Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Montreal and Burns Lake

For one person, living is cheaper in Montreal: $2,064 a month against $2,278 in Burns Lake, rent and utilities included – about $2,600 less a year. Higher rent and utilities in Burns Lake outweigh lower spending on other living expenses.

Montreal, Canada
Burns Lake, Canada
Montreal
🇨🇦 Canada
$2,064
/mo nomad
Burns Lake
🇨🇦 Canada
$2,278
/mo nomad
Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Montreal and in Burns Lake

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

A single person spends $2,064 per month in Montreal vs $2,278 in Burns Lake, rent included.

  • Montreal $2,064
  • Burns Lake $2,278

A couple spends around $3,156 per month in Montreal vs $3,271 in Burns Lake, rent included.

  • Montreal $3,156
  • Burns Lake $3,271

A family of three spends $4,247 per month in Montreal vs $4,265 in Burns Lake, rent included.

  • Montreal $4,247
  • Burns Lake $4,265

Montreal is about 9% cheaper than Burns Lake, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in utilities.

Both Montreal and Burns Lake sit above the global median – Montreal by 52%, Burns Lake by 67%.

Currency
🍽 Eating Out
Montreal
Burns Lake
Difference
Meal at Budget Restaurant
$18.98 CA$26.53
$19.06 CA$26.63
-0.42%
Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range
$73.0 CA$102
$63.1 CA$88.1
15.75%
Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)
$10.88 CA$15.20
$12.14 CA$16.97
-10.38%
Cappuccino
$3.81 CA$5.33
$3.21 CA$4.48
18.69%
Coke/Pepsi/Fanta/Sprite (0.33 liter bottle)
$1.94 CA$2.71
$1.82 CA$2.55
6.59%
Water (0.33 liter bottle)
$1.58 CA$2.21
$1.44 CA$2.01
9.72%
Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)
$6.37 CA$8.90
$4.90 CA$6.85
30.00%
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$7.26 CA$10.15
$5.38 CA$7.52
34.94%
🛒 Groceries & Markets
Montreal
Burns Lake
Difference
Milk (1 liter)
$2.23 CA$3.11
$2.17 CA$3.03
2.76%
White Bread (500g)
$3.17 CA$4.44
$2.57 CA$3.60
23.35%
Rice (white) (1kg)
$3.31 CA$4.62
$3.14 CA$4.38
5.41%
Eggs
$3.63 CA$5.07
$3.19 CA$4.46
13.79%
Local Cheese (1kg)
$13.16 CA$18.39
$9.00 CA$12.58
46.22%
Chicken Fillets (1kg)
$11.56 CA$16.15
$11.80 CA$16.49
-2.03%
Beef Round Steak (1kg)
$13.71 CA$19.16
$15.17 CA$21.20
-9.62%
Apples (1kg)
$3.29 CA$4.60
$3.78 CA$5.29
-12.96%
Banana (1kg)
$1.46 CA$2.04
$1.24 CA$1.73
17.74%
Oranges (1kg)
$3.37 CA$4.71
$3.86 CA$5.39
-12.69%
Tomato (1kg)
$3.15 CA$4.40
$4.36 CA$6.09
-27.75%
Potato (1kg)
$1.89 CA$2.64
$2.39 CA$3.34
-20.92%
Onion (1kg)
$1.79 CA$2.51
$2.14 CA$2.99
-16.36%
Lettuce (1 head)
$2.47 CA$3.45
$2.27 CA$3.17
8.81%
Water (1.5 liter bottle)
$1.58 CA$2.21
$1.78 CA$2.48
-11.24%
Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)
$11.28 CA$15.77
$14.50 CA$20.27
-22.21%
Wine (Bottle)
$10.49 CA$14.66
$14.28 CA$19.95
-26.54%
Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)
$2.34 CA$3.26
$2.98 CA$4.16
-21.48%
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$2.91 CA$4.07
$3.41 CA$4.77
-14.66%
🚌 Getting Around
Montreal
Burns Lake
Difference
One-way Ticket (Public Transport)
$2.61 CA$3.65
$2.11 CA$2.95
23.70%
Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)
$79.1 CA$111
$69.8 CA$97.5
13.42%
Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)
$3.26 CA$4.56
$2.50 CA$3.49
30.40%
Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)
$1.44 CA$2.01
$1.42 CA$1.98
1.41%
Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)
$33.43 CA$46.71
$24.39 CA$34.08
37.06%
Gasoline (1 liter)
$1.33 CA$1.86
$1.09 CA$1.52
22.02%
Midsize Hatchback 1.4l (Volkswagen Golf, Toyota Prius, Honda Civic, etc)
$28.6K CA$40.0K
$28.2K CA$39.4K
1.48%
Compact Sedan 1.6l (Toyota Corolla, Mazda3, Kia K4, Hyundai Elantra, etc)
$21.1K CA$29.5K
$18.6K CA$25.9K
13.71%
🧾 Monthly Utilities & Internet
Montreal
Burns Lake
Difference
Utilities for 2 People in 2-bedroom Apartment (Heating, Electricity, Gas, Water, Garbage) (85m2)
$80.1 CA$112
$140 CA$196
-42.79%
SIM Card Monthly Plan (Calls and 10GB+ Data)
$34.30 CA$47.93
$38.23 CA$53.4
-10.28%
Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)
$42.85 CA$59.9
$55.0 CA$76.8
-22.06%
🎉 Sport & Entertainment
Montreal
Burns Lake
Difference
Gym Membership (Monthly)
$31.14 CA$43.52
$37.67 CA$52.6
-17.33%
Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)
$19.41 CA$27.12
$18.49 CA$25.83
4.98%
Cinema Ticket
$11.23 CA$15.69
$10.82 CA$15.12
3.79%
🧸 Childcare & Education
Montreal
Burns Lake
Difference
Preschool or Kindergarten, Full Day, Private, 1 Child (Monthly)
$525 CA$734
$636 CA$888
-17.42%
International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)
$16.3K CA$22.8K
$15.3K CA$21.4K
6.68%
👕👟 Clothing & Footwear
Montreal
Burns Lake
Difference
Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)
$58.0 CA$81.0
$48.36 CA$67.6
19.93%
Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)
$38.11 CA$53.3
$41.52 CA$58.0
-8.21%
Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)
$93.4 CA$131
$87.3 CA$122
7.02%
Men's Leather Business Shoes
$110 CA$154
$104 CA$146
5.68%
🏠 Accommodation & Living
Montreal
Burns Lake
Difference
1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$1,285 CA$1,796
$1,309 CA$1,829
-1.80%
1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$977 CA$1,365
$1,135 CA$1,586
-13.96%
3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$2,271 CA$3,173
$1,984 CA$2,772
14.48%
3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$1,665 CA$2,326
$1,701 CA$2,376
-2.11%
Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)
$5,139 CA$7,181
$4,598 CA$6,424
11.78%
Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)
$3,834 CA$5,358
$3,249 CA$4,540
18.02%
💵 Salaries & Financials
Montreal
Burns Lake
Difference
Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)
$3,002 CA$4,195
-
-
20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)
4.48
4.68
-4.27%

