Cost of Living Comparison Between Chatham and Montreal Cost of Living Comparison Between Chatham and Montreal

Monthly Cost of Living

A single person spends $2,845 per month in Chatham vs $2,063 in Montreal, rent included.

A couple spends around $3,907 per month in Chatham vs $3,159 in Montreal, rent included.

A family of three spends $4,968 per month in Chatham vs $4,255 in Montreal, rent included.

Chatham costs about 38% more than Montreal, driven mainly by Groceries & Markets.

Both Chatham and Montreal sit above the global median – Chatham by 112%, Montreal by 54%.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$27.49 £20.43

$15.92 CA$22.05

72.68%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$95.6 £71.1

$73.1 CA$101

30.86%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$9.48 £7.05

$11.15 CA$15.43

-14.98%

Cappuccino

$3.43 £2.55

$3.80 CA$5.26

-9.74%

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

$3.43 £2.55

$2.18 CA$3.01

57.34%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.38 £1.03

$1.46 CA$2.02

-5.48%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$6.68 £4.97

$6.12 CA$8.48

9.15%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$6.90 £5.13

$6.78 CA$9.38

1.77%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.43 £1.06

$2.33 CA$3.22

-38.63%

White Bread (500g)

$1.37 £1.02

$3.39 CA$4.69

-59.59%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.66 £1.98

$3.73 CA$5.16

-28.69%

Eggs

$3.62 £2.69

$3.38 CA$4.68

7.10%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$9.88 £7.34

$16.25 CA$22.50

-39.20%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$7.93 £5.89

$11.54 CA$15.98

-31.28%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$13.04 £9.70

$15.24 CA$21.10

-14.44%

Apples (1kg)

$3.05 £2.27

$3.74 CA$5.18

-18.45%

Banana (1kg)

$1.55 £1.15

$1.70 CA$2.36

-8.82%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.89 £2.14

$4.11 CA$5.68

-29.68%

Tomato (1kg)

$3.26 £2.43

$4.35 CA$6.02

-25.06%

Potato (1kg)

$1.42 £1.05

$2.71 CA$3.75

-47.60%

Onion (1kg)

$1.39 £1.03

$2.62 CA$3.62

-46.95%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.94 £0.70

$2.25 CA$3.12

-58.22%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.53 £1.14

$1.73 CA$2.39

-11.56%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$14.72 £10.94

$13.31 CA$18.43

10.59%

Wine (Bottle)

$13.54 £10.07

$10.78 CA$14.93

25.60%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.36 £1.75

$3.01 CA$4.17

-21.59%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.33 £2.47

$3.46 CA$4.80

-3.76%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.77 £2.06

$2.74 CA$3.79

1.09%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$87.8 £65.3

$72.7 CA$101

20.88%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$6.00 £4.46

$3.63 CA$5.03

65.29%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.75 £1.30

$1.46 CA$2.02

19.86%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$14.97 £11.13

$33.44 CA$46.30

-55.23%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.86 £1.38

$1.21 CA$1.68

53.72%

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

$38.8K £28.9K

$24.6K CA$34.1K

57.57%

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

$41.9K £31.2K

$21.7K CA$30.0K

93.27%

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

$228 £170

$76.0 CA$105

200.49%

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

$19.32 £14.36

$35.72 CA$49.46

-45.91%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$44.67 £33.21

$42.86 CA$59.4

4.22%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$47.54 £35.34

$42.92 CA$59.4

10.76%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$17.23 CA$23.86

Cinema Ticket

$13.67 £10.16

$11.09 CA$15.35

23.26%

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

$1,319 £980

$620 CA$858

112.88%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$25.6K £19.1K

$5,834 CA$8,078

339.60%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$82.3 £61.2

$62.7 CA$86.8

31.30%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$49.61 £36.87

$44.41 CA$61.5

11.71%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$109 £81.1

$101 CA$139

8.35%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$100 £74.4

$119 CA$165

-15.90%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,637 £1,217

$1,211 CA$1,677

35.19%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,540 £1,144

$960 CA$1,329

60.45%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,524 £1,876

$2,035 CA$2,818

24.00%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,178 £1,619

$1,589 CA$2,201

37.02%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$8,097 £6,018

$5,181 CA$7,173

56.29%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$7,372 £5,479

$3,934 CA$5,446

87.40%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$2,607 £1,938

$2,960 CA$4,098

-11.91%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

5.53

5.01

10.38%

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

Last update for Chatham: May 30, 2026

Last update for Montreal: May 31, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $1,637 in Chatham versus $1,211 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 14% higher in Montreal, which reinforces the cost advantage – you earn more and spend less. Purchasing power leans clearly in its favor.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $96.0 in Chatham versus $73.0 in Montreal. Groceries tell a different story – $289 in Chatham vs $392 in Montreal – so Chatham wins on supermarket bills even if dining out costs more.

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

Chatham vs Montreal: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Chatham costs about 38% more than Montreal, with the gap driven mainly by Groceries & Markets. That's enough to noticeably affect everyday spending and lifestyle for anyone choosing between the two.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $4,268 per month in Chatham and $3,094 in Montreal. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

Rent is clearly cheaper in Montreal, especially for central apartments. Housing is actually the single biggest factor behind the overall cost gap between these two cities.

Monthly expenses with rent come to $2,845 in Chatham and $2,063 in Montreal. The difference isn't just one category – it shows up across housing, food, transport, and services.

Public transport costs about 21% less in Montreal. For daily commuters, that gap adds up to noticeable savings over a year.

A $2,000 monthly budget goes further in Montreal, where all-in costs run around $2,063, than in Chatham at $2,845. In Montreal it covers expenses comfortably, while in Chatham it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.

For digital nomads, it depends on budget. Montreal costs $2,063 versus $2,845 in Chatham. Both have workable remote work infrastructure, but the cost gap matters when income varies month to month.

Both have safer and rougher neighborhoods, but overall safety is comparable to other large cities. Neighborhood choice matters more than the city-level comparison – central, well-trafficked areas feel secure in both.

If budget matters most, go with Montreal. If higher salaries, better infrastructure, or specific career opportunities are the priority, Chatham makes more sense. Both are solid long-term options with distinct trade-offs.