Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Montreal and Bowmanville, Ontario

For one person, living is cheaper in Montreal: $2,018 a month against $2,222 in Bowmanville, Ontario, rent and utilities included – about $2,400 less a year. Higher rent and utilities in Bowmanville, Ontario outweigh lower spending on other living expenses.

99

Cost of Living Index in Montreal
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Montreal Living Index
108

Cost of Living Index in Bowmanville, Ontario
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Bowmanville, Ontario Living Index

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Montreal

🇨🇦 Canada

$2,018

/mo nomad

Bowmanville, Ontario

🇨🇦 Canada

$2,222

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Montreal and in Bowmanville, Ontario

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $2,018 in Montreal versus $2,222 in Bowmanville, Ontario.

Montreal $2,018
Bowmanville, Ontario $2,222

Estimated couple costs with rent: $3,085 in Montreal versus $3,120 in Bowmanville, Ontario.

Montreal $3,085
Bowmanville, Ontario $3,120

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $4,152 in Montreal versus $4,018 in Bowmanville, Ontario.

Montreal $4,152
Bowmanville, Ontario $4,018

Living in Montreal costs roughly 9% less than in Bowmanville, Ontario, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in transport.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Montreal 49% above, Bowmanville, Ontario 65% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$18.82 CA$26.61

$13.96 CA$19.73

34.81%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$70.3 CA$99.4

$62.4 CA$88.3

12.57%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$10.66 CA$15.06

$9.86 CA$13.94

8.11%

Cappuccino

$3.84 CA$5.43

$3.47 CA$4.91

10.66%

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

$1.92 CA$2.71

$1.71 CA$2.41

12.28%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.54 CA$2.18

$1.35 CA$1.91

14.07%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$6.23 CA$8.81

$5.53 CA$7.82

12.66%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$7.10 CA$10.03

$6.03 CA$8.53

17.74%

Milk (1 liter)

$2.31 CA$3.27

$2.75 CA$3.89

-16.00%

White Bread (500g)

$3.14 CA$4.44

$2.82 CA$3.98

11.35%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$3.21 CA$4.54

$2.49 CA$3.52

28.92%

Eggs

$3.52 CA$4.97

$4.15 CA$5.87

-15.18%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$12.81 CA$18.11

$9.67 CA$13.66

32.47%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$11.46 CA$16.20

$10.88 CA$15.38

5.33%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$13.39 CA$18.92

$12.93 CA$18.28

3.56%

Apples (1kg)

$3.14 CA$4.43

$3.57 CA$5.05

-12.04%

Banana (1kg)

$1.44 CA$2.03

$1.16 CA$1.63

24.14%

Oranges (1kg)

$3.47 CA$4.91

$2.73 CA$3.86

27.11%

Tomato (1kg)

$3.07 CA$4.34

$3.64 CA$5.15

-15.66%

Potato (1kg)

$1.90 CA$2.69

$1.65 CA$2.34

15.15%

Onion (1kg)

$1.77 CA$2.50

$2.21 CA$3.13

-19.91%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.34 CA$3.31

$2.29 CA$3.24

2.18%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.55 CA$2.19

$1.52 CA$2.15

1.97%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$11.38 CA$16.09

$13.84 CA$19.56

-17.77%

Wine (Bottle)

