Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Halifax and Montreal

For one person, living is cheaper in Montreal: $2,018 a month against $2,477 in Halifax, rent and utilities included – about $5,500 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

120

Cost of Living Index in Halifax
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Halifax Living Index
99

Cost of Living Index in Montreal
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Montreal Living Index

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Halifax

🇨🇦 Canada

$2,477

/mo nomad

Montreal

🇨🇦 Canada

$2,018

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

A single person spends $2,477 per month in Halifax vs $2,018 in Montreal, rent included.

Halifax $2,477
Montreal $2,018

A couple spends around $3,557 per month in Halifax vs $3,085 in Montreal, rent included.

Halifax $3,557
Montreal $3,085

A family of three spends $4,638 per month in Halifax vs $4,152 in Montreal, rent included.

Halifax $4,638
Montreal $4,152

Halifax costs about 23% more than Montreal, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Both Halifax and Montreal sit above the global median – Halifax by 83%, Montreal by 49%.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$17.48 CA$24.71

$18.82 CA$26.61

-7.12%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$71.1 CA$101

$70.3 CA$99.4

1.14%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$10.55 CA$14.92

$10.66 CA$15.06

-1.03%

Cappuccino

$4.41 CA$6.23

$3.84 CA$5.43

14.84%

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

$2.32 CA$3.29

$1.92 CA$2.71

20.83%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.78 CA$2.51

$1.54 CA$2.18

15.58%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$5.64 CA$7.98

$6.23 CA$8.81

-9.47%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$6.13 CA$8.66

$7.10 CA$10.03

-13.66%

Milk (1 liter)

$2.27 CA$3.21

$2.31 CA$3.27

-1.73%

White Bread (500g)

$2.63 CA$3.72

$3.14 CA$4.44

-16.24%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$3.84 CA$5.43

$3.21 CA$4.54

19.63%

Eggs

$3.73 CA$5.27

$3.52 CA$4.97

5.97%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$8.82 CA$12.47

$12.81 CA$18.11

-31.15%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$12.93 CA$18.28

$11.46 CA$16.20

12.83%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$14.25 CA$20.15

$13.39 CA$18.92

6.42%

Apples (1kg)

$5.26 CA$7.44

$3.14 CA$4.43

67.52%

Banana (1kg)

$1.78 CA$2.52

$1.44 CA$2.03

23.61%

Oranges (1kg)

$4.19 CA$5.93

$3.47 CA$4.91

20.75%

Tomato (1kg)

$4.84 CA$6.85

$3.07 CA$4.34

57.65%

Potato (1kg)

$2.70 CA$3.82

$1.90 CA$2.69

42.11%

Onion (1kg)

$3.01 CA$4.26

$1.77 CA$2.50

70.06%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.57 CA$3.64

$2.34 CA$3.31

9.83%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.96 CA$2.77

$1.55 CA$2.19

26.45%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$16.57 CA$23.43

$11.38 CA$16.09

45.61%

Wine (Bottle)

$16.57 CA$23.43

$10.63 CA$15.03

55.88%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$4.50 CA$6.37

$2.27 CA$3.21

98.24%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$5.29 CA$7.48

$2.82 CA$3.99

87.59%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.08 CA$2.94

$2.66 CA$3.76

-21.80%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$62.2 CA$87.9

$77.3 CA$109

-19.56%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.22 CA$4.55

$3.20 CA$4.53

0.63%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.21 CA$1.71

$1.48 CA$2.09

-18.24%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$20.89 CA$29.53

$32.88 CA$46.48

-36.47%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.26 CA$1.78

$1.34 CA$1.90

-5.97%

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

$27.5K CA$38.9K

$28.2K CA$39.8K

-2.29%

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

$21.0K CA$29.7K

$19.6K CA$27.8K

7.00%

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

$140 CA$198

$76.0 CA$107

84.83%

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

$41.34 CA$58.4

$33.95 CA$48.00

21.77%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$65.7 CA$92.8

$42.31 CA$59.8

55.21%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$39.39 CA$55.7

$29.76 CA$42.07

32.36%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$17.70 CA$25.03

$20.28 CA$28.67

-12.72%

Cinema Ticket

$10.98 CA$15.52

$11.15 CA$15.77

-1.52%

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

$955 CA$1,350

$507 CA$717

88.38%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$15.0K CA$21.2K

$16.1K CA$22.7K

-6.53%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$59.2 CA$83.6

$57.6 CA$81.4

2.80%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$32.32 CA$45.69

$37.58 CA$53.1

-14.00%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$98.8 CA$140

$91.9 CA$130

7.49%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$113 CA$159

$110 CA$155

2.96%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,422 CA$2,010

$1,260 CA$1,782

12.83%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,265 CA$1,788

$948 CA$1,340

33.50%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,461 CA$3,479

$2,137 CA$3,021

15.16%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,906 CA$2,694

$1,614 CA$2,281

18.11%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,182 CA$4,498

$4,960 CA$7,011

-35.85%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,763 CA$3,906

$3,838 CA$5,425

-27.99%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$2,752 CA$3,891

$2,827 CA$3,997

-2.66%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

4.95

4.48

10.49%

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

Last update for Halifax: October 11, 2026

Last update for Montreal: October 12, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Halifax

$1.3K 51.1%

Montreal

$948 47% 25.1% $317

Groceries & Markets

Halifax

$405 16.4%

Montreal

$346 17.2% 14.5% $59

Eating Out

Halifax

$281 11.4%

Montreal

$288 14.3% 2.4% $6.6

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Halifax

$247 10%

Montreal

$152 7.5% 38.5% $95

Clothing & Footwear

Halifax

$136 5.5%

Montreal

$133 6.6% 2.1% $2.9

Getting Around

Halifax

$80 3.2%

Montreal

$99 4.9% 23.6% $19

Sport & Entertainment

Halifax

$61 2.5%

Montreal

$52 2.6% 15.1% $9.3

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $1,422 in Halifax 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 3% 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 $71.0 in Halifax versus $70.0 in Montreal. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $405 vs $346 – making Montreal the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇨🇦 Halifax

🇨🇦 Montreal

🕒 Local time

08:33 8:33 AM

07:33 7:33 AM

1 h behind Halifax

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

403,131

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

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Between locations

Halifax Montreal 790 km ≈ 1 h 30 min nonstop flight

From you

Halifax
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

Halifax vs Montreal: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Monthly costs with rent: $2,477 in Halifax, $2,018 in Montreal – roughly 23% apart. Outside of rent, the biggest gap is in groceries.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $3,715 per month in Halifax 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.

Public transport costs about 24% less in Montreal. For daily commuters, that gap adds up to noticeable savings over a year.

Kindergarten costs $955 per month in Halifax and $507 in Montreal. For families with young kids, this one expense can tip the scales when choosing between the two cities.

A $2,000 monthly budget goes further in Montreal, where all-in costs run around $2,018, than in Halifax at $2,477. In Montreal it covers expenses comfortably, while in Halifax it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.

It depends on your priorities. Halifax has an edge in some lifestyle areas, with costs from $2,018 in Montreal to $2,477 in Halifax. 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, Halifax makes more sense. Both are solid long-term options with distinct trade-offs.