Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Montreal and Brandon, MB

For one person, living is cheaper in Brandon, MB: $1,622 a month against $2,064 in Montreal, rent and utilities included – about $5,300 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
78

Cost of Living Index in Brandon, MB
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Brandon, MB Living Index

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Montreal

🇨🇦 Canada

$2,064

/mo nomad

Brandon, MB

🇨🇦 Canada

$1,622

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Montreal and in Brandon, MB

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

A single person spends $2,064 per month in Montreal vs $1,622 in Brandon, MB, rent included.

Montreal $2,064
Brandon, MB $1,622

A couple spends around $3,156 per month in Montreal vs $2,588 in Brandon, MB, rent included.

Montreal $3,156
Brandon, MB $2,588

A family of three spends $4,247 per month in Montreal vs $3,555 in Brandon, MB, rent included.

Montreal $4,247
Brandon, MB $3,555

Montreal costs about 27% more than Brandon, MB, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

Both Montreal and Brandon, MB sit above the global median – Montreal by 52%, Brandon, MB by 19%.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$18.98 CA$26.55

$14.30 CA$20.01

32.73%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$73.0 CA$102

$64.9 CA$90.8

12.43%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$10.88 CA$15.22

$10.61 CA$14.84

2.54%

Cappuccino

$3.81 CA$5.34

$3.15 CA$4.40

20.95%

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

$1.94 CA$2.71

$1.81 CA$2.53

7.18%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.58 CA$2.21

$1.65 CA$2.31

-4.24%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$6.37 CA$8.91

$4.20 CA$5.87

51.67%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$7.26 CA$10.16

$5.33 CA$7.46

36.21%

Milk (1 liter)

$2.23 CA$3.11

$1.46 CA$2.04

52.74%

White Bread (500g)

$3.17 CA$4.44

$1.98 CA$2.77

60.10%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$3.31 CA$4.63

$3.20 CA$4.48

3.44%

Eggs

$3.63 CA$5.08

$3.05 CA$4.27

19.02%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$13.16 CA$18.40

$9.60 CA$13.42

37.08%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$11.56 CA$16.17

$10.64 CA$14.89

8.65%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$13.71 CA$19.18

$16.28 CA$22.77

-15.79%

Apples (1kg)

$3.29 CA$4.60

$3.28 CA$4.59

0.30%

Banana (1kg)

$1.46 CA$2.04

$1.35 CA$1.89

8.15%

Oranges (1kg)

$3.37 CA$4.71

$3.44 CA$4.82

-2.03%

Tomato (1kg)

$3.15 CA$4.40

$3.21 CA$4.50

-1.87%

Potato (1kg)

$1.89 CA$2.64

$2.28 CA$3.19

-17.11%

Onion (1kg)

$1.79 CA$2.51

$2.63 CA$3.68

-31.94%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.47 CA$3.46

$2.48 CA$3.46

-0.40%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.58 CA$2.21

$1.28 CA$1.80

23.44%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$11.28 CA$15.78

$15.17 CA$21.22

-25.64%

Wine (Bottle)

$10.49 CA$14.68

$12.22 CA$17.09

-14.16%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.34 CA$3.27

$2.40 CA$3.35

-2.50%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.91 CA$4.07

$2.20 CA$3.07

32.27%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.61 CA$3.65

$1.33 CA$1.86

96.24%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$79.1 CA$111

$68.8 CA$96.2

15.03%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.26 CA$4.56

$2.86 CA$3.99

13.99%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.44 CA$2.01

$1.33 CA$1.86

8.27%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$33.43 CA$46.76

$24.08 CA$33.68

38.83%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.33 CA$1.86

$1.04 CA$1.45

27.88%

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

$28.6K CA$40.0K

$26.8K CA$37.4K

7.00%

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

$21.1K CA$29.5K

$20.6K CA$28.9K

2.19%

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

$80.1 CA$112

$163 CA$228

-50.84%

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

$34.30 CA$47.98

$34.19 CA$47.82

0.32%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$42.85 CA$59.9

$48.55 CA$67.9

-11.74%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$31.14 CA$43.56

$42.73 CA$59.8

-27.12%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$19.41 CA$27.14

$16.36 CA$22.88

18.64%

Cinema Ticket

$11.23 CA$15.71

$10.61 CA$14.84

5.84%

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

$525 CA$734

$1,009 CA$1,411

-47.95%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$16.3K CA$22.8K

$18.4K CA$25.8K

-11.49%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$58.0 CA$81.1

$43.86 CA$61.3

32.24%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$38.11 CA$53.3

$42.65 CA$59.7

-10.64%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$93.4 CA$131

$69.8 CA$97.6

33.86%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$110 CA$154

$85.8 CA$120

28.44%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,285 CA$1,797

$798 CA$1,116

61.06%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$977 CA$1,366

$568 CA$794

72.05%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,271 CA$3,176

$1,387 CA$1,940

63.70%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,665 CA$2,329

$1,191 CA$1,666

39.78%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$5,139 CA$7,188

$2,308 CA$3,229

122.64%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$3,834 CA$5,363

$2,300 CA$3,217

66.69%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$3,002 CA$4,199

$2,504 CA$3,502

19.91%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

4.48

4.45

0.67%

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

Last update for Montreal: October 25, 2026

Last update for Brandon, MB: October 25, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Montreal

$977 47.3%

Brandon, MB

$568 35% 41.9% $409

Groceries & Markets

Montreal

$351 17%

Brandon, MB

$323 19.9% 8.1% $28

Eating Out

Montreal

$291 14.1%

Brandon, MB

$230 14.2% 21.1% $61

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Montreal

$157 7.6%

Brandon, MB

$246 15.1% 56.2% $88

Clothing & Footwear

Montreal

$135 6.5%

Brandon, MB

$109 6.7% 19.2% $26

Getting Around

Montreal

$100 4.9%

Brandon, MB

$84 5.2% 16.4% $16

Sport & Entertainment

Montreal

$54 2.6%

Brandon, MB

$64 3.9% 19.3% $10

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $1,285 in Montreal versus $798 in Brandon, MB. 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 20% higher in Montreal, 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 $65 in Brandon, MB. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $351 vs $323 – making Brandon, MB the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇨🇦 Montreal

🇨🇦 Brandon, MB

🕒 Local time

05:40 5:40 AM

04:40 4:40 AM

1 h behind Montreal

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

1,762,949

46,061

💱 Currency

Canadian Dollar CAD $

📈 Exchange rate

1 CAD = 0.715 USD

1 CAD = 0.641 EUR

1 CAD = 0.715 USD

1 CAD = 0.641 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

On the map

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Between locations

Montreal Brandon, MB 2,020 km ≈ 3 h nonstop flight

From you

Montreal
Brandon, MB

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 Brandon, MB: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Yes – Montreal is pricier by about 27%, and outside of rent the gap shows up most in eating out.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $3,096 per month in Montreal and $2,433 in Brandon, MB. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

Rent is clearly cheaper in Brandon, MB, especially for central apartments: a one-bedroom in the center costs $798 there versus $1,285 in Montreal.

Groceries cost about 9% more in Montreal, though the gap depends on what you buy.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $73 in Montreal and $65 in Brandon, MB. That’s a good indicator of the overall restaurant and café pricing gap between the two cities.

$2,500 covers both cities comfortably – all-in costs are $2,064 in Montreal and $1,622 in Brandon, MB, leaving budget for savings and extras in both cases.

It depends on your priorities. Montreal has an edge in some lifestyle areas, with costs from $1,622 in Brandon, MB to $2,064 in Montreal. Climate, culture, job market, and personal taste all factor in.

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