Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Burnaby and Montreal

For one person, living is cheaper in Montreal: $2,064 a month against $2,678 in Burnaby, rent and utilities included – about $7,400 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

128

Cost of Living Index in Burnaby
Learn more

Burnaby Living Index
99

Cost of Living Index in Montreal
Learn more

Montreal Living Index

Jump to prices

Burnaby

🇨🇦 Canada

$2,678

/mo nomad

Montreal

🇨🇦 Canada

$2,064

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $2,678 in Burnaby versus $2,064 in Montreal.

Burnaby $2,678
Montreal $2,064

Estimated couple costs with rent: $3,827 in Burnaby versus $3,156 in Montreal.

Burnaby $3,827
Montreal $3,156

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $4,976 in Burnaby versus $4,247 in Montreal.

Burnaby $4,976
Montreal $4,247

Living in Burnaby is roughly 30% more expensive than in Montreal, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Burnaby 97% above, Montreal 52% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$21.23 CA$29.79

$18.98 CA$26.64

11.85%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$86.5 CA$121

$73.0 CA$102

18.55%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$9.53 CA$13.37

$10.88 CA$15.27

-12.41%

Cappuccino

$4.67 CA$6.56

$3.81 CA$5.35

22.57%

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

$2.45 CA$3.44

$1.94 CA$2.72

26.29%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.80 CA$2.52

$1.58 CA$2.22

13.92%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$8.57 CA$12.03

$6.37 CA$8.94

34.54%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$6.18 CA$8.67

$7.26 CA$10.20

-14.88%

Milk (1 liter)

$2.34 CA$3.28

$2.23 CA$3.13

4.93%

White Bread (500g)

$2.76 CA$3.88

$3.17 CA$4.45

-12.93%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$3.52 CA$4.95

$3.31 CA$4.64

6.34%

Eggs

$3.17 CA$4.45

$3.63 CA$5.09

-12.67%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$14.05 CA$19.72

$13.16 CA$18.47

6.76%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$14.07 CA$19.75

$11.56 CA$16.22

21.71%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$25.31 CA$35.52

$13.71 CA$19.25

84.61%

Apples (1kg)

$4.42 CA$6.20

$3.29 CA$4.62

34.35%

Banana (1kg)

$1.28 CA$1.80

$1.46 CA$2.05

-12.33%

Oranges (1kg)

$4.61 CA$6.47

$3.37 CA$4.73

36.80%

Tomato (1kg)

$4.61 CA$6.48

$3.15 CA$4.42

46.35%

Potato (1kg)

$2.81 CA$3.95

$1.89 CA$2.65

48.68%

Onion (1kg)

$3.54 CA$4.96

$1.79 CA$2.52

97.77%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.74 CA$3.84

$2.47 CA$3.47

10.93%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$2.10 CA$2.95

$1.58 CA$2.22

32.91%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$14.23 CA$19.96

$11.28 CA$15.84

26.15%

Wine (Bottle)

$13.39 CA$18.79

$10.49 CA$14.73

27.65%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.05 CA$2.88

$2.34 CA$3.28

-12.39%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.33 CA$3.27

$2.91 CA$4.09

-19.93%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.54 CA$3.56

$2.61 CA$3.66

-2.68%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$81.6 CA$115

$79.1 CA$111

3.11%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$2.88 CA$4.04

$3.26 CA$4.57

-11.66%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.51 CA$2.12

$1.44 CA$2.02

4.86%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$26.45 CA$37.12

$33.43 CA$46.92

-20.88%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.37 CA$1.92

$1.33 CA$1.87

3.01%

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

$28.5K CA$40.1K

$28.6K CA$40.2K

-0.30%

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

$20.9K CA$29.4K

$21.1K CA$29.6K

-0.73%

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

$126 CA$177

$80.1 CA$112

57.71%

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

$44.96 CA$63.1

$34.30 CA$48.14

31.08%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$52.7 CA$74.0

$42.85 CA$60.1

23.03%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$31.23 CA$43.83

$31.14 CA$43.71

0.29%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$10.52 CA$14.77

$19.41 CA$27.24

-45.80%

Cinema Ticket

$14.23 CA$19.97

$11.23 CA$15.76

26.71%

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

$649 CA$910

$525 CA$737

23.55%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$16.3K CA$22.9K

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$52.2 CA$73.3

$58.0 CA$81.4

-10.00%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$51.4 CA$72.1

$38.11 CA$53.5

34.85%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$103 CA$145

$93.4 CA$131

10.76%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$79.0 CA$111

$110 CA$155

-28.29%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,693 CA$2,376

$1,285 CA$1,803

31.74%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,406 CA$1,973

$977 CA$1,371

43.97%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,623 CA$3,681

$2,271 CA$3,187

15.51%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,985 CA$2,786

$1,665 CA$2,336

19.25%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$6,886 CA$9,663

$5,139 CA$7,212

33.98%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$5,338 CA$7,491

$3,834 CA$5,381

39.20%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$3,149 CA$4,419

$3,002 CA$4,213

4.88%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

4.76

4.48

6.25%

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

Last update for Burnaby: October 26, 2026

Last update for Montreal: October 25, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Burnaby

$1.4K 52.5%

Montreal

$977 47.3% 30.5% $429

Groceries & Markets

Burnaby

$431 16.1%

Montreal

$351 17% 18.5% $80

Eating Out

Burnaby

$327 12.2%

Montreal

$291 14.1% 11% $36

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Burnaby

$224 8.4%

Montreal

$157 7.6% 29.8% $67

Clothing & Footwear

Burnaby

$129 4.8%

Montreal

$135 6.5% 4.8% $6.1

Getting Around

Burnaby

$102 3.8%

Montreal

$100 4.9% 2.1% $2.2

Sport & Entertainment

Burnaby

$60 2.2%

Montreal

$54 2.6% 10.2% $6.1

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,693 in Burnaby and $1,285 in Montreal. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Burnaby pays 5% 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: $87 in Burnaby vs $73 in Montreal for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $431 vs $351 per month, with Montreal cheaper across the board.

Good to know

🇨🇦 Burnaby

🇨🇦 Montreal

🕒 Local time

15:57 3:57 PM

18:57 6:57 PM

3 h ahead of Burnaby

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

249,125

1,762,949

💱 Currency

Canadian Dollar CAD $

📈 Exchange rate

1 CAD = 0.713 USD

1 CAD = 0.64 EUR

1 CAD = 0.713 USD

1 CAD = 0.64 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

On the map

Lowest

Highest

Between locations

Burnaby Montreal 3,680 km ≈ 5 h nonstop flight

From you

Burnaby
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

Burnaby vs Montreal: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Total monthly costs including rent come to $2,678 in Burnaby and $2,064 in Montreal, so Montreal is about 23% cheaper – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

Average pay runs 5% 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: $1,693 in Burnaby versus $1,285 in Montreal. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $649 in Burnaby versus $525 in Montreal. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Supermarket bills run roughly 23% higher in Burnaby. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

Both cities are expensive relative to $2,000. Montreal is the more realistic option, but even there you’ll need to be disciplined with housing, food, and fun money.

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.

Expats usually find Montreal gentler on the wallet – expenses run 23% less than in Burnaby. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.