Cost of Living Comparison Between Cochrane and Montreal Cost of Living Comparison Between Cochrane and Montreal

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,092 in Cochrane versus $2,056 in Montreal.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,461 in Cochrane versus $3,112 in Montreal.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,831 in Cochrane versus $4,167 in Montreal.

Living in Cochrane costs roughly 47% less than in Montreal, driven mainly by Getting Around.

The two cities straddle the global median: Cochrane is 21% below, Montreal is 50% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$18.30 CA$25.24

$17.85 CA$24.62

2.52%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$72.4 CA$99.8

$72.3 CA$99.7

0.08%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$10.00 CA$13.80

$10.92 CA$15.06

-8.42%

Cappuccino

$3.83 CA$5.28

$3.97 CA$5.47

-3.53%

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

$2.29 CA$3.15

$2.07 CA$2.86

10.63%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.74 CA$2.40

$1.55 CA$2.13

12.26%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$5.69 CA$7.84

$6.41 CA$8.85

-11.23%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$5.67 CA$7.82

$7.29 CA$10.05

-22.22%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.61 CA$2.22

$2.39 CA$3.29

-32.64%

White Bread (500g)

$2.15 CA$2.97

$3.21 CA$4.42

-33.02%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.95 CA$4.07

$3.07 CA$4.23

-3.91%

Eggs

$3.18 CA$4.39

$3.68 CA$5.07

-13.59%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$8.80 CA$12.13

$13.57 CA$18.72

-35.15%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$8.60 CA$11.85

$11.63 CA$16.03

-26.05%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$8.86 CA$12.21

$13.97 CA$19.27

-36.58%

Apples (1kg)

$4.41 CA$6.08

$3.68 CA$5.08

19.84%

Banana (1kg)

$1.35 CA$1.86

$1.56 CA$2.15

-13.46%

Oranges (1kg)

$4.46 CA$6.15

$3.41 CA$4.70

30.79%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.47 CA$2.02

$3.03 CA$4.17

-51.49%

Potato (1kg)

$1.46 CA$2.01

$1.98 CA$2.74

-26.26%

Onion (1kg)

$1.91 CA$2.64

$1.82 CA$2.52

4.95%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.50 CA$3.44

$2.56 CA$3.53

-2.34%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.91 CA$2.63

$1.39 CA$1.92

37.41%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$14.38 CA$19.83

$11.49 CA$15.85

25.15%

Wine (Bottle)

$8.62 CA$11.88

$10.92 CA$15.06

-21.06%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$3.23 CA$4.46

$2.26 CA$3.12

42.92%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.88 CA$3.97

$3.01 CA$4.15

-4.32%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$3.66 CA$5.05

$2.69 CA$3.71

36.06%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$75.3 CA$104

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$2.88 CA$3.98

$3.35 CA$4.62

-14.03%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.37 CA$1.89

$1.50 CA$2.07

-8.67%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$21.58 CA$29.76

$33.70 CA$46.47

-35.96%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.04 CA$1.44

$1.29 CA$1.78

-19.38%

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

$28.2K CA$38.9K

$28.3K CA$39.0K

-0.23%

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

$19.8K CA$27.3K

$20.0K CA$27.5K

-0.77%

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

$213 CA$294

$80.4 CA$111

164.95%

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

$41.63 CA$57.4

$34.23 CA$47.21

21.62%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$55.8 CA$77.0

$41.39 CA$57.1

34.86%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$46.16 CA$63.7

$29.24 CA$40.32

57.87%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$19.89 CA$27.43

Cinema Ticket

$13.37 CA$18.44

$11.71 CA$16.15

14.18%

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

$792 CA$1,093

$564 CA$778

40.42%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$9,939 CA$13.7K

$16.8K CA$23.2K

-41.00%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$46.07 CA$63.5

$59.5 CA$82.1

-22.58%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$47.71 CA$65.8

$42.13 CA$58.1

13.24%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$84.4 CA$116

$107 CA$148

-21.22%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$96.6 CA$133

$111 CA$153

-12.82%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,251 CA$1,725

$1,284 CA$1,770

-2.55%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$990 CA$1,365

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,796 CA$2,476

$2,260 CA$3,116

-20.54%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,393 CA$1,921

$1,667 CA$2,299

-16.45%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$23.5K CA$32.4K

$5,287 CA$7,291

344.90%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$3,813 CA$5,258

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$4,179 CA$5,763

$3,019 CA$4,163

38.42%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

4.32

4.41

-2.04%

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

Last update for Cochrane: August 31, 2026

Last update for Montreal: August 31, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,251 in Cochrane and $1,284 in Montreal. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Cochrane pays 38% more on average while also being the cheaper of the two. The combined effect is a noticeably stronger local purchasing power.

Dining out: $72.0 in Cochrane vs $72.0 in Montreal for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $294 vs $356 per month, with Cochrane cheaper across the board.

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

Cochrane vs Montreal: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Cochrane wins on cost – living expenses run 88% lower than in Montreal. Housing and daily spending are where you'll feel the difference most, making Cochrane the obvious pick if budget is a priority.

Average pay runs 38% higher in Cochrane, 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: $1,251 in Cochrane versus $1,284 in Montreal. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Supermarket bills run roughly 21% higher in Montreal. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

All in, you'll spend $1,092 per month in Cochrane versus $2,056 in Montreal – a 88% gap that adds up to real savings over time for anyone picking the cheaper option.

At $1,092 in Cochrane versus $2,056 in Montreal, a $1,000 budget is realistic in Cochrane but tight or insufficient in Montreal. The gap between the two cities makes Cochrane the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

Both work as nomad bases, but Cochrane delivers better value – similar infrastructure at $1,092 monthly. If stretching your runway or maximizing savings is the goal, the price difference makes Cochrane hard to pass up.

Safety-wise, Cochrane 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 Cochrane gentler on the wallet – expenses run 88% less than in Montreal. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.