Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Alliston and Montreal

For one person, living costs are similar in Alliston and in Montreal: $2,109 and $2,059 a month, rent and utilities included.

103

Cost of Living Index in Alliston
Learn more

Alliston Living Index
99

Cost of Living Index in Montreal
Learn more

Montreal Living Index

Jump to prices

Alliston

🇨🇦 Canada

$2,109

/mo nomad

Montreal

🇨🇦 Canada

$2,059

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

A single person spends $2,109 per month in Alliston vs $2,059 in Montreal, rent included.

Alliston $2,109
Montreal $2,059

A couple spends around $3,308 per month in Alliston vs $3,123 in Montreal, rent included.

Alliston $3,308
Montreal $3,123

A family of three spends $4,507 per month in Alliston vs $4,187 in Montreal, rent included.

Alliston $4,507
Montreal $4,187

Alliston costs about 2% more than Montreal, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Both Alliston and Montreal sit above the global median – Alliston by 56%, Montreal by 52%.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$17.62 CA$24.91

$18.84 CA$26.63

-6.48%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$78.0 CA$110

$73.2 CA$104

6.51%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$10.64 CA$15.04

$10.54 CA$14.90

0.95%

Cappuccino

$1.43 CA$2.02

$3.97 CA$5.61

-63.98%

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

$2.10 CA$2.97

$1.94 CA$2.74

8.25%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.67 CA$2.35

$1.57 CA$2.22

6.37%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$6.46 CA$9.13

$6.42 CA$9.08

0.62%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$6.81 CA$9.63

$7.20 CA$10.19

-5.42%

Milk (1 liter)

$2.53 CA$3.58

$2.32 CA$3.28

9.05%

White Bread (500g)

$2.62 CA$3.70

$3.19 CA$4.51

-17.87%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.16 CA$3.05

$3.19 CA$4.50

-32.29%

Eggs

$3.04 CA$4.29

$3.68 CA$5.20

-17.39%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$9.32 CA$13.18

$13.24 CA$18.72

-29.61%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$11.30 CA$15.98

$11.69 CA$16.53

-3.34%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$7.07 CA$9.99

$13.98 CA$19.76

-49.43%

Apples (1kg)

$3.59 CA$5.08

$3.14 CA$4.44

14.33%

Banana (1kg)

$1.16 CA$1.64

$1.45 CA$2.05

-20.00%

Oranges (1kg)

$3.44 CA$4.86

$3.38 CA$4.78

1.78%

Tomato (1kg)

$3.88 CA$5.49

$3.11 CA$4.40

24.76%

Potato (1kg)

$1.83 CA$2.58

$1.93 CA$2.72

-5.18%

Onion (1kg)

$1.61 CA$2.27

$1.83 CA$2.58

-12.02%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.28 CA$3.22

$2.36 CA$3.34

-3.39%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.71 CA$1.00

$1.50 CA$2.12

-52.67%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$13.89 CA$19.64

$11.12 CA$15.73

24.91%

Wine (Bottle)

$6.96 CA$9.83

$10.60 CA$14.98

-34.34%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.19 CA$3.09

$2.22 CA$3.14

-1.35%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.43 CA$3.44

$2.84 CA$4.01

-14.44%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.25 CA$3.18

$2.62 CA$3.71

-14.12%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$61.5 CA$86.9

$79.1 CA$112

-22.31%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$2.94 CA$4.15

$3.23 CA$4.56

-8.98%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.22 CA$1.72

$1.48 CA$2.10

-17.57%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$21.57 CA$30.50

$32.22 CA$45.55

-33.05%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$0.96 CA$1.36

$1.36 CA$1.92

-29.41%

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

$27.7K CA$39.2K

$27.6K CA$39.1K

0.26%

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

$19.9K CA$28.2K

$21.2K CA$30.0K

-6.02%

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

$120 CA$170

$77.0 CA$109

56.05%

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

$28.09 CA$39.71

$34.14 CA$48.26

-17.72%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$48.40 CA$68.4

$42.19 CA$59.7

14.72%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$25.52 CA$36.07

$30.81 CA$43.56

-17.17%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$17.69 CA$25.00

$19.66 CA$27.79

-10.02%

Cinema Ticket

$11.24 CA$15.89

$11.47 CA$16.22

-2.01%

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

$811 CA$1,146

$506 CA$716

60.20%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$23.6K CA$33.3K

$16.2K CA$23.0K

45.23%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$50.9 CA$71.9

$57.3 CA$81.0

-11.16%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$39.78 CA$56.2

$38.10 CA$53.9

4.41%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$99.1 CA$140

$91.9 CA$130

7.83%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$122 CA$172

$110 CA$155

11.06%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,234 CA$1,744

$1,237 CA$1,748

-0.25%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,101 CA$1,557

$977 CA$1,381

12.73%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,934 CA$2,734

$2,180 CA$3,082

-11.29%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,122 CA$2,999

$1,608 CA$2,273

31.94%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$4,176 CA$5,904

$5,113 CA$7,228

-18.33%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$3,581 CA$5,063

$3,744 CA$5,293

-4.36%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,837 CA$2,597

$2,957 CA$4,180

-37.87%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

4.47

4.48

-0.22%

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

Last update for Alliston: October 18, 2026

Last update for Montreal: October 20, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Alliston

$1.1K 52.2%

Montreal

$977 47.4% 11.3% $124

Groceries & Markets

Alliston

$292 13.9%

Montreal

$351 17.1% 20.2% $59

Eating Out

Alliston

$251 11.9%

Montreal

$290 14.1% 15.7% $40

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Alliston

$197 9.3%

Montreal

$153 7.5% 22% $43

Clothing & Footwear

Alliston

$140 6.7%

Montreal

$134 6.5% 4.7% $6.6

Getting Around

Alliston

$80 3.8%

Montreal

$100 4.9% 26.1% $21

Sport & Entertainment

Alliston

$48 2.3%

Montreal

$54 2.6% 12% $5.8

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $1,234 in Alliston 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.

Salaries run about 61% higher in Montreal, which reinforces the cost advantage – you earn more and spend less. Purchasing power leans clearly in its favor.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $78.0 in Alliston versus $73.0 in Montreal. Groceries tell a different story – $292 in Alliston vs $351 in Montreal – so Alliston wins on supermarket bills even if dining out costs more.

Good to know

🇨🇦 Alliston

🇨🇦 Montreal

🕒 Local time

08:36 8:36 AM

Same time as Alliston

🌤 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

Lowest

Highest

Between locations

Alliston Montreal 520 km ≈ 1 h 15 min nonstop flight

From you

Alliston
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

Alliston vs Montreal: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Yes – Alliston is pricier by about 2%, and outside of rent the gap shows up most in groceries.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $3,163 per month in Alliston 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 20% cheaper in Alliston – 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 $78.0 in Alliston 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 Alliston at $2,109. In Montreal it covers expenses comfortably, while in Alliston it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.

Families tend to lean toward Montreal – lower housing and cheaper childcare make a real difference, especially on a single income or when paying for private education.

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, Alliston makes more sense. Both are solid long-term options with distinct trade-offs.