Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Dawson City and Montreal

For one person, living is cheaper in Dawson City: $1,906 a month against $2,064 in Montreal, rent and utilities included – about $1,900 less a year. Higher rent and utilities in Montreal outweigh lower spending on other living expenses.

Dawson City, Canada
Montreal, Canada
Dawson City
🇨🇦 Canada
$1,906
/mo nomad
Montreal
🇨🇦 Canada
$2,064
/mo nomad
Monthly Cost of Living

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

A single person spends $1,906 per month in Dawson City vs $2,064 in Montreal, rent included.

  • Dawson City $1,906
  • Montreal $2,064

A couple spends around $3,291 per month in Dawson City vs $3,156 in Montreal, rent included.

  • Dawson City $3,291
  • Montreal $3,156

A family of three spends $4,677 per month in Dawson City vs $4,247 in Montreal, rent included.

  • Dawson City $4,677
  • Montreal $4,247

Dawson City is about 8% cheaper than Montreal, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in transport.

Both Dawson City and Montreal sit above the global median – Dawson City by 40%, Montreal by 52%.

Currency
🍽 Eating Out
Dawson City
Montreal
Difference
Meal at Budget Restaurant
$25.11 CA$35.23
$18.98 CA$26.64
32.30%
Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range
$102 CA$143
$73.0 CA$102
39.85%
Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)
$10.59 CA$14.87
$10.88 CA$15.27
-2.67%
Cappuccino
$3.84 CA$5.39
$3.81 CA$5.35
0.79%
Coke/Pepsi/Fanta/Sprite (0.33 liter bottle)
$1.74 CA$2.44
$1.94 CA$2.72
-10.31%
Water (0.33 liter bottle)
$1.69 CA$2.37
$1.58 CA$2.22
6.96%
Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)
$5.07 CA$7.12
$6.37 CA$8.94
-20.41%
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$5.68 CA$7.97
$7.26 CA$10.20
-21.76%
🛒 Groceries & Markets
Dawson City
Montreal
Difference
Milk (1 liter)
$2.63 CA$3.69
$2.23 CA$3.13
17.94%
White Bread (500g)
$4.12 CA$5.78
$3.17 CA$4.45
29.97%
Rice (white) (1kg)
$4.92 CA$6.90
$3.31 CA$4.64
48.64%
Eggs
$5.10 CA$7.16
$3.63 CA$5.09
40.50%
Local Cheese (1kg)
$10.27 CA$14.41
$13.16 CA$18.47
-21.96%
Chicken Fillets (1kg)
$14.47 CA$20.31
$11.56 CA$16.22
25.17%
Beef Round Steak (1kg)
$14.45 CA$20.28
$13.71 CA$19.25
5.40%
Apples (1kg)
$4.08 CA$5.73
$3.29 CA$4.62
24.01%
Banana (1kg)
$1.43 CA$2.00
$1.46 CA$2.05
-2.05%
Oranges (1kg)
$4.16 CA$5.84
$3.37 CA$4.73
23.44%
Tomato (1kg)
$4.13 CA$5.79
$3.15 CA$4.42
31.11%
Potato (1kg)
$2.34 CA$3.28
$1.89 CA$2.65
23.81%
Onion (1kg)
$2.20 CA$3.09
$1.79 CA$2.52
22.91%
Lettuce (1 head)
$2.50 CA$3.51
$2.47 CA$3.47
1.21%
Water (1.5 liter bottle)
$1.65 CA$2.32
$1.58 CA$2.22
4.43%
Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)
$14.02 CA$19.67
$11.28 CA$15.84
24.29%
Wine (Bottle)
$12.81 CA$17.98
$10.49 CA$14.73
22.12%
Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)
$2.35 CA$3.30
$2.34 CA$3.28
0.43%
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$3.28 CA$4.60
$2.91 CA$4.09
12.71%
🚌 Getting Around
Dawson City
Montreal
Difference
One-way Ticket (Public Transport)
$2.17 CA$3.05
$2.61 CA$3.66
-16.86%
Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)
$57.6 CA$80.8
$79.1 CA$111
-27.22%
Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)
$2.90 CA$4.07
$3.26 CA$4.57
-11.04%
Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)
$1.43 CA$2.01
$1.44 CA$2.02
-0.69%
Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)
$21.86 CA$30.68
$33.43 CA$46.92
-34.61%
Gasoline (1 liter)
$1.22 CA$1.71
$1.33 CA$1.87
-8.27%
Midsize Hatchback 1.4l (Volkswagen Golf, Toyota Prius, Honda Civic, etc)
$27.1K CA$38.0K
$28.6K CA$40.2K
-5.31%
Compact Sedan 1.6l (Toyota Corolla, Mazda3, Kia K4, Hyundai Elantra, etc)
$18.7K CA$26.3K
$21.1K CA$29.6K
-11.27%
🧾 Monthly Utilities & Internet
Dawson City
Montreal
Difference
Utilities for 2 People in 2-bedroom Apartment (Heating, Electricity, Gas, Water, Garbage) (85m2)
$137 CA$193
$80.1 CA$112
71.47%
SIM Card Monthly Plan (Calls and 10GB+ Data)
$39.51 CA$55.4
$34.30 CA$48.14
15.19%
Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)
$55.1 CA$77.3
$42.85 CA$60.1
28.61%
🎉 Sport & Entertainment
Dawson City
Montreal
Difference
Gym Membership (Monthly)
$38.34 CA$53.8
$31.14 CA$43.71
23.12%
Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)
$20.44 CA$28.69
$19.41 CA$27.24
5.31%
Cinema Ticket
$11.14 CA$15.63
$11.23 CA$15.76
-0.80%
🧸 Childcare & Education
Dawson City
Montreal
Difference
Preschool or Kindergarten, Full Day, Private, 1 Child (Monthly)
$639 CA$897
$525 CA$737
21.76%
International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)
$14.2K CA$19.9K
$16.3K CA$22.9K
-13.22%
👕👟 Clothing & Footwear
Dawson City
Montreal
Difference
Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)
$64.2 CA$90.1
$58.0 CA$81.4
10.64%
Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)
$38.97 CA$54.7
$38.11 CA$53.5
2.26%
Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)
$66.9 CA$93.9
$93.4 CA$131
-28.40%
Men's Leather Business Shoes
$105 CA$147
$110 CA$155
-4.95%
🏠 Accommodation & Living
Dawson City
Montreal
Difference
1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$1,281 CA$1,797
$1,285 CA$1,803
-0.34%
1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$679 CA$953
$977 CA$1,371
-30.47%
3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$2,030 CA$2,849
$2,271 CA$3,187
-10.61%
3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$1,709 CA$2,398
$1,665 CA$2,336
2.65%
Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)
$4,203 CA$5,898
$5,139 CA$7,212
-18.22%
Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)
$3,257 CA$4,571
$3,834 CA$5,381
-15.06%
💵 Salaries & Financials
Dawson City
Montreal
Difference
Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)
$2,937 CA$4,122
$3,002 CA$4,213
-2.16%
20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)
4.68
4.48
4.46%

