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Montreal vs Phoenix 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 Phoenix
At a glance
- Where Phoenix is clearly cheaper: Transit (27%โ), Laundry (21%โ)
- Where Montreal is clearly cheaper: Entry ticket (32%โ), Street food (26%โ), Coffee (26%โ)
By category
Salary equivalence
Travel difficulty
Both cities are about equally easy to travel. Biggest gap: language โ Montreal 2 vs Phoenix 1. Closer to 1 is easier. Difficulty ranking โบ
Item by item
| Item | Montreal | Phoenix | Cheaper |
|---|---|---|---|
| Local mealper person | C$ 22$16.2 | $ 20$20 | Montreal โ19% |
| Street food1 item | C$ 12$8.82 | $ 12$12 | Montreal โ26% |
| Restaurant dinnerper person | C$ 45$33.1 | $ 40$40 | Montreal โ17% |
| Coffeeone cup | C$ 5.5$4.04 | $ 5.5$5.5 | Montreal โ26% |
| Beerone bottle | C$ 9$6.62 | $ 6$6 | Phoenix โ9% |
| Cocktail & wineone cup | C$ 20$14.7 | $ 13$13 | Phoenix โ12% |
| Bottled water | C$ 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 | $ 12$12 | similar |
| Tuk-tuk / moto taxishort hop | C$ 10$7.35 | $ 8$8 | Montreal โ8% |
| Transitone ride | C$ 3.75$2.76 | $ 2$2 | Phoenix โ27% |
| Scooter rentalper day | C$ 40$29.4 | $ 35$35 | Montreal โ16% |
| Hotel night3-star | C$ 190$140 | $ 130$130 | Phoenix โ7% |
| Studio rent (month) | C$ 1,680$1,235 | $ 1,400$1,400 | Montreal โ12% |
| Laundry | C$ 6$4.41 | $ 3.5$3.5 | Phoenix โ21% |
| SIM card1 week data | C$ 35$25.7 | $ 25$25 | similar |
| Haircutcut | C$ 32$23.5 | $ 24$24 | similar |
| Massage1 hour | C$ 95$69.9 | $ 80$80 | Montreal โ13% |
| Half-day tourper person | C$ 100$73.5 | $ 90$90 | Montreal โ18% |
| Entry ticketTourist town | C$ 24$17.6 | $ 26$26 | Montreal โ32% |
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 Phoenix?
Montreal is 8% cheaper than Phoenix. Daily budget $266 vs $275; a month $4,773 vs $5,471.
Which is easier to travel, Montreal or Phoenix?
About the same: Montreal 1.6/5, Phoenix 1.6/5 (average of rip-offs, language, transport, payments and safety).
How do monthly costs compare between Montreal and Phoenix?
With a short-term studio and living costs, Montreal is about $4,773 and Phoenix about $5,471 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.