Many Americans are struggling to afford a fun lifestyle amid the high cost of living.
But just north of the border, Montreal offers residents a balance between high quality of life and low prices.
Only a handful of major cities have found that sweet spot, according to consulting firm Mercer.
Many of the world's most exciting and beautiful cities are also the priciest to live in.
But one Canadian city has found the perfect balance between offering its residents a great quality of life for a relatively low cost, according to Mercer's 2024 cost of living report.
The study compared 226 cities worldwide according to their cost of housing, transport, food, clothing, household goods, and entertainment.
Montreal ranked 118th in the world for its overall cost of living but came in 20th for quality of life, giving it the best overall score.
While Hong Kong, Singapore, and Zurich ranked as the three most expensive cities, they did not perform as well on quality of living.
Montreal is Canada's second-largest by population size, with 1.78 million residents.
Sitting close to the border of the US state of Vermont, it is known for its vibrant cultural scene, great food, tree-lined streets, and providing high-quality education and healthcare.
"It's extremely cultural, great food scene, safe, bilingualism is an asset," one US expat who relocated from Texas to Montreal previously told Business Insider.
The cost of living in Montreal is cheaper than in 74% of cities in North America, according to comparison site Expatistan.
Estimated monthly costs for a single person living in Montreal add up to $2,374. Compare that to New York, where a single person can expect to pay $5,412 a month on average, according to Expatistan data.
Mercer found that only seven other cities in the world achieve a similar balance to Montreal — Warsaw, Budapest, Ljubljana, Kuala Lumpur, Zagreb, Panama City, and Santiago.
"This list of eight cities should be of interest to families looking for a better lifestyle, remote working/digital nomads, and companies looking for locations that will be attractive to top talent," Mercer noted in its report.
Mark Stobbart as Cheese and Sam C. Wilson as Blood in "House of the Dragon" season two.
Ollie Upton/HBO
"House of the Dragon" season two adapted an infamous murder scene from the book.
But some fans said the murder, by mercenaries Blood and Cheese, wasn't gory or shocking in the show.
Showrunner Ryan Condal explained how the show takes a different approach to the source material.
Warning, spoilers ahead for the "House of the Dragon" season two premiere.
The "House of the Dragon" season two premiere brings the infamous Blood and Cheese murder to life, but fans are disappointed that it isn't as gory or disturbing as it is in the book, "Fire and Blood."
The premiere sees Daemon Targaryen (Matt Smith) order two mercenaries, Blood and Cheese, to kill Aemond Targaryen in revenge for a killing at the end of season one.
He orders them to kill "a son" if the pair can't find Aemond, which they can't.
The pair fail to find Aemond, but they do find his sister, Helaena Targaryen, the mother of two toddlers.
Cheese threatens to kill her if she doesn't choose one of her two toddlers to die.
In a shocking moment, the pair stab her boy, Jaehaerys, to death in his bed.
However, fans are disappointed that the brutal death wasn't shown on camera. The scene instead shows Helaena as she flees the room.
Fans reacted to the scene and called it underwhelming. Some compared it unfavorably to the gory "Red Wedding" episode in "Game of Thrones" season three, which saw the slaughter of several main characters, including the pregnant Talisa Stark.
blood and cheese probably had the potential to create a small part of impact as the red wedding but they made it a bit underwhelming ….#HouseoftheDragon
The Blood-and-Cheese scene is even more extreme in the book — Blood kills a guard while Cheese sexually assaults the surviving sister. In that version the girl is older than a toddler, though still a child.
Helaena also tells the killers to take her other child, Maelor, but Blood leaves him to live, knowing that his mother would have let him die.
This is the type of violence that helped build such a buzz around "Game of Thrones" during its original run, and there's clearly some pressure on the prequel series to turn it into another pop-culture juggernaut.
In the book ‘Fire and Blood,’ which #HouseOfTheDragon is based on, Blood Cheese demands Haelena choose between two sons. Their second son, Maelor Targaryen, is not present in the show.
Showrunner Ryan Condal explained the differences to The Hollywood Reporter. He said: "It was less about trying to top the book, it was just more about the practicality of where we were."
He noted that the show condenses the book's 30-year history down to 20 years, meaning that Maelor isn't in the series at all.
