Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Montreal and Alliston

For one person, living costs are similar in Montreal and in Alliston: $2,059 and $2,109 a month, rent and utilities included.

99

Cost of Living Index in Montreal
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Montreal Living Index
103

Cost of Living Index in Alliston
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Alliston Living Index

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Montreal

🇨🇦 Canada

$2,059

/mo nomad

Alliston

🇨🇦 Canada

$2,109

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Montreal and in Alliston

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 Alliston actually costs, broken down by who's living it.

A single person spends $2,059 per month in Montreal vs $2,109 in Alliston, rent included.

Montreal $2,059
Alliston $2,109

A couple spends around $3,123 per month in Montreal vs $3,308 in Alliston, rent included.

Montreal $3,123
Alliston $3,308

A family of three spends $4,187 per month in Montreal vs $4,507 in Alliston, rent included.

Montreal $4,187
Alliston $4,507

Montreal is about 2% cheaper than Alliston, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Both Montreal and Alliston sit above the global median – Montreal by 52%, Alliston by 56%.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$18.84 CA$26.63

$17.62 CA$24.91

6.92%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$73.2 CA$104

$78.0 CA$110

-6.12%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$10.54 CA$14.90

$10.64 CA$15.04

-0.94%

Cappuccino

$3.97 CA$5.61

$1.43 CA$2.02

177.62%

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

$1.94 CA$2.74

$2.10 CA$2.97

-7.62%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.57 CA$2.22

$1.67 CA$2.35

-5.99%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$6.42 CA$9.08

$6.46 CA$9.13

-0.62%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$7.20 CA$10.19

$6.81 CA$9.63

5.73%

Milk (1 liter)

$2.32 CA$3.28

$2.53 CA$3.58

-8.30%

White Bread (500g)

$3.19 CA$4.51

$2.62 CA$3.70

21.76%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$3.19 CA$4.50

$2.16 CA$3.05

47.69%

Eggs

$3.68 CA$5.20

$3.04 CA$4.29

21.05%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$13.24 CA$18.72

$9.32 CA$13.18

42.06%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$11.69 CA$16.53

$11.30 CA$15.98

3.45%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$13.98 CA$19.76

$7.07 CA$9.99

97.74%

Apples (1kg)

$3.14 CA$4.44

$3.59 CA$5.08

-12.53%

Banana (1kg)

$1.45 CA$2.05

$1.16 CA$1.64

25.00%

Oranges (1kg)

$3.38 CA$4.78

$3.44 CA$4.86

-1.74%

Tomato (1kg)

$3.11 CA$4.40

$3.88 CA$5.49

-19.85%

Potato (1kg)

$1.93 CA$2.72

$1.83 CA$2.58

5.46%

Onion (1kg)

$1.83 CA$2.58

$1.61 CA$2.27

13.66%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.36 CA$3.34

$2.28 CA$3.22

3.51%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.50 CA$2.12

$0.71 CA$1.00

111.27%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$11.12 CA$15.73

$13.89 CA$19.64

-19.94%

Wine (Bottle)

$10.60 CA$14.98

$6.96 CA$9.83

52.30%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.22 CA$3.14

$2.19 CA$3.09

1.37%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.84 CA$4.01

$2.43 CA$3.44

16.87%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.62 CA$3.71

$2.25 CA$3.18

16.44%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$79.1 CA$112

$61.5 CA$86.9

28.72%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.23 CA$4.56

$2.94 CA$4.15

9.86%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.48 CA$2.10

$1.22 CA$1.72

21.31%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$32.22 CA$45.55

$21.57 CA$30.50

49.37%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.36 CA$1.92

$0.96 CA$1.36

41.67%

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

$27.6K CA$39.1K

$27.7K CA$39.2K

-0.26%

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

$21.2K CA$30.0K

$19.9K CA$28.2K

6.40%

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

$77.0 CA$109

$120 CA$170

-35.92%

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

$34.14 CA$48.26

$28.09 CA$39.71

21.54%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$42.19 CA$59.7

$48.40 CA$68.4

-12.83%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$30.81 CA$43.56

$25.52 CA$36.07

20.73%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$19.66 CA$27.79

$17.69 CA$25.00

11.14%

Cinema Ticket

$11.47 CA$16.22

$11.24 CA$15.89

2.05%

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

$506 CA$716

$811 CA$1,146

-37.58%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$16.2K CA$23.0K

$23.6K CA$33.3K

-31.15%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$57.3 CA$81.0

$50.9 CA$71.9

12.56%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$38.10 CA$53.9

$39.78 CA$56.2

-4.22%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$91.9 CA$130

$99.1 CA$140

-7.26%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$110 CA$155

$122 CA$172

-9.96%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,237 CA$1,748

$1,234 CA$1,744

0.25%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$977 CA$1,381

$1,101 CA$1,557

-11.30%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,180 CA$3,082

$1,934 CA$2,734

12.73%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,608 CA$2,273

$2,122 CA$2,999

-24.21%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$5,113 CA$7,228

$4,176 CA$5,904

22.44%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$3,744 CA$5,293

$3,581 CA$5,063

4.55%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$2,957 CA$4,180

$1,837 CA$2,597

60.95%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

4.48

4.47

0.22%

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

Last update for Montreal: October 20, 2026

Last update for Alliston: October 18, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Montreal

$977 47.4%

Alliston

$1.1K 52.2% 12.7% $124

Groceries & Markets

Montreal

$351 17.1%

Alliston

$292 13.9% 16.8% $59

Eating Out

Montreal

$290 14.1%

Alliston

$251 11.9% 13.6% $40

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Montreal

$153 7.5%

Alliston

$197 9.3% 28.3% $43

Clothing & Footwear

Montreal

$134 6.5%

Alliston

$140 6.7% 4.9% $6.6

Getting Around

Montreal

$100 4.9%

Alliston

$80 3.8% 20.7% $21

Sport & Entertainment

Montreal

$54 2.6%

Alliston

$48 2.3% 10.7% $5.8

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $1,237 in Montreal versus $1,234 in Alliston. 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 61% higher in Montreal, which reinforces the cost advantage – you earn more and spend less. Purchasing power leans clearly in its favor.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $73.0 in Montreal versus $78.0 in Alliston. Groceries tell a different story – $351 in Montreal vs $292 in Alliston – so Alliston wins on supermarket bills even if dining out costs more.

Good to know

🇨🇦 Montreal

🇨🇦 Alliston

🕒 Local time

09:28 9:28 AM

Same time as Montreal

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

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

On the map

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Between locations

Montreal Alliston 520 km ≈ 1 h 15 min nonstop flight

From you

Montreal
Alliston

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

Montreal vs Alliston: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Yes – Alliston is pricier by about 2%, and outside of rent the gap shows up most in groceries.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $3,089 per month in Montreal and $3,163 in Alliston. 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.

Interestingly, groceries are about 20% cheaper in Alliston – one category where the pricier city actually offers better value, probably thanks to stronger retail competition or local farming.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $73.0 in Montreal and $78.0 in Alliston. That's a good indicator of the overall restaurant and café pricing gap between the two cities.

A $2,000 monthly budget goes further in Montreal, where all-in costs run around $2,059, than in Alliston at $2,109. In Montreal it covers expenses comfortably, while in Alliston it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.

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.

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, Alliston makes more sense. Both are solid long-term options with distinct trade-offs.