Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Kanata and Montreal

For one person, living is cheaper in Montreal: $2,067 a month against $2,514 in Kanata, rent and utilities included – about $5,400 less a year. Higher rent and utilities in Kanata outweigh lower spending on other living expenses.

Kanata, Canada
Montreal, Canada
Kanata
🇨🇦 Canada
$2,514
/mo nomad
Montreal
🇨🇦 Canada
$2,067
/mo nomad
Monthly Cost of Living

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

A single person spends $2,514 per month in Kanata vs $2,067 in Montreal, rent included.

  • Kanata $2,514
  • Montreal $2,067

A couple spends around $3,581 per month in Kanata vs $3,179 in Montreal, rent included.

  • Kanata $3,581
  • Montreal $3,179

A family of three spends $4,648 per month in Kanata vs $4,291 in Montreal, rent included.

  • Kanata $4,648
  • Montreal $4,291

Kanata costs about 22% more than Montreal, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in leisure.

Both Kanata and Montreal sit above the global median – Kanata by 86%, Montreal by 53%.

Currency
🍽 Eating Out
Kanata
Montreal
Difference
Meal at Budget Restaurant
$18.08 CA$25.24
$18.89 CA$26.37
-4.29%
Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range
$77.2 CA$108
$72.6 CA$101
6.35%
Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)
$10.87 CA$15.17
$10.79 CA$15.07
0.74%
Cappuccino
$3.46 CA$4.83
$3.98 CA$5.56
-13.07%
Coke/Pepsi/Fanta/Sprite (0.33 liter bottle)
$2.00 CA$2.79
$2.02 CA$2.82
-0.99%
Water (0.33 liter bottle)
$1.66 CA$2.32
$1.63 CA$2.28
1.84%
Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)
$2.65 CA$3.69
$6.32 CA$8.82
-58.07%
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$2.74 CA$3.83
$7.06 CA$9.86
-61.19%
🛒 Groceries & Markets
Kanata
Montreal
Difference
Milk (1 liter)
$1.98 CA$2.76
$2.33 CA$3.26
-15.02%
White Bread (500g)
$2.74 CA$3.82
$3.25 CA$4.53
-15.69%
Rice (white) (1kg)
$1.83 CA$2.56
$3.26 CA$4.56
-43.87%
Eggs
$4.36 CA$6.09
$3.48 CA$4.85
25.29%
Local Cheese (1kg)
$13.52 CA$18.87
$13.73 CA$19.17
-1.53%
Chicken Fillets (1kg)
$11.22 CA$15.66
$11.48 CA$16.02
-2.26%
Beef Round Steak (1kg)
$8.95 CA$12.50
$14.26 CA$19.91
-37.24%
Apples (1kg)
$3.42 CA$4.78
$3.52 CA$4.92
-2.84%
Banana (1kg)
$0.98 CA$1.37
$1.46 CA$2.03
-32.88%
Oranges (1kg)
$2.86 CA$4.00
$3.41 CA$4.76
-16.13%
Tomato (1kg)
$3.91 CA$5.46
$3.20 CA$4.47
22.19%
Potato (1kg)
$1.13 CA$1.57
$1.94 CA$2.70
-41.75%
Onion (1kg)
$2.14 CA$2.98
$1.78 CA$2.49
20.22%
Lettuce (1 head)
$2.56 CA$3.57
$2.52 CA$3.52
1.59%
Water (1.5 liter bottle)
$1.41 CA$1.97
$1.58 CA$2.21
-10.76%
Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)
$13.08 CA$18.26
$11.51 CA$16.06
13.64%
Wine (Bottle)
$21.76 CA$30.37
$10.57 CA$14.76
105.87%
Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)
$2.71 CA$3.78
$2.35 CA$3.27
15.32%
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$3.23 CA$4.51
$2.90 CA$4.04
11.38%
🚌 Getting Around
Kanata
Montreal
Difference
One-way Ticket (Public Transport)
$2.64 CA$3.69
$2.61 CA$3.65
1.15%
Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)
$89.4 CA$125
$78.5 CA$110
13.92%
Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)
$2.89 CA$4.03
$3.17 CA$4.43
-8.83%
Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)
$1.25 CA$1.75
$1.49 CA$2.08
-16.11%
Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)
$33.64 CA$46.96
$33.49 CA$46.75
0.45%
Gasoline (1 liter)
$1.17 CA$1.63
$1.36 CA$1.90
-13.97%
Midsize Hatchback 1.4l (Volkswagen Golf, Toyota Prius, Honda Civic, etc)
$26.8K CA$37.4K
$28.0K CA$39.1K
-4.34%
Compact Sedan 1.6l (Toyota Corolla, Mazda3, Kia K4, Hyundai Elantra, etc)
$18.4K CA$25.7K
$21.1K CA$29.5K
-13.04%
🧾 Monthly Utilities & Internet
Kanata
Montreal
Difference
Utilities for 2 People in 2-bedroom Apartment (Heating, Electricity, Gas, Water, Garbage) (85m2)
$112 CA$157
$77.6 CA$108
44.55%
SIM Card Monthly Plan (Calls and 10GB+ Data)
$44.44 CA$62.0
$35.63 CA$49.74
24.73%
Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)
$41.78 CA$58.3
$43.73 CA$61.1
-4.46%
🎉 Sport & Entertainment
Kanata
Montreal
Difference
Gym Membership (Monthly)
$45.73 CA$63.8
$30.07 CA$41.98
52.08%
Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)
-
$19.97 CA$27.87
-
Cinema Ticket
$9.40 CA$13.12
$11.27 CA$15.74
-16.59%
🧸 Childcare & Education
Kanata
Montreal
Difference
Preschool or Kindergarten, Full Day, Private, 1 Child (Monthly)
$861 CA$1,202
$522 CA$729
64.96%
International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)
$10.6K CA$14.8K
$17.8K CA$24.8K
-40.33%
👕👟 Clothing & Footwear
Kanata
Montreal
Difference
Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)
$57.0 CA$79.5
$59.0 CA$82.3
-3.43%
Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)
$31.75 CA$44.32
$39.01 CA$54.5
-18.61%
Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)
$86.9 CA$121
$99.8 CA$139
-12.90%
Men's Leather Business Shoes
$63.3 CA$88.3
$110 CA$153
-42.30%
🏠 Accommodation & Living
Kanata
Montreal
Difference
1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$1,559 CA$2,177
$1,298 CA$1,812
20.10%
1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$1,435 CA$2,003
$970 CA$1,355
47.87%
3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$2,248 CA$3,138
$2,323 CA$3,243
-3.25%
3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$2,133 CA$2,978
$1,689 CA$2,358
26.28%
Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)
$3,266 CA$4,559
$5,004 CA$6,984
-34.72%
Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)
-
$3,736 CA$5,216
-
💵 Salaries & Financials
Kanata
Montreal
Difference
Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)
$2,992 CA$4,177
$2,943 CA$4,108
1.68%
20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)
4.97
4.51
10.20%

