Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Kingston and Montreal

For one person, living is cheaper in Montreal: $2,059 a month against $2,297 in Kingston, rent and utilities included – about $2,900 less a year. Higher rent and utilities in Kingston outweigh lower spending on other living expenses.

110

Cost of Living Index in Kingston
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Kingston Living Index
99

Cost of Living Index in Montreal
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Montreal Living Index

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Kingston

🇨🇦 Canada

$2,297

/mo nomad

Montreal

🇨🇦 Canada

$2,059

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

A single person spends $2,297 per month in Kingston vs $2,059 in Montreal, rent included.

Kingston $2,297
Montreal $2,059

A couple spends around $3,179 per month in Kingston vs $3,123 in Montreal, rent included.

Kingston $3,179
Montreal $3,123

A family of three spends $4,062 per month in Kingston vs $4,187 in Montreal, rent included.

Kingston $4,062
Montreal $4,187

Kingston costs about 12% more than Montreal, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

Both Kingston and Montreal sit above the global median – Kingston by 70%, Montreal by 52%.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$15.68 CA$22.16

$18.84 CA$26.63

-16.77%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$63.5 CA$89.8

$73.2 CA$104

-13.22%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$10.52 CA$14.87

$10.54 CA$14.90

-0.19%

Cappuccino

$3.51 CA$4.96

$3.97 CA$5.61

-11.59%

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

$2.10 CA$2.96

$1.94 CA$2.74

8.25%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.31 CA$1.85

$1.57 CA$2.22

-16.56%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$5.65 CA$7.98

$6.42 CA$9.08

-11.99%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$6.19 CA$8.75

$7.20 CA$10.19

-14.03%

Milk (1 liter)

$2.25 CA$3.18

$2.32 CA$3.28

-3.02%

White Bread (500g)

$2.62 CA$3.70

$3.19 CA$4.51

-17.87%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$3.00 CA$4.24

$3.19 CA$4.50

-5.96%

Eggs

$2.93 CA$4.14

$3.68 CA$5.20

-20.38%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$10.43 CA$14.75

$13.24 CA$18.72

-21.22%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$11.77 CA$16.63

$11.69 CA$16.53

0.68%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$11.35 CA$16.04

$13.98 CA$19.76

-18.81%

Apples (1kg)

$2.98 CA$4.21

$3.14 CA$4.44

-5.10%

Banana (1kg)

$1.16 CA$1.64

$1.45 CA$2.05

-20.00%

Oranges (1kg)

$3.48 CA$4.92

$3.38 CA$4.78

2.96%

Tomato (1kg)

$3.80 CA$5.37

$3.11 CA$4.40

22.19%

Potato (1kg)

$2.98 CA$4.21

$1.93 CA$2.72

54.40%

Onion (1kg)

$2.53 CA$3.57

$1.83 CA$2.58

38.25%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.15 CA$3.03

$2.36 CA$3.34

-8.90%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.60 CA$2.27

$1.50 CA$2.12

6.67%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$14.24 CA$20.13

$11.12 CA$15.73

28.06%

Wine (Bottle)

$12.74 CA$18.01

$10.60 CA$14.98

20.19%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.24 CA$3.17

$2.22 CA$3.14

0.90%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.98 CA$4.21

$2.84 CA$4.01

4.93%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.44 CA$3.44

$2.62 CA$3.71

-6.87%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$57.8 CA$81.7

$79.1 CA$112

-26.95%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.35 CA$4.74

$3.23 CA$4.56

3.72%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.41 CA$1.99

$1.48 CA$2.10

-4.73%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$32.42 CA$45.84

$32.22 CA$45.55

0.62%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.13 CA$1.59

$1.36 CA$1.92

-16.91%

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

$27.9K CA$39.5K

$27.6K CA$39.1K

0.95%

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

$20.8K CA$29.5K

$21.2K CA$30.0K

-1.69%

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

$130 CA$184

$77.0 CA$109

68.99%

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

$39.13 CA$55.3

$34.14 CA$48.26

14.62%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$61.6 CA$87.1

$42.19 CA$59.7

45.98%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$29.11 CA$41.16

$30.81 CA$43.56

-5.52%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$8.76 CA$12.38

$19.66 CA$27.79

-55.44%

Cinema Ticket

$10.66 CA$15.07

$11.47 CA$16.22

-7.06%

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

$525 CA$742

$506 CA$716

3.72%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$16.2K CA$23.0K

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$53.4 CA$75.5

$57.3 CA$81.0

-6.69%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$31.73 CA$44.86

$38.10 CA$53.9

-16.72%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$78.4 CA$111

$91.9 CA$130

-14.66%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$81.8 CA$116

$110 CA$155

-25.51%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,512 CA$2,137

$1,237 CA$1,748

22.25%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,238 CA$1,751

$977 CA$1,381

26.79%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,329 CA$3,293

$2,180 CA$3,082

6.84%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,684 CA$2,380

$1,608 CA$2,273

4.71%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,402 CA$4,810

$5,113 CA$7,228

-33.46%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,433 CA$3,439

$3,744 CA$5,293

-35.03%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$3,099 CA$4,382

$2,957 CA$4,180

4.81%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

4.61

4.48

2.90%

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

Last update for Kingston: October 19, 2026

Last update for Montreal: October 20, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Kingston

$1.2K 53.9%

Montreal

$977 47.4% 21.1% $262

Groceries & Markets

Kingston

$336 14.6%

Montreal

$351 17.1% 4.6% $15

Eating Out

Kingston

$253 11%

Montreal

$290 14.1% 14.7% $37

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Kingston

$231 10.1%

Montreal

$153 7.5% 33.6% $78

Clothing & Footwear

Kingston

$110 4.8%

Montreal

$134 6.5% 21.1% $23

Getting Around

Kingston

$78 3.4%

Montreal

$100 4.9% 28.6% $22

Sport & Entertainment

Kingston

$50 2.2%

Montreal

$54 2.6% 6.6% $3.3

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $1,512 in Kingston versus $1,237 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 5% higher in Kingston, which partly offsets the higher cost of living there. Purchasing power depends on which expenses matter most to you.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $64.0 in Kingston versus $73.0 in Montreal. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $336 vs $351 – making Kingston the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇨🇦 Kingston

🇨🇦 Montreal

🕒 Local time

18:03 6:03 PM

Same time as Kingston

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

123,363

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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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

Kingston vs Montreal: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Monthly costs with rent: $2,297 in Kingston, $2,059 in Montreal – roughly 12% apart. Outside of rent, the biggest gap is in eating out.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $3,446 per month in Kingston and $3,089 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.

Monthly expenses with rent come to $2,297 in Kingston and $2,059 in Montreal. That's a gap of about 12%.

Public transport costs about 37% less in Montreal. For daily commuters, that gap adds up to noticeable savings over a year.

A $2,000 monthly budget goes further in Montreal, where all-in costs run around $2,059, than in Kingston at $2,297. In Montreal it covers expenses comfortably, while in Kingston it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.

It depends on your priorities. Montreal has an edge in some lifestyle areas, with costs from $2,059 in Montreal to $2,297 in Kingston. 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, Kingston makes more sense. Both are solid long-term options with distinct trade-offs.