"So Maelor does not yet exist, and we only have the twins. So working from that place, we just wanted to try to make Blood and Cheese a visceral television sequence," Condal said.
"We decided to tell it from their point of view and make it like a heist gone wrong."
Stevan Ditter and Alara Taneri couple up in "Perfect Match" season two, episode four.
Courtesy of Netflix
Stevan Ditter and Alara Taneri are one of the most consistent couples in "Perfect Match" season two.
They've quickly become a fan favorite due to their loyalty to each other.
Here's what we know about their relationship on the show and whether they are still together.
Warning: Spoilers ahead for the first nine episodes of "Perfect Match" season two.
Stevan Ditter and Alara Taneri may be the strongest couple in "Perfect Match" season two after the latest episodes.
But it's unclear whether they're still together.
The pair originally appeared in two separate Netflix series, "Too Hot To Handle" and "Dated & Related."
"Perfect Match" series draws together contestants from across Netflix's reality show slate and gives cast members a second chance at love (or boosting their fame). Stevan and Alara seemed to be more focused on the love part.
The couple meet for the first time when they are paired on a date in episode three. At the time, Stevan was matched with another contestant, Xanthi Perdikomatis, but he immediately gels with Alara and chooses to match with her in the next coupling session.
Since then, the pair have been completely focused on each other, even when sent on dates with other contestants.
They may have a chance to become the winning couple in the season two finale, which airs on Friday on Netflix. But, there is a chance they did not make it in the outside world. Here's why.
Stevan doesn't follow Alara on Instagram.
Stevan Ditter and Alara Taneri in a matching red outfit in "Perfect Match" season two, episode nine.
Courtesy of Netflix
The biggest clue that Stevan and Alara are no longer seeing each other is who they're following on Instagram.
Alara follows Stevan, but Stevan does not follow her back even though he does follow some of his other "Perfect Match" costars.
It's unclear when Alara moved to LA or into the apartment with Micah.
But it is likely that Alara moved to LA after the show was filmed, since she said she lived in London on the show. This could mean that she moved to LA to get closer to Stevan and the pair are still dating.
Fans will likely find out more on Friday, when "Perfect Match" season two finale airs on Netflix.
Having an only child means the author can give her all the attention and resources her daughter needs.
Courtesy of the author
Before getting pregnant I wanted more than one child.
But pregnancy and postpartum were very hard, so we decided to have an only child.
She was diagnosed with autism and I'm glad I have more time and resources for her.
As the parent of an only child, I often field questions like, "Does she have any siblings?" or "Are you going to have any more?"
While most of the time no one says anything blatantly offensive, it feels like there is underlying judgment when I am questioned about my daughter's status as an only child.
I considered having more kids before I got pregnant
At one point, I considered having more than one child. It felt like something you were supposed to do. I had internalized stereotypes about only children being lonely and spoiled brats. I grew up with siblings, and so did my husband, although his sister was born when he was 9. They didn't have quite the same playmate relationship I did with my close-in-age siblings.
Then I got pregnant. And I was miserable. I started to question whether my body and mind could really keep up with multiple children if my chronic physical and mental health conditions seemed to be making it difficult to even grow one.
Pregnancy seemed to make me into even more of a physical mess, as well as a moody rage machine. And my daughter's newborn days were overshadowed by feeding struggles, reflux, and postpartum depression and anxiety. Unsurprisingly, my husband was fully on board with never, ever having to go through it all again. I couldn't wrap my head around trying to provide care for another small human when it seemed like I was barely managing it with one.
Being a mother is still incredibly challenging for me
As an only child my daughter does get more by default. I've been able to read aloud hundreds of books to her, help her with science experiments, and push her for what seems like hours on the swing without having to juggle another child's needs. We can visit her aunt and uncle in Colorado every other summer and take other trips because we are able to buy three plane tickets instead of four or five. We are able to invest in educational experiences for her and save money for college, which we definitely would not be able to do in the same way or at all with multiple children.
I don't believe more one-on-one time or more finances dedicated to her have made her spoiled, though. She doesn't get lots of presents for Christmas or her birthday. And I believe that children thrive with boundaries, so she's definitely not getting whatever she wants all the time, either. There are plenty of times that she hears no, whether it is to an activity, a toy, or to my husband or me not being able to do something.
