Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Iqaluit, NU and Montreal

For one person, living is cheaper in Montreal: $2,059 a month against $2,950 in Iqaluit, NU, rent and utilities included – about $10,700 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

143

Cost of Living Index in Iqaluit, NU
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Iqaluit, NU Living Index
99

Cost of Living Index in Montreal
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Montreal Living Index

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Iqaluit, NU

🇨🇦 Canada

$2,950

/mo nomad

Montreal

🇨🇦 Canada

$2,059

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $2,950 in Iqaluit, NU versus $2,059 in Montreal.

Iqaluit, NU $2,950
Montreal $2,059

Estimated couple costs with rent: $4,618 in Iqaluit, NU versus $3,123 in Montreal.

Iqaluit, NU $4,618
Montreal $3,123

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $6,286 in Iqaluit, NU versus $4,187 in Montreal.

Iqaluit, NU $6,286
Montreal $4,187

Living in Iqaluit, NU is roughly 43% more expensive than in Montreal, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Iqaluit, NU 118% above, Montreal 52% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$27.52 CA$38.91

$18.84 CA$26.63

46.07%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$64.8 CA$91.6

$73.2 CA$104

-11.47%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$12.90 CA$18.24

$10.54 CA$14.90

22.39%

Cappuccino

$7.04 CA$9.95

$3.97 CA$5.61

77.33%

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

$3.63 CA$5.14

$1.94 CA$2.74

87.11%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.63 CA$2.31

$1.57 CA$2.22

3.82%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$6.57 CA$9.29

$6.42 CA$9.08

2.34%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$5.82 CA$8.23

$7.20 CA$10.19

-19.17%

Milk (1 liter)

$2.42 CA$3.41

$2.32 CA$3.28

4.31%

White Bread (500g)

$2.52 CA$3.56

$3.19 CA$4.51

-21.00%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$3.38 CA$4.78

$3.19 CA$4.50

5.96%

Eggs

$3.45 CA$4.88

$3.68 CA$5.20

-6.25%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$9.91 CA$14.01

$13.24 CA$18.72

-25.15%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$13.57 CA$19.19

$11.69 CA$16.53

16.08%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$14.93 CA$21.10

$13.98 CA$19.76

6.80%

Apples (1kg)

$3.67 CA$5.19

$3.14 CA$4.44

16.88%

Banana (1kg)

$1.27 CA$1.80

$1.45 CA$2.05

-12.41%

Oranges (1kg)

$3.68 CA$5.20

$3.38 CA$4.78

8.88%

Tomato (1kg)

$3.87 CA$5.47

$3.11 CA$4.40

24.44%

Potato (1kg)

$2.42 CA$3.43

$1.93 CA$2.72

25.39%

Onion (1kg)

$2.17 CA$3.06

$1.83 CA$2.58

18.58%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.46 CA$3.48

$2.36 CA$3.34

4.24%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.60 CA$2.26

$1.50 CA$2.12

6.67%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$13.78 CA$19.48

$11.12 CA$15.73

23.92%

Wine (Bottle)

$12.58 CA$17.79

$10.60 CA$14.98

18.68%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.57 CA$3.63

$2.22 CA$3.14

15.77%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.15 CA$4.45

$2.84 CA$4.01

10.92%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.33 CA$3.29

$2.62 CA$3.71

-11.07%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$61.3 CA$86.7

$79.1 CA$112

-22.50%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$6.43 CA$9.09

$3.23 CA$4.56

99.07%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.47 CA$2.08

$1.48 CA$2.10

-0.68%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$25.63 CA$36.23

$32.22 CA$45.55

-20.45%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.21 CA$1.71

$1.36 CA$1.92

-11.03%

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

$37.2K CA$52.6K

$27.6K CA$39.1K

34.70%

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

$31.3K CA$44.3K

$21.2K CA$30.0K

47.88%

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

$117 CA$166

$77.0 CA$109

52.05%

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

$38.21 CA$54.0

$34.14 CA$48.26

11.92%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$54.4 CA$76.8

$42.19 CA$59.7

28.82%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$41.12 CA$58.1

$30.81 CA$43.56

33.46%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$18.00 CA$25.45

$19.66 CA$27.79

-8.44%

Cinema Ticket

$7.98 CA$11.28

$11.47 CA$16.22

-30.43%

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

$698 CA$986

$506 CA$716

37.83%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$13.2K CA$18.7K

$16.2K CA$23.0K

-18.73%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$52.9 CA$74.8

$57.3 CA$81.0

-7.63%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$38.72 CA$54.7

$38.10 CA$53.9

1.63%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$84.5 CA$120

$91.9 CA$130

-8.04%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$103 CA$146

$110 CA$155

-5.96%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,834 CA$2,593

$1,237 CA$1,748

48.29%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,701 CA$2,404

$977 CA$1,381

74.12%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,902 CA$4,103

$2,180 CA$3,082

33.13%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$3,459 CA$4,890

$1,608 CA$2,273

115.12%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$4,284 CA$6,056

$5,113 CA$7,228

-16.22%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$3,562 CA$5,035

$3,744 CA$5,293

-4.88%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$4,205 CA$5,944

$2,957 CA$4,180

42.20%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

5.32

4.48

18.75%

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

Last update for Iqaluit, NU: October 18, 2026

Last update for Montreal: October 20, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Iqaluit, NU

$1.7K 57.6%

Montreal

$977 47.4% 42.6% $724

Eating Out

Iqaluit, NU

$409 13.9%

Montreal

$290 14.1% 29% $118

Groceries & Markets

Iqaluit, NU

$364 12.3%

Montreal

$351 17.1% 3.6% $13

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Iqaluit, NU

$210 7.1%

Montreal

$153 7.5% 26.9% $56

Clothing & Footwear

Iqaluit, NU

$126 4.3%

Montreal

$134 6.5% 6.3% $8

Getting Around

Iqaluit, NU

$84 2.9%

Montreal

$100 4.9% 18.8% $16

Sport & Entertainment

Iqaluit, NU

$57 1.9%

Montreal

$54 2.6% 5.8% $3.3

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,834 in Iqaluit, NU and $1,237 in Montreal. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Iqaluit, NU pays 42% 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: $65.0 in Iqaluit, NU vs $73.0 in Montreal. Groceries flip the comparison at $364 vs $351, with Montreal cheaper for home cooking.

Good to know

🇨🇦 Iqaluit, NU

🇨🇦 Montreal

🕒 Local time

06:39 6:39 AM

Same time as Iqaluit, NU

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

8,000

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

Iqaluit, NU Montreal 2,050 km ≈ 3 h nonstop flight

From you

Iqaluit, NU
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

Iqaluit, NU vs Montreal: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Montreal is cheaper overall, especially in eating out, groceries, and utilities. The 43% gap adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

Average pay runs 42% higher in Iqaluit, NU, 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: $1,834 in Iqaluit, NU versus $1,237 in Montreal. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $698 in Iqaluit, NU versus $506 in Montreal. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Supermarket bills run roughly 4% higher in Iqaluit, NU. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

At $2,059 in Montreal versus $2,950 in Iqaluit, NU, a $2,000 budget is realistic in Montreal but tight or insufficient in Iqaluit, NU. The gap between the two cities makes Montreal the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

For families, Montreal is more practical. Housing and childcare are both notably cheaper than in Iqaluit, NU, and the savings on those two alone free up budget for education, activities, and family trips.

Safety-wise, Iqaluit, NU 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 43% less than in Iqaluit, NU. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.