Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Gatineau and Montreal

For one person, living is cheaper in Montreal: $2,064 a month against $2,132 in Gatineau, rent and utilities included – about $820 less a year. Higher rent and utilities in Gatineau outweigh lower spending on other living expenses.

103

Cost of Living Index in Gatineau
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Gatineau Living Index
99

Cost of Living Index in Montreal
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Montreal Living Index

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Gatineau

🇨🇦 Canada

$2,132

/mo nomad

Montreal

🇨🇦 Canada

$2,064

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

A single person spends $2,132 per month in Gatineau vs $2,064 in Montreal, rent included.

Gatineau $2,132
Montreal $2,064

A couple spends around $3,159 per month in Gatineau vs $3,156 in Montreal, rent included.

Gatineau $3,159
Montreal $3,156

A family of three spends $4,186 per month in Gatineau vs $4,247 in Montreal, rent included.

Gatineau $4,186
Montreal $4,247

Gatineau costs about 3% more than Montreal, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Both Gatineau and Montreal sit above the global median – Gatineau by 57%, Montreal by 52%.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$13.03 CA$18.20

$18.98 CA$26.53

-31.35%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$86.5 CA$121

$73.0 CA$102

18.55%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$10.82 CA$15.12

$10.88 CA$15.20

-0.55%

Cappuccino

$3.17 CA$4.43

$3.81 CA$5.33

-16.80%

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

$1.37 CA$1.91

$1.94 CA$2.71

-29.38%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.32 CA$1.85

$1.58 CA$2.21

-16.46%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$4.41 CA$6.16

$6.37 CA$8.90

-30.77%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$6.45 CA$9.02

$7.26 CA$10.15

-11.16%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.91 CA$2.67

$2.23 CA$3.11

-14.35%

White Bread (500g)

$2.99 CA$4.18

$3.17 CA$4.44

-5.68%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$5.16 CA$7.21

$3.31 CA$4.62

55.89%

Eggs

$3.21 CA$4.48

$3.63 CA$5.07

-11.57%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$11.63 CA$16.26

$13.16 CA$18.39

-11.63%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$9.99 CA$13.96

$11.56 CA$16.15

-13.58%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$11.08 CA$15.49

$13.71 CA$19.16

-19.18%

Apples (1kg)

$3.97 CA$5.55

$3.29 CA$4.60

20.67%

Banana (1kg)

$1.93 CA$2.69

$1.46 CA$2.04

32.19%

Oranges (1kg)

$4.72 CA$6.60

$3.37 CA$4.71

40.06%

Tomato (1kg)

$4.52 CA$6.32

$3.15 CA$4.40

43.49%

Potato (1kg)

$2.10 CA$2.93

$1.89 CA$2.64

11.11%

Onion (1kg)

$2.47 CA$3.45

$1.79 CA$2.51

37.99%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.08 CA$2.91

$2.47 CA$3.45

-15.79%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$2.68 CA$3.74

$1.58 CA$2.21

69.62%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$11.94 CA$16.68

$11.28 CA$15.77

5.85%

Wine (Bottle)

$12.40 CA$17.33

$10.49 CA$14.66

18.21%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.92 CA$4.09

$2.34 CA$3.26

24.79%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.37 CA$4.71

$2.91 CA$4.07

15.81%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$3.28 CA$4.59

$2.61 CA$3.65

25.67%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$80.3 CA$112

$79.1 CA$111

1.53%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$4.91 CA$6.87

$3.26 CA$4.56

50.61%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.28 CA$3.18

$1.44 CA$2.01

58.33%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$33.31 CA$46.54

$33.43 CA$46.71

-0.36%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.24 CA$1.73

$1.33 CA$1.86

-6.77%

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

$27.7K CA$38.7K

$28.6K CA$40.0K

-3.16%

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

$20.9K CA$29.3K

$21.1K CA$29.5K

-0.74%

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

$116 CA$162

$80.1 CA$112

44.87%

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

$36.45 CA$50.9

$34.30 CA$47.93

6.27%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$49.10 CA$68.6

$42.85 CA$59.9

14.59%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$46.92 CA$65.6

$31.14 CA$43.52

50.67%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$29.37 CA$41.04

$19.41 CA$27.12

51.31%

Cinema Ticket

$10.78 CA$15.07

$11.23 CA$15.69

-4.01%

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

$552 CA$771

$525 CA$734

5.06%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$137.5K CA$192.1K

$16.3K CA$22.8K

741.97%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$69.9 CA$97.7

$58.0 CA$81.0

20.59%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$43.48 CA$60.8

$38.11 CA$53.3

14.09%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$88.8 CA$124

$93.4 CA$131

-4.97%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$120 CA$168

$110 CA$154

8.81%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,287 CA$1,799

$1,285 CA$1,796

0.18%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,016 CA$1,420

$977 CA$1,365

4.02%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,933 CA$2,700

$2,271 CA$3,173

-14.89%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,524 CA$2,129

$1,665 CA$2,326

-8.49%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$5,162 CA$7,213

$5,139 CA$7,181

0.45%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$6,163 CA$8,611

$3,834 CA$5,358

60.72%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$2,656 CA$3,712

$3,002 CA$4,195

-11.52%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

4.64

4.48

3.57%

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

Last update for Gatineau: 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

Gatineau

$1K 47.6%

Montreal

$977 47.3% 3.9% $39

Groceries & Markets

Gatineau

$371 17.4%

Montreal

$351 17% 5.4% $20

Eating Out

Gatineau

$220 10.3%

Montreal

$291 14.1% 31.9% $70

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Gatineau

$202 9.5%

Montreal

$157 7.6% 22% $44

Clothing & Footwear

Gatineau

$145 6.8%

Montreal

$135 6.5% 7% $10

Getting Around

Gatineau

$110 5.2%

Montreal

$100 4.9% 8.9% $9.8

Sport & Entertainment

Gatineau

$68 3.2%

Montreal

$54 2.6% 21.7% $15

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $1,287 in Gatineau 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 13% higher in Montreal, which reinforces the cost advantage – you earn more and spend less. Purchasing power leans clearly in its favor.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $87 in Gatineau versus $73 in Montreal. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $371 vs $351 – making Montreal the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇨🇦 Gatineau

🇨🇦 Montreal

🕒 Local time

06:50 6:50 AM

Same time as Gatineau

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

291,041

1,762,949

💱 Currency

Canadian Dollar CAD $

📈 Exchange rate

1 CAD = 0.716 USD

1 CAD = 0.641 EUR

1 CAD = 0.716 USD

1 CAD = 0.641 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

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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

Gatineau vs Montreal: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Gatineau costs about 3% more than Montreal, and outside of rent the gap comes mainly from groceries. That’s enough to noticeably affect everyday spending and lifestyle for anyone choosing between the two.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $3,199 per month in Gatineau and $3,096 in Montreal. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

A central 1-bedroom goes for about $1,287 in Gatineau and $1,285 in Montreal. The gap holds across neighborhoods – outer areas show a similar spread, just at lower price points.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $87 in Gatineau and $73 in Montreal. That’s a good indicator of the overall restaurant and café pricing gap between the two cities.

Groceries cost about 6% more in Gatineau, though the gap depends on what you buy.

$2,000 is a stretch for both – monthly costs hit $2,132 in Gatineau 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 $2,132 in Gatineau. Climate, culture, job market, and personal taste all factor in.