Antwerp vs Montréal
for digital nomads
Under balanced weights Montréal edges it, 70 to 70, winning 4 of the 9 factors. Antwerp is stronger on nothing outright; Montréal on nothing outright. Change the weights in the ranker to see which one wins for you.
Fashion, diamonds and Belgium's best nightlife
Full Antwerp profile →Where to stay in Antwerp →Bilingual, cultural and affordable for North America
Full Montréal profile →Where to stay in Montréal →Factor scores (0–100, balanced weights)
| Metric | Antwerp | Montréal |
|---|---|---|
| Cost of living | 23 | 28 ✓ |
| Safety | 73 | 76 ✓ |
| Healthcare | 87 | 91 ✓ |
| Internet | 78 ✓ | 75 |
| Visa ease | 61 ✓ | 58 |
| Getting there & around | 87 ✓ | 81 |
| Climate | 33 | 33 |
| Air quality | 91 | 92 ✓ |
| Quality of life | 96 ✓ | 95 |
Cost
| Metric | Antwerp | Montréal |
|---|---|---|
| Monthly cost, one person | $2,562 | $2,293 ✓ |
| Central one-bedroom rent | $1,002 ✓ | $1,354 |
Safety and health (country-level)
| Metric | Antwerp | Montréal |
|---|---|---|
| Homicides per 100k | 1.08 ✓ | 1.98 |
| Political stability (0–100) | 68.6 | 79.8 ✓ |
| UHC service coverage (0–100) | 86 | 92 ✓ |
| Life expectancy | 81.5 yrs | 81.6 yrs ✓ |
Internet (M-Lab measured medians)
| Metric | Antwerp | Montréal |
|---|---|---|
| Download | 62.8 Mbps ✓ | 57.1 Mbps |
| Upload | 18.2 Mbps ✓ | 12.2 Mbps |
Visa
| Metric | Antwerp | Montréal |
|---|---|---|
| Nomad visa | none listed | none listed |
| Minimum income for the visa | no data | no data |
| Entry, US passport | 90 days | 180 days ✓ |
| Entry, EU passport | unlimited ✓ | eTA required (online, before travel) |
| Entry, UK passport | 90 days ✓ | eTA required (online, before travel) |
Getting there and around
| Metric | Antwerp | Montréal |
|---|---|---|
| Non-stop airport destinations | 191 ✓ | 178 |
| Walkability (1–5, editorial) | 5 ✓ | 4 |
| Transit (1–5, editorial) | 4 | 4 |
Climate and air
| Metric | Antwerp | Montréal |
|---|---|---|
| Comfortable months per year | 4 | 4 |
| Annual mean PM2.5 | 9.2 µg/m³ | 8.6 µg/m³ ✓ |
✓ marks the better value in each row; ties and missing data are left unmarked.
Frequently asked
- Which is cheaper, Antwerp or Montréal?
- Montréal is cheaper: about $2,293 per month versus $2,562 for one person.
- Is Antwerp or Montréal safer?
- Montréal scores higher on safety (76 vs 73), based on national homicide rates and World Bank political-stability scores.
- Where is the internet faster, Antwerp or Montréal?
- Antwerp: a measured median of 62.8 Mbps versus 57.1 Mbps (M-Lab, 2024).
More comparisons
Sources: Cost of Living Global 2026 (city rows); 2026 Cost of Living Index (country level); Digital Nomad Visas 2026; Worldwide Governance Indicators — Political Stability and Absence of Violence (score 0–100); Victims of intentional homicide per 100,000 population (national data, latest year); UHC service coverage index; Life expectancy at birth (years), both sexes; M-Lab NDT statistics (city aggregates, 2024); Airport destinations (Wikipedia airline and destination tables); NASA POWER climatology (2001–2020 monthly means); WHO Ambient Air Quality Database, June 2026 update (V8); Human Development Index (HDR 2025, HDI 2023); EF English Proficiency Index 2024 (band); Walkability and transit ratings (editorial); Passport Index dataset (visa requirements, 199 passports × 199 destinations); WhereNext city cost estimates 2026 (city pages); OpenStreetMap restaurants (Overpass API); Starlink availability map. Dataset 2026.10.7. See each city page for per-metric footnotes and the methodology.