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

Last update for Dawson City: October 24, 2026

Last update for Montreal: October 25, 2026

Monthly budget structure
Share of the monthly basket for one person, rent included.
Accommodation & Living
Dawson City
$679
Montreal
$977 43.8% $298
Groceries & Markets
Dawson City
$406
Montreal
$351 13.4% $54
Eating Out
Dawson City
$329
Montreal
$291 11.7% $38
Monthly Utilities & Internet
Dawson City
$232
Montreal
$157 32.2% $75
Clothing & Footwear
Dawson City
$124
Montreal
$135 9.1% $11
Getting Around
Dawson City
$76
Montreal
$100 31% $24
Sport & Entertainment
Dawson City
$61
Montreal
$54 11.6% $7

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $1,281 in Dawson City versus $1,285 in Montreal. Rent is usually the largest line item in a monthly budget, so the gap here sets the tone for the overall comparison.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $102 in Dawson City versus $73 in Montreal. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $406 vs $351 – making Montreal the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know
🇨🇦 Dawson City
🇨🇦 Montreal
🕒 Local time
18:04 6:04 PM
21:04 9:04 PM
3 h ahead of Dawson City
🌤 Weather
👥 Population
1,375
1,762,949
💱 Currency
Exchange rates and currency converter

USD, EUR to CAD – Canadian Dollar Converter

Canadian Dollar exchange rates as of October 29, 2026: 1 USD = 1.4 CAD (1 CAD = 0.713 USD). 1 EUR = 1.56 CAD (1 CAD = 0.64 EUR).

On the map
Between locations
  • Dawson City Montreal 4,440 km ≈ 6 h nonstop flight
From you
  • Dawson City
  • 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
Dawson City vs Montreal: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions
Is Dawson City cheaper than Montreal?
Yes – Montreal is pricier by about 8%, and outside of rent the gap shows up most in transport.
What income do you need for each city?
For a comfortable life, plan on about $2,859 per month in Dawson City and $3,096 in Montreal. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.
What is the rent difference between Dawson City and Montreal?
A central 1-bedroom goes for about $1,281 in Dawson City and $1,285 in Montreal. The gap holds across neighborhoods – outer areas show a similar spread, just at lower price points.
Which city has cheaper kindergarten?
Kindergarten costs $639 per month in Dawson City and $525 in Montreal. For families with young kids, this one expense can tip the scales when choosing between the two cities.
How do food prices compare in Dawson City and in Montreal?
Interestingly, groceries are about 13% cheaper in Montreal – one category where the pricier city actually offers better value.
Is $2,500 enough for either Dawson City or Montreal?
$2,500 covers both cities comfortably – all-in costs are $1,906 in Dawson City and $2,064 in Montreal, leaving budget for savings and extras in both cases.
Is it better to live in Dawson City or in Montreal?
It depends on your priorities. Montreal has an edge in some lifestyle areas, with costs from $1,906 in Dawson City to $2,064 in Montreal. Climate, culture, job market, and personal taste all factor in.

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