Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Montreal and Charlottetown

For one person, living is cheaper in Charlottetown: $1,906 a month against $2,064 in Montreal, rent and utilities included – about $1,900 less a year. Higher rent and utilities in Montreal outweigh lower spending on other living expenses.

Montreal, Canada
Charlottetown, Canada
Montreal
🇨🇦 Canada
$2,064
/mo nomad
Charlottetown
🇨🇦 Canada
$1,906
/mo nomad
Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Montreal and in Charlottetown

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

A single person spends $2,064 per month in Montreal vs $1,906 in Charlottetown, rent included.

  • Montreal $2,064
  • Charlottetown $1,906

A couple spends around $3,156 per month in Montreal vs $2,844 in Charlottetown, rent included.

  • Montreal $3,156
  • Charlottetown $2,844

A family of three spends $4,247 per month in Montreal vs $3,782 in Charlottetown, rent included.

  • Montreal $4,247
  • Charlottetown $3,782

Montreal costs about 8% more than Charlottetown, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in transport.

Both Montreal and Charlottetown sit above the global median – Montreal by 52%, Charlottetown by 40%.

Currency
🍽 Eating Out
Montreal
Charlottetown
Difference
Meal at Budget Restaurant
$18.98 CA$26.53
$14.36 CA$20.08
32.17%
Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range
$73.0 CA$102
$60.9 CA$85.2
19.76%
Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)
$10.88 CA$15.21
$9.53 CA$13.32
14.17%
Cappuccino
$3.81 CA$5.33
$3.63 CA$5.07
4.96%
Coke/Pepsi/Fanta/Sprite (0.33 liter bottle)
$1.94 CA$2.71
$1.69 CA$2.36
14.79%
Water (0.33 liter bottle)
$1.58 CA$2.21
$1.29 CA$1.80
22.48%
Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)
$6.37 CA$8.90
$5.80 CA$8.11
9.83%
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$7.26 CA$10.15
$5.74 CA$8.03
26.48%
🛒 Groceries & Markets
Montreal
Charlottetown
Difference
Milk (1 liter)
$2.23 CA$3.11
$2.24 CA$3.13
-0.45%
White Bread (500g)
$3.17 CA$4.44
$3.09 CA$4.32
2.59%
Rice (white) (1kg)
$3.31 CA$4.62
$5.08 CA$7.11
-34.84%
Eggs
$3.63 CA$5.07
$4.13 CA$5.78
-12.11%
Local Cheese (1kg)
$13.16 CA$18.39
$11.55 CA$16.14
13.94%
Chicken Fillets (1kg)
$11.56 CA$16.16
$15.48 CA$21.63
-25.32%
Beef Round Steak (1kg)
$13.71 CA$19.17
$17.53 CA$24.50
-21.79%
Apples (1kg)
$3.29 CA$4.60
$3.42 CA$4.78
-3.80%
Banana (1kg)
$1.46 CA$2.04
$1.46 CA$2.04
-
Oranges (1kg)
$3.37 CA$4.71
$4.04 CA$5.65
-16.58%
Tomato (1kg)
$3.15 CA$4.40
$5.01 CA$7.00
-37.13%
Potato (1kg)
$1.89 CA$2.64
$1.69 CA$2.36
11.83%
Onion (1kg)
$1.79 CA$2.51
$3.05 CA$4.27
-41.31%
Lettuce (1 head)
$2.47 CA$3.45
$2.73 CA$3.82
-9.52%
Water (1.5 liter bottle)
$1.58 CA$2.21
$2.05 CA$2.87
-22.93%
Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)
$11.28 CA$15.77
$17.79 CA$24.86
-36.59%
Wine (Bottle)
$10.49 CA$14.67
$14.03 CA$19.61
-25.23%
Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)
$2.34 CA$3.26
$3.31 CA$4.62
-29.31%
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$2.91 CA$4.07
$3.17 CA$4.43
-8.20%
🚌 Getting Around
Montreal
Charlottetown
Difference
One-way Ticket (Public Transport)
$2.61 CA$3.65
$1.40 CA$1.96
86.43%
Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)
$79.1 CA$111
$14.31 CA$20.00
452.97%
Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)
$3.26 CA$4.56
$7.53 CA$10.52
-56.71%
Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)
$1.44 CA$2.01
$2.08 CA$2.91
-30.77%
Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)
$33.43 CA$46.73
$28.10 CA$39.28
18.97%
Gasoline (1 liter)
$1.33 CA$1.86
$1.34 CA$1.87
-0.75%
Midsize Hatchback 1.4l (Volkswagen Golf, Toyota Prius, Honda Civic, etc)
$28.6K CA$40.0K
$27.8K CA$38.9K
2.84%
Compact Sedan 1.6l (Toyota Corolla, Mazda3, Kia K4, Hyundai Elantra, etc)
$21.1K CA$29.5K
$21.5K CA$30.1K
-2.08%
🧾 Monthly Utilities & Internet
Montreal
Charlottetown
Difference
Utilities for 2 People in 2-bedroom Apartment (Heating, Electricity, Gas, Water, Garbage) (85m2)
$80.1 CA$112
$129 CA$181
-38.05%
SIM Card Monthly Plan (Calls and 10GB+ Data)
$34.30 CA$47.94
$33.37 CA$46.64
2.79%
Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)
$42.85 CA$59.9
$76.1 CA$106
-43.69%
🎉 Sport & Entertainment
Montreal
Charlottetown
Difference
Gym Membership (Monthly)
$31.14 CA$43.53
$58.5 CA$81.7
-46.72%
Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)
$19.41 CA$27.12
$3.47 CA$4.85
459.37%
Cinema Ticket
$11.23 CA$15.69
$10.50 CA$14.67
6.95%
🧸 Childcare & Education
Montreal
Charlottetown
Difference
Preschool or Kindergarten, Full Day, Private, 1 Child (Monthly)
$525 CA$734
$161 CA$225
226.05%
International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)
$16.3K CA$22.8K
-
-
👕👟 Clothing & Footwear
Montreal
Charlottetown
Difference
Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)
$58.0 CA$81.1
$40.13 CA$56.1
44.53%
Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)
$38.11 CA$53.3
$34.41 CA$48.09
10.75%
Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)
$93.4 CA$131
$83.9 CA$117
11.32%
Men's Leather Business Shoes
$110 CA$154
$131 CA$183
-15.99%
🏠 Accommodation & Living
Montreal
Charlottetown
Difference
1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$1,285 CA$1,796
$967 CA$1,351
32.90%
1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$977 CA$1,365
$760 CA$1,063
28.46%
3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$2,271 CA$3,174
$1,660 CA$2,320
36.83%
3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$1,665 CA$2,327
$1,237 CA$1,730
34.54%
Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)
$5,139 CA$7,183
$2,914 CA$4,073
76.37%
Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)
$3,834 CA$5,359
$1,966 CA$2,748
95.04%
💵 Salaries & Financials
Montreal
Charlottetown
Difference
Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)
$3,002 CA$4,196
$2,435 CA$3,404
23.28%
20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)
4.48
4.58
-2.18%

