Cost of Living Comparison Between Burnaby and Montreal Cost of Living Comparison Between Burnaby and Montreal

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $2,869 in Burnaby versus $2,108 in Montreal.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $4,015 in Burnaby versus $3,226 in Montreal.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $5,160 in Burnaby versus $4,344 in Montreal.

Living in Burnaby is roughly 36% more expensive than in Montreal, driven mainly by Groceries & Markets.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Burnaby 108% above, Montreal 53% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$21.82 CA$30.27

$17.83 CA$24.73

22.38%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$87.5 CA$121

$73.6 CA$102

18.96%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$9.54 CA$13.24

$10.81 CA$15.00

-11.75%

Cappuccino

$4.81 CA$6.67

$3.92 CA$5.44

22.70%

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

$2.35 CA$3.27

$2.04 CA$2.84

15.20%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.80 CA$2.50

$1.52 CA$2.11

18.42%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$7.19 CA$9.98

$6.59 CA$9.14

9.10%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$6.10 CA$8.46

$7.14 CA$9.90

-14.57%

Milk (1 liter)

$2.40 CA$3.33

$2.37 CA$3.28

1.27%

White Bread (500g)

$2.92 CA$4.05

$3.23 CA$4.48

-9.60%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$3.60 CA$4.99

$2.95 CA$4.10

22.03%

Eggs

$3.30 CA$4.58

$3.69 CA$5.12

-10.57%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$14.34 CA$19.89

$13.65 CA$18.93

5.05%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$14.01 CA$19.43

$11.94 CA$16.56

17.34%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$25.31 CA$35.10

$14.07 CA$19.52

79.89%

Apples (1kg)

$4.56 CA$6.33

$3.61 CA$5.01

26.32%

Banana (1kg)

$1.30 CA$1.81

$1.55 CA$2.15

-16.13%

Oranges (1kg)

$4.65 CA$6.45

$3.29 CA$4.56

41.34%

Tomato (1kg)

$4.59 CA$6.36

$3.07 CA$4.26

49.51%

Potato (1kg)

$2.90 CA$4.02

$2.00 CA$2.78

45.00%

Onion (1kg)

$3.60 CA$4.99

$1.90 CA$2.64

89.47%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.83 CA$3.93

$2.64 CA$3.66

7.20%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$2.17 CA$3.01

$1.39 CA$1.93

56.12%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$14.60 CA$20.25

$11.80 CA$16.36

23.73%

Wine (Bottle)

$13.78 CA$19.11

$10.80 CA$14.98

27.59%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.10 CA$2.91

$2.37 CA$3.29

-11.39%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.38 CA$3.30

$2.90 CA$4.02

-17.93%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.46 CA$3.42

$2.74 CA$3.79

-10.22%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$80.9 CA$112

$77.1 CA$107

4.92%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$2.98 CA$4.13

$3.31 CA$4.59

-9.97%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.47 CA$2.04

$1.46 CA$2.02

0.68%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$26.88 CA$37.28

$32.98 CA$45.74

-18.50%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.33 CA$1.84

$1.31 CA$1.82

1.53%

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

$28.3K CA$39.2K

$28.7K CA$39.8K

-1.64%

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

$19.7K CA$27.3K

$20.4K CA$28.4K

-3.75%

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

$125 CA$173

$79.9 CA$111

56.02%

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

$44.12 CA$61.2

$34.79 CA$48.25

26.82%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$54.1 CA$75.0

$42.55 CA$59.0

27.12%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$31.15 CA$43.20

$29.20 CA$40.50

6.68%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$10.89 CA$15.11

$20.33 CA$28.20

-46.43%

Cinema Ticket

$14.55 CA$20.18

$11.48 CA$15.93

26.74%

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

$667 CA$925

$565 CA$784

18.01%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$16.6K CA$23.0K

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$53.3 CA$73.9

$60.2 CA$83.5

-11.46%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$52.5 CA$72.8

$41.87 CA$58.1

25.36%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$105 CA$146

$104 CA$144

1.46%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$80.1 CA$111

$113 CA$156

-28.88%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,690 CA$2,344

$1,294 CA$1,795

30.54%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,550 CA$2,149

$1,014 CA$1,407

52.80%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,476 CA$3,434

$2,271 CA$3,149

9.06%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,189 CA$3,036

$1,683 CA$2,334

30.04%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$6,866 CA$9,523

$5,156 CA$7,151

33.17%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$5,585 CA$7,746

$3,842 CA$5,328

45.37%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$3,162 CA$4,386

$3,032 CA$4,205

4.28%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

4.76

4.44

7.21%

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

Last update for Burnaby: September 7, 2026

Last update for Montreal: September 6, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,690 in Burnaby and $1,294 in Montreal. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Burnaby pays 4% more on average. The extra income cushions the higher costs, though housing choices and lifestyle decide how much of the gap is truly closed.

Dining out: $88.0 in Burnaby vs $74.0 in Montreal for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $438 vs $358 per month, with Montreal cheaper across the board.

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

Burnaby vs Montreal: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Burnaby and Montreal differ by about 36% in total monthly costs ($2,869 vs $2,108 including rent). Montreal is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

Average pay runs 4% higher in Burnaby, which matters when comparing affordability. Whether that higher income actually nets you more depends on your spending habits and housing choices.

Rent for a central apartment: $1,690 in Burnaby versus $1,294 in Montreal. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $667 in Burnaby versus $565 in Montreal. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Supermarket bills run roughly 22% higher in Burnaby. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

At $2,108 in Montreal versus $2,869 in Burnaby, a $2,000 budget is realistic in Montreal but tight or insufficient in Burnaby. The gap between the two cities makes Montreal the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

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.

Safety-wise, Burnaby 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.

Expats usually find Montreal gentler on the wallet – expenses run 36% less than in Burnaby. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.