Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Taos, NM and Montreal

For one person, living is cheaper in Montreal: $2,018 a month against $2,793 in Taos, NM, rent and utilities included – about $9,300 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

135

Cost of Living Index in Taos, NM
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Taos, NM Living Index
99

Cost of Living Index in Montreal
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Montreal Living Index

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Taos, NM

🇺🇸 United States

$2,793

/mo nomad

Montreal

🇨🇦 Canada

$2,018

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

A single person spends $2,793 per month in Taos, NM vs $2,018 in Montreal, rent included.

Taos, NM $2,793
Montreal $2,018

A couple spends around $4,132 per month in Taos, NM vs $3,085 in Montreal, rent included.

Taos, NM $4,132
Montreal $3,085

A family of three spends $5,471 per month in Taos, NM vs $4,152 in Montreal, rent included.

Taos, NM $5,471
Montreal $4,152

Taos, NM costs about 38% more than Montreal, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in transport.

Both Taos, NM and Montreal sit above the global median – Taos, NM by 107%, Montreal by 49%.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$16.74 $16.74

$18.82 CA$26.61

-11.05%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$67.1 $67.1

$70.3 CA$99.4

-4.58%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$9.52 $9.52

$10.66 CA$15.06

-10.69%

Cappuccino

$3.98 $3.98

$3.84 CA$5.43

3.65%

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

$2.20 $2.20

$1.92 CA$2.71

14.58%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.20 $2.20

$1.54 CA$2.18

42.86%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$5.06 $5.06

$6.23 CA$8.81

-18.78%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$5.44 $5.44

$7.10 CA$10.03

-23.38%

Milk (1 liter)

$0.83 $0.83

$2.31 CA$3.27

-64.07%

White Bread (500g)

$3.08 $3.08

$3.14 CA$4.44

-1.91%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$4.34 $4.34

$3.21 CA$4.54

35.20%

Eggs

$3.99 $3.99

$3.52 CA$4.97

13.35%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$11.87 $11.87

$12.81 CA$18.11

-7.34%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$9.69 $9.69

$11.46 CA$16.20

-15.45%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$11.10 $11.10

$13.39 CA$18.92

-17.10%

Apples (1kg)

$4.75 $4.75

$3.14 CA$4.43

51.27%

Banana (1kg)

$1.46 $1.46

$1.44 CA$2.03

1.39%

Oranges (1kg)

$4.25 $4.25

$3.47 CA$4.91

22.48%

Tomato (1kg)

$5.07 $5.07

$3.07 CA$4.34

65.15%

Potato (1kg)

$3.10 $3.10

$1.90 CA$2.69

63.16%

Onion (1kg)

$3.27 $3.27

$1.77 CA$2.50

84.75%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.06 $2.06

$2.34 CA$3.31

-11.97%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$2.49 $2.49

$1.55 CA$2.19

60.65%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$10.52 $10.52

$11.38 CA$16.09

-7.56%

Wine (Bottle)

$13.72 $13.72

$10.63 CA$15.03

29.07%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.51 $2.51

$2.27 CA$3.21

10.57%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.18 $3.18

$2.82 CA$3.99

12.77%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.66 CA$3.76

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$77.3 CA$109

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.69 $3.69

$3.20 CA$4.53

15.31%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.04 $2.04

$1.48 CA$2.09

37.84%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$32.20 $32.20

$32.88 CA$46.48

-2.07%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$0.95 $0.95

$1.34 CA$1.90

-29.10%

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

$30.6K $30.6K

$28.2K CA$39.8K

8.57%

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

$24.4K $24.4K

$19.6K CA$27.8K

24.37%

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

$161 $161

$76.0 CA$107

111.35%

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

$62.8 $62.8

$33.95 CA$48.00

84.95%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$61.6 $61.6

$42.31 CA$59.8

45.69%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$95.3 $95.3

$29.76 CA$42.07

220.23%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$20.28 CA$28.67

Cinema Ticket

$8.63 $8.63

$11.15 CA$15.77

-22.60%

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

$1,509 $1,509

$507 CA$717

197.57%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$25.2K $25.2K

$16.1K CA$22.7K

56.84%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$54.6 $54.6

$57.6 CA$81.4

-5.13%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$43.88 $43.88

$37.58 CA$53.1

16.76%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$104 $104

$91.9 CA$130

12.73%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$120 $120

$110 CA$155

9.37%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,806 $1,806

$1,260 CA$1,782

43.28%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,608 $1,608

$948 CA$1,340

69.67%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$3,497 $3,497

$2,137 CA$3,021

63.64%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,853 $2,853

$1,614 CA$2,281

76.84%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$4,366 $4,366

$4,960 CA$7,011

-11.97%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$4,376 $4,376

$3,838 CA$5,425

14.03%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$2,687 $2,687

$2,827 CA$3,997

-4.96%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

6.3

4.48

40.62%

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

Last update for Taos, NM: October 13, 2026

Last update for Montreal: October 12, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Taos, NM

$1.6K 57.6%

Montreal

$948 47% 41.1% $660

Groceries & Markets

Taos, NM

$365 13.1%

Montreal

$346 17.2% 5.1% $18

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Taos, NM

$285 10.2%

Montreal

$152 7.5% 46.6% $133

Eating Out

Taos, NM

$264 9.5%

Montreal

$288 14.3% 9% $24

Clothing & Footwear

Taos, NM

$145 5.2%

Montreal

$133 6.6% 7.9% $11

Sport & Entertainment

Taos, NM

$113 4%

Montreal

$52 2.6% 53.8% $61

Getting Around

Taos, NM

$14 * 0.5%

Montreal

$99 4.9% 608% $85

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

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $1,806 in Taos, NM versus $1,260 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 5% higher in Montreal, 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 $67.0 in Taos, NM versus $70.0 in Montreal. Groceries tell a different story – $365 in Taos, NM vs $346 in Montreal – so Montreal wins on supermarket bills even if dining out costs more.

Good to know

🇺🇸 Taos, NM

🇨🇦 Montreal

🕒 Local time

17:50 5:50 PM

19:50 7:50 PM

2 h ahead of Taos, NM

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

6,000

1,762,949

💱 Currency

United States Dollar USD $

Canadian Dollar CAD $

📈 Exchange rate

1 USD = 0.89 EUR

1 CAD = 0.707 USD

1 CAD = 0.629 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 17, 2026: 1 EUR = 1.12 USD (1 USD = 0.89 EUR).

Canadian Dollar exchange rates as of October 17, 2026: 1 USD = 1.41 CAD (1 CAD = 0.707 USD). 1 EUR = 1.59 CAD (1 CAD = 0.629 EUR).

CAD to USD in detail →

On the map

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Between locations

Taos, NM Montreal 2,850 km ≈ 4 h nonstop flight

From you

Taos, NM
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

Taos, NM vs Montreal: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Taos, NM costs about 38% more than Montreal, 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 $4,190 per month in Taos, NM and $3,027 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.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $67.0 in Taos, NM and $70.0 in Montreal. That's a good indicator of the overall restaurant and café pricing gap between the two cities.

Groceries cost about 5% more in Taos, NM, 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 Montreal, where all-in costs run around $2,018, than in Taos, NM at $2,793. In Montreal it covers expenses comfortably, while in Taos, NM it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.

For digital nomads, it depends on budget. Montreal costs $2,018 versus $2,793 in Taos, NM. 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, Taos, NM makes more sense. Both are solid long-term options with distinct trade-offs.