Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Ajax, ON and Montreal

For one person, living is cheaper in Montreal: $2,064 a month against $2,515 in Ajax, ON, rent and utilities included – about $5,400 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

122

Cost of Living Index in Ajax, ON
Learn more

Ajax, ON Living Index
99

Cost of Living Index in Montreal
Learn more

Montreal Living Index

Jump to prices

Ajax, ON

🇨🇦 Canada

$2,515

/mo nomad

Montreal

🇨🇦 Canada

$2,064

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Ajax, ON 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 Ajax, ON and in Montreal actually costs, broken down by who's living it.

A single person spends $2,515 per month in Ajax, ON vs $2,064 in Montreal, rent included.

Ajax, ON $2,515
Montreal $2,064

A couple spends around $3,611 per month in Ajax, ON vs $3,156 in Montreal, rent included.

Ajax, ON $3,611
Montreal $3,156

A family of three spends $4,707 per month in Ajax, ON vs $4,247 in Montreal, rent included.

Ajax, ON $4,707
Montreal $4,247

Ajax, ON costs about 22% more than Montreal, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Both Ajax, ON and Montreal sit above the global median – Ajax, ON by 85%, Montreal by 52%.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$18.19 CA$25.53

$18.98 CA$26.64

-4.16%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$53.8 CA$75.5

$73.0 CA$102

-26.27%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$10.50 CA$14.73

$10.88 CA$15.27

-3.49%

Cappuccino

$3.76 CA$5.28

$3.81 CA$5.35

-1.31%

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

$1.83 CA$2.56

$1.94 CA$2.72

-5.67%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.52 CA$2.13

$1.58 CA$2.22

-3.80%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.52 CA$4.93

$6.37 CA$8.94

-44.74%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$5.62 CA$7.89

$7.26 CA$10.20

-22.59%

Milk (1 liter)

$2.02 CA$2.83

$2.23 CA$3.13

-9.42%

White Bread (500g)

$2.99 CA$4.20

$3.17 CA$4.45

-5.68%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$3.41 CA$4.79

$3.31 CA$4.64

3.02%

Eggs

$3.87 CA$5.43

$3.63 CA$5.09

6.61%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$10.56 CA$14.81

$13.16 CA$18.47

-19.76%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$11.77 CA$16.52

$11.56 CA$16.22

1.82%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$17.12 CA$24.02

$13.71 CA$19.25

24.87%

Apples (1kg)

$4.14 CA$5.81

$3.29 CA$4.62

25.84%

Banana (1kg)

$1.73 CA$2.43

$1.46 CA$2.05

18.49%

Oranges (1kg)

$3.15 CA$4.42

$3.37 CA$4.73

-6.53%

Tomato (1kg)

$3.37 CA$4.73

$3.15 CA$4.42

6.98%

Potato (1kg)

$2.31 CA$3.24

$1.89 CA$2.65

22.22%

Onion (1kg)

$2.46 CA$3.46

$1.79 CA$2.52

37.43%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.20 CA$3.09

$2.47 CA$3.47

-10.93%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.94 CA$2.72

$1.58 CA$2.22

22.78%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$14.11 CA$19.81

$11.28 CA$15.84

25.09%

Wine (Bottle)

