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

Monthly Cost of Living

A single person spends $2,056 per month in Montreal vs $3,016 in Chatham, rent included.

A couple spends around $3,112 per month in Montreal vs $4,125 in Chatham, rent included.

A family of three spends $4,167 per month in Montreal vs $5,235 in Chatham, rent included.

Montreal is about 32% cheaper than Chatham, driven mainly by Sport & Entertainment.

Both Montreal and Chatham sit above the global median – Montreal by 50%, Chatham by 119%.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$17.85 CA$24.70

$23.51 £17.40

-24.07%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$72.3 CA$100

$94.4 £69.9

-23.43%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$10.92 CA$15.11

$10.07 £7.45

8.44%

Cappuccino

$3.97 CA$5.49

$3.62 £2.68

9.67%

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

$2.07 CA$2.87

$3.10 £2.29

-33.23%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.55 CA$2.14

$1.73 £1.28

-10.40%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$6.41 CA$8.88

$6.29 £4.65

1.91%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$7.29 CA$10.09

$6.84 £5.06

6.58%

Milk (1 liter)

$2.39 CA$3.30

$1.95 £1.44

22.56%

White Bread (500g)

$3.21 CA$4.44

$2.07 £1.53

55.07%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$3.07 CA$4.25

$2.21 £1.64

38.91%

Eggs

$3.68 CA$5.09

$4.13 £3.06

-10.90%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$13.57 CA$18.78

$10.82 £8.00

25.42%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$11.63 CA$16.09

$9.27 £6.86

25.46%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$13.97 CA$19.33

$15.55 £11.50

-10.16%

Apples (1kg)

$3.68 CA$5.10

$3.05 £2.26

20.66%

Banana (1kg)

$1.56 CA$2.16

$2.02 £1.49

-22.77%

Oranges (1kg)

$3.41 CA$4.72

$2.77 £2.05

23.10%

Tomato (1kg)

$3.03 CA$4.19

$3.86 £2.86

-21.50%

Potato (1kg)

$1.98 CA$2.74

$2.04 £1.51

-2.94%

Onion (1kg)

$1.82 CA$2.52

$1.85 £1.37

-1.62%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.56 CA$3.54

$1.17 £0.87

118.80%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.39 CA$1.92

$1.76 £1.30

-21.02%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$11.49 CA$15.90

$22.35 £16.53

-48.59%

Wine (Bottle)

$10.92 CA$15.11

$11.41 £8.44

-4.29%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.26 CA$3.13

$3.11 £2.30

-27.33%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.01 CA$4.16

$2.40 £1.78

25.42%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.69 CA$3.72

$4.01 £2.97

-32.92%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$75.3 CA$104

$68.0 £50.3

10.81%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.35 CA$4.63

$5.01 £3.71

-33.13%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.50 CA$2.08

$2.79 £2.06

-46.24%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$33.70 CA$46.63

$20.10 £14.87

67.66%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.29 CA$1.79

$1.94 £1.43

-33.51%

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

$28.3K CA$39.1K

$38.5K £28.5K

-26.60%

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

$20.0K CA$27.6K

$37.3K £27.6K

-46.50%

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

$80.4 CA$111

$286 £211

-71.87%

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

$34.23 CA$47.37

$16.92 £12.52

102.30%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$41.39 CA$57.3

$27.58 £20.41

50.07%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$29.24 CA$40.46

$121 £89.3

-75.78%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$19.89 CA$27.52

$9.53 £7.05

108.71%

Cinema Ticket

$11.71 CA$16.20

$18.09 £13.38

-35.27%

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

$564 CA$781

$2,131 £1,577

-73.52%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$16.8K CA$23.3K

$31.2K £23.1K

-46.04%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$59.5 CA$82.3

$93.4 £69.1

-36.25%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$42.13 CA$58.3

$45.64 £33.76

-7.69%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$107 CA$148

$105 £78.0

1.65%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$111 CA$153

$91.4 £67.6

21.28%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,284 CA$1,776

$2,040 £1,509

-37.07%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$990 CA$1,370

$1,631 £1,207

-39.29%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,260 CA$3,127

$2,511 £1,857

-9.99%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,667 CA$2,307

$2,174 £1,608

-23.31%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$5,287 CA$7,316

$8,018 £5,931

-34.05%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$3,813 CA$5,276

$7,586 £5,612

-49.74%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$3,019 CA$4,177

$3,017 £2,232

0.07%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

4.41

5.12

-13.87%

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

Last update for Montreal: August 31, 2026

Last update for Chatham: August 29, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $1,284 in Montreal versus $2,040 in Chatham. 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 0% higher in Montreal, which reinforces the cost advantage – you earn more and spend less. Purchasing power leans clearly in its favor.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $72.0 in Montreal versus $94.0 in Chatham. Groceries tell a different story – $356 in Montreal vs $327 in Chatham – so Chatham wins on supermarket bills even if dining out costs more.

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: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Chatham costs about 47% more than Montreal, with the gap driven mainly by Sport & Entertainment. That's enough to noticeably affect everyday spending and lifestyle for anyone choosing between the two.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $3,084 per month in Montreal and $4,524 in Chatham. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

Rent is clearly cheaper in Montreal, especially for central apartments. Housing is actually the single biggest factor behind the overall cost gap between these two cities.

Monthly expenses with rent come to $2,056 in Montreal and $3,016 in Chatham. The difference isn't just one category – it shows up across housing, food, transport, and services.

Public transport costs about 11% less in Montreal. For daily commuters, that gap adds up to noticeable savings over a year.

A $2,000 monthly budget goes further in Montreal, where all-in costs run around $2,056, than in Chatham at $3,016. In Montreal it covers expenses comfortably, while in Chatham it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.

For digital nomads, it depends on budget. Montreal costs $2,056 versus $3,016 in Chatham. Both have workable remote work infrastructure, but the cost gap matters when income varies month to month.

Both have safer and rougher neighborhoods, but overall safety is comparable to other large cities. Neighborhood choice matters more than the city-level comparison – central, well-trafficked areas feel secure in both.

If budget matters most, go with Montreal. If higher salaries, better infrastructure, or specific career opportunities are the priority, Chatham makes more sense. Both are solid long-term options with distinct trade-offs.