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Dallas vs Montreal

Cost-of-living comparison and salary equivalence. Enter your current salary to see what you'd need to earn to live equally well.

Dallas, TX vs Montreal, CA at a glance — Montreal, CA is 4% cheaper than Dallas, TX overall. Median 1-bed rent runs about $1,150/mo versus $1,500/mo. Top income tax: 33% vs 37%.

$/ year

To keep the same standard of living in Montreal, CA, you'd need

$71,945 / year

Montreal, CA is 4% cheaper overall

Category breakdown (Montreal, CA vs Dallas, TX)

  • Housing-6%
  • Food & groceries+8%
  • Transport-22%
  • Utilities-6%
  • Healthcare-20%
  • Goods & services+4%

◎ How Dallas, TX and Montreal, CA compare

HousingFood & groceriesTransportUtilitiesHealthcareGoods & services
Dallas, TXMontreal, CA

Index vs the US average — the line marks 100. Lower is cheaper.

▤ Full comparison

Dallas, TXMontreal, CA
Cost of living
Overall cost index10399
Housing108102
Food98106
Transport10380
Utilities10498
Healthcare10080
Goods & services101105
Housing
Rent, 1-bed centre$1,500/mo$1,150/mo
Rent, 1-bed outside$1,150/mo$900/mo
Rent, 3-bed centre$2,800/mo$2,200/mo
Buy price / m² centre$3,800$5,500
Money & purchasing power
$1,000 goes as far as$970$1,011
Inexpensive meal$16$18
Monthly transit pass$96$70
Taxes
Income tax (top rate)37%33%
VAT / sales tax0%5%
Social security (employee)7.7%—
Corporate tax21%26.5%
Capital gains20%—
Economy & salaries
Avg net salary$4,300/mo$3,300/mo
Avg annual wage (OECD, PPP)$86,977✓$67,901✓
Minimum wage$1,257/mo✓$1,900/mo
GDP per capita$90,027✓$55,698✓
Inflation (annual)—2.1%✓
Work & digital nomad
Digital-nomad visaNoYes
English proficiencyNativeHigh
Coworking spaces5050
Time zoneUTC-6UTC-5
Quality of life
Quality of life (overall)5871
Safety index5072
Healthcare index7678
Pollution index4535
Internet speed200 Mbps180 Mbps
Walkability4678
Public transport4078
Family-friendly6274
Tap waterSafe to drinkSafe to drink
Health insurance$450/mo—
Life expectancy79 yr✓82 yr✓
LGBTQ+ acceptanceHighHigh
Climate
January avg+8 °C-9 °C
July avg+30 °C+21 °C
Sunny days / year234160
Rainfall / year960 mm1,000 mm
Connectivity
Flight to nearest hub1 h2 h

Taxes & Economy & salaries: United States vs Canada. Estimates use approximate cost-of-living indices (US average = 100) and are for general guidance only.

✓ = official statistics (OECD (PPP), US DOL (federal), World Bank 2025, World Bank 2024). Unmarked figures are CostTrek estimates. How we calculate these figures →

Cost of living: Dallas vs Montreal — in your currency

DallasMontreal
1-bed rent, city centre$1,500$1,150
1-bed rent, outside centre$1,150$900
Inexpensive meal$16$18
Monthly transit pass$96$70
Utilities (monthly)$175$110

Converted from USD at approximate rates (2026-09).

Good to know before you move to Dallas

A sprawling, business-friendly metroplex with no state income tax and affordable housing.

Currency
US dollar ($ USD)
Languages
English
Time zone
UTC-6
Internet
200 Mbps
English
Native language
Safety
50/100
Climate
❄ 8°C · ☀ 30°C · 234 sunny days/yr
Tap water
Safe to drink
Power
A/B · 120V
Driving
Right-hand side
Popular areas
Uptown · Deep Ellum · Bishop Arts

Good to know before you move to Montreal

A bilingual, European-flavoured metropolis and the most affordable of Canada's big cities — rents well below Toronto or Vancouver, a huge festival and food culture, and cheap universities. The catch is the long, brutally cold winter and Quebec's French-first bureaucracy.

Currency
Canadian dollar ($ CAD)
Languages
English, French
Time zone
UTC-5
Internet
180 Mbps
English
Widely spoken
Safety
72/100
Climate
❄ -9°C · ☀ 21°C · 160 sunny days/yr
Tap water
Safe to drink
Power
A/B · 120V
Driving
Right-hand side
Popular areas
Plateau-Mont-Royal · Mile End · Griffintown · Rosemont

? Frequently asked questions

Moving from Dallas to Montreal: cheaper or more expensive?

Moving from Dallas to Montreal, your cost of living will be roughly 4% cheaper. Montreal’s cost-of-living index is 99 versus 103 for Dallas (US = 100). Use the salary tool above to see the income you’d need to keep the same lifestyle.

Is Dallas cheaper than Montreal?

Montreal is about 4% cheaper than Dallas overall — its cost-of-living index is 99 versus 103 for Dallas.

Which is more expensive, Dallas or Montreal?

Dallas is more expensive than Montreal. Its cost-of-living index is 103 vs 99 (US = 100) — about 4% higher.

Is rent cheaper in Dallas or Montreal?

Rent is cheaper in Montreal — about $1,150/month for a one-bedroom in the city centre, vs $1,500 in Dallas.

How much do you need to earn in Montreal to live like in Dallas?

To keep the same standard of living, a $75,000 salary in Dallas is worth about $71,945 in Montreal. Enter your own figure in the calculator above.

Which has lower taxes, Dallas or Montreal?

Canada has the lower top income-tax rate — 33% versus 37% in United States.

◷ More comparisons from Dallas

How we calculate these figures →

Estimates use approximate cost-of-living indices (US average = 100) and are for general guidance only.