Cost of Living Comparison Between Alert and Montreal Cost of Living Comparison Between Alert and Montreal

Monthly Cost of Living

A single person spends $2,372 per month in Alert vs $2,065 in Montreal, rent included.

A couple spends around $3,387 per month in Alert vs $3,180 in Montreal, rent included.

A family of three spends $4,403 per month in Alert vs $4,296 in Montreal, rent included.

Alert costs about 15% more than Montreal, driven mainly by Groceries & Markets.

Both Alert and Montreal sit above the global median – Alert by 76%, Montreal by 53%.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$16.96 CA$23.24

$16.08 CA$22.03

5.47%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$70.9 CA$97.1

$73.8 CA$101

-3.94%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$11.00 CA$15.07

$10.91 CA$14.95

0.82%

Cappuccino

$3.75 CA$5.14

$3.67 CA$5.03

2.18%

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

$2.03 CA$2.78

$2.06 CA$2.83

-1.46%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.66 CA$2.27

$1.44 CA$1.97

15.28%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$5.41 CA$7.41

$6.21 CA$8.50

-12.88%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$5.98 CA$8.19

$6.44 CA$8.82

-7.14%

Milk (1 liter)

$2.10 CA$2.87

$2.34 CA$3.21

-10.26%

White Bread (500g)

$2.69 CA$3.69

$3.23 CA$4.42

-16.72%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$3.50 CA$4.80

$3.84 CA$5.26

-8.85%

Eggs

$3.51 CA$4.80

$3.32 CA$4.54

5.72%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$11.18 CA$15.32

$16.35 CA$22.40

-31.62%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$11.74 CA$16.09

$11.92 CA$16.33

-1.51%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$14.94 CA$20.47

$15.10 CA$20.69

-1.06%

Apples (1kg)

$4.16 CA$5.70

$3.68 CA$5.04

13.04%

Banana (1kg)

$1.35 CA$1.85

$1.69 CA$2.32

-20.12%

Oranges (1kg)

$3.71 CA$5.08

$4.12 CA$5.64

-9.95%

Tomato (1kg)

$3.87 CA$5.30

$4.29 CA$5.88

-9.79%

Potato (1kg)

$2.40 CA$3.29

$2.79 CA$3.82

-13.98%

Onion (1kg)

$2.54 CA$3.48

$2.70 CA$3.70

-5.93%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.63 CA$3.60

$2.17 CA$2.97

21.20%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.74 CA$2.38

$1.78 CA$2.44

-2.25%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$13.78 CA$18.87

$13.22 CA$18.12

4.24%

Wine (Bottle)

$13.02 CA$17.84

$11.04 CA$15.12

17.93%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.92 CA$4.00

$2.97 CA$4.07

-1.68%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.16 CA$4.33

$3.44 CA$4.71

-8.14%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.35 CA$3.21

$2.80 CA$3.84

-16.07%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$63.5 CA$87.0

$72.2 CA$98.9

-12.08%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.13 CA$4.28

$3.67 CA$5.03

-14.71%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.45 CA$1.99

$1.40 CA$1.92

3.57%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$26.04 CA$35.68

$34.07 CA$46.68

-23.57%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.17 CA$1.60

$1.21 CA$1.66

-3.31%

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

$25.4K CA$34.7K

$25.3K CA$34.7K

0.16%

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

$20.5K CA$28.1K

$21.9K CA$30.0K

-6.03%

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

$142 CA$195

$74.4 CA$102

91.51%

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

$43.49 CA$59.6

$36.64 CA$50.2

18.70%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$61.4 CA$84.1

$43.41 CA$59.5

41.33%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$41.09 CA$56.3

$43.20 CA$59.2

-4.88%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$17.18 CA$23.54

Cinema Ticket

$11.21 CA$15.36

$10.99 CA$15.06

2.00%

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

$744 CA$1,019

$614 CA$842

21.00%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$11.8K CA$16.1K

$5,855 CA$8,022

100.82%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$54.5 CA$74.7

$62.6 CA$85.8

-12.96%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$40.14 CA$55.0

$44.25 CA$60.6

-9.29%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$86.8 CA$119

$103 CA$142

-15.94%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$109 CA$150

$122 CA$167

-10.26%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,307 CA$1,791

$1,190 CA$1,631

9.85%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,198 CA$1,641

$946 CA$1,296

26.60%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,054 CA$2,815

$2,037 CA$2,791

0.84%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,833 CA$2,511

$1,548 CA$2,120

18.40%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$4,005 CA$5,487

$5,398 CA$7,395

-25.81%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$3,770 CA$5,165

$4,014 CA$5,499

-6.07%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$3,566 CA$4,885

$3,013 CA$4,128

18.35%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

6.46

5.01

28.94%

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

Last update for Alert: April 11, 2026

Last update for Montreal: April 11, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $1,307 in Alert versus $1,190 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 18% higher in Alert, 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 $71 in Alert versus $74 in Montreal. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $367 vs $392 – making Alert the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

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

Alert vs Montreal: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Monthly costs with rent: $2,372 in Alert, $2,065 in Montreal – roughly 15% apart. Alert costs more across the board, with Groceries & Markets showing the biggest gap.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $3,557 per month in Alert and $3,097 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.

Interestingly, groceries are about 7% cheaper in Alert – one category where the pricier city actually offers better value, probably thanks to stronger retail competition or local farming.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $71.0 in Alert and $74.0 in Montreal. That's a good indicator of the overall restaurant and café pricing gap between the two cities.

A $2,000 monthly budget goes further in Montreal, where all-in costs run around $2,065, than in Alert at $2,372. In Montreal it covers expenses comfortably, while in Alert 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 $2,065 in Montreal to $2,372 in Alert. 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, Alert makes more sense. Both are solid long-term options with distinct trade-offs.