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Montreal vs Portland 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 Portland
At a glance
- Where Montreal is clearly cheaper: Haircut (33%โ), Street food (32%โ), Entry ticket (29%โ)
By category
Salary equivalence
Travel difficulty
Both cities are about equally easy to travel. Biggest gap: language โ Montreal 2 vs Portland 1. Closer to 1 is easier. Difficulty ranking โบ
Item by item
| Item | Montreal | Portland | Cheaper |
|---|---|---|---|
| Local mealper person | C$ 22$16.2 | $ 21$21 | Montreal โ23% |
| Street food1 item | C$ 12$8.82 | $ 13$13 | Montreal โ32% |
| Restaurant dinnerper person | C$ 45$33.1 | $ 42$42 | Montreal โ21% |
| Coffeeone cup | C$ 5.5$4.04 | $ 5.5$5.5 | Montreal โ26% |
| Beerone bottle | C$ 9$6.62 | $ 7$7 | Montreal โ5% |
| Cocktail & wineone cup | C$ 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 | $ 13$13 | similar |
| Tuk-tuk / moto taxishort hop | C$ 10$7.35 | $ 9$9 | Montreal โ18% |
| Transitone ride | C$ 3.75$2.76 | $ 2.8$2.8 | similar |
| Scooter rentalper day | C$ 40$29.4 | $ 35$35 | Montreal โ16% |
| Hotel night3-star | C$ 190$140 | $ 150$150 | Montreal โ7% |
| Studio rent (month) | C$ 1,680$1,235 | $ 1,550$1,550 | Montreal โ20% |
| Laundry | C$ 6$4.41 | $ 4$4 | Portland โ9% |
| SIM card1 week data | C$ 35$25.7 | $ 25$25 | similar |
| Haircutcut | C$ 32$23.5 | $ 35$35 | Montreal โ33% |
| Massage1 hour | C$ 95$69.9 | $ 90$90 | Montreal โ22% |
| Half-day tourper person | C$ 100$73.5 | $ 85$85 | Montreal โ13% |
| Entry ticketTourist town | C$ 24$17.6 | $ 25$25 | Montreal โ29% |
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 Portland?
Montreal is 16% cheaper than Portland. Daily budget $266 vs $303; a month $4,773 vs $5,928.
Which is easier to travel, Montreal or Portland?
About the same: Montreal 1.6/5, Portland 1.6/5 (average of rip-offs, language, transport, payments and safety).
How do monthly costs compare between Montreal and Portland?
With a short-term studio and living costs, Montreal is about $4,773 and Portland about $5,928 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.