Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Markham and Montreal

For one person, living is cheaper in Montreal: $2,059 a month against $2,429 in Markham, rent and utilities included – about $4,400 less a year. Higher rent and utilities in Markham outweigh lower spending on other living expenses.

119

Cost of Living Index in Markham
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Markham Living Index
99

Cost of Living Index in Montreal
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Montreal Living Index

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Markham

🇨🇦 Canada

$2,429

/mo nomad

Montreal

🇨🇦 Canada

$2,059

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $2,429 in Markham versus $2,059 in Montreal.

Markham $2,429
Montreal $2,059

Estimated couple costs with rent: $3,533 in Markham versus $3,123 in Montreal.

Markham $3,533
Montreal $3,123

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $4,638 in Markham versus $4,187 in Montreal.

Markham $4,638
Montreal $4,187

Living in Markham is roughly 18% more expensive than in Montreal, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Markham 79% above, Montreal 52% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$17.50 CA$24.74

$18.84 CA$26.63

-7.11%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$52.7 CA$74.5

$73.2 CA$104

-28.01%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$10.50 CA$14.85

$10.54 CA$14.90

-0.38%

Cappuccino

$3.69 CA$5.22

$3.97 CA$5.61

-7.05%

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

$1.77 CA$2.50

$1.94 CA$2.74

-8.76%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.18 CA$1.67

$1.57 CA$2.22

-24.84%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.62 CA$5.11

$6.42 CA$9.08

-43.61%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$5.71 CA$8.07

$7.20 CA$10.19

-20.69%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.92 CA$2.71

$2.32 CA$3.28

-17.24%

White Bread (500g)

$2.26 CA$3.19

$3.19 CA$4.51

-29.15%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.91 CA$2.70

$3.19 CA$4.50

-40.13%

Eggs

$3.18 CA$4.49

$3.68 CA$5.20

-13.59%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$13.24 CA$18.72

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$11.96 CA$16.91

$11.69 CA$16.53

2.31%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$6.92 CA$9.79

$13.98 CA$19.76

-50.50%

Apples (1kg)

$3.76 CA$5.32

$3.14 CA$4.44

19.75%

Banana (1kg)

$1.34 CA$1.89

$1.45 CA$2.05

-7.59%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.32 CA$3.27

$3.38 CA$4.78

-31.36%

Tomato (1kg)

$3.24 CA$4.58

$3.11 CA$4.40

4.18%

Potato (1kg)

$2.02 CA$2.86

$1.93 CA$2.72

4.66%

Onion (1kg)

$1.98 CA$2.80

$1.83 CA$2.58

8.20%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.85 CA$4.03

$2.36 CA$3.34

20.76%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.49 CA$2.10

$1.50 CA$2.12

-0.67%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$13.22 CA$18.69

$11.12 CA$15.73

18.88%

Wine (Bottle)

$14.59 CA$20.63

$10.60 CA$14.98

37.64%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.40 CA$3.39

$2.22 CA$3.14

8.11%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.12 CA$4.41

$2.84 CA$4.01

9.86%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$3.10 CA$4.38

$2.62 CA$3.71

18.32%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$91.7 CA$130

$79.1 CA$112

15.83%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.39 CA$4.79

$3.23 CA$4.56

4.95%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.48 CA$2.10

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$18.30 CA$25.88

$32.22 CA$45.55

-43.20%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.19 CA$1.68

$1.36 CA$1.92

-12.50%

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

$27.6K CA$39.0K

$27.6K CA$39.1K

-0.23%

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

$21.4K CA$30.2K

$21.2K CA$30.0K

0.93%

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

$126 CA$178

$77.0 CA$109

63.82%

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

$27.25 CA$38.52

$34.14 CA$48.26

-20.18%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$45.89 CA$64.9

$42.19 CA$59.7

8.77%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$42.66 CA$60.3

$30.81 CA$43.56

38.46%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$21.28 CA$30.09

$19.66 CA$27.79

8.24%

Cinema Ticket

$10.00 CA$14.14

$11.47 CA$16.22

-12.82%

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

$878 CA$1,242

$506 CA$716

73.52%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$27.5K CA$38.8K

$16.2K CA$23.0K

69.11%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$42.38 CA$59.9

$57.3 CA$81.0

-25.99%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$38.11 CA$53.9

$38.10 CA$53.9

0.03%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$93.8 CA$133

$91.9 CA$130

1.99%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$106 CA$149

$110 CA$155

-3.83%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,607 CA$2,271

$1,237 CA$1,748

29.90%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,395 CA$1,972

$977 CA$1,381

42.82%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,736 CA$3,868

$2,180 CA$3,082

25.52%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,343 CA$3,312

$1,608 CA$2,273

45.69%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$5,918 CA$8,367

$5,113 CA$7,228

15.75%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$5,456 CA$7,714

$3,744 CA$5,293

45.72%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$3,198 CA$4,520

$2,957 CA$4,180

8.13%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

4.56

4.48

1.79%

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

Last update for Markham: October 20, 2026

Last update for Montreal: October 20, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Markham

$1.4K 57.4%

Montreal

$977 47.4% 30% $418

Groceries & Markets

Markham

$282 * 11.6%

Montreal

$351 17.1% 24.6% $69

Eating Out

Markham

$257 10.6%

Montreal

$290 14.1% 13% $33

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Markham

$199 8.2%

Montreal

$153 7.5% 23.1% $46

Clothing & Footwear

Markham

$126 5.2%

Montreal

$134 6.5% 6.2% $7.8

Getting Around

Markham

$107 * 4.4%

Montreal

$100 4.9% 6.7% $7.2

Sport & Entertainment

Markham

$63 2.6%

Montreal

$54 2.6% 14.2% $8.9

Categories marked with * are only partly priced – their share counts the items that do have prices.

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,607 in Markham and $1,237 in Montreal. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Markham pays 8% 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: $53.0 in Markham vs $73.0 in Montreal for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $282 vs $351 per month, with Markham cheaper across the board.

Good to know

🇨🇦 Markham

🇨🇦 Montreal

🕒 Local time

06:16 6:16 AM

Same time as Markham

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

338,503

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

Markham vs Montreal: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Montreal wins on cost – living expenses run 18% 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.

Average pay runs 8% higher in Markham, 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: $1,607 in Markham versus $1,237 in Montreal. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $878 in Markham versus $506 in Montreal. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Shoppers in Markham pay roughly 25% less for everyday groceries. It's an unusual reversal that partly offsets higher costs elsewhere.

At $2,059 in Montreal versus $2,429 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 $2,059 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 18% less than in Markham. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.