Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Tempe, AZ and Montreal

For one person, living is cheaper in Montreal: $2,018 a month against $2,880 in Tempe, AZ, rent and utilities included – about $10,300 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

140

Cost of Living Index in Tempe, AZ
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Tempe, AZ Living Index
99

Cost of Living Index in Montreal
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Montreal Living Index

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Tempe, AZ

🇺🇸 United States

$2,880

/mo nomad

Montreal

🇨🇦 Canada

$2,018

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

A single person spends $2,880 per month in Tempe, AZ vs $2,018 in Montreal, rent included.

Tempe, AZ $2,880
Montreal $2,018

A couple spends around $3,836 per month in Tempe, AZ vs $3,085 in Montreal, rent included.

Tempe, AZ $3,836
Montreal $3,085

A family of three spends $4,792 per month in Tempe, AZ vs $4,152 in Montreal, rent included.

Tempe, AZ $4,792
Montreal $4,152

Tempe, AZ costs about 43% more than Montreal, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Both Tempe, AZ and Montreal sit above the global median – Tempe, AZ by 113%, Montreal by 49%.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$19.77 $19.77

$18.82 CA$26.61

5.05%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$81.6 $81.6

$70.3 CA$99.4

16.05%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$13.17 $13.17

$10.66 CA$15.06

23.55%

Cappuccino

$5.25 $5.25

$3.84 CA$5.43

36.72%

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

$3.10 $3.10

$1.92 CA$2.71

61.46%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.44 $2.44

$1.54 CA$2.18

58.44%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$6.01 $6.01

$6.23 CA$8.81

-3.53%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$7.17 $7.17

$7.10 CA$10.03

0.99%

Milk (1 liter)

$0.97 $0.97

$2.31 CA$3.27

-58.01%

White Bread (500g)

$4.20 $4.20

$3.14 CA$4.44

33.76%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$6.19 $6.19

$3.21 CA$4.54

92.83%

Eggs

$4.68 $4.68

$3.52 CA$4.97

32.95%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$13.65 $13.65

$12.81 CA$18.11

6.56%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$13.44 $13.44

$11.46 CA$16.20

17.28%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$17.38 $17.38

$13.39 CA$18.92

29.80%

Apples (1kg)

$5.35 $5.35

$3.14 CA$4.43

70.38%

Banana (1kg)

$1.97 $1.97

$1.44 CA$2.03

36.81%

Oranges (1kg)

$4.12 $4.12

$3.47 CA$4.91

18.73%

Tomato (1kg)

$4.96 $4.96

$3.07 CA$4.34

61.56%

Potato (1kg)

$2.53 $2.53

$1.90 CA$2.69

33.16%

Onion (1kg)

$2.99 $2.99

$1.77 CA$2.50

68.93%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.22 $2.22

$2.34 CA$3.31

-5.13%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$2.27 $2.27

$1.55 CA$2.19

46.45%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$10.89 $10.89

$11.38 CA$16.09

-4.31%

Wine (Bottle)

$13.65 $13.65

$10.63 CA$15.03

28.41%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.41 $2.41

$2.27 CA$3.21

6.17%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.15 $3.15

$2.82 CA$3.99

11.70%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.94 $1.94

$2.66 CA$3.76

-27.07%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$64.4 $64.4

$77.3 CA$109

-16.72%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$2.83 $2.83

$3.20 CA$4.53

-11.56%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.37 $1.37

$1.48 CA$2.09

-7.43%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$35.42 $35.42

$32.88 CA$46.48

7.73%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.17 $1.17

$1.34 CA$1.90

-12.69%

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

$36.7K $36.7K

$28.2K CA$39.8K

30.50%

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

$25.8K $25.8K

$19.6K CA$27.8K

31.29%

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

$240 $240

$76.0 CA$107

216.47%

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

$61.4 $61.4

$33.95 CA$48.00

80.74%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$78.0 $78.0

$42.31 CA$59.8

84.38%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$30.16 $30.16

$29.76 CA$42.07

1.34%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$15.16 $15.16

$20.28 CA$28.67

-25.25%

Cinema Ticket

$13.80 $13.80

$11.15 CA$15.77

23.77%

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

$1,107 $1,107

$507 CA$717

118.21%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$15.4K $15.4K

$16.1K CA$22.7K

-4.25%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$62.6 $62.6

$57.6 CA$81.4

8.84%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$44.61 $44.61

$37.58 CA$53.1

18.71%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$98.4 $98.4

$91.9 CA$130

7.09%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$113 $113

$110 CA$155

2.73%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,894 $1,894

$1,260 CA$1,782

50.26%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,460 $1,460

$948 CA$1,340

54.06%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,543 $2,543

$2,137 CA$3,021

19.02%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,683 $1,683

$1,614 CA$2,281

4.27%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$4,960 CA$7,011

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$3,838 CA$5,425

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$3,960 $3,960

$2,827 CA$3,997

40.06%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

6.5

4.48

45.09%

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

Last update for Tempe, AZ: October 12, 2026

Last update for Montreal: October 12, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Tempe, AZ

$1.5K 50.7%

Montreal

$948 47% 35.1% $512

Groceries & Markets

Tempe, AZ

$431 15%

Montreal

$346 17.2% 19.6% $84

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Tempe, AZ

$380 13.2%

Montreal

$152 7.5% 59.9% $228

Eating Out

Tempe, AZ

$327 11.4%

Montreal

$288 14.3% 12% $39

Clothing & Footwear

Tempe, AZ

$143 5%

Montreal

$133 6.6% 6.8% $9.7

Getting Around

Tempe, AZ

$82 2.8%

Montreal

$99 4.9% 20.4% $17

Sport & Entertainment

Tempe, AZ

$58 2%

Montreal

$52 2.6% 9.9% $5.7

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $1,894 in Tempe, AZ 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 40% higher in Tempe, AZ, 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 $82.0 in Tempe, AZ versus $70.0 in Montreal. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $431 vs $346 – making Montreal the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇺🇸 Tempe, AZ

🇨🇦 Montreal

🕒 Local time

12:51 12:51 PM

15:51 3:51 PM

3 h ahead of Tempe, AZ

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

161,719

1,762,949

💱 Currency

United States Dollar USD $

Canadian Dollar CAD $

📈 Exchange rate

1 USD = 0.889 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 = 0.889 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

Tempe, AZ Montreal 3,520 km ≈ 5 h nonstop flight

From you

Tempe, AZ
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

Tempe, AZ vs Montreal: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Tempe, AZ costs about 43% 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 $4,320 per month in Tempe, AZ 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.

Groceries cost about 24% more in Tempe, AZ, 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 $82.0 in Tempe, AZ and $70.0 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 $2,018, than in Tempe, AZ at $2,880. In Montreal it covers expenses comfortably, while in Tempe, AZ it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.

For digital nomads, it depends on budget. Montreal costs $2,018 versus $2,880 in Tempe, AZ. 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, Tempe, AZ makes more sense. Both are solid long-term options with distinct trade-offs.