Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Coquitlam and Montreal

For one person, living is cheaper in Montreal: $2,018 a month against $2,784 in Coquitlam, rent and utilities included – about $9,200 less a year. Higher rent and utilities in Coquitlam outweigh lower spending on other living expenses.

134

Cost of Living Index in Coquitlam
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Coquitlam Living Index
99

Cost of Living Index in Montreal
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Montreal Living Index

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Coquitlam

🇨🇦 Canada

$2,784

/mo nomad

Montreal

🇨🇦 Canada

$2,018

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $2,784 in Coquitlam versus $2,018 in Montreal.

Coquitlam $2,784
Montreal $2,018

Estimated couple costs with rent: $3,921 in Coquitlam versus $3,085 in Montreal.

Coquitlam $3,921
Montreal $3,085

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $5,058 in Coquitlam versus $4,152 in Montreal.

Coquitlam $5,058
Montreal $4,152

Living in Coquitlam is roughly 38% more expensive than in Montreal, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Coquitlam 106% above, Montreal 49% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$16.08 CA$22.74

$18.82 CA$26.61

-14.56%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$69.3 CA$97.9

$70.3 CA$99.4

-1.47%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$10.46 CA$14.78

$10.66 CA$15.06

-1.88%

Cappuccino

$3.77 CA$5.34

$3.84 CA$5.43

-1.82%

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

$2.13 CA$3.01

$1.92 CA$2.71

10.94%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.61 CA$2.27

$1.54 CA$2.18

4.55%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$5.67 CA$8.02

$6.23 CA$8.81

-8.99%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$6.11 CA$8.64

$7.10 CA$10.03

-13.94%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.44 CA$2.04

$2.31 CA$3.27

-37.66%

White Bread (500g)

$2.52 CA$3.56

$3.14 CA$4.44

-19.75%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.69 CA$3.80

$3.21 CA$4.54

-16.20%

Eggs

$3.88 CA$5.48

$3.52 CA$4.97

10.23%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$9.59 CA$13.56

$12.81 CA$18.11

-25.14%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$13.46 CA$19.02

$11.46 CA$16.20

17.45%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$19.57 CA$27.66

$13.39 CA$18.92

46.15%

Apples (1kg)

$3.94 CA$5.57

$3.14 CA$4.43

25.48%

Banana (1kg)

$1.38 CA$1.95

$1.44 CA$2.03

-4.17%

Oranges (1kg)

$3.95 CA$5.59

$3.47 CA$4.91

13.83%

Tomato (1kg)

$4.07 CA$5.76

$3.07 CA$4.34

32.57%

Potato (1kg)

$1.57 CA$2.22

$1.90 CA$2.69

-17.37%

Onion (1kg)

$2.75 CA$3.89

$1.77 CA$2.50

55.37%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.51 CA$3.54

$2.34 CA$3.31

7.26%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.04 CA$1.47

$1.55 CA$2.19

-32.90%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$15.62 CA$22.09

$11.38 CA$16.09

37.26%

Wine (Bottle)

$11.70 CA$16.54

$10.63 CA$15.03

10.07%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.63 CA$3.72

$2.27 CA$3.21

15.86%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.88 CA$4.07

$2.82 CA$3.99

2.13%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.22 CA$3.14

$2.66 CA$3.76

-16.54%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$74.4 CA$105

$77.3 CA$109

-3.79%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$2.68 CA$3.78

$3.20 CA$4.53

-16.25%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.37 CA$1.94

$1.48 CA$2.09

-7.43%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$24.47 CA$34.59

$32.88 CA$46.48

-25.58%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.34 CA$1.90

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

$25.6K CA$36.3K

$28.2K CA$39.8K

-8.91%

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

$18.6K CA$26.3K

$19.6K CA$27.8K

-5.40%

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

$81.0 CA$114

$76.0 CA$107

6.61%

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

$35.50 CA$50.2

$33.95 CA$48.00

4.57%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$52.5 CA$74.2

$42.31 CA$59.8

23.99%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$20.62 CA$29.14

$29.76 CA$42.07

-30.71%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$10.61 CA$15.00

$20.28 CA$28.67

-47.68%

Cinema Ticket

$10.31 CA$14.57

$11.15 CA$15.77

-7.53%

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

$1,091 CA$1,542

$507 CA$717

115.06%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$11.4K CA$16.1K

$16.1K CA$22.7K

-28.96%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$57.2 CA$80.9

$57.6 CA$81.4

-0.57%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$32.93 CA$46.55

$37.58 CA$53.1

-12.37%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$94.8 CA$134

$91.9 CA$130

3.14%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$95.8 CA$135

$110 CA$155

-12.57%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,941 CA$2,745

$1,260 CA$1,782

54.02%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,734 CA$2,452

$948 CA$1,340

83.02%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$3,462 CA$4,894

$2,137 CA$3,021

62.00%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,582 CA$3,651

$1,614 CA$2,281

60.04%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$6,099 CA$8,623

$4,960 CA$7,011

22.98%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$4,977 CA$7,036

$3,838 CA$5,425

29.68%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$2,953 CA$4,175

$2,827 CA$3,997

4.46%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

4.28

4.48

-4.46%

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

Last update for Coquitlam: 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

Coquitlam

$1.7K 62.3%

Montreal

$948 47% 45.4% $787

Groceries & Markets

Coquitlam

$360 12.9%

Montreal

$346 17.2% 3.7% $13

Eating Out

Coquitlam

$261 9.4%

Montreal

$288 14.3% 10.3% $27

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Coquitlam

$169 6.1%

Montreal

$152 7.5% 9.9% $17

Clothing & Footwear

Coquitlam

$126 4.5%

Montreal

$133 6.6% 5.7% $7.1

Getting Around

Coquitlam

$93 3.3%

Montreal

$99 4.9% 6.2% $5.7

Sport & Entertainment

Coquitlam

$41 1.5%

Montreal

$52 2.6% 26.3% $11

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,941 in Coquitlam and $1,260 in Montreal. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Coquitlam 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: $69.0 in Coquitlam vs $70.0 in Montreal. Groceries flip the comparison at $360 vs $346, with Montreal cheaper for home cooking.

Good to know

🇨🇦 Coquitlam

🇨🇦 Montreal

🕒 Local time

11:19 11:19 AM

14:19 2:19 PM

3 h ahead of Coquitlam

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

148,625

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

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Between locations

Coquitlam Montreal 3,660 km ≈ 5 h nonstop flight

From you

Coquitlam
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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

Coquitlam vs Montreal: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Montreal is cheaper overall, especially in groceries and utilities. The 38% gap adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

Average pay runs 4% higher in Coquitlam, 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: $1,941 in Coquitlam versus $1,260 in Montreal. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

All in, you'll spend $2,784 per month in Coquitlam versus $2,018 in Montreal – a 38% gap that adds up to real savings over time for anyone picking the cheaper option.

A monthly transit pass in Montreal runs roughly 4% less than in Coquitlam. Both cities have functional networks, but the price difference matters if you're watching your budget.

At $2,018 in Montreal versus $2,784 in Coquitlam, a $2,000 budget is realistic in Montreal but tight or insufficient in Coquitlam. The gap between the two cities makes Montreal the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

For families, Montreal is more practical. Housing and childcare are both notably cheaper than in Coquitlam, and the savings on those two alone free up budget for education, activities, and family trips.

Safety-wise, Coquitlam 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 38% less than in Coquitlam. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.