Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Arviat and Montreal

For one person, living is cheaper in Montreal: $2,059 a month against $2,200 in Arviat, rent and utilities included – about $1,700 less a year. Higher rent and utilities in Arviat outweigh lower spending on other living expenses.

Arviat
🇨🇦 Canada
$2,200
/mo nomad
Montreal
🇨🇦 Canada
$2,059
/mo nomad
Monthly Cost of Living

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $2,200 in Arviat versus $2,059 in Montreal.

  • Arviat $2,200
  • Montreal $2,059

Estimated couple costs with rent: $3,190 in Arviat versus $3,123 in Montreal.

  • Arviat $3,190
  • Montreal $3,123

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $4,180 in Arviat versus $4,187 in Montreal.

  • Arviat $4,180
  • Montreal $4,187

Living in Arviat is roughly 7% more expensive than in Montreal, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Arviat 62% above, Montreal 52% above.

Currency
🍽 Eating Out
Arviat
Montreal
Difference
Meal at Budget Restaurant
$17.16 CA$24.25
$18.84 CA$26.63
-8.92%
Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range
$64.5 CA$91.2
$73.2 CA$104
-11.90%
Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)
$10.37 CA$14.66
$10.54 CA$14.90
-1.61%
Cappuccino
$3.69 CA$5.22
$3.97 CA$5.61
-7.05%
Coke/Pepsi/Fanta/Sprite (0.33 liter bottle)
$2.02 CA$2.86
$1.94 CA$2.74
4.12%
Water (0.33 liter bottle)
$1.56 CA$2.21
$1.57 CA$2.22
-0.64%
Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)
$5.17 CA$7.31
$6.42 CA$9.08
-19.47%
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$5.76 CA$8.15
$7.20 CA$10.19
-20.00%
🛒 Groceries & Markets
Arviat
Montreal
Difference
Milk (1 liter)
$2.01 CA$2.85
$2.32 CA$3.28
-13.36%
White Bread (500g)
$2.42 CA$3.42
$3.19 CA$4.51
-24.14%
Rice (white) (1kg)
$3.28 CA$4.64
$3.19 CA$4.50
2.82%
Eggs
$3.34 CA$4.72
$3.68 CA$5.20
-9.24%
Local Cheese (1kg)
$9.60 CA$13.57
$13.24 CA$18.72
-27.49%
Chicken Fillets (1kg)
$11.40 CA$16.12
$11.69 CA$16.53
-2.48%
Beef Round Steak (1kg)
$14.37 CA$20.32
$13.98 CA$19.76
2.79%
Apples (1kg)
$3.65 CA$5.16
$3.14 CA$4.44
16.24%
Banana (1kg)
$1.27 CA$1.79
$1.45 CA$2.05
-12.41%
Oranges (1kg)
$3.58 CA$5.06
$3.38 CA$4.78
5.92%
Tomato (1kg)
$3.65 CA$5.16
$3.11 CA$4.40
17.36%
Potato (1kg)
$2.50 CA$3.53
$1.93 CA$2.72
29.53%
Onion (1kg)
$2.23 CA$3.16
$1.83 CA$2.58
21.86%
Lettuce (1 head)
$2.46 CA$3.48
$2.36 CA$3.34
4.24%
Water (1.5 liter bottle)
$1.57 CA$2.22
$1.50 CA$2.12
4.67%
Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)
$14.23 CA$20.12
$11.12 CA$15.73
27.97%
Wine (Bottle)
$12.45 CA$17.60
$10.60 CA$14.98
17.45%
Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)
$2.55 CA$3.61
$2.22 CA$3.14
14.86%
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$2.98 CA$4.21
$2.84 CA$4.01
4.93%
🚌 Getting Around
Arviat
Montreal
Difference
One-way Ticket (Public Transport)
$2.34 CA$3.31
$2.62 CA$3.71
-10.69%
Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)
$62.4 CA$88.3
$79.1 CA$112
-21.11%
Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)
$2.95 CA$4.17
$3.23 CA$4.56
-8.67%
Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)
$1.43 CA$2.02
$1.48 CA$2.10
-3.38%
Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)
$22.51 CA$31.82
$32.22 CA$45.55
-30.14%
Gasoline (1 liter)
$1.13 CA$1.60
$1.36 CA$1.92
-16.91%
Midsize Hatchback 1.4l (Volkswagen Golf, Toyota Prius, Honda Civic, etc)
$27.4K CA$38.8K
$27.6K CA$39.1K
-0.80%
Compact Sedan 1.6l (Toyota Corolla, Mazda3, Kia K4, Hyundai Elantra, etc)
$18.7K CA$26.4K
$21.2K CA$30.0K
-11.79%
🧾 Monthly Utilities & Internet
Arviat
Montreal
Difference
Utilities for 2 People in 2-bedroom Apartment (Heating, Electricity, Gas, Water, Garbage) (85m2)
$132 CA$186
$77.0 CA$109
71.18%
SIM Card Monthly Plan (Calls and 10GB+ Data)
$38.55 CA$54.5
$34.14 CA$48.26
12.92%
Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)
$54.2 CA$76.6
$42.19 CA$59.7
28.42%
🎉 Sport & Entertainment
Arviat
Montreal
Difference
Gym Membership (Monthly)
$39.67 CA$56.1
$30.81 CA$43.56
28.76%
Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)
$17.88 CA$25.27
$19.66 CA$27.79
-9.05%
Cinema Ticket
$11.15 CA$15.77
$11.47 CA$16.22
-2.79%
🧸 Childcare & Education
Arviat
Montreal
Difference
Preschool or Kindergarten, Full Day, Private, 1 Child (Monthly)
$734 CA$1,037
$506 CA$716
44.93%
International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)
$12.9K CA$18.2K
$16.2K CA$23.0K
-20.58%
👕👟 Clothing & Footwear
Arviat
Montreal
Difference
Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)
$51.8 CA$73.3
$57.3 CA$81.0
-9.50%
Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)
$38.19 CA$54.0
$38.10 CA$53.9
0.24%
Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)
$83.2 CA$118
$91.9 CA$130
-9.49%
Men's Leather Business Shoes
$101 CA$143
$110 CA$155
-7.74%
🏠 Accommodation & Living
Arviat
Montreal
Difference
1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$1,261 CA$1,783
$1,237 CA$1,748
1.98%
1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$1,101 CA$1,557
$977 CA$1,381
12.77%
3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$1,962 CA$2,774
$2,180 CA$3,082
-10.00%
3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$1,692 CA$2,391
$1,608 CA$2,273
5.20%
Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)
$4,168 CA$5,892
$5,113 CA$7,228
-18.49%
Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)
$3,518 CA$4,974
$3,744 CA$5,293
-6.04%
💵 Salaries & Financials
Arviat
Montreal
Difference
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 Arviat: 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
Arviat
$1.1K
Montreal
$977 11.3% $125
Groceries & Markets
Arviat
$342
Montreal
$351 2.5% $8.6
Eating Out
Arviat
$264
Montreal
$290 9.9% $26
Monthly Utilities & Internet
Arviat
$225
Montreal
$153 31.7% $71
Clothing & Footwear
Arviat
$124
Montreal
$134 8.2% $10
Getting Around
Arviat
$82
Montreal
$100 22.5% $18
Sport & Entertainment
Arviat
$62
Montreal
$54 13.3% $8.2

