Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Airdrie and Montreal

For one person, living is cheaper in Montreal: $2,018 a month against $2,524 in Airdrie, rent and utilities included – about $6,100 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

123

Cost of Living Index in Airdrie
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Airdrie Living Index
99

Cost of Living Index in Montreal
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Montreal Living Index

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Airdrie

🇨🇦 Canada

$2,524

/mo nomad

Montreal

🇨🇦 Canada

$2,018

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Airdrie and in Montreal

Real prices from locals and on-the-ground checks – rent, groceries, transit and the daily extras. Here's what a month in Airdrie and in Montreal actually costs, broken down by who's living it.

A single person spends $2,524 per month in Airdrie vs $2,018 in Montreal, rent included.

Airdrie $2,524
Montreal $2,018

A couple spends around $3,650 per month in Airdrie vs $3,085 in Montreal, rent included.

Airdrie $3,650
Montreal $3,085

A family of three spends $4,775 per month in Airdrie vs $4,152 in Montreal, rent included.

Airdrie $4,775
Montreal $4,152

Airdrie costs about 25% more than Montreal, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in transport.

Both Airdrie and Montreal sit above the global median – Airdrie by 87%, Montreal by 49%.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$19.58 CA$27.68

$18.82 CA$26.61

4.04%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$75.0 CA$106

$70.3 CA$99.4

6.70%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$10.59 CA$14.97

$10.66 CA$15.06

-0.66%

Cappuccino

$3.76 CA$5.31

$3.84 CA$5.43

-2.08%

Coke/Pepsi/Fanta/Sprite (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.23 CA$3.16

$1.92 CA$2.71

16.15%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.03 CA$2.87

$1.54 CA$2.18

31.82%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$5.63 CA$7.96

$6.23 CA$8.81

-9.63%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$6.18 CA$8.74

$7.10 CA$10.03

-12.96%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.88 CA$2.66

$2.31 CA$3.27

-18.61%

White Bread (500g)

$2.72 CA$3.85

$3.14 CA$4.44

-13.38%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$3.44 CA$4.87

$3.21 CA$4.54

7.17%

Eggs

$3.72 CA$5.26

$3.52 CA$4.97

5.68%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$11.13 CA$15.74

$12.81 CA$18.11

-13.11%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$11.15 CA$15.77

$11.46 CA$16.20

-2.71%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$18.49 CA$26.14

$13.39 CA$18.92

38.09%

Apples (1kg)

$4.68 CA$6.62

$3.14 CA$4.43

49.04%

Banana (1kg)

$1.33 CA$1.88

$1.44 CA$2.03

-7.64%

Oranges (1kg)

$4.30 CA$6.08

$3.47 CA$4.91

23.92%

Tomato (1kg)

$3.89 CA$5.50

$3.07 CA$4.34

26.71%

Potato (1kg)

$2.68 CA$3.79

$1.90 CA$2.69

41.05%

Onion (1kg)

$2.74 CA$3.87

$1.77 CA$2.50

54.80%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.50 CA$3.54

$2.34 CA$3.31

6.84%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.83 CA$2.59

$1.55 CA$2.19

18.06%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$14.19 CA$20.05

$11.38 CA$16.09

24.69%

Wine (Bottle)

$11.12 CA$15.73

$10.63 CA$15.03

4.61%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$3.43 CA$4.85

$2.27 CA$3.21

51.10%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.12 CA$4.41

$2.82 CA$3.99

10.64%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.16 CA$3.05

$2.66 CA$3.76

-18.80%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$173 CA$244

$77.3 CA$109

123.22%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.24 CA$4.58

$3.20 CA$4.53

1.25%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.31 CA$1.85

$1.48 CA$2.09

-11.49%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$20.91 CA$29.56

$32.88 CA$46.48

-36.41%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.16 CA$1.63

$1.34 CA$1.90

-13.43%

Midsize Hatchback 1.4l (Volkswagen Golf, Toyota Prius, Honda Civic, etc)

$27.3K CA$38.6K

$28.2K CA$39.8K

-2.99%

Compact Sedan 1.6l (Toyota Corolla, Mazda3, Kia K4, Hyundai Elantra, etc)

$19.2K CA$27.1K

$19.6K CA$27.8K

-2.24%

Utilities for 2 People in 2-bedroom Apartment (Heating, Electricity, Gas, Water, Garbage) (85m2)

$216 CA$305

$76.0 CA$107

184.44%

SIM Card Monthly Plan (Calls and 10GB+ Data)

