Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Chilliwack and Montreal

For one person, living is cheaper in Montreal: $2,059 a month against $2,320 in Chilliwack, rent and utilities included – about $3,100 less a year. Other living expenses account for most of the difference.

113

Cost of Living Index in Chilliwack
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Chilliwack Living Index
99

Cost of Living Index in Montreal
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Montreal Living Index

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Chilliwack

🇨🇦 Canada

$2,320

/mo nomad

Montreal

🇨🇦 Canada

$2,059

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $2,320 in Chilliwack versus $2,059 in Montreal.

Chilliwack $2,320
Montreal $2,059

Estimated couple costs with rent: $3,412 in Chilliwack versus $3,123 in Montreal.

Chilliwack $3,412
Montreal $3,123

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $4,504 in Chilliwack versus $4,187 in Montreal.

Chilliwack $4,504
Montreal $4,187

Living in Chilliwack is roughly 13% more expensive than in Montreal, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Chilliwack 71% above, Montreal 52% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$14.02 CA$19.82

$18.84 CA$26.63

-25.58%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$52.6 CA$74.3

$73.2 CA$104

-28.19%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$8.69 CA$12.29

$10.54 CA$14.90

-17.55%

Cappuccino

$4.41 CA$6.23

$3.97 CA$5.61

11.08%

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

$1.95 CA$2.75

$1.94 CA$2.74

0.52%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.49 CA$2.11

$1.57 CA$2.22

-5.10%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$4.95 CA$7.00

$6.42 CA$9.08

-22.90%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$5.54 CA$7.83

$7.20 CA$10.19

-23.06%

Milk (1 liter)

$2.09 CA$2.96

$2.32 CA$3.28

-9.91%

White Bread (500g)

$2.98 CA$4.22

$3.19 CA$4.51

-6.58%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$4.46 CA$6.30

$3.19 CA$4.50

39.81%

Eggs

$4.22 CA$5.96

$3.68 CA$5.20

14.67%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$20.66 CA$29.21

$13.24 CA$18.72

56.04%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$14.06 CA$19.87

$11.69 CA$16.53

20.27%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$20.16 CA$28.51

$13.98 CA$19.76

44.21%

Apples (1kg)

$5.63 CA$7.97

$3.14 CA$4.44

79.30%

Banana (1kg)

$1.33 CA$1.88

$1.45 CA$2.05

-8.28%

Oranges (1kg)

$4.14 CA$5.86

$3.38 CA$4.78

22.49%

Tomato (1kg)

$5.43 CA$7.67

$3.11 CA$4.40

74.60%

Potato (1kg)

$4.78 CA$6.76

$1.93 CA$2.72

147.67%

Onion (1kg)

$3.11 CA$4.39

$1.83 CA$2.58

69.95%

Lettuce (1 head)

$3.17 CA$4.49

$2.36 CA$3.34

34.32%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$2.47 CA$3.49

$1.50 CA$2.12

64.67%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$11.94 CA$16.87

$11.12 CA$15.73

7.37%

Wine (Bottle)

$14.04 CA$19.85

$10.60 CA$14.98

32.45%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$4.54 CA$6.42

$2.22 CA$3.14

104.50%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$5.03 CA$7.11

$2.84 CA$4.01

77.11%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.00 CA$2.83

$2.62 CA$3.71

-23.66%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$33.16 CA$46.87

$79.1 CA$112

-58.10%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$2.95 CA$4.17

$3.23 CA$4.56

-8.67%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.33 CA$3.29

$1.48 CA$2.10

57.43%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$32.22 CA$45.55

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.25 CA$1.76

$1.36 CA$1.92

-8.09%

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

$27.2K CA$38.4K

$27.6K CA$39.1K

-1.76%

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

$19.9K CA$28.1K

$21.2K CA$30.0K

-6.16%

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

$166 CA$234

$77.0 CA$109

115.11%

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

$54.4 CA$76.9

$34.14 CA$48.26

59.40%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$70.1 CA$99.1

$42.19 CA$59.7

66.11%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$41.17 CA$58.2

$30.81 CA$43.56

33.63%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$17.82 CA$25.19

$19.66 CA$27.79

-9.36%

Cinema Ticket

$12.14 CA$17.16

$11.47 CA$16.22

5.84%

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

$506 CA$716

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$11.9K CA$16.8K

$16.2K CA$23.0K

-26.73%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$60.2 CA$85.2

$57.3 CA$81.0

5.19%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$31.87 CA$45.05

$38.10 CA$53.9

-16.35%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$103 CA$145

$91.9 CA$130

11.87%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$211 CA$298

$110 CA$155

91.95%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,136 CA$1,605

$1,237 CA$1,748

-8.17%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,004 CA$1,419

$977 CA$1,381

2.79%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,042 CA$2,886

$2,180 CA$3,082

-6.34%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,646 CA$2,326

$1,608 CA$2,273

2.34%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,321 CA$4,695

$5,113 CA$7,228

-35.06%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$3,333 CA$4,711

$3,744 CA$5,293

-11.00%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$3,075 CA$4,348

$2,957 CA$4,180

4.00%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

4.71

4.48

5.13%

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

Last update for Chilliwack: October 19, 2026

Last update for Montreal: October 20, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Chilliwack

$1K 43.3%

Montreal

$977 47.4% 2.7% $27

Groceries & Markets

Chilliwack

$482 20.8%

Montreal

$351 17.1% 27.1% $131

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Chilliwack

$290 12.5%

Montreal

$153 7.5% 47.2% $137

Eating Out

Chilliwack

$241 10.4%

Montreal

$290 14.1% 20.7% $50

Clothing & Footwear

Chilliwack

$183 7.9%

Montreal

$134 6.5% 26.8% $49

Sport & Entertainment

Chilliwack

$65 2.8%

Montreal

$54 2.6% 17.9% $12

Getting Around

Chilliwack

$56 2.4%

Montreal

$100 4.9% 79.9% $45

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,136 in Chilliwack and $1,237 in Montreal. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Chilliwack pays 4% 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: $53.0 in Chilliwack vs $73.0 in Montreal. Groceries flip the comparison at $482 vs $351, with Montreal cheaper for home cooking.

Good to know

🇨🇦 Chilliwack

🇨🇦 Montreal

🕒 Local time

20:00 8:00 PM

23:00 11:00 PM

3 h ahead of Chilliwack

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

83,788

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

On the map

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Between locations

Chilliwack Montreal 3,610 km ≈ 5 h nonstop flight

From you

Chilliwack
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

Chilliwack vs Montreal: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Montreal wins on cost – living expenses run 13% lower than in Chilliwack. Housing and daily spending are where you'll feel the difference most, making Montreal the obvious pick if budget is a priority.

Average pay runs 4% higher in Chilliwack, 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: $1,136 in Chilliwack 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 $53.0 in Chilliwack. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

A monthly transit pass in Montreal runs roughly 139% less than in Chilliwack. Both cities have functional networks, but the price difference matters if you're watching your budget.

At $2,059 in Montreal versus $2,320 in Chilliwack, a $2,000 budget is realistic in Montreal but tight or insufficient in Chilliwack. The gap between the two cities makes Montreal the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

Both work as nomad bases, but Montreal delivers better value – similar infrastructure at $2,059 monthly. If stretching your runway or maximizing savings is the goal, the price difference makes Montreal hard to pass up.

Safety-wise, Chilliwack 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 13% less than in Chilliwack. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.