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Montreal vs New Orleans cost of living 2026
Which is cheaper, what exactly is cheaper, and how it feels on your money ยท Updated October 2026
๐จ๐ฆ Montreal
๐บ๐ธ New Orleans
At a glance
- Where New Orleans is clearly cheaper: Transit (55%โ), Half-day tour (39%โ), Beer (17%โ)
- Where Montreal is clearly cheaper: Entry ticket (43%โ), Street food (37%โ), Massage (30%โ)
By category
Salary equivalence
Travel difficulty
Both cities are about equally easy to travel. Biggest gap: rip-offs & haggling โ Montreal 1 vs New Orleans 2. Closer to 1 is easier. Difficulty ranking โบ
Item by item
| Item | Montreal | New Orleans | Cheaper |
|---|---|---|---|
| Local mealper person | C$ 22$16.2 | $ 20$20 | Montreal โ19% |
| Street food1 item | C$ 12$8.82 | $ 14$14 | Montreal โ37% |
| Restaurant dinnerper person | C$ 45$33.1 | $ 45$45 | Montreal โ26% |
| Coffeeone cup | C$ 5.5$4.04 | $ 5$5 | Montreal โ19% |
| Beerone bottle | C$ 9$6.62 | $ 5.5$5.5 | New Orleans โ17% |
| Cocktail & wineone cup | C$ 20$14.7 | $ 14$14 | similar |
| Bottled water | C$ 2.3$1.69 | $ 2$2 | Montreal โ15% |
| Convenience store1 snack or drink | C$ 2.8$2.06 | $ 2.5$2.5 | Montreal โ18% |
| Taxi5 km in town | C$ 17$12.5 | $ 15$15 | Montreal โ17% |
| Tuk-tuk / moto taxishort hop | C$ 10$7.35 | $ 10$10 | Montreal โ26% |
| Transitone ride | C$ 3.75$2.76 | $ 1.25$1.25 | New Orleans โ55% |
| Scooter rentalper day | C$ 40$29.4 | $ 39.5$39.5 | Montreal โ26% |
| Hotel night3-star | C$ 190$140 | $ 180$180 | Montreal โ22% |
| Studio rent (month) | C$ 1,680$1,235 | $ 1,500$1,500 | Montreal โ18% |
| Laundry | C$ 6$4.41 | $ 5$5 | Montreal โ12% |
| SIM card1 week data | C$ 35$25.7 | $ 30$30 | Montreal โ14% |
| Haircutcut | C$ 32$23.5 | $ 25$25 | Montreal โ6% |
| Massage1 hour | C$ 95$69.9 | $ 100$100 | Montreal โ30% |
| Half-day tourper person | C$ 100$73.5 | $ 45$45 | New Orleans โ39% |
| Entry ticketTourist town | C$ 24$17.6 | $ 31$31 | Montreal โ43% |
Reference prices start as estimates from published price levels; items with 3+ traveler reports use the median of real reports. Hostels and local eateries cut both by 30%+.
FAQ
Which is cheaper, Montreal or New Orleans?
Montreal is 24% cheaper than New Orleans. Daily budget $266 vs $340; a month $4,773 vs $6,444.
Which is easier to travel, Montreal or New Orleans?
About the same: Montreal 1.6/5, New Orleans 1.8/5 (average of rip-offs, language, transport, payments and safety).
How do monthly costs compare between Montreal and New Orleans?
With a short-term studio and living costs, Montreal is about $4,773 and New Orleans about $6,444 per month.
Where do the numbers come from?
They start as estimates informed by published price levels; any item with 3+ traveler reports switches to the median of real reports. Live reports are in the app.