Cost of Living Comparison Between Chilliwack and Montreal Cost of Living Comparison Between Chilliwack and Montreal

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $2,163 in Chilliwack versus $2,063 in Montreal.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $3,224 in Chilliwack versus $3,159 in Montreal.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $4,285 in Chilliwack versus $4,255 in Montreal.

Living in Chilliwack is roughly 5% more expensive than Montreal, driven mainly by Getting Around.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Chilliwack 61% above, Montreal 54% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$14.80 CA$20.49

$15.92 CA$22.05

-7.04%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$74.5 CA$103

$73.1 CA$101

2.03%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$9.82 CA$13.59

$11.15 CA$15.43

-11.93%

Cappuccino

$3.99 CA$5.52

$3.80 CA$5.26

5.00%

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

$2.19 CA$3.03

$2.18 CA$3.01

0.46%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.76 CA$2.44

$1.46 CA$2.02

20.55%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$5.87 CA$8.13

$6.12 CA$8.48

-4.08%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.34 CA$6.00

$6.78 CA$9.38

-35.99%

Milk (1 liter)

$2.10 CA$2.91

$2.33 CA$3.22

-9.87%

White Bread (500g)

$2.81 CA$3.88

$3.39 CA$4.69

-17.11%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.55 CA$3.53

$3.73 CA$5.16

-31.64%

Eggs

$3.80 CA$5.26

$3.38 CA$4.68

12.43%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$12.81 CA$17.74

$16.25 CA$22.50

-21.17%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$11.81 CA$16.35

$11.54 CA$15.98

2.34%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$13.24 CA$18.34

$15.24 CA$21.10

-13.12%

Apples (1kg)

$4.26 CA$5.89

$3.74 CA$5.18

13.90%

Banana (1kg)

$1.33 CA$1.84

$1.70 CA$2.36

-21.76%

Oranges (1kg)

$4.04 CA$5.59

$4.11 CA$5.68

-1.70%

Tomato (1kg)

$5.11 CA$7.08

$4.35 CA$6.02

17.47%

Potato (1kg)

$4.29 CA$5.94

$2.71 CA$3.75

58.30%

Onion (1kg)

$3.06 CA$4.24

$2.62 CA$3.62

16.79%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.74 CA$3.79

$2.25 CA$3.12

21.78%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.83 CA$2.54

$1.73 CA$2.39

5.78%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$15.62 CA$21.63

$13.31 CA$18.43

17.36%

Wine (Bottle)

$13.10 CA$18.14

$10.78 CA$14.93

21.52%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$3.13 CA$4.34

$3.01 CA$4.17

3.99%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.79 CA$5.24

$3.46 CA$4.80

9.54%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.98 CA$2.74

$2.74 CA$3.79

-27.74%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$35.10 CA$48.60

$72.7 CA$101

-51.70%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$2.99 CA$4.14

$3.63 CA$5.03

-17.63%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.26 CA$3.13

$1.46 CA$2.02

54.79%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$26.15 CA$36.21

$33.44 CA$46.30

-21.80%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.29 CA$1.79

$1.21 CA$1.68

6.61%

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

$25.0K CA$34.6K

$24.6K CA$34.1K

1.50%

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

$20.1K CA$27.8K

$21.7K CA$30.0K

-7.30%

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

$119 CA$165

$76.0 CA$105

56.58%

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

$45.90 CA$63.6

$35.72 CA$49.46

28.50%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$61.6 CA$85.3

$42.86 CA$59.4

43.72%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$39.33 CA$54.5

$42.92 CA$59.4

-8.36%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$18.30 CA$25.34

$17.23 CA$23.86

6.21%

Cinema Ticket

$12.00 CA$16.62

$11.09 CA$15.35

8.21%

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

$547 CA$758

$620 CA$858

-11.68%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$17.8K CA$24.6K

$5,834 CA$8,078

204.66%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$60.6 CA$84.0

$62.7 CA$86.8

-3.22%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$36.38 CA$50.4

$44.41 CA$61.5

-18.08%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$96.5 CA$134

$101 CA$139

-4.22%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$116 CA$161

$119 CA$165

-2.54%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,165 CA$1,613

$1,211 CA$1,677

-3.79%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,092 CA$1,512

$960 CA$1,329

13.78%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,914 CA$2,651

$2,035 CA$2,818

-5.95%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,718 CA$2,378

$1,589 CA$2,201

8.08%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,354 CA$4,644

$5,181 CA$7,173

-35.26%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$3,279 CA$4,540

$3,934 CA$5,446

-16.65%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$3,222 CA$4,461

$2,960 CA$4,098

8.86%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

5.65

5.01

12.77%

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

Last update for Chilliwack: June 1, 2026

Last update for Montreal: May 31, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,165 in Chilliwack and $1,211 in Montreal. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Chilliwack pays 9% 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: $75.0 in Chilliwack vs $73.0 in Montreal. Groceries flip the comparison at $384 vs $392, with Chilliwack 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

Chilliwack vs Montreal: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Montreal wins on cost – living expenses run 5% 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.

Chilliwack pays 9% 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: $1,165 in Chilliwack versus $1,211 in Montreal. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

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

Shoppers in Chilliwack pay roughly 2% less for everyday groceries. It's an unusual reversal that partly offsets higher costs elsewhere.

At $2,063 in Montreal versus $2,163 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 $2,063 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 5% less than in Chilliwack. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.