Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Waco, TX and Montreal

For one person, living is cheaper in Montreal: $2,003 a month against $2,447 in Waco, TX, rent and utilities included – about $5,300 less a year. Higher rent and utilities in Waco, TX outweigh lower spending on other living expenses.

117

Cost of Living Index in Waco, TX
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Waco, TX Living Index
99

Cost of Living Index in Montreal
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Montreal Living Index

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Waco, TX

🇺🇸 United States

$2,447

/mo nomad

Montreal

🇨🇦 Canada

$2,003

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

A single person spends $2,447 per month in Waco, TX vs $2,003 in Montreal, rent included.

Waco, TX $2,447
Montreal $2,003

A couple spends around $3,090 per month in Waco, TX vs $3,048 in Montreal, rent included.

Waco, TX $3,090
Montreal $3,048

A family of three spends $3,734 per month in Waco, TX vs $4,092 in Montreal, rent included.

Waco, TX $3,734
Montreal $4,092

Waco, TX costs about 22% more than Montreal, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in transport.

Both Waco, TX and Montreal sit above the global median – Waco, TX by 83%, Montreal by 49%.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$15.21 $15.21

$19.31 CA$27.53

-21.23%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$59.0 $59.0

$75.5 CA$108

-21.84%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$12.18 $12.18

$10.63 CA$15.15

14.58%

Cappuccino

$5.39 $5.39

$3.93 CA$5.60

37.15%

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

$1.77 $1.77

$1.92 CA$2.74

-7.81%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.49 $1.49

$1.48 CA$2.11

0.68%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$4.93 $4.93

$6.30 CA$8.98

-21.75%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$5.52 $5.52

$7.19 CA$10.25

-23.23%

Milk (1 liter)

$0.76 $0.76

$2.22 CA$3.17

-65.77%

White Bread (500g)

$3.16 $3.16

$3.06 CA$4.37

3.27%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.03 $2.03

$2.94 CA$4.19

-30.95%

Eggs

$2.78 $2.78

$3.53 CA$5.04

-21.25%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$12.06 $12.06

$13.19 CA$18.80

-8.57%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$9.70 $9.70

$11.24 CA$16.02

-13.70%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$11.67 $11.67

$13.81 CA$19.69

-15.50%

Apples (1kg)

$3.83 $3.83

$3.40 CA$4.85

12.65%

Banana (1kg)

$1.12 $1.12

$1.44 CA$2.06

-22.22%

Oranges (1kg)

$3.86 $3.86

$3.26 CA$4.65

18.40%

Tomato (1kg)

$3.71 $3.71

$2.88 CA$4.10

28.82%

Potato (1kg)

$2.27 $2.27

$1.86 CA$2.65

22.04%

Onion (1kg)

$2.86 $2.86

$1.82 CA$2.60

57.14%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.76 $1.76

$2.43 CA$3.46

-27.57%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.99 $0.99

$1.52 CA$2.17

-34.87%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$8.54 $8.54

$11.45 CA$16.33

-25.41%

Wine (Bottle)

$13.49 $13.49

$10.36 CA$14.77

30.21%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.68 $1.68

$2.22 CA$3.16

-24.32%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.81 $3.81

$2.82 CA$4.02

35.11%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.54 $1.54

$2.58 CA$3.67

-40.31%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$40.12 $40.12

$76.9 CA$110

-47.82%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$9.93 $9.93

$3.25 CA$4.64

205.54%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.90 $1.90

$1.48 CA$2.11

28.38%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$59.4 $59.4

$33.04 CA$47.11

79.84%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$0.89 $0.89

$1.36 CA$1.94

-34.56%

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

$36.2K $36.2K

$27.4K CA$39.1K

32.07%

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

$25.0K $25.0K

$20.0K CA$28.5K

25.22%

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

$175 $175

$76.1 CA$109

130.49%

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

$40.53 $40.53

$34.68 CA$49.45

16.87%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$54.7 $54.7

$42.69 CA$60.9

28.20%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$27.96 $27.96

$28.94 CA$41.27

-3.39%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$20.33 CA$28.98

Cinema Ticket

$9.07 $9.07

$11.21 CA$15.98

-19.09%

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

$747 $747

$505 CA$720

47.86%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$18.2K $18.2K

$16.0K CA$22.8K

13.50%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$47.91 $47.91

$58.5 CA$83.4

-18.10%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$38.27 $38.27

$38.00 CA$54.2

0.71%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$85.3 $85.3

$92.7 CA$132

-7.98%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$95.4 $95.4

$106 CA$151

-9.80%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,244 $1,244

$1,240 CA$1,768

0.29%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,328 $1,328

$986 CA$1,406

34.70%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,541 $1,541

$2,102 CA$2,997

-26.69%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,374 $1,374

$1,615 CA$2,302

-14.91%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$1,970 $1,970

$5,043 CA$7,191

-60.95%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,955 $1,955

$3,830 CA$5,461

-48.95%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$3,156 $3,156

$2,920 CA$4,164

8.07%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

6.49

4.46

45.52%

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

Last update for Waco, TX: October 6, 2026

Last update for Montreal: October 6, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Waco, TX

$1.3K 55%

Montreal

$986 47.9% 25.8% $342

Groceries & Markets

Waco, TX

$312 12.9%

Montreal

$344 16.7% 10% $31

Eating Out

Waco, TX

$272 11.3%

Montreal

$293 14.2% 7.8% $21

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Waco, TX

$271 11.2%

Montreal

$154 7.5% 43.3% $117

Clothing & Footwear

Waco, TX

$120 5%

Montreal

$133 6.5% 10.5% $13

Getting Around

Waco, TX

$66 2.7%

Montreal

$98 4.8% 48.9% $32

Sport & Entertainment

Waco, TX

$46 1.9%

Montreal

$51 2.5% 11.4% $5.3

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $1,244 in Waco, TX 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 8% higher in Waco, 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 $59.0 in Waco, TX versus $75.0 in Montreal. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $312 vs $344 – making Waco, TX the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇺🇸 Waco, TX

🇨🇦 Montreal

🕒 Local time

09:13 9:13 AM

10:13 10:13 AM

1 h ahead of Waco, TX

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

138,486

1,762,949

💱 Currency

United States Dollar USD $

Canadian Dollar CAD $

📈 Exchange rate

1 USD = 0.892 EUR

1 CAD = 0.701 USD

1 CAD = 0.626 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 12, 2026: 1 EUR = 1.12 USD (1 USD = 0.892 EUR).

Canadian Dollar exchange rates as of October 12, 2026: 1 USD = 1.43 CAD (1 CAD = 0.701 USD). 1 EUR = 1.6 CAD (1 CAD = 0.626 EUR).

CAD to USD in detail →

On the map

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Between locations

Waco, TX Montreal 2,560 km ≈ 3 h 45 min nonstop flight

From you

Waco, 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

Waco, TX vs Montreal: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Waco, TX costs about 22% 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 $3,670 per month in Waco, TX and $3,005 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.

Interestingly, groceries are about 10% cheaper in Waco, TX – one category where the pricier city actually offers better value, probably thanks to stronger retail competition or local farming.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $59.0 in Waco, TX and $75.0 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 $2,003, than in Waco, TX at $2,447. In Montreal it covers expenses comfortably, while in Waco, TX it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.

For digital nomads, it depends on budget. Montreal costs $2,003 versus $2,447 in Waco, TX. 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, Waco, TX makes more sense. Both are solid long-term options with distinct trade-offs.