Cost of Living Comparison Between Markham and Montreal Cost of Living Comparison Between Markham and Montreal

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $2,721 in Markham versus $2,080 in Montreal.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $3,866 in Markham versus $3,136 in Montreal.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $5,010 in Markham versus $4,193 in Montreal.

Living in Markham is roughly 31% more expensive than Montreal, driven mainly by Groceries & Markets.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Markham 103% above, Montreal 55% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$14.96 CA$20.50

$16.16 CA$22.14

-7.43%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$80.8 CA$111

$74.3 CA$102

8.69%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$8.82 CA$12.08

$10.94 CA$14.98

-19.38%

Cappuccino

$3.15 CA$4.32

$3.68 CA$5.05

-14.40%

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

$2.10 CA$2.88

$2.07 CA$2.84

1.45%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.39 CA$1.91

$1.49 CA$2.05

-6.71%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.79 CA$5.19

$5.98 CA$8.20

-36.62%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$6.52 CA$8.93

$6.76 CA$9.27

-3.55%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.78 CA$2.44

$2.32 CA$3.18

-23.28%

White Bread (500g)

$2.34 CA$3.20

$3.21 CA$4.40

-27.10%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.65 CA$2.26

$3.74 CA$5.13

-55.88%

Eggs

$3.42 CA$4.68

$3.27 CA$4.48

4.59%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$15.60 CA$21.37

$16.08 CA$22.02

-2.99%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$9.97 CA$13.66

$11.56 CA$15.84

-13.75%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$7.14 CA$9.79

$15.66 CA$21.45

-54.41%

Apples (1kg)

$4.62 CA$6.33

$3.67 CA$5.03

25.89%

Banana (1kg)

$1.42 CA$1.94

$1.70 CA$2.33

-16.47%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.37 CA$3.25

$4.06 CA$5.56

-41.63%

Tomato (1kg)

$3.56 CA$4.88

$4.25 CA$5.82

-16.24%

Potato (1kg)

$2.48 CA$3.40

$2.74 CA$3.76

-9.49%

Onion (1kg)

$2.10 CA$2.87

$2.66 CA$3.65

-21.05%

Lettuce (1 head)

$3.14 CA$4.31

$2.16 CA$2.96

45.37%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.61 CA$2.20

$1.72 CA$2.35

-6.40%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$14.22 CA$19.48

$13.21 CA$18.10

7.65%

Wine (Bottle)

$15.23 CA$20.87

$11.08 CA$15.19

37.45%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.17 CA$2.97

$2.97 CA$4.07

-26.94%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.25 CA$3.09

$3.58 CA$4.91

-37.15%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$3.10 CA$4.25

$2.84 CA$3.89

9.15%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$96.4 CA$132

$74.8 CA$103

28.79%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.21 CA$4.40

$3.62 CA$4.96

-11.33%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.76 CA$3.78

$1.44 CA$1.98

91.67%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$22.23 CA$30.46

$34.03 CA$46.62

-34.68%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.09 CA$1.50

$1.18 CA$1.61

-7.63%

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

$24.6K CA$33.8K

$25.1K CA$34.4K

-1.99%

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

$19.9K CA$27.3K

$21.5K CA$29.4K

-7.24%

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

$199 CA$273

$75.5 CA$103

164.01%

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

$33.09 CA$45.33

$35.70 CA$48.91

-7.31%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$60.0 CA$82.2

$43.01 CA$58.9

39.48%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$46.36 CA$63.5

$42.58 CA$58.3

8.88%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$14.48 CA$19.84

$17.17 CA$23.53

-15.67%

Cinema Ticket

$11.00 CA$15.07

$11.07 CA$15.16

-0.63%

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

$914 CA$1,252

$616 CA$844

48.34%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$29.2K CA$40.0K

$5,799 CA$7,945

403.25%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$43.56 CA$59.7

$62.3 CA$85.3

-30.04%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$36.29 CA$49.71

$43.77 CA$60.0

-17.09%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$61.3 CA$84.0

$102 CA$140

-40.01%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$80.3 CA$110

$121 CA$166

-33.59%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,675 CA$2,295

$1,209 CA$1,657

38.51%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,611 CA$2,206

$970 CA$1,329

66.00%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,914 CA$3,992

$2,085 CA$2,856

39.77%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,473 CA$3,387

$1,596 CA$2,186

54.96%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$6,099 CA$8,355

$5,442 CA$7,456

12.07%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$5,662 CA$7,756

$4,046 CA$5,543

39.92%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$3,168 CA$4,340

$2,990 CA$4,096

5.95%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

6.59

5.01

31.54%

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

Last update for Markham: April 21, 2026

Last update for Montreal: April 20, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,675 in Markham and $1,209 in Montreal. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Markham pays 6% 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: $81 in Markham vs $74 in Montreal. Groceries flip the comparison at $328 vs $389, with Markham 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

Markham vs Montreal: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Montreal wins on cost – living expenses run 31% lower than in Markham. Housing and daily spending are where you'll feel the difference most, making Montreal the obvious pick if budget is a priority.

Markham pays 6% 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: $1,675 in Markham versus $1,209 in Montreal. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $914 in Markham versus $616 in Montreal. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Shoppers in Markham pay roughly 19% less for everyday groceries. It's an unusual reversal that partly offsets higher costs elsewhere.

At $2,080 in Montreal versus $2,721 in Markham, a $2,000 budget is realistic in Montreal but tight or insufficient in Markham. 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 $2,080 monthly. If stretching your runway or maximizing savings is the goal, the price difference makes Montreal hard to pass up.

Safety-wise, Markham 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 31% less than in Markham. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.