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

Last update for Kanata: October 31, 2026

Last update for Montreal: November 3, 2026

Monthly budget structure
Share of the monthly basket for one person, rent included.
Accommodation & Living
Kanata
$1.4K
Montreal
$970 32.4% $465
Groceries & Markets
Kanata
$348
Montreal
$357 2.7% $9.4
Eating Out
Kanata
$252
Montreal
$292 15.7% $39
Monthly Utilities & Internet
Kanata
$198
Montreal
$157 20.9% $41
Getting Around
Kanata
$109
Montreal
$100 8.8% $9.6
Clothing & Footwear
Kanata
$108
Montreal
$138 28.7% $31
Sport & Entertainment
Kanata
$65
Montreal
$53 18.5% $12

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $1,559 in Kanata versus $1,298 in Montreal. Rent is usually the largest line item in a monthly budget, so the gap here sets the tone for the overall comparison.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $77 in Kanata versus $73 in Montreal. Groceries tell a different story – $348 in Kanata vs $357 in Montreal – so Kanata wins on supermarket bills even if dining out costs more.

Good to know
🇨🇦 Kanata
🇨🇦 Montreal
🕒 Local time
15:55 3:55 PM
15:55 3:55 PM
Same time as Kanata
🌤 Weather
👥 Population
90,000
1,762,949
💱 Currency
Exchange rates and currency converter

USD, EUR to CAD – Canadian Dollar Converter

Canadian Dollar exchange rates as of November 5, 2026: 1 USD = 1.4 CAD (1 CAD = 0.716 USD). 1 EUR = 1.57 CAD (1 CAD = 0.638 EUR).

On the map
Between locations
  • Kanata Montreal 190 km
From you
  • Kanata
  • 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
Kanata vs Montreal: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions
Is Montreal cheaper than Kanata?
Yes – Kanata is pricier by about 22%, and outside of rent the gap shows up most in leisure.
What income do you need for each city?
For a comfortable life, plan on about $3,772 per month in Kanata and $3,100 in Montreal. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.
Which city has lower housing costs?
Rent is clearly cheaper in Montreal, especially for central apartments: a one-bedroom in the center costs $1,298 there versus $1,559 in Kanata.
Which city has cheaper public transport?
Public transport costs about 12% less in Montreal. For daily commuters, that gap adds up to noticeable savings over a year.
Which city has cheaper kindergarten?
Kindergarten costs $861 per month in Kanata and $522 in Montreal. For families with young kids, this one expense can tip the scales when choosing between the two cities.
Is $2,000 enough to cover costs in Kanata or in Montreal?
$2,000 is a stretch for both – monthly costs hit $2,514 in Kanata and $2,067 in Montreal. You’ll need shared housing and careful budgeting no matter which city you pick.
Is Kanata or Montreal more family-friendly?
Families tend to lean toward Montreal – lower housing and cheaper childcare make a real difference, especially on a single income or when paying for private education.
Which city is safer, Kanata or Montreal?
Both cities have a reputation for safety. In either place, the choice of neighborhood matters more than the choice between the two cities.

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