It's no secret that city life comes with a hefty price tag, but some urban areas are much more affordable than others. New York City, for example, could set you back more than $3,500 a month for rent alone, while Montreal, Canada offers one-bedroom apartments for less than $1,000 a month.

That's according to a new report from listing service RENTCafé that looks at monthly rental costs in the world's top 30 financial centers. It sums up the average rents for one-bedroom apartments between 600 and 999 square feet in each city. (Full methodology here.)