Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Reno, NV and Montreal

For one person, living is cheaper in Montreal: $2,003 a month against $2,930 in Reno, NV, rent and utilities included – about $11,100 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

Reno, NV
🇺🇸 United States
$2,930
/mo nomad
Montreal
🇨🇦 Canada
$2,003
/mo nomad
Monthly Cost of Living

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

A single person spends $2,930 per month in Reno, NV vs $2,003 in Montreal, rent included.

  • Reno, NV $2,930
  • Montreal $2,003

A couple spends around $4,241 per month in Reno, NV vs $3,048 in Montreal, rent included.

  • Reno, NV $4,241
  • Montreal $3,048

A family of three spends $5,553 per month in Reno, NV vs $4,092 in Montreal, rent included.

  • Reno, NV $5,553
  • Montreal $4,092

Reno, NV costs about 46% more than Montreal, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in utilities.

Both Reno, NV and Montreal sit above the global median – Reno, NV by 119%, Montreal by 49%.

Currency
🍽 Eating Out
Reno, NV
Montreal
Difference
Meal at Budget Restaurant
$26.40 $26.40
$19.31 CA$27.52
36.72%
Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range
$86.4 $86.4
$75.5 CA$108
14.48%
Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)
$12.75 $12.75
$10.63 CA$15.15
19.94%
Cappuccino
$5.36 $5.36
$3.93 CA$5.60
36.39%
Coke/Pepsi/Fanta/Sprite (0.33 liter bottle)
$2.74 $2.74
$1.92 CA$2.73
42.71%
Water (0.33 liter bottle)
$1.98 $1.98
$1.48 CA$2.11
33.78%
Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)
$7.35 $7.35
$6.30 CA$8.98
16.67%
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$7.48 $7.48
$7.19 CA$10.24
4.03%
🛒 Groceries & Markets
Reno, NV
Montreal
Difference
Milk (1 liter)
$1.11 $1.11
$2.22 CA$3.17
-50.00%
White Bread (500g)
$4.00 $4.00
$3.06 CA$4.36
30.72%
Rice (white) (1kg)
$4.04 $4.04
$2.94 CA$4.19
37.41%
Eggs
$5.44 $5.44
$3.53 CA$5.03
54.11%
Local Cheese (1kg)
$11.49 $11.49
$13.19 CA$18.79
-12.89%
Chicken Fillets (1kg)
$16.34 $16.34
$11.24 CA$16.02
45.37%
Beef Round Steak (1kg)
$23.48 $23.48
$13.81 CA$19.69
70.02%
Apples (1kg)
$4.51 $4.51
$3.40 CA$4.85
32.65%
Banana (1kg)
$1.42 $1.42
$1.44 CA$2.06
-1.39%
Oranges (1kg)
$3.02 $3.02
$3.26 CA$4.65
-7.36%
Tomato (1kg)
$6.89 $6.89
$2.88 CA$4.10
139.24%
Potato (1kg)
$2.95 $2.95
$1.86 CA$2.65
58.60%
Onion (1kg)
$3.80 $3.80
$1.82 CA$2.60
108.79%
Lettuce (1 head)
$2.67 $2.67
$2.43 CA$3.46
9.88%
Water (1.5 liter bottle)
$2.24 $2.24
$1.52 CA$2.17
47.37%
Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)
$10.11 $10.11
$11.45 CA$16.32
-11.70%
Wine (Bottle)
$12.77 $12.77
$10.36 CA$14.76
23.26%
Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)
$1.98 $1.98
$2.22 CA$3.16
-10.81%
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$3.64 $3.64
$2.82 CA$4.02
29.08%
🚌 Getting Around
Reno, NV
Montreal
Difference
One-way Ticket (Public Transport)
$1.98 $1.98
$2.58 CA$3.67
-23.26%
Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)
$64.2 $64.2
$76.9 CA$110
-16.47%
Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)
$3.75 $3.75
$3.25 CA$4.64
15.38%
Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)
$2.57 $2.57
$1.48 CA$2.11
73.65%
Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)
$33.63 $33.63
$33.04 CA$47.09
1.79%
Gasoline (1 liter)
$1.28 $1.28
$1.36 CA$1.94
-5.88%
Midsize Hatchback 1.4l (Volkswagen Golf, Toyota Prius, Honda Civic, etc)
$37.8K $37.8K
$27.4K CA$39.1K
37.96%
Compact Sedan 1.6l (Toyota Corolla, Mazda3, Kia K4, Hyundai Elantra, etc)
$25.7K $25.7K
$20.0K CA$28.5K
28.71%
🧾 Monthly Utilities & Internet
Reno, NV
Montreal
Difference
Utilities for 2 People in 2-bedroom Apartment (Heating, Electricity, Gas, Water, Garbage) (85m2)
$178 $178
$76.1 CA$109
133.64%
SIM Card Monthly Plan (Calls and 10GB+ Data)
$96.7 $96.7
$34.68 CA$49.43
178.69%
Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)
$90.2 $90.2
$42.69 CA$60.9
111.27%
🎉 Sport & Entertainment
Reno, NV
Montreal
Difference
Gym Membership (Monthly)
$39.79 $39.79
$28.94 CA$41.26
37.49%
Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)
$15.57 $15.57
$20.33 CA$28.97
-23.41%
Cinema Ticket
$14.23 $14.23
$11.21 CA$15.98
26.94%
🧸 Childcare & Education
Reno, NV
Montreal
Difference
Preschool or Kindergarten, Full Day, Private, 1 Child (Monthly)
$1,353 $1,353
$505 CA$720
167.78%
International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)
$27.4K $27.4K
$16.0K CA$22.8K
71.00%
👕👟 Clothing & Footwear
Reno, NV
Montreal
Difference
Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)
$52.5 $52.5
$58.5 CA$83.4
-10.22%
Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)
$33.49 $33.49
$38.00 CA$54.2
-11.87%
Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)
$75.0 $75.0
$92.7 CA$132
-19.07%
Men's Leather Business Shoes
$146 $146
$106 CA$151
38.06%
🏠 Accommodation & Living
Reno, NV
Montreal
Difference
1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$1,907 $1,907
$1,240 CA$1,768
53.75%
1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$1,413 $1,413
$986 CA$1,405
43.30%
3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$3,141 $3,141
$2,102 CA$2,996
49.44%
3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$2,137 $2,137
$1,615 CA$2,302
32.35%
Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)
$3,391 $3,391
$5,043 CA$7,188
-32.76%
Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)
$3,633 $3,633
$3,830 CA$5,459
-5.15%
💵 Salaries & Financials
Reno, NV
Montreal
Difference
Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)
$4,255 $4,255
$2,920 CA$4,163
45.71%
20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)
6.82
4.46
52.91%

