Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Montreal and Ajax, ON

For one person, living is cheaper in Montreal: $2,064 a month against $2,515 in Ajax, ON, rent and utilities included – about $5,400 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

99

Cost of Living Index in Montreal
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Montreal Living Index
122

Cost of Living Index in Ajax, ON
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Ajax, ON Living Index

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Montreal

🇨🇦 Canada

$2,064

/mo nomad

Ajax, ON

🇨🇦 Canada

$2,515

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Montreal and in Ajax, ON

Real prices from locals and on-the-ground checks – rent, groceries, transit and the daily extras. Here's what a month in Montreal and in Ajax, ON actually costs, broken down by who's living it.

A single person spends $2,064 per month in Montreal vs $2,515 in Ajax, ON, rent included.

Montreal $2,064
Ajax, ON $2,515

A couple spends around $3,156 per month in Montreal vs $3,611 in Ajax, ON, rent included.

Montreal $3,156
Ajax, ON $3,611

A family of three spends $4,247 per month in Montreal vs $4,707 in Ajax, ON, rent included.

Montreal $4,247
Ajax, ON $4,707

Montreal is about 18% cheaper than Ajax, ON, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Both Montreal and Ajax, ON sit above the global median – Montreal by 52%, Ajax, ON by 85%.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$18.98 CA$26.64

$18.19 CA$25.53

4.34%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$73.0 CA$102

$53.8 CA$75.5

35.63%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$10.88 CA$15.27

$10.50 CA$14.73

3.62%

Cappuccino

$3.81 CA$5.35

$3.76 CA$5.28

1.33%

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

$1.94 CA$2.72

$1.83 CA$2.56

6.01%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.58 CA$2.22

$1.52 CA$2.13

3.95%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$6.37 CA$8.94

$3.52 CA$4.93

80.97%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$7.26 CA$10.20

$5.62 CA$7.89

29.18%

Milk (1 liter)

$2.23 CA$3.13

$2.02 CA$2.83

10.40%

White Bread (500g)

$3.17 CA$4.45

$2.99 CA$4.20

6.02%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$3.31 CA$4.64

$3.41 CA$4.79

-2.93%

Eggs

$3.63 CA$5.09

$3.87 CA$5.43

-6.20%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$13.16 CA$18.47

$10.56 CA$14.81

24.62%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$11.56 CA$16.22

$11.77 CA$16.52

-1.78%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$13.71 CA$19.25

$17.12 CA$24.02

-19.92%

Apples (1kg)

$3.29 CA$4.62

$4.14 CA$5.81

-20.53%

Banana (1kg)

$1.46 CA$2.05

$1.73 CA$2.43

-15.61%

Oranges (1kg)

$3.37 CA$4.73

$3.15 CA$4.42

6.98%

Tomato (1kg)

$3.15 CA$4.42

$3.37 CA$4.73

-6.53%

Potato (1kg)

$1.89 CA$2.65

$2.31 CA$3.24

-18.18%

Onion (1kg)

$1.79 CA$2.52

$2.46 CA$3.46

-27.24%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.47 CA$3.47

$2.20 CA$3.09

12.27%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.58 CA$2.22

$1.94 CA$2.72

-18.56%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$11.28 CA$15.84

$14.11 CA$19.81

-20.06%

Wine (Bottle)

