Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Charlottetown and Montreal

For one person, living is cheaper in Charlottetown: $1,906 a month against $2,064 in Montreal, rent and utilities included – about $1,900 less a year. Higher rent and utilities in Montreal outweigh lower spending on other living expenses.

Charlottetown, Canada
Montreal, Canada
Charlottetown
🇨🇦 Canada
$1,906
/mo nomad
Montreal
🇨🇦 Canada
$2,064
/mo nomad
Monthly Cost of Living

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

A single person spends $1,906 per month in Charlottetown vs $2,064 in Montreal, rent included.

  • Charlottetown $1,906
  • Montreal $2,064

A couple spends around $2,844 per month in Charlottetown vs $3,156 in Montreal, rent included.

  • Charlottetown $2,844
  • Montreal $3,156

A family of three spends $3,782 per month in Charlottetown vs $4,247 in Montreal, rent included.

  • Charlottetown $3,782
  • Montreal $4,247

Charlottetown is about 8% cheaper than Montreal, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in transport.

Both Charlottetown and Montreal sit above the global median – Charlottetown by 40%, Montreal by 52%.

Currency
🍽 Eating Out
Charlottetown
Montreal
Difference
Meal at Budget Restaurant
$14.36 CA$20.07
$18.98 CA$26.52
-24.34%
Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range
$60.9 CA$85.1
$73.0 CA$102
-16.50%
Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)
$9.53 CA$13.32
$10.88 CA$15.20
-12.41%
Cappuccino
$3.63 CA$5.07
$3.81 CA$5.33
-4.72%
Coke/Pepsi/Fanta/Sprite (0.33 liter bottle)
$1.69 CA$2.36
$1.94 CA$2.71
-12.89%
Water (0.33 liter bottle)
$1.29 CA$1.80
$1.58 CA$2.21
-18.35%
Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)
$5.80 CA$8.10
$6.37 CA$8.90
-8.95%
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$5.74 CA$8.02
$7.26 CA$10.15
-20.94%
🛒 Groceries & Markets
Charlottetown
Montreal
Difference
Milk (1 liter)
$2.24 CA$3.13
$2.23 CA$3.11
0.45%
White Bread (500g)
$3.09 CA$4.32
$3.17 CA$4.43
-2.52%
Rice (white) (1kg)
$5.08 CA$7.10
$3.31 CA$4.62
53.47%
Eggs
$4.13 CA$5.77
$3.63 CA$5.07
13.77%
Local Cheese (1kg)
$11.55 CA$16.13
$13.16 CA$18.38
-12.23%
Chicken Fillets (1kg)
$15.48 CA$21.62
$11.56 CA$16.15
33.91%
Beef Round Steak (1kg)
$17.53 CA$24.49
$13.71 CA$19.16
27.86%
Apples (1kg)
$3.42 CA$4.77
$3.29 CA$4.60
3.95%
Banana (1kg)
$1.46 CA$2.04
$1.46 CA$2.04
-
Oranges (1kg)
$4.04 CA$5.65
$3.37 CA$4.70
19.88%
Tomato (1kg)
$5.01 CA$7.00
$3.15 CA$4.40
59.05%
Potato (1kg)
$1.69 CA$2.36
$1.89 CA$2.64
-10.58%
Onion (1kg)
$3.05 CA$4.27
$1.79 CA$2.50
70.39%
Lettuce (1 head)
$2.73 CA$3.82
$2.47 CA$3.45
10.53%
Water (1.5 liter bottle)
$2.05 CA$2.86
$1.58 CA$2.21
29.75%
Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)
$17.79 CA$24.85
$11.28 CA$15.77
57.71%
Wine (Bottle)
$14.03 CA$19.60
$10.49 CA$14.66
33.75%
Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)
$3.31 CA$4.62
$2.34 CA$3.26
41.45%
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$3.17 CA$4.42
$2.91 CA$4.07
8.93%
🚌 Getting Around
Charlottetown
Montreal
Difference
One-way Ticket (Public Transport)
$1.40 CA$1.96
$2.61 CA$3.65
-46.36%
Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)
$14.31 CA$19.99
$79.1 CA$111
-81.92%
Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)
$7.53 CA$10.52
$3.26 CA$4.55
130.98%
Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)
$2.08 CA$2.91
$1.44 CA$2.01
44.44%
Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)
$28.10 CA$39.26
$33.43 CA$46.71
-15.94%
Gasoline (1 liter)
$1.34 CA$1.87
$1.33 CA$1.86
0.75%
Midsize Hatchback 1.4l (Volkswagen Golf, Toyota Prius, Honda Civic, etc)
$27.8K CA$38.9K
$28.6K CA$40.0K
-2.76%
Compact Sedan 1.6l (Toyota Corolla, Mazda3, Kia K4, Hyundai Elantra, etc)
$21.5K CA$30.1K
$21.1K CA$29.5K
2.12%
🧾 Monthly Utilities & Internet
Charlottetown
Montreal
Difference
Utilities for 2 People in 2-bedroom Apartment (Heating, Electricity, Gas, Water, Garbage) (85m2)
$129 CA$181
$80.1 CA$112
61.43%
SIM Card Monthly Plan (Calls and 10GB+ Data)
$33.37 CA$46.62
$34.30 CA$47.92
-2.71%
Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)
$76.1 CA$106
$42.85 CA$59.9
77.57%
🎉 Sport & Entertainment
Charlottetown
Montreal
Difference
Gym Membership (Monthly)
$58.5 CA$81.7
$31.14 CA$43.51
87.70%
Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)
$3.47 CA$4.85
$19.41 CA$27.11
-82.12%
Cinema Ticket
$10.50 CA$14.67
$11.23 CA$15.69
-6.50%
🧸 Childcare & Education
Charlottetown
Montreal
Difference
Preschool or Kindergarten, Full Day, Private, 1 Child (Monthly)
$161 CA$225
$525 CA$734
-69.33%
International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)
-
$16.3K CA$22.8K
-
👕👟 Clothing & Footwear
Charlottetown
Montreal
Difference
Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)
$40.13 CA$56.1
$58.0 CA$81.0
-30.81%
Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)
$34.41 CA$48.07
$38.11 CA$53.2
-9.71%
Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)
$83.9 CA$117
$93.4 CA$131
-10.17%
Men's Leather Business Shoes
$131 CA$183
$110 CA$154
19.03%
🏠 Accommodation & Living
Charlottetown
Montreal
Difference
1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$967 CA$1,351
$1,285 CA$1,795
-24.76%
1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$760 CA$1,062
$977 CA$1,364
-22.15%
3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$1,660 CA$2,319
$2,271 CA$3,173
-26.92%
3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$1,237 CA$1,729
$1,665 CA$2,326
-25.67%
Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)
$2,914 CA$4,071
$5,139 CA$7,180
-43.30%
Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)
$1,966 CA$2,747
$3,834 CA$5,357
-48.73%
💵 Salaries & Financials
Charlottetown
Montreal
Difference
Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)
$2,435 CA$3,402
$3,002 CA$4,194
-18.88%
20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)
4.58
4.48
2.23%

