Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Montreal and Brampton

For one person, living is cheaper in Montreal: $2,064 a month against $2,493 in Brampton, rent and utilities included – about $5,100 less a year. Higher rent and utilities in Brampton outweigh lower spending on other living expenses.

Montreal, Canada
Brampton, Canada
Montreal
🇨🇦 Canada
$2,064
/mo nomad
Brampton
🇨🇦 Canada
$2,493
/mo nomad
Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Montreal and in Brampton

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $2,064 in Montreal versus $2,493 in Brampton.

  • Montreal $2,064
  • Brampton $2,493

Estimated couple costs with rent: $3,156 in Montreal versus $3,444 in Brampton.

  • Montreal $3,156
  • Brampton $3,444

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $4,247 in Montreal versus $4,395 in Brampton.

  • Montreal $4,247
  • Brampton $4,395

Living in Montreal costs roughly 17% less than in Brampton, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in transport.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Montreal 52% above, Brampton 83% above.

Currency
🍽 Eating Out
Montreal
Brampton
Difference
Meal at Budget Restaurant
$18.98 CA$26.64
$16.36 CA$22.97
16.01%
Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range
$73.0 CA$102
$50.4 CA$70.7
44.77%
Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)
$10.88 CA$15.27
$10.63 CA$14.92
2.35%
Cappuccino
$3.81 CA$5.35
$3.34 CA$4.69
14.07%
Coke/Pepsi/Fanta/Sprite (0.33 liter bottle)
$1.94 CA$2.72
$1.48 CA$2.07
31.08%
Water (0.33 liter bottle)
$1.58 CA$2.22
$1.24 CA$1.75
27.42%
Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)
$6.37 CA$8.94
$4.80 CA$6.74
32.71%
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$7.26 CA$10.20
$5.75 CA$8.07
26.26%
🛒 Groceries & Markets
Montreal
Brampton
Difference
Milk (1 liter)
$2.23 CA$3.13
$3.18 CA$4.46
-29.87%
White Bread (500g)
$3.17 CA$4.45
$2.20 CA$3.08
44.09%
Rice (white) (1kg)
$3.31 CA$4.64
$2.84 CA$3.98
16.55%
Eggs
$3.63 CA$5.09
$3.15 CA$4.42
15.24%
Local Cheese (1kg)
$13.16 CA$18.47
$9.35 CA$13.12
40.75%
Chicken Fillets (1kg)
$11.56 CA$16.22
$9.51 CA$13.34
21.56%
Beef Round Steak (1kg)
$13.71 CA$19.25
$17.74 CA$24.89
-22.72%
Apples (1kg)
$3.29 CA$4.62
$3.59 CA$5.04
-8.36%
Banana (1kg)
$1.46 CA$2.05
$2.13 CA$2.99
-31.46%
Oranges (1kg)
$3.37 CA$4.73
$3.27 CA$4.59
3.06%
Tomato (1kg)
$3.15 CA$4.42
$4.08 CA$5.73
-22.79%
Potato (1kg)
$1.89 CA$2.65
$2.16 CA$3.03
-12.50%
Onion (1kg)
$1.79 CA$2.52
$2.31 CA$3.25
-22.51%
Lettuce (1 head)
$2.47 CA$3.47
$2.45 CA$3.44
0.82%
Water (1.5 liter bottle)
$1.58 CA$2.22
$2.16 CA$3.03
-26.85%
Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)
$11.28 CA$15.84
$12.83 CA$18.00
-12.08%
Wine (Bottle)
$10.49 CA$14.73
$11.69 CA$16.41
-10.27%
Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)
$2.34 CA$3.28
$2.34 CA$3.28
-
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$2.91 CA$4.09
$2.37 CA$3.33
22.78%
🚌 Getting Around
Montreal
Brampton
Difference
One-way Ticket (Public Transport)
$2.61 CA$3.66
$3.36 CA$4.71
-22.32%
Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)
$79.1 CA$111
$101 CA$142
-21.89%
Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)
$3.26 CA$4.57
$2.97 CA$4.17
9.76%
Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)
$1.44 CA$2.02
$1.28 CA$1.80
12.50%
Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)
$33.43 CA$46.92
$21.23 CA$29.80
57.47%
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
$27.2K CA$38.1K
5.42%
Compact Sedan 1.6l (Toyota Corolla, Mazda3, Kia K4, Hyundai Elantra, etc)
$21.1K CA$29.6K
$22.2K CA$31.2K
-4.94%
🧾 Monthly Utilities & Internet
Montreal
Brampton
Difference
Utilities for 2 People in 2-bedroom Apartment (Heating, Electricity, Gas, Water, Garbage) (85m2)
$80.1 CA$112
$178 CA$250
-55.09%
SIM Card Monthly Plan (Calls and 10GB+ Data)
$34.30 CA$48.14
$29.75 CA$41.75
15.29%
Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)
$42.85 CA$60.1
$56.1 CA$78.7
-23.63%
🎉 Sport & Entertainment
Montreal
Brampton
Difference
Gym Membership (Monthly)
$31.14 CA$43.71
$23.83 CA$33.44
30.68%
Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)
$19.41 CA$27.24
$30.50 CA$42.81
-36.36%
Cinema Ticket
$11.23 CA$15.76
$12.31 CA$17.27
-8.77%
🧸 Childcare & Education
Montreal
Brampton
Difference
Preschool or Kindergarten, Full Day, Private, 1 Child (Monthly)
$525 CA$737
$593 CA$832
-11.38%
International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)
$16.3K CA$22.9K
$11.0K CA$15.5K
47.79%
👕👟 Clothing & Footwear
Montreal
Brampton
Difference
Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)
$58.0 CA$81.4
$60.0 CA$84.3
-3.38%
Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)
$38.11 CA$53.5
$43.49 CA$61.0
-12.37%
Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)
$93.4 CA$131
$101 CA$142
-7.51%
Men's Leather Business Shoes
$110 CA$155
$112 CA$156
-1.19%
🏠 Accommodation & Living
Montreal
Brampton
Difference
1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$1,285 CA$1,803
$1,494 CA$2,096
-13.96%
1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$977 CA$1,371
$1,307 CA$1,834
-25.27%
3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$2,271 CA$3,187
$2,243 CA$3,148
1.25%
3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$1,665 CA$2,336
$1,821 CA$2,555
-8.56%
Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)
$5,139 CA$7,212
$5,856 CA$8,218
-12.24%
Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)
$3,834 CA$5,381
$5,216 CA$7,321
-26.49%
💵 Salaries & Financials
Montreal
Brampton
Difference
Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)
$3,002 CA$4,213
$3,028 CA$4,250
-0.87%
20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)
4.48
4.72
-5.08%