$10.63 CA$15.03

$12.59 CA$17.80

-15.57%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.27 CA$3.21

$2.38 CA$3.36

-4.62%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.82 CA$3.99

$2.47 CA$3.49

14.17%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.66 CA$3.76

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$77.3 CA$109

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.20 CA$4.53

$3.03 CA$4.28

5.61%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.48 CA$2.09

$0.72 CA$1.02

105.56%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$32.88 CA$46.48

$20.64 CA$29.18

59.30%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.34 CA$1.90

$1.09 CA$1.54

22.94%

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

$28.2K CA$39.8K

$27.6K CA$39.1K

1.88%

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

$19.6K CA$27.8K

$19.0K CA$26.8K

3.45%

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

$76.0 CA$107

$141 CA$200

-46.26%

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

$33.95 CA$48.00

$38.05 CA$53.8

-10.78%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$42.31 CA$59.8

$53.4 CA$75.5

-20.75%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$29.76 CA$42.07

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$20.28 CA$28.67

Cinema Ticket

$11.15 CA$15.77

$10.61 CA$14.99

5.09%

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

$507 CA$717

$880 CA$1,244

-42.37%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$16.1K CA$22.7K

$3,770 CA$5,330

325.72%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$57.6 CA$81.4

$42.66 CA$60.3

34.90%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$37.58 CA$53.1

$36.85 CA$52.1

1.98%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$91.9 CA$130

$83.5 CA$118

10.09%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$110 CA$155

$100 CA$141

9.53%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,260 CA$1,782

$1,620 CA$2,290

-22.18%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$948 CA$1,340

$1,271 CA$1,796

-25.43%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,137 CA$3,021

$1,916 CA$2,708

11.56%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,614 CA$2,281

$1,871 CA$2,646

-13.78%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$4,960 CA$7,011

$5,097 CA$7,206

-2.70%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$3,838 CA$5,425

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$2,827 CA$3,997

$3,368 CA$4,761

-16.05%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

4.48

4.55

-1.54%

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

Last update for Montreal: October 12, 2026

Last update for Bowmanville, Ontario: October 11, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Montreal

$948 47%

Bowmanville, Ontario

$1.3K 57.2% 34.1% $323

Groceries & Markets

Montreal

$346 17.2%

Bowmanville, Ontario

$337 15.2% 2.7% $9.3

Eating Out

Montreal

$288 14.3%

Bowmanville, Ontario

$235 10.6% 18.4% $53

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Montreal

$152 7.5%

Bowmanville, Ontario

$233 10.5% 52.9% $81

Clothing & Footwear

Montreal

$133 6.6%

Bowmanville, Ontario

$118 5.3% 11.3% $15

Getting Around

Montreal

$99 4.9%

Bowmanville, Ontario

$6.7 * 0.3% 93.3% $92

Sport & Entertainment

Montreal

$52 2.6%

Bowmanville, Ontario

$21 * 1% 59.3% $31

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 $1,260 in Montreal and $1,620 in Bowmanville, Ontario. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Bowmanville, Ontario pays 19% 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: $70.0 in Montreal vs $62.0 in Bowmanville, Ontario for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $346 vs $337 per month, with Bowmanville, Ontario cheaper across the board.

Good to know

🇨🇦 Montreal

🇨🇦 Bowmanville, Ontario

🕒 Local time

03:40 3:40 AM

Same time as Montreal

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

1,762,949

40,000

💱 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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Montreal Bowmanville, Ontario 440 km

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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 Bowmanville, Ontario: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Montreal is cheaper overall, especially in utilities. The 10% gap adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

On paper, salaries run 19% lower in Bowmanville, Ontario. That's worth factoring in alongside costs, though remote workers earning in a stronger currency may not notice the difference at all.

Rent for a central apartment: $1,260 in Montreal versus $1,620 in Bowmanville, Ontario. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Shoppers in Bowmanville, Ontario pay roughly 3% less for everyday groceries. It's an unusual reversal that partly offsets higher costs elsewhere.

All in, you'll spend $2,018 per month in Montreal versus $2,222 in Bowmanville, Ontario – a 10% gap that adds up to real savings over time for anyone picking the cheaper option.

At $2,018 in Montreal versus $2,222 in Bowmanville, Ontario, a $2,000 budget is realistic in Montreal but tight or insufficient in Bowmanville, Ontario. The gap between the two cities makes Montreal the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

For families, Montreal is more practical. Housing and childcare are both notably cheaper than in Bowmanville, Ontario, and the savings on those two alone free up budget for education, activities, and family trips.

Safety-wise, Montreal and Bowmanville, Ontario 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 10% less than in Bowmanville, Ontario. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.