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

Last update for Charlottetown: 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
Charlottetown
$760
Montreal
$977 28.5% $216
Groceries & Markets
Charlottetown
$419
Montreal
$351 16.3% $68
Eating Out
Charlottetown
$239
Montreal
$291 21.4% $51
Monthly Utilities & Internet
Charlottetown
$239
Montreal
$157 34.1% $81
Clothing & Footwear
Charlottetown
$130
Montreal
$135 3.5% $4.5
Sport & Entertainment
Charlottetown
$79
Montreal
$54 32.5% $26
Getting Around
Charlottetown
$38
Montreal
$100 164% $62

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $967 in Charlottetown versus $1,285 in Montreal. Rent is usually the largest line item in a monthly budget, so the gap here sets the tone for the overall comparison.

Salaries run about 23% higher in Montreal. Purchasing power depends on which expenses matter most to you.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $61 in Charlottetown versus $73 in Montreal. Groceries tell a different story – $419 in Charlottetown vs $351 in Montreal – so Montreal wins on supermarket bills even if dining out costs more.

Good to know
🇨🇦 Charlottetown
🇨🇦 Montreal
🕒 Local time
21:32 9:32 PM
20:32 8:32 PM
1 h behind Charlottetown
🌤 Weather
👥 Population
38,809
1,762,949
💱 Currency
Exchange rates and currency converter

USD, EUR to CAD – Canadian Dollar Converter

Canadian Dollar exchange rates as of November 2, 2026: 1 USD = 1.4 CAD (1 CAD = 0.716 USD). 1 EUR = 1.56 CAD (1 CAD = 0.641 EUR).

On the map
Between locations
  • Charlottetown Montreal 810 km ≈ 1 h 30 min nonstop flight
From you
  • Charlottetown
  • 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
Charlottetown vs Montreal: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions
Which city is more expensive, Charlottetown or Montreal?
Montreal costs about 8% more than Charlottetown, and outside of rent the gap comes mainly from transport. That’s enough to noticeably affect everyday spending and lifestyle for anyone choosing between the two.
How much do you need to earn to live comfortably in Charlottetown and in Montreal?
For a comfortable life, plan on about $2,858 per month in Charlottetown and $3,096 in Montreal. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.
Where is rent cheaper, Charlottetown or Montreal?
Rent is clearly cheaper in Charlottetown, especially for central apartments: a one-bedroom in the center costs $967 there versus $1,285 in Montreal.
How much does it cost to live in Charlottetown compared to Montreal?
Monthly expenses with rent come to $1,906 in Charlottetown and $2,064 in Montreal. That makes Charlottetown about 8% cheaper.
How expensive is transport in Charlottetown compared to Montreal?
Public transport costs about 82% less in Charlottetown. For daily commuters, that gap adds up to noticeable savings over a year.
Which city is better for families?
Families tend to lean toward Charlottetown – lower housing and cheaper childcare make a real difference, especially on a single income or when paying for private education.
Should I move to Charlottetown or to Montreal?
If budget matters most, go with Charlottetown. If higher salaries or specific career opportunities are the priority, Montreal makes more sense. Both are solid long-term options with distinct trade-offs.

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