Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Cold Lake and Montreal

For one person, living is cheaper in Cold Lake: $1,912 a month against $2,018 in Montreal, rent and utilities included – about $1,300 less a year. The total is higher in Montreal despite lower rent and utilities.

93

Cost of Living Index in Cold Lake
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Cold Lake Living Index
99

Cost of Living Index in Montreal
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Montreal Living Index

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Cold Lake

🇨🇦 Canada

$1,912

/mo nomad

Montreal

🇨🇦 Canada

$2,018

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

A single person spends $1,912 per month in Cold Lake vs $2,018 in Montreal, rent included.

Cold Lake $1,912
Montreal $2,018

A couple spends around $2,791 per month in Cold Lake vs $3,085 in Montreal, rent included.

Cold Lake $2,791
Montreal $3,085

A family of three spends $3,670 per month in Cold Lake vs $4,152 in Montreal, rent included.

Cold Lake $3,670
Montreal $4,152

Cold Lake is about 5% cheaper than Montreal, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in transport.

Both Cold Lake and Montreal sit above the global median – Cold Lake by 42%, Montreal by 49%.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$19.96 CA$28.21

$18.82 CA$26.61

6.06%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$57.5 CA$81.2

$70.3 CA$99.4

-18.25%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$9.67 CA$13.68

$10.66 CA$15.06

-9.29%

Cappuccino

$3.82 CA$5.40

$3.84 CA$5.43

-0.52%

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

$2.26 CA$3.19

$1.92 CA$2.71

17.71%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.42 CA$2.01

$1.54 CA$2.18

-7.79%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$5.57 CA$7.87

$6.23 CA$8.81

-10.59%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$6.14 CA$8.68

$7.10 CA$10.03

-13.52%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.16 CA$1.64

$2.31 CA$3.27

-49.78%

White Bread (500g)

$2.18 CA$3.09

$3.14 CA$4.44

-30.57%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.87 CA$4.06

$3.21 CA$4.54

-10.59%

Eggs

$3.07 CA$4.35

$3.52 CA$4.97

-12.78%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$10.61 CA$14.99

$12.81 CA$18.11

-17.17%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$11.16 CA$15.77

$11.46 CA$16.20

-2.62%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$18.77 CA$26.53

$13.39 CA$18.92

40.18%

Apples (1kg)

$3.50 CA$4.94

$3.14 CA$4.43

11.46%

Banana (1kg)

$1.16 CA$1.64

$1.44 CA$2.03

-19.44%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.81 CA$3.97

$3.47 CA$4.91

-19.02%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.48 CA$3.50

$3.07 CA$4.34

-19.22%

Potato (1kg)

$2.15 CA$3.04

$1.90 CA$2.69

13.16%

Onion (1kg)

$1.06 CA$1.50

$1.77 CA$2.50

-40.11%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.33 CA$3.30

$2.34 CA$3.31

-0.43%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.75 CA$2.48

$1.55 CA$2.19

12.90%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$11.94 CA$16.88

$11.38 CA$16.09

4.92%

Wine (Bottle)

$11.41 CA$16.14

$10.63 CA$15.03

7.34%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$3.57 CA$5.05

$2.27 CA$3.21

57.27%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.85 CA$4.03

$2.82 CA$3.99

1.06%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.66 CA$3.76

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$77.3 CA$109

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$2.92 CA$4.13

$3.20 CA$4.53

-8.75%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.38 CA$1.95

$1.48 CA$2.09

-6.76%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$20.67 CA$29.22

$32.88 CA$46.48

-37.14%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.03 CA$1.45

$1.34 CA$1.90

-23.13%

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

$28.3K CA$40.0K

$28.2K CA$39.8K

0.39%

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

$19.4K CA$27.4K

$19.6K CA$27.8K

-1.25%

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

$225 CA$318

$76.0 CA$107

196.22%

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

$43.04 CA$60.8

$33.95 CA$48.00

26.77%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$54.3 CA$76.7

$42.31 CA$59.8

28.22%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$29.76 CA$42.07

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$20.28 CA$28.67

Cinema Ticket

$12.61 CA$17.82

$11.15 CA$15.77

13.09%

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

$761 CA$1,075

$507 CA$717

50.01%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$9,434 CA$13.3K

$16.1K CA$22.7K

-41.22%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$28.35 CA$40.08

$57.6 CA$81.4

-50.74%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$35.05 CA$49.55

$37.58 CA$53.1

-6.73%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$51.5 CA$72.8

$91.9 CA$130

-43.98%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$85.9 CA$121

$110 CA$155

-21.64%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$860 CA$1,216

$1,260 CA$1,782

-31.76%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$840 CA$1,188

$948 CA$1,340

-11.30%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,544 CA$2,183

$2,137 CA$3,021

-27.74%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,397 CA$1,975

$1,614 CA$2,281

-13.41%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$4,960 CA$7,011

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$3,838 CA$5,425

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$3,084 CA$4,359

$2,827 CA$3,997

9.06%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

4.32

4.48

-3.57%

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

Last update for Cold Lake: October 12, 2026

Last update for Montreal: October 12, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Cold Lake

$840 44%

Montreal

$948 47% 12.7% $107

Groceries & Markets

Cold Lake

$335 17.5%

Montreal

$346 17.2% 3.6% $12

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Cold Lake

$322 16.9%

Montreal

$152 7.5% 52.8% $170

Eating Out

Cold Lake

$289 15.1%

Montreal

$288 14.3% 0.5% $1.5

Clothing & Footwear

Cold Lake

$90 4.7%

Montreal

$133 6.6% 47.7% $43

Sport & Entertainment

Cold Lake

$25 * 1.3%

Montreal

$52 2.6% 107% $27

Getting Around

Cold Lake

$9.8 * 0.5%

Montreal

$99 4.9% 902% $89

Categories marked with * are only partly priced – their share counts the items that do have prices.

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $860 in Cold Lake versus $1,260 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 9% higher in Cold Lake, 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 $57.0 in Cold Lake versus $70.0 in Montreal. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $335 vs $346 – making Cold Lake the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇨🇦 Cold Lake

🇨🇦 Montreal

🕒 Local time

12:47 12:47 PM

14:47 2:47 PM

2 h ahead of Cold Lake

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

11,595

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

Cold Lake Montreal 2,760 km ≈ 4 h nonstop flight

From you

Cold Lake
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

Cold Lake vs Montreal: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Yes – Montreal is pricier by about 6%, and outside of rent the gap shows up most in transport.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $2,868 per month in Cold Lake and $3,027 in Montreal. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

Rent is clearly cheaper in Cold Lake, 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 $1,912 in Cold Lake and $2,018 in Montreal. That's a gap of about 6%.

Kindergarten costs $761 per month in Cold Lake and $507 in Montreal. For families with young kids, this one expense can tip the scales when choosing between the two cities.

A $2,500 monthly budget goes further in Cold Lake, where all-in costs run around $1,912, than in Montreal at $2,018. In Cold Lake it covers expenses comfortably, while in Montreal it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.

Families tend to lean toward Cold Lake – lower housing and cheaper childcare make a real difference, especially on a single income or when paying for private education.

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