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

Last update for Montreal: October 25, 2026

Last update for Burns Lake: October 25, 2026

Monthly budget structure
Share of the monthly basket for one person, rent included.
Accommodation & Living
Montreal
$977
Burns Lake
$1.1K 16.2% $158
Groceries & Markets
Montreal
$351
Burns Lake
$360 2.5% $8.8
Eating Out
Montreal
$291
Burns Lake
$276 5.2% $15
Monthly Utilities & Internet
Montreal
$157
Burns Lake
$233 48.3% $76
Clothing & Footwear
Montreal
$135
Burns Lake
$127 6.1% $8.2
Getting Around
Montreal
$100
Burns Lake
$88 12.2% $12
Sport & Entertainment
Montreal
$54
Burns Lake
$59 10.7% $5.7

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $1,285 in Montreal versus $1,309 in Burns Lake. Rent is usually the largest line item in a monthly budget, so the gap here sets the tone for the overall comparison.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $73 in Montreal versus $63 in Burns Lake. Groceries tell a different story – $351 in Montreal vs $360 in Burns Lake – so Montreal wins on supermarket bills even if dining out costs more.

Good to know
🇨🇦 Montreal
🇨🇦 Burns Lake
🕒 Local time
23:39 11:39 PM
21:39 9:39 PM
2 h behind Montreal
🌤 Weather
👥 Population
1,762,949
1,779
💱 Currency
Exchange rates and currency converter

USD, EUR to CAD – Canadian Dollar Converter

Canadian Dollar exchange rates as of November 2, 2026: 1 USD = 1.4 CAD (1 CAD = 0.716 USD). 1 EUR = 1.56 CAD (1 CAD = 0.641 EUR).

On the map
Between locations
  • Montreal Burns Lake 3,770 km ≈ 5 h nonstop flight
From you
  • Montreal
  • Burns Lake

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 Burns Lake: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions
Which city is more expensive, Montreal or Burns Lake?
Burns Lake costs about 10% more than Montreal, and outside of rent the gap comes mainly from utilities. That’s enough to noticeably affect everyday spending and lifestyle for anyone choosing between the two.
How much do you need to earn to live comfortably in Montreal and in Burns Lake?
For a comfortable life, plan on about $3,096 per month in Montreal and $3,416 in Burns Lake. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.
How much does a 1-bedroom apartment cost in Montreal compared to Burns Lake?
A central 1-bedroom goes for about $1,285 in Montreal and $1,309 in Burns Lake. The gap holds across neighborhoods – outer areas show a similar spread, just at lower price points.
How much does it cost to live in Montreal compared to Burns Lake?
Monthly expenses with rent come to $2,064 in Montreal and $2,278 in Burns Lake. That makes Montreal about 9% cheaper.
How do childcare costs compare in Montreal and in Burns Lake?
Kindergarten costs $525 per month in Montreal and $636 in Burns Lake. For families with young kids, this one expense can tip the scales when choosing between the two cities.
Can you live on $2,000/month in Montreal or in Burns Lake?
$2,000 is a stretch for both – monthly costs hit $2,064 in Montreal and $2,278 in Burns Lake. You’ll need shared housing and careful budgeting no matter which city you pick.
Which city offers a better quality of life: Montreal or Burns Lake?
It depends on your priorities. Montreal has an edge in some lifestyle areas, with costs from $2,064 in Montreal to $2,278 in Burns Lake. Climate, culture, job market, and personal taste all factor in.

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