Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Fort McMurray and Montreal

For one person, living is cheaper in Montreal: $2,018 a month against $2,242 in Fort McMurray, rent and utilities included – about $2,700 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

109

Cost of Living Index in Fort McMurray
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Fort McMurray Living Index
99

Cost of Living Index in Montreal
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Montreal Living Index

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Fort McMurray

🇨🇦 Canada

$2,242

/mo nomad

Montreal

🇨🇦 Canada

$2,018

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

A single person spends $2,242 per month in Fort McMurray vs $2,018 in Montreal, rent included.

Fort McMurray $2,242
Montreal $2,018

A couple spends around $3,323 per month in Fort McMurray vs $3,085 in Montreal, rent included.

Fort McMurray $3,323
Montreal $3,085

A family of three spends $4,404 per month in Fort McMurray vs $4,152 in Montreal, rent included.

Fort McMurray $4,404
Montreal $4,152

Fort McMurray costs about 11% more than Montreal, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Both Fort McMurray and Montreal sit above the global median – Fort McMurray by 66%, Montreal by 49%.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$20.90 CA$29.54

$18.82 CA$26.61

11.05%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$55.8 CA$78.9

$70.3 CA$99.4

-20.57%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$13.79 CA$19.50

$10.66 CA$15.06

29.36%

Cappuccino

$3.88 CA$5.49

$3.84 CA$5.43

1.04%

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

$2.37 CA$3.35

$1.92 CA$2.71

23.44%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.52 CA$2.14

$1.54 CA$2.18

-1.30%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$5.73 CA$8.10

$6.23 CA$8.81

-8.03%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$5.33 CA$7.53

$7.10 CA$10.03

-24.93%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.41 CA$2.00

$2.31 CA$3.27

-38.96%

White Bread (500g)

$2.70 CA$3.82

$3.14 CA$4.44

-14.01%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$3.02 CA$4.27

$3.21 CA$4.54

-5.92%

Eggs

$2.98 CA$4.21

$3.52 CA$4.97

-15.34%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$13.00 CA$18.38

$12.81 CA$18.11

1.48%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$13.01 CA$18.39

$11.46 CA$16.20

13.53%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$19.80 CA$27.99

$13.39 CA$18.92

47.87%

Apples (1kg)

$4.44 CA$6.28

$3.14 CA$4.43

41.40%

Banana (1kg)

$1.26 CA$1.78

$1.44 CA$2.03

-12.50%

Oranges (1kg)

$5.19 CA$7.33

$3.47 CA$4.91

49.57%

Tomato (1kg)

$6.60 CA$9.34

$3.07 CA$4.34

114.98%

Potato (1kg)

$3.66 CA$5.17

$1.90 CA$2.69

92.63%

Onion (1kg)

$3.95 CA$5.58

$1.77 CA$2.50

123.16%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.99 CA$4.22

$2.34 CA$3.31

27.78%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.36 CA$1.93

$1.55 CA$2.19

-12.26%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$15.66 CA$22.13

$11.38 CA$16.09

37.61%

Wine (Bottle)

$14.09 CA$19.92

$10.63 CA$15.03

32.55%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$4.24 CA$5.99

$2.27 CA$3.21

86.78%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.49 CA$4.93

$2.82 CA$3.99

23.76%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.38 CA$1.94

$2.66 CA$3.76

-48.12%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$49.42 CA$69.9

$77.3 CA$109

-36.06%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.57 CA$5.05

$3.20 CA$4.53

11.56%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.11 CA$1.57

$1.48 CA$2.09

-25.00%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$32.27 CA$45.62

$32.88 CA$46.48

-1.86%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.06 CA$1.50

$1.34 CA$1.90

-20.90%

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

$27.3K CA$38.6K

$28.2K CA$39.8K

-3.07%

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

$21.2K CA$29.9K

$19.6K CA$27.8K

7.76%

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

$190 CA$269

$76.0 CA$107

150.68%

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

$48.41 CA$68.4

$33.95 CA$48.00

42.59%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$61.1 CA$86.4

$42.31 CA$59.8

44.41%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$43.19 CA$61.1

$29.76 CA$42.07

45.13%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$8.77 CA$12.40

$20.28 CA$28.67

-56.76%

Cinema Ticket

$12.46 CA$17.62

$11.15 CA$15.77

11.75%

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

$559 CA$790

$507 CA$717

10.16%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$16.1K CA$22.7K

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$66.3 CA$93.8

$57.6 CA$81.4

15.27%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$35.33 CA$49.95

$37.58 CA$53.1

-5.99%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$77.3 CA$109

$91.9 CA$130

-15.88%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$85.2 CA$120

$110 CA$155

-22.25%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$906 CA$1,281

$1,260 CA$1,782

-28.14%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$965 CA$1,364

$948 CA$1,340

1.82%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,591 CA$2,250

$2,137 CA$3,021

-25.53%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,656 CA$2,340

$1,614 CA$2,281

2.60%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$2,598 CA$3,673

$4,960 CA$7,011

-47.62%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,865 CA$2,636

$3,838 CA$5,425

-51.41%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$3,042 CA$4,300

$2,827 CA$3,997

7.59%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

4.77

4.48

6.47%

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

Last update for Fort McMurray: 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

Fort McMurray

$965 43%

Montreal

$948 47% 1.8% $17

Groceries & Markets

Fort McMurray

$416 18.6%

Montreal

$346 17.2% 16.7% $69

Eating Out

Fort McMurray

$310 13.8%

Montreal

$288 14.3% 7.1% $22

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Fort McMurray

$300 13.4%

Montreal

$152 7.5% 49.3% $148

Clothing & Footwear

Fort McMurray

$119 5.3%

Montreal

$133 6.6% 12.3% $15

Sport & Entertainment

Fort McMurray

$68 3%

Montreal

$52 2.6% 23.6% $16

Getting Around

Fort McMurray

$64 2.9%

Montreal

$99 4.9% 53.8% $34

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $906 in Fort McMurray 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 8% higher in Fort McMurray, 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 $56.0 in Fort McMurray versus $70.0 in Montreal. Groceries tell a different story – $416 in Fort McMurray vs $346 in Montreal – so Montreal wins on supermarket bills even if dining out costs more.

Good to know

🇨🇦 Fort McMurray

🇨🇦 Montreal

🕒 Local time

13:00 1:00 PM

15:00 3:00 PM

2 h ahead of Fort McMurray

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

66,573

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

Fort McMurray Montreal 2,870 km ≈ 4 h nonstop flight

From you

Fort McMurray
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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

Fort McMurray vs Montreal: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Monthly costs with rent: $2,242 in Fort McMurray, $2,018 in Montreal – roughly 11% apart. Outside of rent, the biggest gap is in groceries.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $3,362 per month in Fort McMurray 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.

Monthly expenses with rent come to $2,242 in Fort McMurray and $2,018 in Montreal. That's a gap of about 11%.

Public transport costs about 56% less in Montreal. For daily commuters, that gap adds up to noticeable savings over a year.

A $2,000 monthly budget goes further in Montreal, where all-in costs run around $2,018, than in Fort McMurray at $2,242. In Montreal it covers expenses comfortably, while in Fort McMurray 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 $2,018 in Montreal to $2,242 in Fort McMurray. 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 Montreal. If higher salaries, better infrastructure, or specific career opportunities are the priority, Fort McMurray makes more sense. Both are solid long-term options with distinct trade-offs.