My daughter was also recently diagnosed with autism, and I am glad that we have the resources to get her the therapies and interventions she needs and to be able to send her to a school that is a good fit for her. I don't mean just financial resources but all the time and energy that is involved in filling out paperwork, finding providers, and taking her to appointments. And then implementing behavioral techniques at home and finding and purchasing tools and activities that aren't covered by insurance.
My daughter's developmental delays and autism mean she needs more of my physical and emotional reserves than a neurotypical child. I'm grateful I'm able to spend focused time with her at home and provide her with the therapies she needs because it wouldn't be possible with multiple children.
Although everyone might not see it this way, my daughter being an only child has really turned out to be a blessing for both me and her.
One TikToker, who goes by the name EmpathEyes, posted a video in April which is still causing debate among viewers.
She said that even paying for your meal at a wedding isn't enough,
"Are you guys crazy?" she said. "You don't go to a wedding to just pay for your plate. You go to the wedding to pay for you, you cover your plate, and give them something."
EmpathEyes said she thought that if guests couldn't afford to pay that much they "probably should sit it out."
"I just don't think $50 or $100 is cutting it anymore," she said.
Guests aren't convinced, though.
In response, a fellow TikToker, Kat Thomas, said this opinion was "entitled" and "tacky."
Thomas said she had never once thought that she should have to cover the cost of her own plate at any wedding she had attended.
"I've never even thought about how much a plate of food costs at a wedding because that's not what it's about," she said. "It's about celebrating the bride and the groom, and watching them get married and celebrating a milestone with your friends or family, whoever invited you."
"Have we reached a point in society where capitalism is just rotting people's brains to where they're turning every single thing that they do in their lives into a GoFundMe campaign?" Thomas added.
TikToker Livvy Farmer also weighed in on the debate, saying anyone with this opinion should be mad at themselves for "planning a wedding that is completely out of your budget."
"Because it sounds like you can't afford to have the wedding that you're planning," she said.
Farmer added that couples sometimes act like their weddings are "the Met Gala" and "people are waiting on the edge of their seats" for the event.
"If you're expecting your wedding guests to shovel out 300 plus dollars to attend your wedding, you are out of your fucking mind," Farmer said. "It's not your wedding guests' responsibility to fund your ridiculously expensive wedding."
She added she didn't want to be made to feel like she was "the broke one" for not bringing an expensive enough gift.
The debate continued in the comments. While some said they were brought up to always think of how much a plate would cost and buy a gift accordingly, others said guests should only be expected to gift what they can afford.
One person wrote, "Am I a guest or a customer?" Another said, "An invite is not an invoice."
"I told everyone who traveled to my wedding that their presence was the wedding gift!" one commenter wrote. "Traveling ain't cheap."
Others said they believed guests showing up is a present in itself.
"If they decide to give you a present, that is just a bonus," one person said. "Expecting a gift is so tacky."
With rising costs of living, mounting debts, and expensive rental and mortgage payments plaguing Gen Zers and millennials, some couples are deciding a lavish ceremony and party aren't worth the money.
For example, a father recently told Business Insider he gave his daughter $20,000 to spend on a wedding and was happy when she used the money for a down payment on a house instead.
According to a survey by Newsweek last year, while 21% of millennials aged 25 to 35 and 25% of millennials aged 35 to 44 thought a budget of $50,000 or more was appropriate for a wedding, 25% of Gen Z respondents said $10,000 – $20,000 was more reasonable.
Jeff Bezos and Bernard Arnault have a combined net worth of around $404 billion.
The two business titans are among the world's richest people, Bloomberg's Billionaires Index shows.
Despite both amassing vast fortunes, the ways they built their wealth differed significantly.
Jeff Bezos and Bernard Arnault are two of the world's richest people, with a combined net worth of around $404 billion.
As of Monday, Amazon founder Bezos is ranked first on Bloomberg's Billionaires Index, with a net worth of $206 billion. Arnault, the owner of the luxury goods conglomerate LVMH, is ranked third, with a net worth of $198 billion.
Arnault is the CEO and chair of the French luxury conglomerate, with companies spanning fashion, jewelry, watches, perfume, and alcohol, including brands Tiffany & Co and Dom Pérignon.
