Cost of Living Comparison Between Halifax and Montreal Cost of Living Comparison Between Halifax and Montreal

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $2,412 in Halifax versus $2,063 in Montreal.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $3,027 in Halifax versus $3,159 in Montreal.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,641 in Halifax versus $4,255 in Montreal.

Living in Halifax is roughly 17% more expensive than Montreal, driven mainly by Eating Out.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Halifax 80% above, Montreal 54% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$27.41 £20.41

$15.92 CA$22.12

72.17%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$82.1 £61.1

$73.1 CA$102

12.32%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$10.55 £7.86

$11.15 CA$15.49

-5.38%

Cappuccino

$4.67 £3.48

$3.80 CA$5.28

22.89%

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

$2.31 £1.72

$2.18 CA$3.03

5.96%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.77 £1.32

$1.46 CA$2.03

21.23%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$6.82 £5.08

$6.12 CA$8.51

11.44%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$5.53 £4.12

$6.78 CA$9.41

-18.44%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.58 £1.18

$2.33 CA$3.23

-32.19%

White Bread (500g)

$1.67 £1.24

$3.39 CA$4.71

-50.74%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.78 £2.07

$3.73 CA$5.18

-25.47%

Eggs

$3.85 £2.87

$3.38 CA$4.70

13.91%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$10.72 £7.98

$16.25 CA$22.58

-34.03%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$9.26 £6.90

$11.54 CA$16.04

-19.76%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$11.59 £8.63

$15.24 CA$21.17

-23.95%

Apples (1kg)

$2.88 £2.14

$3.74 CA$5.20

-22.99%

Banana (1kg)

$1.67 £1.24

$1.70 CA$2.37

-1.76%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.55 £1.90

$4.11 CA$5.70

-37.96%

Tomato (1kg)

$3.74 £2.79

$4.35 CA$6.05

-14.02%

Potato (1kg)

$1.85 £1.38

$2.71 CA$3.76

-31.73%

Onion (1kg)

$2.10 £1.56

$2.62 CA$3.63

-19.85%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.39 £1.04

$2.25 CA$3.13

-38.22%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.88 £1.40

$1.73 CA$2.40

8.67%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$19.11 £14.23

$13.31 CA$18.49

43.58%

Wine (Bottle)

$10.58 £7.88

$10.78 CA$14.98

-1.86%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.71 £2.02

$3.01 CA$4.19

-9.97%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.96 £1.46

$3.46 CA$4.81

-43.35%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.76 £2.05

$2.74 CA$3.81

0.73%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$119 £88.4

$72.7 CA$101

63.23%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$4.50 £3.35

$3.63 CA$5.05

23.97%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.23 £0.92

$1.46 CA$2.03

-15.75%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$16.02 £11.93

$33.44 CA$46.46

-52.09%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.87 £1.40

$1.21 CA$1.68

54.55%

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

$38.3K £28.6K

$24.6K CA$34.2K

55.55%

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

$41.8K £31.1K

$21.7K CA$30.1K

92.77%

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

$286 £213

$76.0 CA$106

276.60%

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

$16.07 £11.97

$35.72 CA$49.63

-55.01%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$42.90 £31.95

$42.86 CA$59.6

0.09%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$34.25 £25.51

$42.92 CA$59.6

-20.20%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$17.23 CA$23.94

Cinema Ticket

$12.31 £9.17

$11.09 CA$15.40

11.00%

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

$1,580 £1,177

$620 CA$861

155.07%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$6,865 £5,113

$5,834 CA$8,106

17.67%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$79.1 £58.9

$62.7 CA$87.1

26.19%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$38.94 £29.00

$44.41 CA$61.7

-12.32%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$86.4 £64.4

$101 CA$140

-14.21%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$85.4 £63.6

$119 CA$165

-28.27%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,231 £917

$1,211 CA$1,683

1.67%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,092 £813

$960 CA$1,333

13.77%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$859 £640

$2,035 CA$2,828

-57.78%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$756 £563

$1,589 CA$2,208

-52.45%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$2,578 £1,920

$5,181 CA$7,198

-50.25%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,499 £1,861

$3,934 CA$5,465

-36.48%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$3,041 £2,265

$2,960 CA$4,113

2.74%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

5.6

5.01

11.78%

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

Last update for Halifax: June 1, 2026

Last update for Montreal: May 31, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,231 in Halifax and $1,211 in Montreal. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Halifax pays 3% more on average. The extra income cushions the higher costs, though housing choices and lifestyle decide how much of the gap is truly closed.

Dining out: $82.0 in Halifax vs $73.0 in Montreal. Groceries flip the comparison at $302 vs $392, with Halifax cheaper for home cooking.

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

Montreal wins on cost – living expenses run 17% lower than in Halifax. Housing and daily spending are where you'll feel the difference most, making Montreal the obvious pick if budget is a priority.

Halifax pays 3% more on average, 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: $1,231 in Halifax versus $1,211 in Montreal. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

A monthly transit pass in Montreal runs roughly 63% less than in Halifax. Both cities have functional networks, but the price difference matters if you're watching your budget.

Childcare runs $1,580 in Halifax versus $620 in Montreal. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

At $2,063 in Montreal versus $2,412 in Halifax, a $2,000 budget is realistic in Montreal but tight or insufficient in Halifax. The gap between the two cities makes Montreal the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

Both work as nomad bases, but Montreal delivers better value – similar infrastructure at $2,063 monthly. If stretching your runway or maximizing savings is the goal, the price difference makes Montreal hard to pass up.

Safety-wise, Halifax and Montreal are on par. Petty crime is typical for cities this size, and most residents feel comfortable going about their daily routines in either place.

Expats usually find Montreal gentler on the wallet – expenses run 17% less than in Halifax. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.