Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between The Woodlands, TX and Montreal

For one person, living is cheaper in Montreal: $2,018 a month against $3,121 in The Woodlands, TX, rent and utilities included – about $13,200 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

The Woodlands, TX
🇺🇸 United States
$3,121
/mo nomad
Montreal
🇨🇦 Canada
$2,018
/mo nomad
Monthly Cost of Living

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

A single person spends $3,121 per month in The Woodlands, TX vs $2,018 in Montreal, rent included.

  • The Woodlands, TX $3,121
  • Montreal $2,018

A couple spends around $4,188 per month in The Woodlands, TX vs $3,085 in Montreal, rent included.

  • The Woodlands, TX $4,188
  • Montreal $3,085

A family of three spends $5,254 per month in The Woodlands, TX vs $4,152 in Montreal, rent included.

  • The Woodlands, TX $5,254
  • Montreal $4,152

The Woodlands, TX costs about 55% more than Montreal, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in transport.

Both The Woodlands, TX and Montreal sit above the global median – The Woodlands, TX by 131%, Montreal by 49%.

Currency
🍽 Eating Out
The Woodlands, TX
Montreal
Difference
Meal at Budget Restaurant
$20.12 $20.12
$18.82 CA$26.61
6.91%
Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range
$95.4 $95.4
$70.3 CA$99.4
35.74%
Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)
$10.70 $10.70
$10.66 CA$15.06
0.38%
Cappuccino
$4.49 $4.49
$3.84 CA$5.43
16.93%
Coke/Pepsi/Fanta/Sprite (0.33 liter bottle)
$2.54 $2.54
$1.92 CA$2.71
32.29%
Water (0.33 liter bottle)
$1.86 $1.86
$1.54 CA$2.18
20.78%
Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)
$5.01 $5.01
$6.23 CA$8.81
-19.58%
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$5.52 $5.52
$7.10 CA$10.03
-22.25%
🛒 Groceries & Markets
The Woodlands, TX
Montreal
Difference
Milk (1 liter)
$1.13 $1.13
$2.31 CA$3.27
-51.08%
White Bread (500g)
$2.27 $2.27
$3.14 CA$4.44
-27.71%
Rice (white) (1kg)
$3.16 $3.16
$3.21 CA$4.54
-1.56%
Eggs
$2.29 $2.29
$3.52 CA$4.97
-34.94%
Local Cheese (1kg)
$8.68 $8.68
$12.81 CA$18.11
-32.24%
Chicken Fillets (1kg)
$14.49 $14.49
$11.46 CA$16.20
26.44%
Beef Round Steak (1kg)
$26.02 $26.02
$13.39 CA$18.92
94.32%
Apples (1kg)
$7.58 $7.58
$3.14 CA$4.43
141.40%
Banana (1kg)
$1.00 $1.00
$1.44 CA$2.03
-30.56%
Oranges (1kg)
$7.48 $7.48
$3.47 CA$4.91
115.56%
Tomato (1kg)
$7.65 $7.65
$3.07 CA$4.34
149.19%
Potato (1kg)
$3.25 $3.25
$1.90 CA$2.69
71.05%
Onion (1kg)
$2.24 $2.24
$1.77 CA$2.50
26.55%
Lettuce (1 head)
$1.34 $1.34
$2.34 CA$3.31
-42.74%
Water (1.5 liter bottle)
$3.07 $3.07
$1.55 CA$2.19
98.06%
Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)
$5.85 $5.85
$11.38 CA$16.09
-48.59%
Wine (Bottle)
$11.46 $11.46
$10.63 CA$15.03
7.81%
Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)
$2.05 $2.05
$2.27 CA$3.21
-9.69%
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$1.47 $1.47
$2.82 CA$3.99
-47.87%
🚌 Getting Around
The Woodlands, TX
Montreal
Difference
One-way Ticket (Public Transport)
-
$2.66 CA$3.76
-
Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)
-
$77.3 CA$109
-
Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)
-
$3.20 CA$4.53
-
Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)
-
$1.48 CA$2.09
-
Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)
$14.80 $14.80
$32.88 CA$46.48
-54.99%
Gasoline (1 liter)
$0.82 $0.82
$1.34 CA$1.90
-38.81%
Midsize Hatchback 1.4l (Volkswagen Golf, Toyota Prius, Honda Civic, etc)
$47.7K $47.7K
$28.2K CA$39.8K
69.53%
Compact Sedan 1.6l (Toyota Corolla, Mazda3, Kia K4, Hyundai Elantra, etc)
$24.7K $24.7K
$19.6K CA$27.8K
26.03%
🧾 Monthly Utilities & Internet
The Woodlands, TX
Montreal
Difference
Utilities for 2 People in 2-bedroom Apartment (Heating, Electricity, Gas, Water, Garbage) (85m2)
$198 $198
$76.0 CA$107
160.80%
SIM Card Monthly Plan (Calls and 10GB+ Data)
$58.4 $58.4
$33.95 CA$48.00
71.93%
Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)
$49.74 $49.74
$42.31 CA$59.8
17.56%
🎉 Sport & Entertainment
The Woodlands, TX
Montreal
Difference
Gym Membership (Monthly)
$35.63 $35.63
$29.76 CA$42.07
19.72%
Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)
-
$20.28 CA$28.67
-
Cinema Ticket
$18.13 $18.13
$11.15 CA$15.77
62.60%
🧸 Childcare & Education
The Woodlands, TX
Montreal
Difference
Preschool or Kindergarten, Full Day, Private, 1 Child (Monthly)
-
$507 CA$717
-
International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)
-
$16.1K CA$22.7K
-
👕👟 Clothing & Footwear
The Woodlands, TX
Montreal
Difference
Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)
$37.84 $37.84
$57.6 CA$81.4
-34.25%
Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)
$19.87 $19.87
$37.58 CA$53.1
-47.13%
Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)
$62.6 $62.6
$91.9 CA$130
-31.88%
Men's Leather Business Shoes
$66.1 $66.1
$110 CA$155
-39.72%
🏠 Accommodation & Living
The Woodlands, TX
Montreal
Difference
1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$1,877 $1,877
$1,260 CA$1,782
48.95%
1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$1,921 $1,921
$948 CA$1,340
102.77%
3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$3,035 $3,035
$2,137 CA$3,021
42.03%
3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$2,451 $2,451
$1,614 CA$2,281
51.89%
Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)
$1,837 $1,837
$4,960 CA$7,011
-62.96%
Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)
$1,860 $1,860
$3,838 CA$5,425
-51.52%
💵 Salaries & Financials
The Woodlands, TX
Montreal
Difference
Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)
$7,834 $7,834
$2,827 CA$3,997
177.06%
20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)
6.71
4.48
49.78%