Although both billionaires have built their own empires, how the pair acquired wealth is vastly different.
This is how they made their fortunes:
Jeff Bezos’ first job was at a McDonald’s.
Getty Images
The billionaire said in a 2001 interview with Fast Company that his job at a McDonald's restaurant in Miami was "really hard."
"They wouldn't let me anywhere near the customers. This was my acned-teenager stage. They were like, 'Hmm, why don't you work in the back?'" Bezos said.
Bezos majored in computer science at Princeton University.
Getty Images
A book called "The Everything Store: Jeff Bezos and the Age of Amazon" said he joined a telecommunications startup called Fitel after graduating from Princeton. He then quit Fitel and went to work for Bankers Trust as a product manager, where he focused on selling software pension-fund clients.
After two years at Bankers Trust, he joined the hedge fund D. E. Shaw, and became a senior vice president after only four years.
He left his hedge fund job in 1994 to start what would become Amazon.
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Bezos decided books were the best products to start selling online. He then started Amazon.com in a garage in Seattle.
Bezos had the same annual base salary of $81,840 for decades while he was CEO, but his annual total compensation for many years exceeded $1 million, owing to costs related to security and business travel.
Bezos founded space tourism company Blue Origin in 2000.
Jeff Bezos walks near Blue Origin's New Shepard suborbital spaceship after flying into space.
He became the world's richest person for the first time in 2017, briefly overtaking Microsoft's Bill Gates. That same year, he said he'd sell $1 billion worth of Amazon stock annually to fund Blue Origin, per Reuters.
Bezos announced he was stepping down as Amazon’s CEO in 2021
Phillip Faraone/Getty Images
After spending 27 years leading the company, Bezos announced he was transitioning to become Amazon's executive chairman.
Amazon hit nearly $575 billion in net sales in 2023.
Getty Images
The company has hundreds of fulfillment centers around the world. It sells millions of products, including appliances, clothing, groceries, and toiletries, and it also offers cloud computing services.
Arnault acquired Agache-Willot-Boussac in 1984, which was verging on bankruptcy.
Getty Images
The company owned brands like French department store Bon Marché and Christian Dior, The New York Times reported. He renamed the firm Financière Agache and kickstarted a turnaround effort, which helped it earn $1.9 billion in revenue just a few years later, the Times reported.
He bought a chunk of capital of the French luxury fashion house Celine in the late 1980s. Years later, it was integrated into the LVMH group.
He went on to become LVMH Moët Hennessy Louis Vuitton’s largest shareholder.
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Champagne company Dom Pérignon was one of the initial brands part of Moët Hennessy, which later merged with Louis Vuitton to create LVMH in 1987.
He spent $2.6 billion buying up shares to become the company's largest shareholder and eventually its chairman and CEO by 1989, per The Times.
Arnault quietly built a 20.2% stake in Hermès in the years that followed through its subsidiaries and equity swaps, Bloomberg reported.
His 5 children also work for LVMH and its brands.
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In 2011, he acquired the Italian jewelry brand Bulgari when it was struggling, Reuters reported.
LVMH now owns more than 75 brands, its website says.
The luxury goods group made €86.2 billion in 2023.
Getty Images
Arnault said in January, when its earnings were released, "Our performance in 2023 illustrates the exceptional appeal of our Maisons and their ability to spark desire despite a year affected by economic and geopolitical challenges."
It seems like Arnault has no plans to slow down. He told The Financial Times in 2019, "we're just getting started."
An automated announcement told United passengers to put on oxygen masks during a Transatlantic flight.
A passenger on the flight told aviation news outlet Simple Flying that some people panicked.
Cabin pressure was normal the whole time, a United spokesperson told Business Insider.
Dozens of United Airlines passengers started to panic when an automated emergency announcement told them to put on oxygen masks, even though there wasn't any danger.
The Boeing 777 was flying from Paris to Washington, DC, last Wednesday when the unusual incident occurred.
Those on board were instructed by a pre-recorded message to wait for oxygen masks to fall from the ceiling and then put them on, Simple Flying reported. Few, if any, masks actually deployed.
A United Airlines spokesperson told Business Insider that "a small number of oxygen masks inadvertently deployed."
