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: $2,776 in Burnaby versus $2,063 in Montreal.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $4,068 in Burnaby versus $3,159 in Montreal.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $5,359 in Burnaby versus $4,255 in Montreal.

Living in Burnaby is roughly 35% more expensive than Montreal, driven mainly by Monthly Utilities & Internet.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Burnaby 107% above, Montreal 54% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$14.75 CA$20.49

$15.92 CA$22.12

-7.35%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$73.9 CA$103

$73.1 CA$102

1.15%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$8.95 CA$12.43

$11.15 CA$15.49

-19.73%

Cappuccino

$4.19 CA$5.82

$3.80 CA$5.28

10.26%

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

$1.81 CA$2.52

$2.18 CA$3.03

-16.97%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.33 CA$1.85

$1.46 CA$2.03

-8.90%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$5.91 CA$8.21

$6.12 CA$8.51

-3.43%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$5.56 CA$7.73

$6.78 CA$9.41

-17.99%

Milk (1 liter)

$2.55 CA$3.55

$2.33 CA$3.23

9.44%

White Bread (500g)

$2.77 CA$3.85

$3.39 CA$4.71

-18.29%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$4.48 CA$6.23

$3.73 CA$5.18

20.11%

Eggs

$3.13 CA$4.34

$3.38 CA$4.70

-7.40%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$12.33 CA$17.13

$16.25 CA$22.58

-24.12%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$11.98 CA$16.65

$11.54 CA$16.04

3.81%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$21.64 CA$30.06

$15.24 CA$21.17

41.99%

Apples (1kg)

$3.34 CA$4.64

$3.74 CA$5.20

-10.70%

Banana (1kg)

$1.28 CA$1.78

$1.70 CA$2.37

-24.71%

Oranges (1kg)

$3.00 CA$4.17

$4.11 CA$5.70

-27.01%

Tomato (1kg)

$3.84 CA$5.33

$4.35 CA$6.05

-11.72%

Potato (1kg)

$2.89 CA$4.02

$2.71 CA$3.76

6.64%

Onion (1kg)

$3.00 CA$4.17

$2.62 CA$3.63

14.50%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.39 CA$3.32

$2.25 CA$3.13

6.22%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.89 CA$2.63

$1.73 CA$2.40

9.25%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$14.84 CA$20.61

$13.31 CA$18.49

11.50%

Wine (Bottle)

$13.26 CA$18.42

$10.78 CA$14.98

23.01%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.41 CA$3.35

$3.01 CA$4.19

-19.93%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.52 CA$3.51

$3.46 CA$4.81

-27.17%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.28 CA$3.17

$2.74 CA$3.81

-16.79%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$77.2 CA$107

$72.7 CA$101

6.25%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$2.80 CA$3.89

$3.63 CA$5.05

-22.87%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.42 CA$1.97

$1.46 CA$2.03

-2.74%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$25.32 CA$35.18

$33.44 CA$46.46

-24.28%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.31 CA$1.82

$1.21 CA$1.68

8.26%

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

$25.3K CA$35.2K

$24.6K CA$34.2K

2.82%

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

$20.4K CA$28.4K

$21.7K CA$30.1K

-5.79%

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

$136 CA$188

$76.0 CA$106

78.33%

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

$42.55 CA$59.1

$35.72 CA$49.63

19.12%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$55.6 CA$77.2

$42.86 CA$59.6

29.68%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$31.32 CA$43.52

$42.92 CA$59.6

-27.03%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$5.61 CA$7.80

$17.23 CA$23.94

-67.44%

Cinema Ticket

$16.29 CA$22.63

$11.09 CA$15.40

46.89%

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

$547 CA$760

$620 CA$861

-11.68%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$8,127 CA$11.3K

$5,834 CA$8,106

39.30%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$54.7 CA$76.0

$62.7 CA$87.1

-12.72%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$53.6 CA$74.5

$44.41 CA$61.7

20.69%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$93.6 CA$130

$101 CA$140

-7.04%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$96.4 CA$134

$119 CA$165

-19.03%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,909 CA$2,653

$1,211 CA$1,683

57.65%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,658 CA$2,304

$960 CA$1,333

72.84%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$3,989 CA$5,543

$2,035 CA$2,828

95.98%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,650 CA$3,682

$1,589 CA$2,208

66.76%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$6,878 CA$9,556

$5,181 CA$7,198

32.76%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$5,525 CA$7,676

$3,934 CA$5,465

40.46%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$3,275 CA$4,551

$2,960 CA$4,113

10.65%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

6.54

5.01

30.54%

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

Last update for Burnaby: May 31, 2026

Last update for Montreal: May 31, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,909 in Burnaby and $1,211 in Montreal. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Burnaby pays 11% 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: $74.0 in Burnaby vs $73.0 in Montreal. Groceries flip the comparison at $392 vs $392, with Burnaby cheaper for home cooking.

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 35% in total monthly costs ($2,776 vs $2,063 including rent). Montreal is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

Burnaby pays 11% more on average, 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: $1,909 in Burnaby versus $1,211 in Montreal. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $547 in Burnaby versus $620 in Montreal. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Supermarket bills run roughly 0% higher in Burnaby. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

At $2,063 in Montreal versus $2,776 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 35% less than in Burnaby. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.