Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Alert and Montreal

For one person, living is cheaper in Montreal: $2,059 a month against $2,220 in Alert, rent and utilities included – about $1,900 less a year. Higher rent and utilities in Alert outweigh lower spending on other living expenses.

108

Cost of Living Index in Alert
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Alert Living Index
99

Cost of Living Index in Montreal
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Montreal Living Index

Jump to prices

Alert

🇨🇦 Canada

$2,220

/mo nomad

Montreal

🇨🇦 Canada

$2,059

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

A single person spends $2,220 per month in Alert vs $2,059 in Montreal, rent included.

Alert $2,220
Montreal $2,059

A couple spends around $3,195 per month in Alert vs $3,123 in Montreal, rent included.

Alert $3,195
Montreal $3,123

A family of three spends $4,171 per month in Alert vs $4,187 in Montreal, rent included.

Alert $4,171
Montreal $4,187

Alert costs about 8% more than Montreal, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

Both Alert and Montreal sit above the global median – Alert by 64%, Montreal by 52%.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$17.69 CA$25.01

$18.84 CA$26.63

-6.10%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$65.0 CA$91.9

$73.2 CA$104

-11.24%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$10.53 CA$14.89

$10.54 CA$14.90

-0.09%

Cappuccino

$3.51 CA$4.96

$3.97 CA$5.61

-11.59%

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

$2.01 CA$2.84

$1.94 CA$2.74

3.61%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.56 CA$2.20

$1.57 CA$2.22

-0.64%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$5.34 CA$7.54

$6.42 CA$9.08

-16.82%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$5.58 CA$7.89

$7.20 CA$10.19

-22.50%

Milk (1 liter)

$2.05 CA$2.89

$2.32 CA$3.28

-11.64%

White Bread (500g)

$2.45 CA$3.46

$3.19 CA$4.51

-23.20%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$3.29 CA$4.64

$3.19 CA$4.50

3.13%

Eggs

$3.42 CA$4.84

$3.68 CA$5.20

-7.07%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$9.50 CA$13.43

$13.24 CA$18.72

-28.25%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$11.41 CA$16.13

$11.69 CA$16.53

-2.40%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$14.63 CA$20.68

$13.98 CA$19.76

4.65%

Apples (1kg)

$3.85 CA$5.44

$3.14 CA$4.44

22.61%

Banana (1kg)

$1.27 CA$1.79

$1.45 CA$2.05

-12.41%

Oranges (1kg)

$3.69 CA$5.22

$3.38 CA$4.78

9.17%

Tomato (1kg)

$3.71 CA$5.25

$3.11 CA$4.40

19.29%

Potato (1kg)

$2.44 CA$3.45

$1.93 CA$2.72

26.42%

Onion (1kg)

$2.24 CA$3.17

$1.83 CA$2.58

22.40%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.36 CA$3.34

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.55 CA$2.19

$1.50 CA$2.12

3.33%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$14.25 CA$20.14

$11.12 CA$15.73

28.15%

Wine (Bottle)

$12.40 CA$17.53

$10.60 CA$14.98

16.98%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.61 CA$3.69

$2.22 CA$3.14

17.57%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.96 CA$4.19

$2.84 CA$4.01

4.23%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.25 CA$3.18

$2.62 CA$3.71

-14.12%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$61.2 CA$86.5

$79.1 CA$112

-22.73%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$2.88 CA$4.07

$3.23 CA$4.56

-10.84%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.43 CA$2.02

$1.48 CA$2.10

-3.38%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$22.87 CA$32.33

$32.22 CA$45.55

-29.02%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.17 CA$1.66

$1.36 CA$1.92

-13.97%

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

$27.3K CA$38.6K

$27.6K CA$39.1K

-1.36%

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

$19.3K CA$27.3K

$21.2K CA$30.0K

-8.74%

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

$132 CA$186

$77.0 CA$109

71.16%

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

$37.42 CA$52.9

$34.14 CA$48.26

9.61%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$54.2 CA$76.7

$42.19 CA$59.7

28.54%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$40.55 CA$57.3

$30.81 CA$43.56

31.61%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$17.87 CA$25.26

$19.66 CA$27.79

-9.10%

Cinema Ticket

$11.20 CA$15.84

$11.47 CA$16.22

-2.35%

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

$752 CA$1,063

$506 CA$716

48.58%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$13.2K CA$18.7K

$16.2K CA$23.0K

-18.70%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$53.0 CA$74.9

$57.3 CA$81.0

-7.44%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$38.42 CA$54.3

$38.10 CA$53.9

0.84%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$83.8 CA$118

$91.9 CA$130

-8.88%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$103 CA$145

$110 CA$155

-6.42%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,220 CA$1,725

$1,237 CA$1,748

-1.32%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,116 CA$1,577

$977 CA$1,381

14.24%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,940 CA$2,743

$2,180 CA$3,082

-11.01%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,667 CA$2,357

$1,608 CA$2,273

3.70%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$4,131 CA$5,840

$5,113 CA$7,228

-19.21%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$3,514 CA$4,968

$3,744 CA$5,293

-6.14%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$2,957 CA$4,180

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

4.66

4.48

4.02%

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

Last update for Alert: October 17, 2026

Last update for Montreal: October 20, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Alert

$1.1K 50.3%

Montreal

$977 47.4% 12.5% $139

Groceries & Markets

Alert

$345 15.5%

Montreal

$351 17.1% 1.8% $6.1

Eating Out

Alert

$267 12%

Montreal

$290 14.1% 8.7% $23

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Alert

$224 10.1%

Montreal

$153 7.5% 31.4% $70

Clothing & Footwear

Alert

$125 5.6%

Montreal

$134 6.5% 6.9% $8.6

Getting Around

Alert

$80 3.6%

Montreal

$100 4.9% 25.1% $20

Sport & Entertainment

Alert

$63 2.8%

Montreal

$54 2.6% 14.6% $9.2

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $1,220 in Alert versus $1,237 in Montreal. Rent is usually the largest line item in a monthly budget, so the gap here sets the tone for the overall comparison.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $65.0 in Alert versus $73.0 in Montreal. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $345 vs $351 – making Alert the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇨🇦 Alert

🇨🇦 Montreal

🕒 Local time

08:33 8:33 AM

Same time as Alert

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

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

On the map

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Between locations

Alert Montreal 4,130 km ≈ 6 h nonstop flight

From you

Alert
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

Alert vs Montreal: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Monthly costs with rent: $2,220 in Alert, $2,059 in Montreal – roughly 8% apart. Outside of rent, the biggest gap is in eating out.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $3,330 per month in Alert and $3,089 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 2% 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 $65.0 in Alert and $73.0 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 $2,059, than in Alert at $2,220. 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 $2,059 in Montreal to $2,220 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.