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: $2,063 in Montreal versus $2,042 in Chatham-Kent.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $3,159 in Montreal versus $3,031 in Chatham-Kent.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $4,255 in Montreal versus $4,021 in Chatham-Kent.

Living in Montreal is roughly 1% more expensive than Chatham-Kent, driven mainly by Groceries & Markets.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Montreal 54% above, Chatham-Kent 52% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$15.92 CA$22.05

$14.50 CA$20.08

9.79%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$73.1 CA$101

$65.7 CA$91.0

11.20%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$11.15 CA$15.43

$9.54 CA$13.20

16.88%

Cappuccino

$3.80 CA$5.26

$3.10 CA$4.29

22.58%

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

$2.18 CA$3.01

$1.57 CA$2.17

38.85%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.46 CA$2.02

$1.60 CA$2.21

-8.75%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$6.12 CA$8.48

$5.63 CA$7.80

8.70%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$6.78 CA$9.38

$6.03 CA$8.35

12.44%

Milk (1 liter)

$2.33 CA$3.22

$2.24 CA$3.10

4.02%

White Bread (500g)

$3.39 CA$4.69

$2.23 CA$3.09

52.02%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$3.73 CA$5.16

$2.69 CA$3.72

38.66%

Eggs

$3.38 CA$4.68

$3.03 CA$4.19

11.55%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$16.25 CA$22.50

$8.32 CA$11.52

95.31%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$11.54 CA$15.98

$11.64 CA$16.11

-0.86%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$15.24 CA$21.10

$11.93 CA$16.51

27.75%

Apples (1kg)

$3.74 CA$5.18

$4.03 CA$5.58

-7.20%

Banana (1kg)

$1.70 CA$2.36

$1.17 CA$1.63

45.30%

Oranges (1kg)

$4.11 CA$5.68

$3.32 CA$4.60

23.80%

Tomato (1kg)

$4.35 CA$6.02

$3.65 CA$5.05

19.18%

Potato (1kg)

$2.71 CA$3.75

$2.36 CA$3.27

14.83%

Onion (1kg)

$2.62 CA$3.62

$2.81 CA$3.89

-6.76%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.25 CA$3.12

$2.03 CA$2.81

10.84%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.73 CA$2.39

$1.58 CA$2.19

9.49%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$13.31 CA$18.43

$11.11 CA$15.39

19.80%

Wine (Bottle)

$10.78 CA$14.93

$10.19 CA$14.10

5.79%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$3.01 CA$4.17

$1.18 CA$1.64

155.08%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.46 CA$4.80

$2.76 CA$3.82

25.36%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.74 CA$3.79

$1.81 CA$2.51

51.38%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$72.7 CA$101

$61.7 CA$85.4

17.84%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.63 CA$5.03

$2.18 CA$3.02

66.51%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.46 CA$2.02

$1.68 CA$2.33

-13.10%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$33.44 CA$46.30

$18.64 CA$25.81

79.40%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.21 CA$1.68

$1.06 CA$1.46

14.15%

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

$24.6K CA$34.1K

$25.0K CA$34.6K

-1.30%

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

$21.7K CA$30.0K

$20.4K CA$28.2K

6.54%

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

$76.0 CA$105

$187 CA$259

-59.38%

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

$35.72 CA$49.46

$37.25 CA$51.6

-4.11%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$42.86 CA$59.4

$55.7 CA$77.1

-22.98%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$42.92 CA$59.4

$14.95 CA$20.71

187.09%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$17.23 CA$23.86

Cinema Ticket

$11.09 CA$15.35

$10.15 CA$14.05

9.26%

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

$620 CA$858

$547 CA$757

13.31%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$5,834 CA$8,078

$10.3K CA$14.2K

-43.20%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$62.7 CA$86.8

$53.0 CA$73.4

18.25%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$44.41 CA$61.5

$26.11 CA$36.16

70.09%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$101 CA$139

$69.3 CA$96.0

45.36%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$119 CA$165

$88.9 CA$123

33.94%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,211 CA$1,677

$1,464 CA$2,028

-17.29%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$960 CA$1,329

$1,029 CA$1,425

-6.77%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,035 CA$2,818

$1,833 CA$2,538

11.06%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,589 CA$2,201

$1,650 CA$2,285

-3.70%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$5,181 CA$7,173

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$3,934 CA$5,446

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$2,960 CA$4,098

$3,169 CA$4,388

-6.61%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

5.01

5.74

-12.72%

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

Last update for Montreal: May 31, 2026

Last update for Chatham-Kent: June 2, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,211 in Montreal and $1,464 in Chatham-Kent. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Chatham-Kent pays 7% more on average while also being the cheaper of the two. The combined effect is a noticeably stronger local purchasing power.

Dining out: $73.0 in Montreal vs $66.0 in Chatham-Kent for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $392 vs $317 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 1% 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, Chatham-Kent earns 7% less. 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: $1,211 in Montreal versus $1,464 in Chatham-Kent. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Dining out is cheaper in Chatham-Kent – a meal for two runs $66.0 versus $73.0 in Montreal. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

All in, you'll spend $2,063 per month in Montreal versus $2,042 in Chatham-Kent – a 1% gap that adds up to real savings over time for anyone picking the cheaper option.

At $2,042 in Chatham-Kent versus $2,063 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 $2,042 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 1% less than in Montreal. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.