Cost of Living Comparison Between Montreal and Burnaby Cost of Living Comparison Between Montreal and Burnaby

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $2,085 in Montreal versus $2,777 in Burnaby.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $3,174 in Montreal versus $4,049 in Burnaby.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $4,262 in Montreal versus $5,321 in Burnaby.

Living in Montreal costs roughly 25% less than in Burnaby, driven mainly by Eating Out.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Montreal 56% above, Burnaby 108% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$16.52 CA$23.24

$14.84 CA$20.88

11.32%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$74.0 CA$104

$74.8 CA$105

-1.12%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$10.94 CA$15.40

$9.25 CA$13.02

18.27%

Cappuccino

$3.84 CA$5.41

$4.24 CA$5.97

-9.43%

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

$2.14 CA$3.01

$1.80 CA$2.53

18.89%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.45 CA$2.04

$1.34 CA$1.89

8.21%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$6.13 CA$8.63

$5.95 CA$8.37

3.03%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$6.73 CA$9.47

$5.67 CA$7.98

18.69%

Milk (1 liter)

$2.35 CA$3.31

$2.50 CA$3.52

-6.00%

White Bread (500g)

$3.34 CA$4.69

$2.75 CA$3.87

21.45%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$3.74 CA$5.27

$4.66 CA$6.55

-19.74%

Eggs

$3.39 CA$4.77

$3.27 CA$4.60

3.67%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$16.30 CA$22.93

$12.46 CA$17.54

30.82%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$11.81 CA$16.62

$11.71 CA$16.47

0.85%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$15.64 CA$22.01

$21.40 CA$30.12

-26.92%

Apples (1kg)

$3.69 CA$5.20

$3.36 CA$4.72

9.82%

Banana (1kg)

$1.70 CA$2.39

$1.33 CA$1.88

27.82%

Oranges (1kg)

$4.11 CA$5.79

$3.03 CA$4.27

35.64%

Tomato (1kg)

$4.41 CA$6.20

$3.85 CA$5.42

14.55%

Potato (1kg)

$2.79 CA$3.93

$2.91 CA$4.10

-4.12%

Onion (1kg)

$2.64 CA$3.72

$3.07 CA$4.32

-14.01%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.29 CA$3.22

$2.47 CA$3.48

-7.29%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.78 CA$2.51

$1.91 CA$2.68

-6.81%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$13.17 CA$18.53

$14.81 CA$20.84

-11.07%

Wine (Bottle)

$10.64 CA$14.97

$12.95 CA$18.22

-17.84%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.99 CA$4.20

$2.49 CA$3.50

20.08%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.44 CA$4.83

$2.55 CA$3.58

34.90%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.81 CA$3.95

$2.27 CA$3.19

23.79%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$72.8 CA$102

$77.6 CA$109

-6.11%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.52 CA$4.95

$2.73 CA$3.85

28.94%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.45 CA$2.05

$1.35 CA$1.90

7.41%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$34.29 CA$48.26

$26.16 CA$36.82

31.08%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.22 CA$1.72

$1.37 CA$1.93

-10.95%

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

$25.3K CA$35.5K

$25.4K CA$35.7K

-0.41%

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

$22.1K CA$31.1K

$20.1K CA$28.3K

9.89%

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

$76.5 CA$108

$136 CA$192

-43.83%

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

$35.60 CA$50.1

$41.79 CA$58.8

-14.81%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$42.96 CA$60.5

$54.8 CA$77.1

-21.59%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$43.39 CA$61.1

$31.21 CA$43.91

39.03%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$16.83 CA$23.68

$5.36 CA$7.54

213.99%

Cinema Ticket

$11.09 CA$15.60

$16.13 CA$22.70

-31.25%

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

$625 CA$879

$534 CA$752

16.94%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$5,896 CA$8,296

$8,169 CA$11.5K

-27.83%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$63.1 CA$88.8

$54.8 CA$77.1

15.10%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$44.50 CA$62.6

$53.8 CA$75.7

-17.32%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$103 CA$145

$94.3 CA$133

9.07%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$118 CA$166

$94.6 CA$133

25.03%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,207 CA$1,699

$1,884 CA$2,651

-35.94%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$965 CA$1,358

$1,650 CA$2,321

-41.49%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,031 CA$2,858

$4,117 CA$5,793

-50.66%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,577 CA$2,219

$2,678 CA$3,768

-41.11%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$5,085 CA$7,155

$6,680 CA$9,400

-23.88%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$3,783 CA$5,324

$5,538 CA$7,792

-31.68%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$2,890 CA$4,066

$3,116 CA$4,385

-7.27%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

5.01

6.54

-23.39%

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

Last update for Montreal: July 11, 2026

Last update for Burnaby: July 12, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,207 in Montreal and $1,884 in Burnaby. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Burnaby pays 8% 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: $74.0 in Montreal vs $75.0 in Burnaby. Groceries flip the comparison at $395 vs $392, with Burnaby cheaper for home cooking.

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 Burnaby: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Montreal and Burnaby differ by about 33% in total monthly costs ($2,085 vs $2,777 including rent). Montreal is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

On paper, salaries run 8% lower in Burnaby. 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: $1,207 in Montreal versus $1,884 in Burnaby. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $625 in Montreal versus $534 in Burnaby. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Shoppers in Burnaby pay roughly 1% less for everyday groceries. It's an unusual reversal that partly offsets higher costs elsewhere.

At $2,085 in Montreal versus $2,777 in Burnaby, a $2,000 budget is realistic in Montreal but tight or insufficient in Burnaby. The gap between the two cities makes Montreal the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

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.

Safety-wise, Montreal and Burnaby 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 33% less than in Burnaby. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.