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

Last update for Montreal: October 25, 2026

Last update for Brampton: October 25, 2026

Monthly budget structure
Share of the monthly basket for one person, rent included.
Accommodation & Living
Montreal
$977
Brampton
$1.3K 33.8% $330
Groceries & Markets
Montreal
$351
Brampton
$357 1.8% $6.2
Eating Out
Montreal
$291
Brampton
$249 14.3% $41
Monthly Utilities & Internet
Montreal
$157
Brampton
$264 68% $107
Clothing & Footwear
Montreal
$135
Brampton
$142 5.5% $7.3
Getting Around
Montreal
$100
Brampton
$124 24.1% $24
Sport & Entertainment
Montreal
$54
Brampton
$48 9.6% $5.2

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,285 in Montreal and $1,494 in Brampton. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Dining out: $73 in Montreal vs $50 in Brampton. Groceries flip the comparison at $351 vs $357, with Montreal cheaper for home cooking.

Good to know
🇨🇦 Montreal
🇨🇦 Brampton
🕒 Local time
16:23 4:23 PM
16:23 4:23 PM
Same time as Montreal
🌤 Weather
👥 Population
1,762,949
593,638
💱 Currency
Exchange rates and currency converter

USD, EUR to CAD – Canadian Dollar Converter

Canadian Dollar exchange rates as of October 28, 2026: 1 USD = 1.4 CAD (1 CAD = 0.713 USD). 1 EUR = 1.56 CAD (1 CAD = 0.64 EUR).

On the map
Between locations
  • Montreal Brampton 530 km ≈ 1 h 15 min nonstop flight
From you
  • Montreal
  • Brampton

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 Brampton: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions
Is Montreal cheaper than Brampton?
Montreal is about 17% cheaper overall, especially in transport, utilities, and clothing. That difference adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.
What income do you need for each city?
You’d need roughly $3,096 in Montreal and $3,739 in Brampton to live well. The gap comes down to housing and overall price levels. Both cities are liveable on less, but these numbers represent actual comfort.
What is the rent difference between Montreal and Brampton?
Rent for a central apartment: $1,285 in Montreal versus $1,494 in Brampton. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.
Which city has cheaper public transport?
A monthly transit pass in Montreal runs roughly 22% less than in Brampton. The price difference matters if you commute daily and watch your budget.
What are total monthly expenses in Montreal and in Brampton?
All in, you’ll spend $2,064 per month in Montreal versus $2,493 in Brampton – Montreal is about 17% cheaper, which adds up to real savings over time.
Is $2,000 enough to cover costs in Montreal or in Brampton?
Both cities are expensive relative to $2,000. Montreal is the more realistic option, but even there you’ll need to be disciplined with housing, food, and fun money.
Is it better to live in Montreal or in Brampton?
Both cities offer a good standard of living with different trade-offs. Neither is objectively better – the right pick depends on what matters most: affordability, career, cultural scene, or climate.

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