Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Dartmouth and Montreal

For one person, living costs are similar in Dartmouth and in Montreal: $1,993 and $2,018 a month, rent and utilities included.

96

Cost of Living Index in Dartmouth
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Dartmouth Living Index
99

Cost of Living Index in Montreal
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Montreal Living Index

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Dartmouth

🇨🇦 Canada

$1,993

/mo nomad

Montreal

🇨🇦 Canada

$2,018

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

A single person spends $1,993 per month in Dartmouth vs $2,018 in Montreal, rent included.

Dartmouth $1,993
Montreal $2,018

A couple spends around $2,990 per month in Dartmouth vs $3,085 in Montreal, rent included.

Dartmouth $2,990
Montreal $3,085

A family of three spends $3,987 per month in Dartmouth vs $4,152 in Montreal, rent included.

Dartmouth $3,987
Montreal $4,152

Dartmouth is about 1% cheaper than Montreal, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

Both Dartmouth and Montreal sit above the global median – Dartmouth by 48%, Montreal by 49%.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$10.55 CA$14.91

$18.82 CA$26.61

-43.94%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$58.5 CA$82.7

$70.3 CA$99.4

-16.80%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$6.96 CA$9.84

$10.66 CA$15.06

-34.71%

Cappuccino

$3.56 CA$5.04

$3.84 CA$5.43

-7.29%

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

$2.00 CA$2.82

$1.92 CA$2.71

4.17%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.88 CA$2.66

$1.54 CA$2.18

22.08%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$4.45 CA$6.30

$6.23 CA$8.81

-28.57%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$5.70 CA$8.05

$7.10 CA$10.03

-19.72%

Milk (1 liter)

$2.38 CA$3.36

$2.31 CA$3.27

3.03%

White Bread (500g)

$2.04 CA$2.89

$3.14 CA$4.44

-35.03%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$3.31 CA$4.68

$3.21 CA$4.54

3.12%

Eggs

$3.49 CA$4.93

$3.52 CA$4.97

-0.85%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$7.64 CA$10.80

$12.81 CA$18.11

-40.36%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$9.18 CA$12.98

$11.46 CA$16.20

-19.90%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$10.37 CA$14.65

$13.39 CA$18.92

-22.55%

Apples (1kg)

$3.38 CA$4.78

$3.14 CA$4.43

7.64%

Banana (1kg)

$1.52 CA$2.15

$1.44 CA$2.03

5.56%

Oranges (1kg)

$4.47 CA$6.32

$3.47 CA$4.91

28.82%

Tomato (1kg)

$5.75 CA$8.12

$3.07 CA$4.34

87.30%

Potato (1kg)

$2.03 CA$2.86

$1.90 CA$2.69

6.84%

Onion (1kg)

$2.11 CA$2.98

$1.77 CA$2.50

19.21%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.48 CA$3.51

$2.34 CA$3.31

5.98%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$2.13 CA$3.01

$1.55 CA$2.19

37.42%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$13.95 CA$19.72

$11.38 CA$16.09

22.58%

Wine (Bottle)

$14.17 CA$20.03

$10.63 CA$15.03

33.30%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$3.35 CA$4.74

$2.27 CA$3.21

47.58%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.87 CA$5.47

$2.82 CA$3.99

37.23%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.97 CA$2.78

$2.66 CA$3.76

-25.94%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$59.6 CA$84.2

$77.3 CA$109

-22.94%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$2.76 CA$3.90

$3.20 CA$4.53

-13.75%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.32 CA$1.86

$1.48 CA$2.09

-10.81%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$21.34 CA$30.17

$32.88 CA$46.48

-35.10%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.12 CA$1.58

$1.34 CA$1.90

-16.42%

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

$28.0K CA$39.5K

$28.2K CA$39.8K

-0.64%

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

$18.9K CA$26.7K

$19.6K CA$27.8K

-3.90%

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

$77.5 CA$109

$76.0 CA$107

1.96%

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

$41.92 CA$59.3

$33.95 CA$48.00

23.48%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$63.3 CA$89.5

$42.31 CA$59.8

49.61%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$35.19 CA$49.75

$29.76 CA$42.07

18.25%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$20.28 CA$28.67

Cinema Ticket

$12.41 CA$17.54

$11.15 CA$15.77

11.30%

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

$373 CA$527

$507 CA$717

-26.45%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$13.2K CA$18.7K

$16.1K CA$22.7K

-17.73%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$39.41 CA$55.7

$57.6 CA$81.4

-31.52%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$33.13 CA$46.84

$37.58 CA$53.1

-11.84%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$66.7 CA$94.3

$91.9 CA$130

-27.43%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$74.6 CA$105

$110 CA$155

-31.94%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,215 CA$1,717

$1,260 CA$1,782

-3.64%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,037 CA$1,466

$948 CA$1,340

9.46%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,956 CA$2,765

$2,137 CA$3,021

-8.48%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,818 CA$2,570

$1,614 CA$2,281

12.67%

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)

$2,539 CA$3,589

$2,827 CA$3,997

-10.21%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

4.6

4.48

2.68%

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

Last update for Dartmouth: October 13, 2026

Last update for Montreal: October 12, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Dartmouth

$1K 52.1%

Montreal

$948 47% 8.6% $90

Groceries & Markets

Dartmouth

$343 17.2%

Montreal

$346 17.2% 1.1% $3.9

Eating Out

Dartmouth

$197 9.9%

Montreal

$288 14.3% 46% $91

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Dartmouth

$183 9.2%

Montreal

$152 7.5% 16.7% $30

Clothing & Footwear

Dartmouth

$96 4.8%

Montreal

$133 6.6% 38.7% $37

Getting Around

Dartmouth

$77 3.9%

Montreal

$99 4.9% 28.3% $22

Sport & Entertainment

Dartmouth

$60 3%

Montreal

$52 2.6% 13.2% $7.9

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $1,215 in Dartmouth 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 11% higher in Montreal, 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 $58.0 in Dartmouth versus $70.0 in Montreal. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $343 vs $346 – making Dartmouth the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇨🇦 Dartmouth

🇨🇦 Montreal

🕒 Local time

05:49 5:49 AM

04:49 4:49 AM

1 h behind Dartmouth

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

70,000

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

Dartmouth Montreal 790 km ≈ 1 h 30 min nonstop flight

From you

Dartmouth
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

Dartmouth vs Montreal: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Monthly costs with rent: $1,993 in Dartmouth, $2,018 in Montreal – roughly 1% apart. Outside of rent, the biggest gap is in eating out.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $2,989 per month in Dartmouth 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 Dartmouth, 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 $1,993 in Dartmouth and $2,018 in Montreal. That's a gap of about 1%.

Public transport costs about 30% less in Dartmouth. For daily commuters, that gap adds up to noticeable savings over a year.

A $3,000 monthly budget goes further in Dartmouth, where all-in costs run around $1,993, than in Montreal at $2,018. In Dartmouth it covers expenses comfortably, while in Montreal it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.

It depends on your priorities. Montreal has an edge in some lifestyle areas, with costs from $1,993 in Dartmouth to $2,018 in Montreal. Climate, culture, job market, and personal taste all factor in.

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 Dartmouth. 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.