Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Courtenay and Montreal

For one person, living is cheaper in Montreal: $2,018 a month against $2,133 in Courtenay, rent and utilities included – about $1,400 less a year. Higher rent and utilities in Courtenay outweigh lower spending on other living expenses.

103

Cost of Living Index in Courtenay
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Courtenay Living Index
99

Cost of Living Index in Montreal
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Montreal Living Index

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Courtenay

🇨🇦 Canada

$2,133

/mo nomad

Montreal

🇨🇦 Canada

$2,018

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

A single person spends $2,133 per month in Courtenay vs $2,018 in Montreal, rent included.

Courtenay $2,133
Montreal $2,018

A couple spends around $3,026 per month in Courtenay vs $3,085 in Montreal, rent included.

Courtenay $3,026
Montreal $3,085

A family of three spends $3,919 per month in Courtenay vs $4,152 in Montreal, rent included.

Courtenay $3,919
Montreal $4,152

Courtenay costs about 6% more than Montreal, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

Both Courtenay and Montreal sit above the global median – Courtenay by 58%, Montreal by 49%.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$13.75 CA$19.44

$18.82 CA$26.61

-26.94%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$56.6 CA$80.0

$70.3 CA$99.4

-19.50%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$10.05 CA$14.20

$10.66 CA$15.06

-5.72%

Cappuccino

$3.46 CA$4.89

$3.84 CA$5.43

-9.90%

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

$2.02 CA$2.86

$1.92 CA$2.71

5.21%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.64 CA$2.32

$1.54 CA$2.18

6.49%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$5.70 CA$8.06

$6.23 CA$8.81

-8.51%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$5.97 CA$8.43

$7.10 CA$10.03

-15.92%

Milk (1 liter)

$2.27 CA$3.21

$2.31 CA$3.27

-1.73%

White Bread (500g)

$2.06 CA$2.91

$3.14 CA$4.44

-34.39%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.04 CA$2.89

$3.21 CA$4.54

-36.45%

Eggs

$3.21 CA$4.54

$3.52 CA$4.97

-8.81%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$9.86 CA$13.94

$12.81 CA$18.11

-23.03%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$9.06 CA$12.80

$11.46 CA$16.20

-20.94%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$19.19 CA$27.12

$13.39 CA$18.92

43.32%

Apples (1kg)

$3.16 CA$4.47

$3.14 CA$4.43

0.64%

Banana (1kg)

$1.32 CA$1.87

$1.44 CA$2.03

-8.33%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.29 CA$3.24

$3.47 CA$4.91

-34.01%

Tomato (1kg)

$3.02 CA$4.26

$3.07 CA$4.34

-1.63%

Potato (1kg)

$2.53 CA$3.58

$1.90 CA$2.69

33.16%

Onion (1kg)

$2.09 CA$2.96

$1.77 CA$2.50

18.08%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.96 CA$2.77

$2.34 CA$3.31

-16.24%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.67 CA$2.36

$1.55 CA$2.19

7.74%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$14.19 CA$20.06

$11.38 CA$16.09

24.69%

Wine (Bottle)

$10.45 CA$14.78

$10.63 CA$15.03

-1.69%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.40 CA$3.40

$2.27 CA$3.21

5.73%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.51 CA$3.54

$2.82 CA$3.99

-10.99%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.98 CA$2.80

$2.66 CA$3.76

-25.56%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$42.72 CA$60.4

$77.3 CA$109

-44.73%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$2.67 CA$3.78

$3.20 CA$4.53

-16.56%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.39 CA$1.96

$1.48 CA$2.09

-6.08%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$17.48 CA$24.72

$32.88 CA$46.48

-46.84%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.30 CA$1.83

$1.34 CA$1.90

-2.99%

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

$20.3K CA$28.7K

$28.2K CA$39.8K

-27.93%

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

$17.9K CA$25.3K

$19.6K CA$27.8K

-8.76%

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

$135 CA$190

$76.0 CA$107

77.38%

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

$37.14 CA$52.5

$33.95 CA$48.00

9.40%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$63.7 CA$90.0

$42.31 CA$59.8

50.51%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$41.55 CA$58.7

$29.76 CA$42.07

39.62%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$38.86 CA$54.9

$20.28 CA$28.67

91.62%

Cinema Ticket

$10.57 CA$14.94

$11.15 CA$15.77

-5.20%

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

$1,761 CA$2,490

$507 CA$717

247.33%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$11.8K CA$16.7K

$16.1K CA$22.7K

-26.36%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$55.8 CA$78.9

$57.6 CA$81.4

-3.02%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$43.80 CA$61.9

$37.58 CA$53.1

16.55%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$76.0 CA$107

$91.9 CA$130

-17.31%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$59.3 CA$83.8

$110 CA$155

-45.88%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,238 CA$1,751

$1,260 CA$1,782

-1.76%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,109 CA$1,568

$948 CA$1,340

17.05%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,010 CA$2,841

$2,137 CA$3,021

-5.95%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,622 CA$2,293

$1,614 CA$2,281

0.50%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$5,337 CA$7,545

$4,960 CA$7,011

7.61%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$3,838 CA$5,425

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$3,170 CA$4,482

$2,827 CA$3,997

12.13%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

4.87

4.48

8.71%

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

Last update for Courtenay: 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

Courtenay

$1.1K 52%

Montreal

$948 47% 14.6% $162

Groceries & Markets

Courtenay

$322 15.1%

Montreal

$346 17.2% 7.5% $24

Eating Out

Courtenay

$237 11.1%

Montreal

$288 14.3% 21.6% $51

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Courtenay

$236 11.1%

Montreal

$152 7.5% 35.4% $83

Clothing & Footwear

Courtenay

$106 5%

Montreal

$133 6.6% 26.3% $28

Sport & Entertainment

Courtenay

$63 2.9%

Montreal

$52 2.6% 17% $11

Getting Around

Courtenay

$60 2.8%

Montreal

$99 4.9% 63.5% $38

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $1,238 in Courtenay 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 12% higher in Courtenay, which partly offsets the higher cost of living there. Purchasing power depends on which expenses matter most to you.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $57.0 in Courtenay versus $70.0 in Montreal. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $322 vs $346 – making Courtenay the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇨🇦 Courtenay

🇨🇦 Montreal

🕒 Local time

06:43 6:43 AM

09:43 9:43 AM

3 h ahead of Courtenay

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

25,599

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

Courtenay Montreal 3,810 km ≈ 5 h nonstop flight

From you

Courtenay
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

Courtenay vs Montreal: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

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

For a comfortable life, plan on about $3,199 per month in Courtenay 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 Montreal, especially for central apartments. Housing is actually the single biggest factor behind the overall cost gap between these two cities.

Interestingly, groceries are about 7% cheaper in Courtenay – one category where the pricier city actually offers better value, probably thanks to stronger retail competition or local farming.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $57.0 in Courtenay and $70.0 in Montreal. That's a good indicator of the overall restaurant and café pricing gap between the two cities.

A $2,000 monthly budget goes further in Montreal, where all-in costs run around $2,018, than in Courtenay at $2,133. In Montreal it covers expenses comfortably, while in Courtenay it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.

Families tend to lean toward Montreal – 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 Montreal. If higher salaries, better infrastructure, or specific career opportunities are the priority, Courtenay makes more sense. Both are solid long-term options with distinct trade-offs.