3.29 CA$4.62

78.72%

Banana (1kg)

$1.60 $1.60

$1.46 CA$2.05

9.59%

Oranges (1kg)

$4.43 $4.43

$3.37 CA$4.73

31.45%

Tomato (1kg)

$5.41 $5.41

$3.15 CA$4.42

71.75%

Potato (1kg)

$3.22 $3.22

$1.89 CA$2.65

70.37%

Onion (1kg)

$3.79 $3.79

$1.79 CA$2.52

111.73%

Lettuce (1 head)

$3.06 $3.06

$2.47 CA$3.47

23.89%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.58 CA$2.22

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$13.80 $13.80

$11.28 CA$15.84

22.34%

Wine (Bottle)

$13.27 $13.27

$10.49 CA$14.73

26.50%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.83 $1.83

$2.34 CA$3.28

-21.79%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.01 $2.01

$2.91 CA$4.09

-30.93%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.61 CA$3.66

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$79.1 CA$111

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.26 CA$4.57

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.44 CA$2.02

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$33.43 CA$46.92

Gasoline (1 liter)

$0.86 $0.86

$1.33 CA$1.87

-35.34%

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

$27.5K $27.5K

$28.6K CA$40.2K

-3.87%

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

$25.4K $25.4K

$21.1K CA$29.6K

20.24%

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

$131 $131

$80.1 CA$112

63.75%

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

$62.0 $62.0

$34.30 CA$48.14

80.85%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$72.5 $72.5

$42.85 CA$60.1

69.19%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$51.6 $51.6

$31.14 CA$43.71

65.83%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$19.41 CA$27.24

Cinema Ticket

$14.45 $14.45

$11.23 CA$15.76

28.67%

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

$1,815 $1,815

$525 CA$737

245.72%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$29.5K $29.5K

$16.3K CA$22.9K

80.40%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$23.49 $23.49

$58.0 CA$81.4

-59.50%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$38.76 $38.76

$38.11 CA$53.5

1.71%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$79.2 $79.2

$93.4 CA$131

-15.24%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$101 $101

$110 CA$155

-8.15%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,048 $2,048

$1,285 CA$1,803

59.40%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,730 $1,730

$977 CA$1,371

77.13%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,608 $2,608

$2,271 CA$3,187

14.85%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,862 $2,862

$1,665 CA$2,336

71.93%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$5,139 CA$7,212

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,821 $2,821

$3,834 CA$5,381

-26.43%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$3,930 $3,930

$3,002 CA$4,213

30.91%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

6.64

4.48

48.21%

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

Last update for Northampton, MA: October 25, 2026

Last update for Montreal: October 25, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Northampton, MA

$1.7K 60.9%

Montreal

$977 47.3% 43.5% $753

Groceries & Markets

Northampton, MA

$365 * 12.8%

Montreal

$351 17% 3.8% $14

Eating Out

Northampton, MA

$291 10.2%

Montreal

$291 14.1% 0.1% $0.2

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Northampton, MA

$266 9.4%

Montreal

$157 7.6% 40.8% $108

Clothing & Footwear

Northampton, MA

$109 3.8%

Montreal

$135 6.5% 23.5% $26

Sport & Entertainment

Northampton, MA

$81 2.8%

Montreal

$54 2.6% 33.4% $27

Getting Around

Northampton, MA

- * 0%

Montreal

$100 4.9%

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

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $2,048 in Northampton, MA versus $1,285 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 31% higher in Northampton, MA, 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 $79 in Northampton, MA versus $73 in Montreal. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $365 vs $351 – making Montreal the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇺🇸 Northampton, MA

🇨🇦 Montreal

🕒 Local time

16:37 4:37 PM

Same time as Northampton, MA

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

28,549

1,762,949

💱 Currency

United States Dollar USD $

Canadian Dollar CAD $

📈 Exchange rate

1 USD = 0.898 EUR

1 CAD = 0.713 USD

1 CAD = 0.64 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 28, 2026: 1 EUR = 1.11 USD (1 USD = 0.898 EUR).

Canadian Dollar exchange rates as of October 28, 2026: 1 USD = 1.4 CAD (1 CAD = 0.713 USD). 1 EUR = 1.56 CAD (1 CAD = 0.64 EUR).

CAD to USD in detail →

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Northampton, MA Montreal 360 km

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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

Northampton, MA vs Montreal: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Northampton, MA costs about 38% 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.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $4,262 per month in Northampton, MA and $3,096 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: a one-bedroom in the center costs $1,285 there versus $2,048 in Northampton, MA.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $79 in Northampton, MA and $73 in Montreal. That’s a good indicator of the overall restaurant and café pricing gap between the two cities.

Groceries cost about 4% more in Northampton, MA, though the gap depends on what you buy.

$2,000 is a stretch for both – monthly costs hit $2,841 in Northampton, MA and $2,064 in Montreal. You’ll need shared housing and careful budgeting no matter which city you pick.

Families tend to lean toward Montreal – lower housing and cheaper childcare make a real difference, especially on a single income or when paying for private education.

Both cities have a reputation for safety. In either place, the choice of neighborhood matters more than the choice between the two cities.

If budget matters most, go with Montreal. If higher salaries or specific career opportunities are the priority, Northampton, MA makes more sense. Both are solid long-term options with distinct trade-offs.