Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Edmonton and Montreal

For one person, living is cheaper in Montreal: $2,064 a month against $2,188 in Edmonton, rent and utilities included – about $1,500 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

106

Cost of Living Index in Edmonton
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Edmonton Living Index
99

Cost of Living Index in Montreal
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Montreal Living Index

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Edmonton

🇨🇦 Canada

$2,188

/mo nomad

Montreal

🇨🇦 Canada

$2,064

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

A single person spends $2,188 per month in Edmonton vs $2,064 in Montreal, rent included.

Edmonton $2,188
Montreal $2,064

A couple spends around $3,196 per month in Edmonton vs $3,156 in Montreal, rent included.

Edmonton $3,196
Montreal $3,156

A family of three spends $4,203 per month in Edmonton vs $4,247 in Montreal, rent included.

Edmonton $4,203
Montreal $4,247

Edmonton costs about 6% more than Montreal, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in utilities.

Both Edmonton and Montreal sit above the global median – Edmonton by 61%, Montreal by 52%.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$19.92 CA$27.99

$18.98 CA$26.67

4.95%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$78.2 CA$110

$73.0 CA$103

7.08%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$10.14 CA$14.25

$10.88 CA$15.29

-6.80%

Cappuccino

$3.96 CA$5.57

$3.81 CA$5.36

3.94%

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

$2.34 CA$3.28

$1.94 CA$2.73

20.62%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.03 CA$2.85

$1.58 CA$2.22

28.48%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$5.76 CA$8.09

$6.37 CA$8.95

-9.58%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$6.34 CA$8.91

$7.26 CA$10.21

-12.67%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.62 CA$2.27

$2.23 CA$3.13

-27.35%

White Bread (500g)

$2.15 CA$3.02

$3.17 CA$4.46

-32.18%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$3.03 CA$4.26

$3.31 CA$4.65

-8.46%

Eggs

$3.58 CA$5.04

$3.63 CA$5.10

-1.38%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$10.77 CA$15.13

$13.16 CA$18.49

-18.16%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$11.31 CA$15.89

$11.56 CA$16.24

-2.16%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$18.80 CA$26.42

$13.71 CA$19.27

37.13%

Apples (1kg)

$4.13 CA$5.80

$3.29 CA$4.62

25.53%

Banana (1kg)

$1.40 CA$1.96

$1.46 CA$2.05

-4.11%

Oranges (1kg)

$4.24 CA$5.95

$3.37 CA$4.73

25.82%

Tomato (1kg)

$3.95 CA$5.55

$3.15 CA$4.42

25.40%

Potato (1kg)

$2.13 CA$2.99

$1.89 CA$2.65

12.70%

Onion (1kg)

$1.79 CA$2.52

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.48 CA$3.49

$2.47 CA$3.47

0.40%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.79 CA$2.51

$1.58 CA$2.22

13.29%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$14.32 CA$20.12

$11.28 CA$15.85

26.95%

Wine (Bottle)

$11.58 CA$16.27

$10.49 CA$14.74

10.39%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$3.45 CA$4.85

$2.34 CA$3.28

47.44%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.98 CA$4.19

$2.91 CA$4.09

2.41%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.64 CA$3.71

$2.61 CA$3.67

1.15%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$72.9 CA$102

$79.1 CA$111

-7.84%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$2.87 CA$4.03

$3.26 CA$4.58

-11.96%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.42 CA$2.00

$1.44 CA$2.02

-1.39%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$20.99 CA$29.48

$33.43 CA$46.97

-37.21%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.18 CA$1.66

$1.33 CA$1.87

-11.28%

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

$27.5K CA$38.6K

$28.6K CA$40.2K

-4.06%

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

$20.7K CA$29.1K

$21.1K CA$29.6K

-1.75%

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

$231 CA$324

$80.1 CA$112

188.18%

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

$43.33 CA$60.9

$34.30 CA$48.19

26.33%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$54.8 CA$77.0

$42.85 CA$60.2

27.96%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$43.95 CA$61.8

$31.14 CA$43.76

41.14%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$18.43 CA$25.89

$19.41 CA$27.27

-5.05%

Cinema Ticket

$12.60 CA$17.71

$11.23 CA$15.78

12.20%

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

$626 CA$880

$525 CA$738

19.30%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$9,741 CA$13.7K

$16.3K CA$22.9K

-40.35%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$44.27 CA$62.2

$58.0 CA$81.5

-23.67%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$47.59 CA$66.9

$38.11 CA$53.5

24.88%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$87.9 CA$124

$93.4 CA$131

-5.90%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$97.1 CA$136

$110 CA$155

-11.84%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,088 CA$1,529

$1,285 CA$1,806

-15.30%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$913 CA$1,283

$977 CA$1,372

-6.52%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,720 CA$2,416

$2,271 CA$3,190

-24.27%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,382 CA$1,941

$1,665 CA$2,339

-17.01%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$2,243 CA$3,151

$5,139 CA$7,221

-56.35%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,946 CA$2,735

$3,834 CA$5,387

-49.24%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$3,428 CA$4,816

$3,002 CA$4,218

14.19%

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 Edmonton: October 25, 2026

Last update for Montreal: October 25, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Edmonton

$913 41.7%

Montreal

$977 47.3% 7% $64

Groceries & Markets

Edmonton

$363 16.6%

Montreal

$351 17% 3.2% $12

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Edmonton

$329 15%

Montreal

$157 7.6% 52.2% $172

Eating Out

Edmonton

$296 13.5%

Montreal

$291 14.1% 1.8% $5.5

Clothing & Footwear

Edmonton

$125 5.7%

Montreal

$135 6.5% 8.2% $10

Getting Around

Edmonton

$93 4.3%

Montreal

$100 4.9% 7% $6.5

Sport & Entertainment

Edmonton

$69 3.2%

Montreal

$54 2.6% 22.5% $16

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $1,088 in Edmonton 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.

Salaries run about 14% higher in Edmonton. Purchasing power depends on which expenses matter most to you.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $78 in Edmonton versus $73 in Montreal. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $363 vs $351 – making Montreal the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇨🇦 Edmonton

🇨🇦 Montreal

🕒 Local time

05:04 5:04 AM

07:04 7:04 AM

2 h ahead of Edmonton

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

1,010,899

1,762,949

💱 Currency

Canadian Dollar CAD $

📈 Exchange rate

1 CAD = 0.712 USD

1 CAD = 0.64 EUR

1 CAD = 0.712 USD

1 CAD = 0.64 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

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Between locations

Edmonton Montreal 2,970 km ≈ 4 h 15 min nonstop flight

From you

Edmonton
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

Edmonton vs Montreal: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Monthly costs with rent: $2,188 in Edmonton, $2,064 in Montreal – roughly 6% apart. Outside of rent, the biggest gap is in utilities.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $3,282 per month in Edmonton and $3,096 in Montreal. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

Rent is clearly cheaper in Edmonton, especially for central apartments: a one-bedroom in the center costs $1,088 there versus $1,285 in Montreal.

Monthly expenses with rent come to $2,188 in Edmonton and $2,064 in Montreal. That’s a gap of about 6%.

Public transport costs about 8% less in Edmonton. For daily commuters, that gap adds up to noticeable savings over a year.

$2,000 is a stretch for both – monthly costs hit $2,188 in Edmonton and $2,064 in Montreal. You’ll need shared housing and careful budgeting no matter which city you pick.

It depends on your priorities. Montreal has an edge in some lifestyle areas, with costs from $2,064 in Montreal to $2,188 in Edmonton. Climate, culture, job market, and personal taste all factor in.

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