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,261 in Arviat and $1,237 in Montreal. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Dining out: $65.0 in Arviat vs $73.0 in Montreal for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $342 vs $351 per month, with Arviat cheaper across the board.

Good to know
🇨🇦 Arviat
🇨🇦 Montreal
🕒 Local time
07:36 7:36 AM
08:36 8:36 AM
1 h ahead of Arviat
🌤 Weather
👥 Population
2,800
1,762,949
💱 Currency
Exchange rates and currency converter

USD, EUR to CAD – Canadian Dollar Converter

Canadian Dollar exchange rates as of October 21, 2026: 1 USD = 1.41 CAD (1 CAD = 0.707 USD). 1 EUR = 1.59 CAD (1 CAD = 0.629 EUR).

On the map
Between locations
  • Arviat Montreal 2,190 km ≈ 3 h 15 min nonstop flight
From you
  • Arviat
  • 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
Arviat vs Montreal: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions
What is the total cost difference between living in Arviat and in Montreal?
Arviat and Montreal differ by about 7% in total monthly costs ($2,200 vs $2,059 including rent). Montreal is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.
What salary covers living expenses in Arviat compared to Montreal?
You'd need roughly $3,300 in Arviat and $3,089 in Montreal to live well. The gap comes down to housing and overall price levels. Both cities are liveable on less, but these numbers represent actual comfort.
How do apartment prices compare in Arviat and in Montreal?
Rent for a central apartment: $1,261 in Arviat versus $1,237 in Montreal. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.
What is the difference in childcare costs between Arviat and Montreal?
Childcare runs $734 in Arviat versus $506 in Montreal. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.
Which city has cheaper grocery shopping?
Shoppers in Arviat pay roughly 3% less for everyday groceries. It's an unusual reversal that partly offsets higher costs elsewhere.
Which city is more doable on $2,000 per month?
At $2,059 in Montreal versus $2,200 in Arviat, a $2,000 budget is realistic in Montreal but tight or insufficient in Arviat. The gap between the two cities makes Montreal the clear choice for anyone on this budget.
How does quality of life compare between Arviat and Montreal?
Both cities offer a good standard of living with different trade-offs. Neither is objectively better – the right pick depends on what matters most: affordability, career, cultural scene, or climate.
Is Arviat or Montreal safer for residents?
Safety-wise, Arviat and Montreal are on par. Petty crime is typical for cities this size, and most residents feel comfortable going about their daily routines in either place.
Where should expats move: Arviat or Montreal?
Expats usually find Montreal gentler on the wallet – expenses run 7% less than in Arviat. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.

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