Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Golden, BC and Montreal

For one person, living is cheaper in Montreal: $2,064 a month against $2,214 in Golden, BC, rent and utilities included – about $1,800 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

106

Cost of Living Index in Golden, BC
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Golden, BC Living Index
99

Cost of Living Index in Montreal
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Montreal Living Index

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Golden, BC

🇨🇦 Canada

$2,214

/mo nomad

Montreal

🇨🇦 Canada

$2,064

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $2,214 in Golden, BC versus $2,064 in Montreal.

Golden, BC $2,214
Montreal $2,064

Estimated couple costs with rent: $3,008 in Golden, BC versus $3,156 in Montreal.

Golden, BC $3,008
Montreal $3,156

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,801 in Golden, BC versus $4,247 in Montreal.

Golden, BC $3,801
Montreal $4,247

Living in Golden, BC is roughly 7% more expensive than in Montreal, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Golden, BC 63% above, Montreal 52% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$16.86 CA$23.56

$18.98 CA$26.53

-11.17%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$58.7 CA$82.0

$73.0 CA$102

-19.58%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$11.20 CA$15.65

$10.88 CA$15.20

2.94%

Cappuccino

$3.96 CA$5.54

$3.81 CA$5.33

3.94%

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

$2.00 CA$2.80

$1.94 CA$2.71

3.09%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.66 CA$2.32

$1.58 CA$2.21

5.06%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$4.52 CA$6.32

$6.37 CA$8.90

-29.04%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$5.73 CA$8.00

$7.26 CA$10.15

-21.07%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.10 CA$1.54

$2.23 CA$3.11

-50.67%

White Bread (500g)

$2.77 CA$3.87

$3.17 CA$4.44

-12.62%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$3.52 CA$4.92

$3.31 CA$4.62

6.34%

Eggs

$3.16 CA$4.41

$3.63 CA$5.07

-12.95%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$9.32 CA$13.03

$13.16 CA$18.39

-29.18%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$13.44 CA$18.78

$11.56 CA$16.15

16.26%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$21.53 CA$30.09

$13.71 CA$19.16

57.04%

Apples (1kg)

$3.52 CA$4.92

$3.29 CA$4.60

6.99%

Banana (1kg)

$1.49 CA$2.08

$1.46 CA$2.04

2.05%

Oranges (1kg)

$3.57 CA$4.99

$3.37 CA$4.71

5.93%

Tomato (1kg)

$4.77 CA$6.67

$3.15 CA$4.40

51.43%

Potato (1kg)

$3.24 CA$4.53

$1.89 CA$2.64

71.43%

Onion (1kg)

$3.08 CA$4.30

$1.79 CA$2.51

72.07%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.59 CA$3.61

$2.47 CA$3.45

4.86%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.93 CA$2.70

$1.58 CA$2.21

22.15%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$14.53 CA$20.30

$11.28 CA$15.77

28.81%

Wine (Bottle)

$13.81 CA$19.29

$10.49 CA$14.66

31.65%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.63 CA$3.68

$2.34 CA$3.26

12.39%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.15 CA$4.41

$2.91 CA$4.07

8.25%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.13 CA$2.98

$2.61 CA$3.65

-18.39%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$69.7 CA$97.4

$79.1 CA$111

-11.88%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$2.91 CA$4.07

$3.26 CA$4.56

-10.74%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.80 CA$2.52

$1.44 CA$2.01

25.00%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$34.20 CA$47.79

$33.43 CA$46.71

2.30%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.32 CA$1.84

$1.33 CA$1.86

-0.75%

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

$28.4K CA$39.7K

$28.6K CA$40.0K

-0.85%

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

$21.7K CA$30.4K

$21.1K CA$29.5K

3.03%

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

$49.97 CA$69.8

$80.1 CA$112

-37.58%

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

$44.60 CA$62.3

$34.30 CA$47.93

30.03%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$57.2 CA$79.9

$42.85 CA$59.9

33.49%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$37.84 CA$52.9

$31.14 CA$43.52

21.52%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$20.54 CA$28.70

$19.41 CA$27.12

5.82%

Cinema Ticket

$11.21 CA$15.66

$11.23 CA$15.69

-0.18%

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

$631 CA$881

$525 CA$734

20.12%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$16.6K CA$23.2K

$16.3K CA$22.8K

1.73%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$48.90 CA$68.3

$58.0 CA$81.0

-15.69%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$41.33 CA$57.8

$38.11 CA$53.3

8.45%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$84.6 CA$118

$93.4 CA$131

-9.45%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$101 CA$142

$110 CA$154

-8.09%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,292 CA$1,805

$1,285 CA$1,796

0.51%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,136 CA$1,588

$977 CA$1,365

16.36%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,527 CA$2,134

$2,271 CA$3,173

-32.76%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,287 CA$1,799

$1,665 CA$2,326

-22.68%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$4,211 CA$5,884

$5,139 CA$7,181

-18.06%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$3,686 CA$5,151

$3,834 CA$5,358

-3.87%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$3,228 CA$4,511

$3,002 CA$4,195

7.53%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

4.69

4.48

4.69%

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

Last update for Golden, BC: 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

Golden, BC

$1.1K 51.3%

Montreal

$977 47.3% 14.1% $160

Groceries & Markets

Golden, BC

$386 17.5%

Montreal

$351 17% 9.1% $35

Eating Out

Golden, BC

$265 12%

Montreal

$291 14.1% 9.8% $26

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Golden, BC

$152 6.9%

Montreal

$157 7.6% 3.6% $5.4

Clothing & Footwear

Golden, BC

$124 5.6%

Montreal

$135 6.5% 8.5% $11

Getting Around

Golden, BC

$90 4.1%

Montreal

$100 4.9% 10.9% $9.8

Sport & Entertainment

Golden, BC

$60 2.7%

Montreal

$54 2.6% 11% $6.6

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,292 in Golden, BC and $1,285 in Montreal. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Golden, BC pays 8% more on average. How far that income stretches comes down to housing choices and lifestyle.

Dining out: $59 in Golden, BC vs $73 in Montreal. Groceries flip the comparison at $386 vs $351, with Montreal cheaper for home cooking.

Good to know

🇨🇦 Golden, BC

🇨🇦 Montreal

🕒 Local time

04:19 4:19 AM

05:19 5:19 AM

1 h ahead of Golden, BC

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

4,038

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

On the map

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Between locations

Golden, BC Montreal 3,220 km ≈ 4 h 30 min nonstop flight

From you

Golden, BC
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

Golden, BC vs Montreal: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Montreal wins on cost – living expenses run 7% lower than in Golden, BC. Housing and daily spending are where you’ll feel the difference most, making Montreal the obvious pick if budget is a priority.

Average pay runs 8% higher in Golden, BC, which matters when comparing affordability. Whether that higher income actually nets you more depends on your spending habits and housing choices.

Rent for a central apartment: $1,292 in Golden, BC versus $1,285 in Montreal. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Dining out is cheaper in Golden, BC – a meal for two runs $59 versus $73 in Montreal. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

All in, you’ll spend $2,214 per month in Golden, BC versus $2,064 in Montreal – Montreal is about 7% cheaper, which adds up to real savings over time.

Both cities are expensive relative to $2,000. Montreal is the more realistic option, but even there you’ll need to be disciplined with housing, food, and fun money.

Both cities offer a good standard of living with different trade-offs. Neither is objectively better – the right pick depends on what matters most: affordability, career, cultural scene, or climate.

It comes down to priorities – Montreal wins on affordability, Golden, BC on earning potential. Factor in climate, language, visa rules, and proximity to places that matter to you before deciding.