Parker Pitman, a passenger on board the flight, told Simple Flying that he couldn't see any masks on the plane. He added that some people tried to force open the ceiling compartments in a panic.
"One person had a panic attack and ran to the aircraft door, presumably to open it," Pitman added. "None of the flight crew nor cabin crew had ever heard the announcement before, and it was a very odd situation."
Travel news site Paddle Your Own Kanoo reported that flight attendants announced that they were struggling to contact the pilots.
Passengers later learned that the 26-year-old aircraft wasn't in trouble after all, and the flight continued on to Washington, DC. Two days later, the plane made its next flight.
The United spokesperson added, "The air pressure in the cabin was normal for the entire flight. The aircraft landed safely as scheduled, and customers deplaned normally."
The airline has faced much scrutiny from regulators this year following a string of safety incidents, like a tire falling off a Boeing 777 and another plane veering off the runway.
United was prevented from launching new routes while it was investigated by the Federal Aviation Administration. Last month, the airline indicated it had been allowed to restart such activities, but the FAA said its review was "ongoing," per the Associated Press.
Dubai is adding a Cybertruck to its fleet of luxury police vehicles.
Elon Musk is thrilled, but the Tesla pickup is unlikely to be chasing down criminals anytime soon.
It's unclear how effective the Cybertruck would be as a police vehicle.
Dubai has added a Cybertruck to its fleet of luxury police vehicles — much to Elon Musk's satisfaction.
Its police force said on X it now had the Tesla as part of its "tourist police" patrol fleet, posting an image of a Cybertruck in green and white livery.
"The Dubai Police General Command has added the Tesla Cybertruck, the modern electric car with a futuristic design, to its tourist police luxury patrol fleet," wrote the police force — with the Tesla CEO hailing the addition as "cool" in a reply.
The Dubai Police General Command has added the Tesla Cybertruck, the modern electric car with a futuristic design, to its tourist police luxury patrol fleet. pic.twitter.com/eubpvfjVbA
— Dubai Policeشرطة دبي (@DubaiPoliceHQ) June 16, 2024
It is unclear how effective a police vehicle the Cybertruck would be.
Tesla says the distinctive pickup is bulletproof, but a test by the YouTube channel JerryRigEverything showed that while it could withstand small-caliber guns, larger weapons could cause serious damage to the Cybertruck's stainless steel exterior.
The Cybertruck's offroad ability has also come under scrutiny, with videos appearing online of the 6,600 lb pickup getting stuck on a sandy beach, struggling in the snow, and having difficulty climbing a small hill.
Experts have also warned that the Cybertruck poses a risk to pedestrians, telling Business Insider the truck's rapid acceleration and stainless steel frame could turn it into a "guideless missile."
The vehicle has endured a bumpy rollout since it went on sale last November.
A new study by Mercer ranked 226 cities in the world based on how expensive they are to live in.
Four of the most expensive cities are in just one country.
One Canadian city ranked highest for finding the balance between cost and quality of living.
Some expats seek a better quality of life in a cheaper city; others follow a dream job posting to an expensive metropolitan hub.
But whatever the reason, finding the sweet spot between the cost and quality of living in a new city is a major consideration in deciding to move abroad for work.
New research by consulting firm Mercer has revealed the ten most expensive cities for international employees to live in in 2024.
The study ranked 226 major cities around the world, analyzing factors like the cost of a basket of goods, rental prices, and other living expenses.
Hong Kong, Singapore, and Zurich are the three most expensive cities for international workers due to their competitive housing markets, high transport costs, and high costs of goods and services.
Following Zurich in the rankings are Geneva, Basel, and Bern, making Switzerland the next most expensive place you can move to. The central European country is known as a haven for the super-wealthy. And while it offers employees very high wages, a coffee can set you back $9.
Zurich, Switzerland.
Allan Baxter/Getty Images
In the US, Mercer named New York, Los Angeles, Honolulu, and San Francisco as the most expensive cities to live in.
The high cost of living at home is pushing an increasing number of fed-up Americans to move abroad in search of a better lifestyle.
"The conventional American lifestyle just wasn't in our reach anymore," one couple who moved from Denver to South America previously told Business Insider.
