Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Montreal and Bathurst, Canada

For one person, living is cheaper in Bathurst: $1,757 a month against $2,064 in Montreal, rent and utilities included – about $3,700 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

Montreal, Canada
Bathurst, Canada
Montreal
🇨🇦 Canada
$2,064
/mo nomad
Bathurst
🇨🇦 Canada
$1,757
/mo nomad
Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Montreal and in Bathurst

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

A single person spends $2,064 per month in Montreal vs $1,757 in Bathurst, rent included.

  • Montreal $2,064
  • Bathurst $1,757

A couple spends around $3,156 per month in Montreal vs $2,044 in Bathurst, rent included.

  • Montreal $3,156
  • Bathurst $2,044

A family of three spends $4,247 per month in Montreal vs $2,332 in Bathurst, rent included.

  • Montreal $4,247
  • Bathurst $2,332

Montreal costs about 17% more than Bathurst, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Both Montreal and Bathurst sit above the global median – Montreal by 52%, Bathurst by 29%.

Currency
🍽 Eating Out
Montreal
Bathurst
Difference
Meal at Budget Restaurant
$18.98 CA$26.55
$15.96 CA$22.32
18.92%
Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range
$73.0 CA$102
$43.54 CA$60.9
67.62%
Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)
$10.88 CA$15.21
$11.73 CA$16.40
-7.25%
Cappuccino
$3.81 CA$5.33
$3.48 CA$4.86
9.48%
Coke/Pepsi/Fanta/Sprite (0.33 liter bottle)
$1.94 CA$2.71
$2.01 CA$2.82
-3.48%
Water (0.33 liter bottle)
$1.58 CA$2.21
$1.59 CA$2.22
-0.63%
Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)
$6.37 CA$8.91
$4.96 CA$6.94
28.43%
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$7.26 CA$10.16
$5.08 CA$7.10
42.91%
🛒 Groceries & Markets
Montreal
Bathurst
Difference
Milk (1 liter)
$2.23 CA$3.11
$1.72 CA$2.40
29.65%
White Bread (500g)
$3.17 CA$4.44
$2.54 CA$3.55
24.80%
Rice (white) (1kg)
$3.31 CA$4.62
$2.52 CA$3.53
31.35%
Eggs
$3.63 CA$5.08
$3.56 CA$4.98
1.97%
Local Cheese (1kg)
$13.16 CA$18.40
$11.30 CA$15.80
16.46%
Chicken Fillets (1kg)
$11.56 CA$16.16
$9.14 CA$12.78
26.48%
Beef Round Steak (1kg)
$13.71 CA$19.18
$6.35 CA$8.88
115.91%
Apples (1kg)
$3.29 CA$4.60
$4.66 CA$6.52
-29.40%
Banana (1kg)
$1.46 CA$2.04
$1.59 CA$2.23
-8.18%
Oranges (1kg)
$3.37 CA$4.71
$4.78 CA$6.69
-29.50%
Tomato (1kg)
$3.15 CA$4.40
$1.91 CA$2.67
64.92%
Potato (1kg)
$1.89 CA$2.64
$2.51 CA$3.51
-24.70%
Onion (1kg)
$1.79 CA$2.51
$1.55 CA$2.17
15.48%
Lettuce (1 head)
$2.47 CA$3.46
$2.20 CA$3.08
12.27%
Water (1.5 liter bottle)
$1.58 CA$2.21
$1.58 CA$2.21
-
Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)
$11.28 CA$15.78
$9.79 CA$13.69
15.22%
Wine (Bottle)
$10.49 CA$14.68
$11.93 CA$16.68
-12.07%
Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)
$2.34 CA$3.27
$3.19 CA$4.46
-26.65%
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$2.91 CA$4.07
$4.45 CA$6.22
-34.61%
🚌 Getting Around
Montreal
Bathurst
Difference
One-way Ticket (Public Transport)
$2.61 CA$3.65
$3.47 CA$4.85
-24.78%
Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)
$79.1 CA$111
$65.3 CA$91.3
21.20%
Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)
$3.26 CA$4.56
$2.77 CA$3.87
17.69%
Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)
$1.44 CA$2.01
$1.33 CA$1.87
8.27%
Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)
$33.43 CA$46.75
$21.83 CA$30.53
53.14%
Gasoline (1 liter)
$1.33 CA$1.86
$1.24 CA$1.74
7.26%
Midsize Hatchback 1.4l (Volkswagen Golf, Toyota Prius, Honda Civic, etc)
$28.6K CA$40.0K
$28.8K CA$40.3K
-0.60%
Compact Sedan 1.6l (Toyota Corolla, Mazda3, Kia K4, Hyundai Elantra, etc)
$21.1K CA$29.5K
$21.5K CA$30.1K
-1.93%
🧾 Monthly Utilities & Internet
Montreal
Bathurst
Difference
Utilities for 2 People in 2-bedroom Apartment (Heating, Electricity, Gas, Water, Garbage) (85m2)
$80.1 CA$112
$104 CA$146
-23.26%
SIM Card Monthly Plan (Calls and 10GB+ Data)
$34.30 CA$47.97
$70.1 CA$98.0
-51.03%
Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)
$42.85 CA$59.9
$60.9 CA$85.1
-29.60%
🎉 Sport & Entertainment
Montreal
Bathurst
Difference
Gym Membership (Monthly)
$31.14 CA$43.55
$44.27 CA$61.9
-29.66%
Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)
$19.41 CA$27.14
$32.39 CA$45.30
-40.07%
Cinema Ticket
$11.23 CA$15.70
$9.14 CA$12.79
22.87%
🧸 Childcare & Education
Montreal
Bathurst
Difference
Preschool or Kindergarten, Full Day, Private, 1 Child (Monthly)
$525 CA$734
$582 CA$814
-9.76%
International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)
$16.3K CA$22.8K
$1,741 CA$2,435
837.74%
👕👟 Clothing & Footwear
Montreal
Bathurst
Difference
Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)
$58.0 CA$81.1
$50.5 CA$70.6
14.83%
Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)
$38.11 CA$53.3
$39.90 CA$55.8
-4.49%
Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)
$93.4 CA$131
$77.3 CA$108
20.87%
Men's Leather Business Shoes
$110 CA$154
$81.4 CA$114
35.32%
🏠 Accommodation & Living
Montreal
Bathurst
Difference
1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$1,285 CA$1,797
$749 CA$1,048
71.48%
1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$977 CA$1,366
$690 CA$966
41.44%
3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$2,271 CA$3,175
-
-
3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$1,665 CA$2,328
-
-
Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)
$5,139 CA$7,186
-
-
Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)
$3,834 CA$5,362
-
-
💵 Salaries & Financials
Montreal
Bathurst
Difference
Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)
$3,002 CA$4,198
$2,083 CA$2,913
44.13%
20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)
4.48
4.77
-6.08%

