Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Calgary and Montreal

For one person, living is cheaper in Montreal: $2,059 a month against $2,255 in Calgary, rent and utilities included – about $2,400 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

109

Cost of Living Index in Calgary
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Calgary Living Index
99

Cost of Living Index in Montreal
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Montreal Living Index

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Calgary

🇨🇦 Canada

$2,255

/mo nomad

Montreal

🇨🇦 Canada

$2,059

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $2,255 in Calgary versus $2,059 in Montreal.

Calgary $2,255
Montreal $2,059

Estimated couple costs with rent: $3,361 in Calgary versus $3,123 in Montreal.

Calgary $3,361
Montreal $3,123

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $4,468 in Calgary versus $4,187 in Montreal.

Calgary $4,468
Montreal $4,187

Living in Calgary is roughly 9% more expensive than in Montreal, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Calgary 66% above, Montreal 52% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$17.58 CA$24.85

$18.84 CA$26.63

-6.69%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$69.1 CA$97.6

$73.2 CA$104

-5.70%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$10.59 CA$14.97

$10.54 CA$14.90

0.47%

Cappuccino

$3.84 CA$5.42

$3.97 CA$5.61

-3.27%

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

$1.93 CA$2.72

$1.94 CA$2.74

-0.52%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.88 CA$2.66

$1.57 CA$2.22

19.75%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$5.09 CA$7.20

$6.42 CA$9.08

-20.72%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$5.64 CA$7.97

$7.20 CA$10.19

-21.67%

Milk (1 liter)

$2.00 CA$2.82

$2.32 CA$3.28

-13.79%

White Bread (500g)

$2.78 CA$3.93

$3.19 CA$4.51

-12.85%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$5.59 CA$7.90

$3.19 CA$4.50

75.24%

Eggs

$3.70 CA$5.23

$3.68 CA$5.20

0.54%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$11.48 CA$16.23

$13.24 CA$18.72

-13.29%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$11.20 CA$15.84

$11.69 CA$16.53

-4.19%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$18.59 CA$26.28

$13.98 CA$19.76

32.98%

Apples (1kg)

$4.70 CA$6.64

$3.14 CA$4.44

49.68%

Banana (1kg)

$1.45 CA$2.05

Oranges (1kg)

$4.34 CA$6.13

$3.38 CA$4.78

28.40%

Tomato (1kg)

$3.79 CA$5.36

$3.11 CA$4.40

21.86%

Potato (1kg)

$2.69 CA$3.81

$1.93 CA$2.72

39.38%

Onion (1kg)

$2.75 CA$3.88

$1.83 CA$2.58

50.27%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.56 CA$3.62

$2.36 CA$3.34

8.47%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.50 CA$2.12

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$14.39 CA$20.34

$11.12 CA$15.73

29.41%

Wine (Bottle)

$15.81 CA$22.35

$10.60 CA$14.98

49.15%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.47 CA$3.49

$2.22 CA$3.14

11.26%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.10 CA$4.39

$2.84 CA$4.01

9.15%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.81 CA$3.97

$2.62 CA$3.71

7.25%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$90.6 CA$128

$79.1 CA$112

14.46%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.28 CA$4.64

$3.23 CA$4.56

1.55%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.40 CA$1.97

$1.48 CA$2.10

-5.41%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$26.49 CA$37.45

$32.22 CA$45.55

-17.78%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.22 CA$1.72

$1.36 CA$1.92

-10.29%

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

$28.4K CA$40.1K

$27.6K CA$39.1K

2.64%

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

$20.8K CA$29.5K

$21.2K CA$30.0K

-1.70%

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

$165 CA$233

$77.0 CA$109

113.71%

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

$38.24 CA$54.1

$34.14 CA$48.26

12.01%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$50.1 CA$70.9

$42.19 CA$59.7

18.82%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$53.8 CA$76.1

$30.81 CA$43.56

74.62%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$18.04 CA$25.51

$19.66 CA$27.79

-8.24%

Cinema Ticket

$14.04 CA$19.84

$11.47 CA$16.22

22.41%

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

$797 CA$1,126

$506 CA$716

57.39%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$15.8K CA$22.3K

$16.2K CA$23.0K

-2.65%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$59.1 CA$83.5

$57.3 CA$81.0

3.16%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$40.20 CA$56.8

$38.10 CA$53.9

5.51%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$90.8 CA$128

$91.9 CA$130

-1.26%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$109 CA$155

$110 CA$155

-0.29%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,207 CA$1,707

$1,237 CA$1,748

-2.39%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,011 CA$1,429

$977 CA$1,381

3.52%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,949 CA$2,756

$2,180 CA$3,082

-10.58%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,677 CA$2,371

$1,608 CA$2,273

4.32%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,532 CA$4,993

$5,113 CA$7,228

-30.92%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$3,392 CA$4,795

$3,744 CA$5,293

-9.41%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$3,152 CA$4,456

$2,957 CA$4,180

6.60%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

4.51

4.48

0.67%

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

Last update for Calgary: 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

Calgary

$1K 44.8%

Montreal

$977 47.4% 3.4% $34

Groceries & Markets

Calgary

$392 17.4%

Montreal

$351 17.1% 10.4% $41

Eating Out

Calgary

$270 12%

Montreal

$290 14.1% 7.4% $20

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Calgary

$253 11.2%

Montreal

$153 7.5% 39.4% $100

Clothing & Footwear

Calgary

$135 6%

Montreal

$134 6.5% 0.8% $1.1

Getting Around

Calgary

$112 5%

Montreal

$100 4.9% 10.5% $12

Sport & Entertainment

Calgary

$82 3.6%

Montreal

$54 2.6% 34.3% $28

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,207 in Calgary and $1,237 in Montreal. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Calgary pays 7% 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: $69.0 in Calgary vs $73.0 in Montreal. Groceries flip the comparison at $392 vs $351, with Montreal cheaper for home cooking.

Good to know

🇨🇦 Calgary

🇨🇦 Montreal

🕒 Local time

23:51 11:51 PM

01:51 1:51 AM

2 h ahead of Calgary

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

1,267,344

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

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Calgary Montreal 3,020 km ≈ 4 h 15 min nonstop flight

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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

Calgary vs Montreal: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Montreal is cheaper overall, especially in groceries, clothing, and transport. The 9% gap adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

Average pay runs 7% higher in Calgary, 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: $1,207 in Calgary versus $1,237 in Montreal. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Dining out is cheaper in Montreal – a meal for two runs $73.0 versus $69.0 in Calgary. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

All in, you'll spend $2,255 per month in Calgary versus $2,059 in Montreal – a 9% gap that adds up to real savings over time for anyone picking the cheaper option.

At $2,059 in Montreal versus $2,255 in Calgary, a $2,000 budget is realistic in Montreal but tight or insufficient in Calgary. The gap between the two cities makes Montreal the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

For families, Montreal is more practical. Housing and childcare are both notably cheaper than in Calgary, and the savings on those two alone free up budget for education, activities, and family trips.

Safety-wise, Calgary 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 9% less than in Calgary. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.