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

Last update for Montreal: October 25, 2026

Last update for Charlottetown: October 26, 2026

Monthly budget structure
Share of the monthly basket for one person, rent included.
Accommodation & Living
Montreal
$977
Charlottetown
$760 22.2% $216
Groceries & Markets
Montreal
$351
Charlottetown
$419 19.5% $68
Eating Out
Montreal
$291
Charlottetown
$239 17.6% $51
Monthly Utilities & Internet
Montreal
$157
Charlottetown
$239 51.8% $81
Clothing & Footwear
Montreal
$135
Charlottetown
$130 3.4% $4.5
Getting Around
Montreal
$100
Charlottetown
$38 62.2% $62
Sport & Entertainment
Montreal
$54
Charlottetown
$79 48.2% $26

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $1,285 in Montreal versus $967 in Charlottetown. 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 23% higher in Montreal. Purchasing power depends on which expenses matter most to you.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $73 in Montreal versus $61 in Charlottetown. Groceries tell a different story – $351 in Montreal vs $419 in Charlottetown – so Montreal wins on supermarket bills even if dining out costs more.

Good to know
🇨🇦 Montreal
🇨🇦 Charlottetown
🕒 Local time
08:11 8:11 AM
09:11 9:11 AM
1 h ahead of Montreal
🌤 Weather
👥 Population
1,762,949
38,809
💱 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 = 0.715 USD). 1 EUR = 1.56 CAD (1 CAD = 0.641 EUR).

On the map
Between locations
  • Montreal Charlottetown 810 km ≈ 1 h 30 min nonstop flight
From you
  • Montreal
  • Charlottetown

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 Charlottetown: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions
Which city is more expensive, Montreal or Charlottetown?
Montreal costs about 8% more than Charlottetown, and outside of rent the gap comes mainly from transport. 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 Charlottetown?
For a comfortable life, plan on about $3,096 per month in Montreal and $2,858 in Charlottetown. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.
Where is rent cheaper, Montreal or Charlottetown?
Rent is clearly cheaper in Charlottetown, especially for central apartments: a one-bedroom in the center costs $967 there versus $1,285 in Montreal.
How much does it cost to live in Montreal compared to Charlottetown?
Monthly expenses with rent come to $2,064 in Montreal and $1,906 in Charlottetown. That makes Charlottetown about 8% cheaper.
How expensive is transport in Montreal compared to Charlottetown?
Public transport costs about 82% less in Charlottetown. For daily commuters, that gap adds up to noticeable savings over a year.
Which city is better for families?
Families tend to lean toward Charlottetown – lower housing and cheaper childcare make a real difference, especially on a single income or when paying for private education.
Should I move to Montreal or to Charlottetown?
If budget matters most, go with Charlottetown. If higher salaries or specific career opportunities are the priority, Montreal makes more sense. Both are solid long-term options with distinct trade-offs.

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