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

Last update for Montreal: October 25, 2026

Last update for Bathurst: October 26, 2026

Monthly budget structure
Share of the monthly basket for one person, rent included.
Accommodation & Living
Montreal
$977
Bathurst
$690 29.3% $286
Groceries & Markets
Montreal
$351
Bathurst
$314 10.5% $37
Eating Out
Montreal
$291
Bathurst
$254 12.6% $37
Monthly Utilities & Internet
Montreal
$157
Bathurst
$235 49.6% $78
Clothing & Footwear
Montreal
$135
Bathurst
$112 16.9% $23
Getting Around
Montreal
$100
Bathurst
$89 11.4% $11
Sport & Entertainment
Montreal
$54
Bathurst
$63 16.7% $9

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $1,285 in Montreal versus $749 in Bathurst. 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 44% higher in Montreal. Purchasing power depends on which expenses matter most to you.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $73 in Montreal versus $44 in Bathurst. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $351 vs $314 – making Bathurst the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know
🇨🇦 Montreal
🇨🇦 Bathurst
🕒 Local time
23:28 11:28 PM
00:28 12:28 AM
1 h ahead of Montreal
🌤 Weather
👥 Population
1,762,949
12,157
💱 Currency
Exchange rates and currency converter

USD, EUR to CAD – Canadian Dollar Converter

Canadian Dollar exchange rates as of November 3, 2026: 1 USD = 1.4 CAD (1 CAD = 0.715 USD). 1 EUR = 1.57 CAD (1 CAD = 0.638 EUR).

On the map
Between locations
  • Montreal Bathurst 650 km ≈ 1 h 15 min nonstop flight
From you
  • Montreal
  • Bathurst

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 Bathurst: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions
Is Bathurst cheaper than Montreal?
Yes – Montreal is pricier by about 17%, and outside of rent the gap shows up most in groceries.
What income do you need for each city?
For a comfortable life, plan on about $3,096 per month in Montreal and $2,636 in Bathurst. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.
Which city has lower housing costs?
Rent is clearly cheaper in Bathurst, especially for central apartments: a one-bedroom in the center costs $749 there versus $1,285 in Montreal.
What are total monthly expenses in Montreal and in Bathurst?
Monthly expenses with rent come to $2,064 in Montreal and $1,757 in Bathurst. That makes Bathurst about 15% cheaper.
Which city has cheaper public transport?
Public transport costs about 17% less in Bathurst. For daily commuters, that gap adds up to noticeable savings over a year.
Is $2,500 enough for either Montreal or Bathurst?
$2,500 covers both cities comfortably – all-in costs are $2,064 in Montreal and $1,757 in Bathurst, leaving budget for savings and extras in both cases.
Is it better to live in Montreal or in Bathurst?
It depends on your priorities. Montreal has an edge in some lifestyle areas, with costs from $1,757 in Bathurst to $2,064 in Montreal. Climate, culture, job market, and personal taste all factor in.
Which city is the better choice to relocate to?
If budget matters most, go with Bathurst. If higher salaries or specific career opportunities are the priority, Montreal makes more sense. Both are solid long-term options with distinct trade-offs.

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