For those looking for the least expensive cities, the top 10, according to Mercer, are:
Havana, Cuba
Windhoek, Namibia
Durban, South Africa
Dushanbe, Tajikistan
Blantyre, Malawi
Bishkek, Kyrgyzstan
Islamabad, Pakistan
Lagos, Nigeria
Abuja, Nigeria
But in addition to prices, Mercer highlighted that quality of life, eco-friendliness, seamless connectivity, and safety and security are also important considerations when choosing where to live.
Montreal may have it all, though. The Canadian city ranked highest for its balance between a low cost of living and a high quality of life.
It was followed by the European cities of Ljubljana, Slovenia; Warsaw, Poland; and Budapest, Hungary.
When Madelyn Driver and her husband began house-hunting, they thought they had a few advantages.
First, they were in pretty good financial shape, Driver told Business Insider via email. The 30-year-old makes over $100,000 working in the tech industry, according to a document viewed by BI — and she said her husband also has a six-figure income. After taking stock of their finances, the couple decided to focus on homes valued at no more than $700,000.
Second, they had the flexibility to search for homes across the country. That's because, while they're currently based in Pennsylvania, Driver and her husband both work remotely. While they've explored several areas, Driver said Colorado, the Carolinas, and Virginia have been of particular interest.
However, despite their income and geographic flexibility, the couple has continued to bump up against affordability challenges.
"We're finding that even in a vast country like the US, housing options that align with our desires for green spaces, a somewhat metropolitan vibe, and cultural vibrancy are surprisingly out of budget," Driver said.
Driver is among a group of Americans with six-figure incomes who are having trouble meeting some of their financial goals. These people are sometimes called HENRYs — or high earners, not rich yet. In recent years, as inflation has weighed on people's finances, a $100,000-a-year salary hasn't gone as far as it used to.
"I remember thinking that earning $100,000 felt like an unimaginable milestone," Driver said. "Now, my husband and I both exceed that number. Yet, we hardly feel rich."
The US housing market has proven particularly challenging for some millennials like Driver. In recent years, high home prices and elevated mortgage rates have propelled the cost of homeownership in the US to near-record-high unaffordability levels.
"If expenses — especially housing costs — were more reasonable, I'd feel much more financially secure and rich," Driver said.
To be sure, some high-earning millennials probably think their incomes are quite sufficient. In part, this could be because they're among the roughly 52% of millennials who owned a home as of 2022 — many of whom bought homes before the spike in home prices and mortgage rates over the last few years.
Of course, for the majority of Americans who don't have a six-figure income — the average annual full-time salary was about $84,000 as of March — affording a home is even more of a challenge.
As of the first quarter of 2024, the homeownership rate for US households with a family income below the median income was about 53%, according to Census Bureau data. For households with a family income greater than or equal to the median income, the homeownership rate was about 79%.
Driver shared her homebuying strategy and priorities — and what she and her husband plan to do if the housing market doesn't shift in their favor.
Avoiding being "house-poor" is a top priority
Driver and her husband have given their home search a lot of thought. When developing their home budget, they agreed it was important not to overextend themselves.
"Our incomes could support a much higher housing price, but we really want to avoid being 'house-poor' and trapped in a higher monthly mortgage amount," she said.
Additionally, they developed a list of the top characteristics they were looking for in the area surrounding their home. Driver said their ideal location would have a highly educated population, diversity, plenty of green space, and milder weather than the Northeast.
To get a feel for each area they were considering, the couple decided that they needed to "experience it as locals." Driver said they stayed in long-term Airbnbs and pet-sat for extended periods to immerse themselves in different communities.
"This approach certainly has its logistical challenges, but it's been essential for us to see beyond the internet searches and experience what daily life would actually feel like in a new city," Driver said.
Going forward, Driver said they won't rush to buy a home if they can't find anything that checks enough of their boxes. If they're still searching a year from now, she said they might reevaluate some of their priorities.
"We won't compromise on things like a safe area and neighborhood, square footage, and property acreage," she said. "But, if we can't find the perfect home, we'd be open to buying a less expensive house that might need more serious work."
Are you making over $100,000 a year? Are you willing to share your story and the impact this income has had on your life? If so, contact this reporter at jzinkula@businessinsider.com.