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

Last update for The Woodlands, TX: October 11, 2026

Last update for Montreal: October 12, 2026

Monthly budget structure
Share of the monthly basket for one person, rent included.
Accommodation & Living
The Woodlands, TX
$1.9K
Montreal
$948 50.7% $974
Groceries & Markets
The Woodlands, TX
$437
Montreal
$346 20.7% $90
Monthly Utilities & Internet
The Woodlands, TX
$306
Montreal
$152 50.3% $154
Eating Out
The Woodlands, TX
$301
Montreal
$288 4.3% $13
Clothing & Footwear
The Woodlands, TX
$84
Montreal
$133 59.2% $50
Sport & Entertainment
The Woodlands, TX
$72
Montreal
$52 27.6% $20
Getting Around
The Woodlands, TX
- *
Montreal
$99

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

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $1,877 in The Woodlands, TX 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 177% higher in The Woodlands, TX, 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 $95.0 in The Woodlands, TX versus $70.0 in Montreal. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $437 vs $346 – making Montreal the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know
🇺🇸 The Woodlands, TX
🇨🇦 Montreal
🕒 Local time
06:23 6:23 AM
07:23 7:23 AM
1 h ahead of The Woodlands, TX
🌤 Weather
👥 Population
93,847
1,762,949
Exchange rates and currency converter

CAD, EUR to USD – United States Dollar Converter

United States Dollar exchange rates as of October 19, 2026: 1 EUR = 1.12 USD (1 USD = 0.89 EUR).

Canadian Dollar exchange rates as of October 19, 2026: 1 USD = 1.41 CAD (1 CAD = 0.707 USD). 1 EUR = 1.59 CAD (1 CAD = 0.629 EUR).

On the map
Between locations
  • The Woodlands, TX Montreal 2,560 km ≈ 3 h 45 min nonstop flight
From you
  • The Woodlands, TX
  • 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
The Woodlands, TX vs Montreal: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions
Which city is more expensive, The Woodlands, TX or Montreal?
The Woodlands, TX costs about 55% 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.
How much do you need to earn to live comfortably in The Woodlands, TX and in Montreal?
For a comfortable life, plan on about $4,681 per month in The Woodlands, TX and $3,027 in Montreal. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.
Where is rent cheaper, The Woodlands, TX 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.
How much does it cost to live in The Woodlands, TX compared to Montreal?
Monthly expenses with rent come to $3,121 in The Woodlands, TX and $2,018 in Montreal. That's a gap of about 55%.
Are groceries more expensive in The Woodlands, TX or in Montreal?
Groceries cost about 26% more in The Woodlands, TX, though it depends on what you buy. Local produce may be comparable; imported and premium items show the biggest price gap.
Can you live on $2,000/month in The Woodlands, TX or in Montreal?
A $2,000 monthly budget goes further in Montreal, where all-in costs run around $2,018, than in The Woodlands, TX at $3,121. In Montreal it covers expenses comfortably, while in The Woodlands, TX it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.
Which city is better for digital nomads, The Woodlands, TX or Montreal?
For digital nomads, it depends on budget. Montreal costs $2,018 versus $3,121 in The Woodlands, TX. Both have workable remote work infrastructure, but the cost gap matters when income varies month to month.
How safe is The Woodlands, TX 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 The Woodlands, TX or to Montreal?
If budget matters most, go with Montreal. If higher salaries, better infrastructure, or specific career opportunities are the priority, The Woodlands, TX makes more sense. Both are solid long-term options with distinct trade-offs.

The Woodlands, TX vs other spots: cost of living compared

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