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Milan 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.

Milan, IT vs Montreal, CA at a glance — Montreal, CA is 11% cheaper than Milan, IT overall. Median 1-bed rent runs about $1,150/mo versus $1,500/mo. Top income tax: 33% vs 43%.

$/ year

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

$66,904 / year

Montreal, CA is 11% cheaper overall

Category breakdown (Montreal, CA vs Milan, IT)

  • Housing-24%
  • Food & groceries+1%
  • Transport0%
  • Utilities-18%
  • Healthcare-2%
  • Goods & services-1%

◎ How Milan, IT and Montreal, CA compare

HousingFood & groceriesTransportUtilitiesHealthcareGoods & services
Milan, ITMontreal, CA

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

▤ Full comparison

Milan, ITMontreal, CA
Cost of living
Overall cost index11199
Housing135102
Food105106
Transport8080
Utilities12098
Healthcare8280
Goods & services106105
Housing
Rent, 1-bed centre$1,500/mo$1,150/mo
Rent, 1-bed outside$1,150/mo$900/mo
Rent, 3-bed centre$3,000/mo$2,200/mo
Buy price / m² centre$8,500$5,500
Money & purchasing power
$1,000 goes as far as$902$1,011
Inexpensive meal$16$18
Monthly transit pass$42$70
Taxes
Income tax (top rate)43%33%
VAT / sales tax22%5%
Corporate tax24%26.5%
Capital gains26%—
Economy & salaries
Avg net salary$1,900/mo$3,300/mo
Avg annual wage (OECD, PPP)$53,864✓$67,901✓
Minimum wage—$1,900/mo
GDP per capita$43,309✓$55,698✓
Inflation (annual)1.5%✓2.1%✓
Work & digital nomad
Digital-nomad visaYesYes
English proficiencyModerateHigh
Coworking spaces6050
Time zoneUTC+1UTC-5
Quality of life
Quality of life (overall)6671
Safety index5572
Healthcare index8078
Pollution index7035
Internet speed120 Mbps180 Mbps
Walkability8578
Public transport8278
Family-friendly6474
Tap waterSafe to drinkSafe to drink
Life expectancy84 yr✓82 yr✓
LGBTQ+ acceptanceModerateHigh
Climate
January avg+3 °C-9 °C
July avg+24 °C+21 °C
Sunny days / year130160
Rainfall / year1,000 mm1,000 mm
Connectivity
Flight to nearest hub1 h2 h

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

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

Cost of living: Milan vs Montreal — in your currency

MilanMontreal
1-bed rent, city centre$1,500$1,150
1-bed rent, outside centre$1,150$900
Inexpensive meal$16$18
Monthly transit pass$42$70
Utilities (monthly)$190$110

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

Good to know before you move to Milan

Italy's business, finance and fashion capital — the country's best job market, at its highest prices.

Currency
Euro (€ EUR)
Languages
Italian
Time zone
UTC+1
Internet
120 Mbps
English
Fairly common
Safety
55/100
Climate
❄ 3°C · ☀ 24°C · 130 sunny days/yr
Tap water
Safe to drink
Power
F/L · 230V
Driving
Right-hand side
Popular areas
Navigli · Brera · Isola

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 Milan to Montreal: cheaper or more expensive?

Moving from Milan to Montreal, your cost of living will be roughly 11% cheaper. Montreal’s cost-of-living index is 99 versus 111 for Milan (US = 100). Use the salary tool above to see the income you’d need to keep the same lifestyle.

Is Milan cheaper than Montreal?

Montreal is about 11% cheaper than Milan overall — its cost-of-living index is 99 versus 111 for Milan.

Which is more expensive, Milan or Montreal?

Milan is more expensive than Montreal. Its cost-of-living index is 111 vs 99 (US = 100) — about 12% higher.

Is rent cheaper in Milan or Montreal?

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

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

To keep the same standard of living, a $75,000 salary in Milan is worth about $66,904 in Montreal. Enter your own figure in the calculator above.

Which has lower taxes, Milan or Montreal?

Canada has the lower top income-tax rate — 33% versus 43% in Italy.

◷ More comparisons from Milan

How we calculate these figures →

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