$10.49 CA$14.73

$13.79 CA$19.35

-23.93%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.34 CA$3.28

$2.12 CA$2.98

10.38%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.91 CA$4.09

$2.55 CA$3.58

14.12%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.61 CA$3.66

$2.47 CA$3.47

5.67%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$79.1 CA$111

$86.5 CA$121

-8.50%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.26 CA$4.57

$3.38 CA$4.75

-3.55%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.44 CA$2.02

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$33.43 CA$46.92

$24.55 CA$34.45

36.17%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.33 CA$1.87

$1.18 CA$1.66

12.71%

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

$28.6K CA$40.2K

$28.2K CA$39.5K

1.70%

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

$21.1K CA$29.6K

$21.8K CA$30.6K

-3.08%

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

$80.1 CA$112

$128 CA$179

-37.34%

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

$34.30 CA$48.14

$29.35 CA$41.18

16.87%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$42.85 CA$60.1

$58.9 CA$82.6

-27.20%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$31.14 CA$43.71

$33.96 CA$47.66

-8.30%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$19.41 CA$27.24

$10.73 CA$15.06

80.89%

Cinema Ticket

$11.23 CA$15.76

$10.33 CA$14.50

8.71%

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

$525 CA$737

$522 CA$732

0.62%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$16.3K CA$22.9K

$16.7K CA$23.5K

-2.43%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$58.0 CA$81.4

$51.9 CA$72.9

11.71%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$38.11 CA$53.5

$51.8 CA$72.8

-26.49%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$93.4 CA$131

$94.9 CA$133

-1.56%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$110 CA$155

$107 CA$151

2.61%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,285 CA$1,803

$1,510 CA$2,119

-14.89%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$977 CA$1,371

$1,374 CA$1,928

-28.93%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,271 CA$3,187

$2,351 CA$3,299

-3.41%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,665 CA$2,336

$2,173 CA$3,050

-23.40%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$5,139 CA$7,212

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$3,834 CA$5,381

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$3,002 CA$4,213

$3,081 CA$4,323

-2.55%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

4.48

4.8

-6.67%

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

Last update for Montreal: October 25, 2026

Last update for Ajax, ON: October 27, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Montreal

$977 47.3%

Ajax, ON

$1.4K 54.6% 40.7% $397

Groceries & Markets

Montreal

$351 17%

Ajax, ON

$369 14.7% 5% $18

Eating Out

Montreal

$291 14.1%

Ajax, ON

$264 10.5% 9.1% $26

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Montreal

$157 7.6%

Ajax, ON

$216 8.6% 37.4% $59

Clothing & Footwear

Montreal

$135 6.5%

Ajax, ON

$138 5.5% 2.1% $2.8

Getting Around

Montreal

$100 4.9%

Ajax, ON

$100 * 4% 0.3% $0.3

Sport & Entertainment

Montreal

$54 2.6%

Ajax, ON

$55 2.2% 1.9% $1

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

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $1,285 in Montreal versus $1,510 in Ajax, ON. 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 3% higher in Ajax, ON, 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 $73 in Montreal versus $54 in Ajax, ON. Groceries tell a different story – $351 in Montreal vs $369 in Ajax, ON – so Montreal wins on supermarket bills even if dining out costs more.

Good to know

🇨🇦 Montreal

🇨🇦 Ajax, ON

🕒 Local time

19:07 7:07 PM

Same time as Montreal

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

1,762,949

119,677

💱 Currency

Canadian Dollar CAD $

📈 Exchange rate

1 CAD = 0.713 USD

1 CAD = 0.64 EUR

1 CAD = 0.713 USD

1 CAD = 0.64 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

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Montreal Ajax, ON 470 km

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Montreal
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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

Montreal vs Ajax, ON: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Yes – Ajax, ON is pricier by about 22%, and outside of rent the gap shows up most in groceries.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $3,096 per month in Montreal and $3,773 in Ajax, ON. 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: a one-bedroom in the center costs $1,285 there versus $1,510 in Ajax, ON.

Monthly expenses with rent come to $2,064 in Montreal and $2,515 in Ajax, ON. That makes Montreal about 18% cheaper.

Public transport costs about 8% less in Montreal. For daily commuters, that gap adds up to noticeable savings over a year.

$2,000 is a stretch for both – monthly costs hit $2,064 in Montreal and $2,515 in Ajax, ON. You’ll need shared housing and careful budgeting no matter which city you pick.

It depends on your priorities. Montreal has an edge in some lifestyle areas, with costs from $2,064 in Montreal to $2,515 in Ajax, ON. Climate, culture, job market, and personal taste all factor in.

If budget matters most, go with Montreal. If higher salaries or specific career opportunities are the priority, Ajax, ON makes more sense. Both are solid long-term options with distinct trade-offs.