Cost of Living Comparison Between Montreal and Chatham-Kent Cost of Living Comparison Between Montreal and Chatham-Kent

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $2,108 in Montreal versus $1,989 in Chatham-Kent.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $3,226 in Montreal versus $2,837 in Chatham-Kent.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $4,344 in Montreal versus $3,685 in Chatham-Kent.

Living in Montreal is roughly 6% more expensive than in Chatham-Kent, driven mainly by Getting Around.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Montreal 53% above, Chatham-Kent 44% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$17.83 CA$24.73

$17.96 CA$24.90

-0.72%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$73.6 CA$102

$57.0 CA$79.1

29.02%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$10.81 CA$15.00

$10.16 CA$14.09

6.40%

Cappuccino

$3.92 CA$5.44

$2.96 CA$4.10

32.43%

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

$2.04 CA$2.84

$1.60 CA$2.23

27.50%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.52 CA$2.11

$1.34 CA$1.86

13.43%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$6.59 CA$9.14

$5.16 CA$7.15

27.71%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$7.14 CA$9.90

$5.83 CA$8.08

22.47%

Milk (1 liter)

$2.37 CA$3.28

$1.11 CA$1.54

113.51%

White Bread (500g)

$3.23 CA$4.48

$1.59 CA$2.21

103.14%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.95 CA$4.10

$2.52 CA$3.50

17.06%

Eggs

$3.69 CA$5.12

$2.87 CA$3.99

28.57%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$13.65 CA$18.93

$11.32 CA$15.70

20.58%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$11.94 CA$16.56

$15.56 CA$21.58

-23.26%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$14.07 CA$19.52

$16.42 CA$22.77

-14.31%

Apples (1kg)

$3.61 CA$5.01

$3.68 CA$5.10

-1.90%

Banana (1kg)

$1.55 CA$2.15

$1.18 CA$1.63

31.36%

Oranges (1kg)

$3.29 CA$4.56

$3.62 CA$5.02

-9.12%

Tomato (1kg)

$3.07 CA$4.26

$3.61 CA$5.01

-14.96%

Potato (1kg)

$2.00 CA$2.78

$1.35 CA$1.87

48.15%

Onion (1kg)

$1.90 CA$2.64

$1.86 CA$2.58

2.15%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.64 CA$3.66

$1.71 CA$2.37

54.39%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.39 CA$1.93

$1.28 CA$1.78

8.59%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$11.80 CA$16.36

$12.84 CA$17.81

-8.10%

Wine (Bottle)

$10.80 CA$14.98

$10.12 CA$14.03

6.72%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.37 CA$3.29

$1.18 CA$1.63

100.85%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.90 CA$4.02

$1.17 CA$1.62

147.86%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.74 CA$3.79

$1.77 CA$2.46

54.80%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$77.1 CA$107

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.31 CA$4.59

$2.51 CA$3.48

31.87%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.46 CA$2.02

$1.76 CA$2.44

-17.05%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$32.98 CA$45.74

$29.32 CA$40.67

12.48%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.31 CA$1.82

$1.10 CA$1.52

19.09%

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

$28.7K CA$39.8K

$28.4K CA$39.4K

1.04%

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

$20.4K CA$28.4K

$19.2K CA$26.6K

6.52%

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

$79.9 CA$111

$144 CA$200

-44.68%

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

$34.79 CA$48.25

$29.80 CA$41.32

16.74%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$42.55 CA$59.0

$46.12 CA$64.0

-7.74%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$29.20 CA$40.50

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$20.33 CA$28.20

Cinema Ticket

$11.48 CA$15.93

$11.48 CA$15.92

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

$565 CA$784

$555 CA$769

1.92%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$16.6K CA$23.0K

$16.3K CA$22.6K

1.93%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$60.2 CA$83.5

$57.0 CA$79.1

5.60%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$41.87 CA$58.1

$30.74 CA$42.63

36.21%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$104 CA$144

$82.8 CA$115

25.54%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$113 CA$156

$74.7 CA$104

50.61%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,294 CA$1,795

$1,397 CA$1,938

-7.36%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,014 CA$1,407

$999 CA$1,386

1.49%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,271 CA$3,149

$1,796 CA$2,491

26.43%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,683 CA$2,334

$1,602 CA$2,221

5.09%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$5,156 CA$7,151

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$3,842 CA$5,328

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$3,032 CA$4,205

$3,194 CA$4,430

-5.06%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

4.44

5.05

-12.08%

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

Last update for Montreal: September 6, 2026

Last update for Chatham-Kent: September 8, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,294 in Montreal and $1,397 in Chatham-Kent. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Chatham-Kent pays 5% more on average while also being the cheaper of the two. The combined effect is a noticeably stronger local purchasing power.

Dining out: $74.0 in Montreal vs $57.0 in Chatham-Kent for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $358 vs $326 per month, with Chatham-Kent cheaper across the board.

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 Chatham-Kent: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Chatham-Kent wins on cost – living expenses run 6% lower than in Montreal. Housing and daily spending are where you'll feel the difference most, making Chatham-Kent the obvious pick if budget is a priority.

On paper, salaries run 5% lower in Chatham-Kent. 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: $1,294 in Montreal versus $1,397 in Chatham-Kent. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Supermarket bills run roughly 10% higher in Montreal. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

All in, you'll spend $2,108 per month in Montreal versus $1,989 in Chatham-Kent – a 6% gap that adds up to real savings over time for anyone picking the cheaper option.

At $1,989 in Chatham-Kent versus $2,108 in Montreal, a $2,000 budget is realistic in Chatham-Kent but tight or insufficient in Montreal. The gap between the two cities makes Chatham-Kent the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

Both work as nomad bases, but Chatham-Kent delivers better value – similar infrastructure at $1,989 monthly. If stretching your runway or maximizing savings is the goal, the price difference makes Chatham-Kent hard to pass up.

Safety-wise, Montreal and Chatham-Kent 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 Chatham-Kent gentler on the wallet – expenses run 6% less than in Montreal. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.