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

Last update for Reno, NV: October 4, 2026

Last update for Montreal: October 6, 2026

Monthly budget structure
Share of the monthly basket for one person, rent included.
Accommodation & Living
Reno, NV
$1.4K
Montreal
$986 30.2% $427
Groceries & Markets
Reno, NV
$450
Montreal
$344 23.6% $106
Eating Out
Reno, NV
$384
Montreal
$293 23.8% $91
Monthly Utilities & Internet
Reno, NV
$365
Montreal
$154 57.9% $211
Clothing & Footwear
Reno, NV
$138
Montreal
$133 3.9% $5.4
Getting Around
Reno, NV
$89
Montreal
$98 10.2% $9.1
Sport & Entertainment
Reno, NV
$68
Montreal
$51 24.7% $17

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $1,907 in Reno, NV 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 46% higher in Reno, NV, 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 $86.0 in Reno, NV versus $75.0 in Montreal. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $450 vs $344 – making Montreal the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know
🇺🇸 Reno, NV
🇨🇦 Montreal
🕒 Local time
05:16 5:16 AM
08:16 8:16 AM
3 h ahead of Reno, NV
🌤 Weather
👥 Population
271,953
1,762,949
Exchange rates and currency converter

CAD, EUR to USD – United States Dollar Converter

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).

On the map
Between locations
  • Reno, NV Montreal 3,790 km ≈ 5 h nonstop flight
From you
  • Reno, NV
  • 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
Reno, NV vs Montreal: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions
Which city is more expensive, Reno, NV or Montreal?
Reno, NV costs about 46% 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.
How much do you need to earn to live comfortably in Reno, NV and in Montreal?
For a comfortable life, plan on about $4,395 per month in Reno, NV and $3,005 in Montreal. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.
Where is rent cheaper, Reno, NV or Montreal?
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.
Are groceries more expensive in Reno, NV or in Montreal?
Groceries cost about 31% more in Reno, NV, though it depends on what you buy. Local produce may be comparable; imported and premium items show the biggest price gap.
How do dining costs compare in Reno, NV and in Montreal?
A mid-range dinner for two costs $86.0 in Reno, NV and $75.0 in Montreal. That's a good indicator of the overall restaurant and café pricing gap between the two cities.
Can you live on $2,000/month in Reno, NV or in Montreal?
A $2,000 monthly budget goes further in Montreal, where all-in costs run around $2,003, than in Reno, NV at $2,930. In Montreal it covers expenses comfortably, while in Reno, NV it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.
Which city is better for digital nomads, Reno, NV or Montreal?
For digital nomads, it depends on budget. Montreal costs $2,003 versus $2,930 in Reno, NV. Both have workable remote work infrastructure, but the cost gap matters when income varies month to month.
How safe is Reno, NV compared to Montreal?
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.
Should I move to Reno, NV or to Montreal?
If budget matters most, go with Montreal. If higher salaries, better infrastructure, or specific career opportunities are the priority, Reno, NV makes more sense. Both are solid long-term options with distinct trade-offs.

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