$13.79 CA$19.35

$10.49 CA$14.73

31.46%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.12 CA$2.98

$2.34 CA$3.28

-9.40%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.55 CA$3.58

$2.91 CA$4.09

-12.37%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.47 CA$3.47

$2.61 CA$3.66

-5.36%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$86.5 CA$121

$79.1 CA$111

9.29%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.38 CA$4.75

$3.26 CA$4.57

3.68%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.44 CA$2.02

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$24.55 CA$34.45

$33.43 CA$46.92

-26.56%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.18 CA$1.66

$1.33 CA$1.87

-11.28%

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

$28.2K CA$39.5K

$28.6K CA$40.2K

-1.68%

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

$21.8K CA$30.6K

$21.1K CA$29.6K

3.18%

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

$128 CA$179

$80.1 CA$112

59.58%

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

$29.35 CA$41.18

$34.30 CA$48.14

-14.43%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$58.9 CA$82.6

$42.85 CA$60.1

37.36%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$33.96 CA$47.66

$31.14 CA$43.71

9.06%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$10.73 CA$15.06

$19.41 CA$27.24

-44.72%

Cinema Ticket

$10.33 CA$14.50

$11.23 CA$15.76

-8.01%

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

$522 CA$732

$525 CA$737

-0.62%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$16.7K CA$23.5K

$16.3K CA$22.9K

2.49%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$51.9 CA$72.9

$58.0 CA$81.4

-10.48%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$51.8 CA$72.8

$38.11 CA$53.5

36.03%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$94.9 CA$133

$93.4 CA$131

1.58%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$107 CA$151

$110 CA$155

-2.54%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,510 CA$2,119

$1,285 CA$1,803

17.49%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,374 CA$1,928

$977 CA$1,371

40.70%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,351 CA$3,299

$2,271 CA$3,187

3.53%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,173 CA$3,050

$1,665 CA$2,336

30.55%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$5,139 CA$7,212

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$3,834 CA$5,381

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$3,081 CA$4,323

$3,002 CA$4,213

2.61%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

4.8

4.48

7.14%

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

Last update for Ajax, ON: October 27, 2026

Last update for Montreal: October 25, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Ajax, ON

$1.4K 54.6%

Montreal

$977 47.3% 28.9% $397

Groceries & Markets

Ajax, ON

$369 14.7%

Montreal

$351 17% 4.8% $18

Eating Out

Ajax, ON

$264 10.5%

Montreal

$291 14.1% 10% $26

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Ajax, ON

$216 8.6%

Montreal

$157 7.6% 27.2% $59

Clothing & Footwear

Ajax, ON

$138 5.5%

Montreal

$135 6.5% 2.1% $2.8

Getting Around

Ajax, ON

$100 * 4%

Montreal

$100 4.9% 0.3% $0.3

Sport & Entertainment

Ajax, ON

$55 2.2%

Montreal

$54 2.6% 1.9% $1

Categories marked with * are only partly priced – their share counts the items that do have prices.

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $1,510 in Ajax, ON versus $1,285 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 3% higher in Ajax, ON, 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 $54 in Ajax, ON versus $73 in Montreal. Groceries tell a different story – $369 in Ajax, ON vs $351 in Montreal – so Montreal wins on supermarket bills even if dining out costs more.

Good to know

🇨🇦 Ajax, ON

🇨🇦 Montreal

🕒 Local time

18:14 6:14 PM

Same time as Ajax, ON

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

119,677

1,762,949

💱 Currency

Canadian Dollar CAD $

📈 Exchange rate

1 CAD = 0.713 USD

1 CAD = 0.64 EUR

1 CAD = 0.713 USD

1 CAD = 0.64 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

On the map

Lowest

Highest

Between locations

Ajax, ON Montreal 470 km

From you

Ajax, ON
Montreal

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

Ajax, ON vs Montreal: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Yes – Ajax, ON is pricier by about 22%, and outside of rent the gap shows up most in groceries.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $3,773 per month in Ajax, ON and $3,096 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: a one-bedroom in the center costs $1,285 there versus $1,510 in Ajax, ON.

Monthly expenses with rent come to $2,515 in Ajax, ON and $2,064 in Montreal. That makes Montreal about 18% cheaper.

Public transport costs about 8% less in Montreal. For daily commuters, that gap adds up to noticeable savings over a year.

$2,000 is a stretch for both – monthly costs hit $2,515 in Ajax, ON and $2,064 in Montreal. You’ll need shared housing and careful budgeting no matter which city you pick.

It depends on your priorities. Montreal has an edge in some lifestyle areas, with costs from $2,064 in Montreal to $2,515 in Ajax, ON. Climate, culture, job market, and personal taste all factor in.

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