✦ Compare

Montreal vs
Washington

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

Montreal, CA vs Washington, DC at a glance — Washington, DC is 10% more expensive than Montreal, CA overall. Median 1-bed rent runs about $2,300/mo versus $1,150/mo. Top income tax: 37% vs 33%.

Your salary in Montreal, CA

$/ year

To keep the same standard of living in Washington, DC, you'd need

$82,263 / year

Washington, DC is 10% more expensive overall

Category breakdown (Washington, DC vs Montreal, CA)

Housing+41%
Food & groceries-14%
Transport+19%
Utilities-12%
Healthcare+9%
Goods & services-8%

Median 1-bed rent

$1,150 /mo

Montreal, CA overview →

Median 1-bed rent

$2,300 /mo

Washington, DC overview →

◎ How Montreal, CA and Washington, DC compare

Montreal, CAWashington, DC

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

▤ Full comparison

	Montreal, CA	Washington, DC
Cost of living
Overall cost index	99	108
Housing	102	144
Food	106	91
Transport	80	95
Utilities	98	86
Healthcare	80	87
Goods & services	105	97
Housing
Rent, 1-bed centre	$1,150/mo	$2,300/mo
Rent, 1-bed outside	$900/mo	$1,800/mo
Rent, 3-bed centre	$2,200/mo	$4,500/mo
Buy price / m² centre	$5,500	$8,500
Money & purchasing power
$1,000 goes as far as	$1,011	$922
Inexpensive meal	$18	$20
Monthly transit pass	$70	$100
Taxes
Income tax (top rate)	33%	37%
VAT / sales tax	5%	0%
Social security (employee)	—	7.7%
Corporate tax	26.5%	21%
Capital gains	—	20%
Economy & salaries
Avg net salary	$3,300/mo	$4,300/mo
Avg annual wage (OECD, PPP)	$67,901^✓	$86,977^✓
Minimum wage	$1,900/mo	$1,257/mo^✓
GDP per capita	$55,698^✓	$90,027^✓
Inflation (annual)	2.1%^✓	—
Work & digital nomad
Digital-nomad visa	Yes	No
English proficiency	High	Native
Coworking spaces	50	80
Time zone	UTC-5	UTC-5
Quality of life
Quality of life (overall)	71	67
Safety index	72	50
Healthcare index	78	80
Pollution index	35	40
Internet speed	180 Mbps	200 Mbps
Walkability	78	77
Public transport	78	72
Family-friendly	74	62
Tap water	Safe to drink	Safe to drink
Health insurance	—	$470/mo
Life expectancy	82 yr^✓	79 yr^✓
LGBTQ+ acceptance	High	High
Climate
January avg	-9 °C	+2 °C
July avg	+21 °C	+27 °C
Sunny days / year	160	203
Rainfall / year	1,000 mm	1,000 mm
Connectivity
Flight to nearest hub	2 h	1 h

Taxes & Economy & salaries: Canada vs United States. 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: Montreal vs Washington — in your currency

Currency

MontrealWashington

1-bed rent, city centre$1,150$2,300

1-bed rent, outside centre$900$1,800

Inexpensive meal$18$20

Monthly transit pass$70$100

Utilities (monthly)$110$170

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

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

Good to know before you move to Washington

The US capital — stable government and consulting jobs, a strong transit system and grand monuments.

Currency: US dollar ($ USD)
Languages: English
Time zone: UTC-5
Internet: 200 Mbps
English: Native language
Safety: 50/100
Climate: ❄ 2°C · ☀ 27°C · 203 sunny days/yr
Tap water: Safe to drink
Power: A/B · 120V
Driving: Right-hand side
Popular areas: Dupont Circle · Georgetown · Shaw

Plan your move to Montreal

Everything you will book for the move — sorted, and updated as we add partners.

Plan your move to Washington

Everything you will book for the move — sorted, and updated as we add partners.

? Frequently asked questions

Moving from Montreal to Washington: cheaper or more expensive?

Moving from Montreal to Washington, your cost of living will be roughly 10% more expensive. Washington’s cost-of-living index is 108 versus 99 for Montreal (US = 100). Use the salary tool above to see the income you’d need to keep the same lifestyle.

Is Montreal cheaper than Washington?

Washington is about 10% more expensive than Montreal overall — its cost-of-living index is 108 versus 99 for Montreal.

Which is more expensive, Montreal or Washington?

Washington is more expensive than Montreal. Its cost-of-living index is 108 vs 99 (US = 100) — about 9% higher.

Is rent cheaper in Montreal or Washington?

Rent is cheaper in Montreal — about $1,150/month for a one-bedroom in the city centre, vs $2,300 in Washington.

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

To keep the same standard of living, a $75,000 salary in Montreal is worth about $82,263 in Washington. Enter your own figure in the calculator above.

Which has lower taxes, Montreal or Washington?

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

◷ More comparisons from Montreal

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How we calculate these figures →

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