Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Tuscaloosa, AL and Montreal

For one person, living is cheaper in Montreal: $2,059 a month against $2,203 in Tuscaloosa, AL, rent and utilities included – about $1,700 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

106

Cost of Living Index in Tuscaloosa, AL
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Tuscaloosa, AL Living Index
99

Cost of Living Index in Montreal
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Montreal Living Index

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Tuscaloosa, AL

🇺🇸 United States

$2,203

/mo nomad

Montreal

🇨🇦 Canada

$2,059

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

A single person spends $2,203 per month in Tuscaloosa, AL vs $2,059 in Montreal, rent included.

Tuscaloosa, AL $2,203
Montreal $2,059

A couple spends around $3,237 per month in Tuscaloosa, AL vs $3,123 in Montreal, rent included.

Tuscaloosa, AL $3,237
Montreal $3,123

A family of three spends $4,271 per month in Tuscaloosa, AL vs $4,187 in Montreal, rent included.

Tuscaloosa, AL $4,271
Montreal $4,187

Tuscaloosa, AL costs about 7% more than Montreal, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Both Tuscaloosa, AL and Montreal sit above the global median – Tuscaloosa, AL by 63%, Montreal by 52%.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$17.19 $17.19

$18.84 CA$26.63

-8.76%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$73.2 $73.2

$73.2 CA$104

0.03%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$8.79 $8.79

$10.54 CA$14.90

-16.60%

Cappuccino

$5.44 $5.44

$3.97 CA$5.61

37.03%

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

$2.40 $2.40

$1.94 CA$2.74

23.71%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.70 $1.70

$1.57 CA$2.22

8.28%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$6.11 $6.11

$6.42 CA$9.08

-4.83%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$7.18 $7.18

$7.20 CA$10.19

-0.28%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.08 $1.08

$2.32 CA$3.28

-53.45%

White Bread (500g)

$3.76 $3.76

$3.19 CA$4.51

17.87%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$3.92 $3.92

$3.19 CA$4.50

22.88%

Eggs

$4.22 $4.22

$3.68 CA$5.20

14.67%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$12.26 $12.26

$13.24 CA$18.72

-7.40%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$14.33 $14.33

$11.69 CA$16.53

22.58%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$13.30 $13.30

$13.98 CA$19.76

-4.86%

Apples (1kg)

$6.72 $6.72

$3.14 CA$4.44

114.01%

Banana (1kg)

$1.58 $1.58

$1.45 CA$2.05

8.97%

Oranges (1kg)

$11.07 $11.07

$3.38 CA$4.78

227.51%

Tomato (1kg)

$6.92 $6.92

$3.11 CA$4.40

122.51%

Potato (1kg)

$2.88 $2.88

$1.93 CA$2.72

49.22%

Onion (1kg)

$3.77 $3.77

$1.83 CA$2.58

106.01%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.55 $2.55

$2.36 CA$3.34

8.05%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$2.09 $2.09

$1.50 CA$2.12

39.33%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$8.62 $8.62

$11.12 CA$15.73

-22.48%

Wine (Bottle)

$16.70 $16.70

$10.60 CA$14.98

57.55%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.75 $1.75

$2.22 CA$3.14

-21.17%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.95 $4.95

$2.84 CA$4.01

74.30%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.62 CA$3.71

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$79.1 CA$112

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$4.92 $4.92

$3.23 CA$4.56

52.32%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.99 $1.99

$1.48 CA$2.10

34.46%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$29.66 $29.66

$32.22 CA$45.55

-7.95%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$0.93 $0.93

$1.36 CA$1.92

-31.62%

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

$28.3K $28.3K

$27.6K CA$39.1K

2.54%

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

$26.4K $26.4K

$21.2K CA$30.0K

24.79%

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

$158 $158

$77.0 CA$109

105.41%

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

$55.0 $55.0

$34.14 CA$48.26

61.16%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$61.2 $61.2

$42.19 CA$59.7

45.01%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$60.4 $60.4

$30.81 CA$43.56

96.14%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$40.73 $40.73

$19.66 CA$27.79

107.17%

Cinema Ticket

$15.26 $15.26

$11.47 CA$16.22

33.04%

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

$1,096 $1,096

$506 CA$716

116.57%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$25.3K $25.3K

$16.2K CA$23.0K

55.86%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$40.92 $40.92

$57.3 CA$81.0

-28.54%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$31.67 $31.67

$38.10 CA$53.9

-16.88%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$55.8 $55.8

$91.9 CA$130

-39.35%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$73.2 $73.2

$110 CA$155

-33.28%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,234 $1,234

$1,237 CA$1,748

-0.19%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$987 $987

$977 CA$1,381

1.04%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,864 $2,864

$2,180 CA$3,082

31.38%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,486 $1,486

$1,608 CA$2,273

-7.60%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$1,873 $1,873

$5,113 CA$7,228

-63.37%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,878 $1,878

$3,744 CA$5,293

-49.84%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$3,458 $3,458

$2,957 CA$4,180

16.94%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

6.63

4.48

47.99%

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

Last update for Tuscaloosa, AL: October 19, 2026

Last update for Montreal: October 20, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Tuscaloosa, AL

$987 44.8%

Montreal

$977 47.4% 1% $10

Groceries & Markets

Tuscaloosa, AL

$455 20.7%

Montreal

$351 17.1% 22.8% $104

Eating Out

Tuscaloosa, AL

$290 13.2%

Montreal

$290 14.1% 0% $0.1

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Tuscaloosa, AL

$274 12.5%

Montreal

$153 7.5% 44.1% $121

Sport & Entertainment

Tuscaloosa, AL

$91 4.1%

Montreal

$54 2.6% 40.9% $37

Clothing & Footwear

Tuscaloosa, AL

$91 4.1%

Montreal

$134 6.5% 47.4% $43

Getting Around

Tuscaloosa, AL

$15 * 0.7%

Montreal

$100 4.9% 575% $85

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

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $1,234 in Tuscaloosa, AL versus $1,237 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 17% higher in Tuscaloosa, AL, 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 $73.0 in Tuscaloosa, AL versus $73.0 in Montreal. Groceries tell a different story – $455 in Tuscaloosa, AL vs $351 in Montreal – so Montreal wins on supermarket bills even if dining out costs more.

Good to know

🇺🇸 Tuscaloosa, AL

🇨🇦 Montreal

🕒 Local time

12:08 12:08 PM

13:08 1:08 PM

1 h ahead of Tuscaloosa, AL

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

99,600

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 20, 2026: 1 EUR = 1.12 USD (1 USD = 0.89 EUR).

Canadian Dollar exchange rates as of October 20, 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

Tuscaloosa, AL Montreal 1,820 km ≈ 2 h 45 min nonstop flight

From you

Tuscaloosa, AL
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

Tuscaloosa, AL vs Montreal: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Tuscaloosa, AL costs about 7% 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 $3,305 per month in Tuscaloosa, AL and $3,089 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 $73.0 in Tuscaloosa, AL and $73.0 in Montreal. That's a good indicator of the overall restaurant and café pricing gap between the two cities.

Groceries cost about 30% more in Tuscaloosa, AL, 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 $2,059, than in Tuscaloosa, AL at $2,203. In Montreal it covers expenses comfortably, while in Tuscaloosa, AL it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.

For digital nomads, it depends on budget. Montreal costs $2,059 versus $2,203 in Tuscaloosa, AL. 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, Tuscaloosa, AL makes more sense. Both are solid long-term options with distinct trade-offs.