$42.79 CA$60.5

$33.95 CA$48.00

26.04%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$54.6 CA$77.1

$42.31 CA$59.8

28.98%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$83.6 CA$118

$29.76 CA$42.07

180.85%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$35.63 CA$50.4

$20.28 CA$28.67

75.69%

Cinema Ticket

$13.79 CA$19.49

$11.15 CA$15.77

23.68%

Preschool or Kindergarten, Full Day, Private, 1 Child (Monthly)

$744 CA$1,051

$507 CA$717

46.63%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$9,529 CA$13.5K

$16.1K CA$22.7K

-40.63%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$43.04 CA$60.9

$57.6 CA$81.4

-25.21%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$42.23 CA$59.7

$37.58 CA$53.1

12.37%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$84.4 CA$119

$91.9 CA$130

-8.12%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$110 CA$155

0.19%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,278 CA$1,807

$1,260 CA$1,782

1.43%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,113 CA$1,574

$948 CA$1,340

17.49%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,719 CA$2,431

$2,137 CA$3,021

-19.54%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,660 CA$2,347

$1,614 CA$2,281

2.86%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$6,071 CA$8,582

$4,960 CA$7,011

22.40%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$5,996 CA$8,477

$3,838 CA$5,425

56.25%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$2,892 CA$4,088

$2,827 CA$3,997

2.28%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

4.32

4.48

-3.57%

CityCost data is based on AI and user input – minor inaccuracies may occur.

Last update for Airdrie: October 10, 2026

Last update for Montreal: October 12, 2026

Monthly budget structure

Share of the monthly basket for one person, rent included.

Accommodation & Living

Airdrie

$1.1K 44.1%

Montreal

$948 47% 14.9% $166

Groceries & Markets

Airdrie

$379 15%

Montreal

$346 17.2% 8.5% $32

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Airdrie

$313 12.4%

Montreal

$152 7.5% 51.4% $161

Eating Out

Airdrie

$291 11.5%

Montreal

$288 14.3% 1.1% $3.2

Getting Around

Airdrie

$191 7.6%

Montreal

$99 4.9% 48.4% $92

Clothing & Footwear

Airdrie

$126 5%

Montreal

$133 6.6% 6.1% $7.7

Sport & Entertainment

Airdrie

$111 4.4%

Montreal

$52 2.6% 53.2% $59

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $1,278 in Airdrie versus $1,260 in Montreal. Rent is usually the largest line item in a monthly budget, so the gap here sets the tone for the overall comparison.

Salaries run about 2% higher in Airdrie, which partly offsets the higher cost of living there. Purchasing power depends on which expenses matter most to you.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $75.0 in Airdrie versus $70.0 in Montreal. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $379 vs $346 – making Montreal the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇨🇦 Airdrie

🇨🇦 Montreal

🕒 Local time

10:17 10:17 AM

12:17 12:17 PM

2 h ahead of Airdrie

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

54,891

1,762,949

💱 Currency

Canadian Dollar CAD $

📈 Exchange rate

1 CAD = 0.707 USD

1 CAD = 0.629 EUR

1 CAD = 0.707 USD

1 CAD = 0.629 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

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Between locations

Airdrie Montreal 3,010 km ≈ 4 h 15 min nonstop flight

From you

Airdrie
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Distances are measured in a straight line. Your location is detected approximately.

City Median Internet Speeds Comparison (Updated April 2026)

The chart highlights the Precision Threshold for mobile and fixed broadband internet speeds, updated quarterly.

Digital Nomad Cost of Living Index

Airdrie vs Montreal: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Monthly costs with rent: $2,524 in Airdrie, $2,018 in Montreal – roughly 25% apart. Outside of rent, the biggest gap is in transport.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $3,786 per month in Airdrie and $3,027 in Montreal. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

Rent is clearly cheaper in Montreal, especially for central apartments. Housing is actually the single biggest factor behind the overall cost gap between these two cities.

Monthly expenses with rent come to $2,524 in Airdrie and $2,018 in Montreal. That's a gap of about 25%.

Public transport costs about 123% less in Montreal. For daily commuters, that gap adds up to noticeable savings over a year.

A $2,000 monthly budget goes further in Montreal, where all-in costs run around $2,018, than in Airdrie at $2,524. In Montreal it covers expenses comfortably, while in Airdrie it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.

It depends on your priorities. Montreal has an edge in some lifestyle areas, with costs from $2,018 in Montreal to $2,524 in Airdrie. Climate, culture, job market, and personal taste all factor in.

Both have safer and rougher neighborhoods, but overall safety is comparable to other large cities. Neighborhood choice matters more than the city-level comparison – central, well-trafficked areas feel secure in both.

If budget matters most, go with Montreal. If higher salaries, better infrastructure, or specific career opportunities are the priority, Airdrie makes more sense. Both are solid long-term options with distinct trade-offs.