Cost of Living Comparison Between Montreal and Chilliwack Cost of Living Comparison Between Montreal and Chilliwack

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $2,063 in Montreal versus $2,163 in Chilliwack.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $3,159 in Montreal versus $3,224 in Chilliwack.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $4,255 in Montreal versus $4,285 in Chilliwack.

Living in Montreal costs roughly 5% less than in Chilliwack, driven mainly by Getting Around.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Montreal 54% above, Chilliwack 61% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$15.92 CA$22.05

$14.80 CA$20.49

7.57%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$73.1 CA$101

$74.5 CA$103

-1.99%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$11.15 CA$15.43

$9.82 CA$13.59

13.54%

Cappuccino

$3.80 CA$5.26

$3.99 CA$5.52

-4.76%

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

$2.18 CA$3.01

$2.19 CA$3.03

-0.46%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.46 CA$2.02

$1.76 CA$2.44

-17.05%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$6.12 CA$8.48

$5.87 CA$8.13

4.26%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$6.78 CA$9.38

$4.34 CA$6.00

56.22%

Milk (1 liter)

$2.33 CA$3.22

$2.10 CA$2.91

10.95%

White Bread (500g)

$3.39 CA$4.69

$2.81 CA$3.88

20.64%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$3.73 CA$5.16

$2.55 CA$3.53

46.27%

Eggs

$3.38 CA$4.68

$3.80 CA$5.26

-11.05%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$16.25 CA$22.50

$12.81 CA$17.74

26.85%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$11.54 CA$15.98

$11.81 CA$16.35

-2.29%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$15.24 CA$21.10

$13.24 CA$18.34

15.11%

Apples (1kg)

$3.74 CA$5.18

$4.26 CA$5.89

-12.21%

Banana (1kg)

$1.70 CA$2.36

$1.33 CA$1.84

27.82%

Oranges (1kg)

$4.11 CA$5.68

$4.04 CA$5.59

1.73%

Tomato (1kg)

$4.35 CA$6.02

$5.11 CA$7.08

-14.87%

Potato (1kg)

$2.71 CA$3.75

$4.29 CA$5.94

-36.83%

Onion (1kg)

$2.62 CA$3.62

$3.06 CA$4.24

-14.38%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.25 CA$3.12

$2.74 CA$3.79

-17.88%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.73 CA$2.39

$1.83 CA$2.54

-5.46%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$13.31 CA$18.43

$15.62 CA$21.63

-14.79%

Wine (Bottle)

$10.78 CA$14.93

$13.10 CA$18.14

-17.71%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$3.01 CA$4.17

$3.13 CA$4.34

-3.83%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.46 CA$4.80

$3.79 CA$5.24

-8.71%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.74 CA$3.79

$1.98 CA$2.74

38.38%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$72.7 CA$101

$35.10 CA$48.60

107.04%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.63 CA$5.03

$2.99 CA$4.14

21.40%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.46 CA$2.02

$2.26 CA$3.13

-35.40%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$33.44 CA$46.30

$26.15 CA$36.21

27.88%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.21 CA$1.68

$1.29 CA$1.79

-6.20%

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

$24.6K CA$34.1K

$25.0K CA$34.6K

-1.48%

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

$21.7K CA$30.0K

$20.1K CA$27.8K

7.87%

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

$76.0 CA$105

$119 CA$165

-36.13%

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

$35.72 CA$49.46

$45.90 CA$63.6

-22.18%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$42.86 CA$59.4

$61.6 CA$85.3

-30.42%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$42.92 CA$59.4

$39.33 CA$54.5

9.13%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$17.23 CA$23.86

$18.30 CA$25.34

-5.85%

Cinema Ticket

$11.09 CA$15.35

$12.00 CA$16.62

-7.58%

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

$620 CA$858

$547 CA$758

13.23%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$5,834 CA$8,078

$17.8K CA$24.6K

-67.18%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$62.7 CA$86.8

$60.6 CA$84.0

3.33%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$44.41 CA$61.5

$36.38 CA$50.4

22.07%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$101 CA$139

$96.5 CA$134

4.41%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$119 CA$165

$116 CA$161

2.60%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,211 CA$1,677

$1,165 CA$1,613

3.94%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$960 CA$1,329

$1,092 CA$1,512

-12.11%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,035 CA$2,818

$1,914 CA$2,651

6.33%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,589 CA$2,201

$1,718 CA$2,378

-7.48%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$5,181 CA$7,173

$3,354 CA$4,644

54.45%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$3,934 CA$5,446

$3,279 CA$4,540

19.98%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$2,960 CA$4,098

$3,222 CA$4,461

-8.14%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

5.01

5.65

-11.33%

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

Last update for Montreal: May 31, 2026

Last update for Chilliwack: June 1, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,211 in Montreal and $1,165 in Chilliwack. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Chilliwack pays 9% more on average. The extra income cushions the higher costs, though housing choices and lifestyle decide how much of the gap is truly closed.

Dining out: $73.0 in Montreal vs $75.0 in Chilliwack. Groceries flip the comparison at $392 vs $384, with Chilliwack cheaper for home cooking.

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 Chilliwack: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Montreal wins on cost – living expenses run 5% lower than in Chilliwack. Housing and daily spending are where you'll feel the difference most, making Montreal the obvious pick if budget is a priority.

On paper, Chilliwack earns 9% 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 $1,165 in Chilliwack. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $620 in Montreal versus $547 in Chilliwack. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Shoppers in Chilliwack pay roughly 2% less for everyday groceries. It's an unusual reversal that partly offsets higher costs elsewhere.

At $2,063 in Montreal versus $2,163 in Chilliwack, a $2,000 budget is realistic in Montreal but tight or insufficient in Chilliwack. The gap between the two cities makes Montreal the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

Both work as nomad bases, but Montreal delivers better value – similar infrastructure at $2,063 monthly. If stretching your runway or maximizing savings is the goal, the price difference makes Montreal hard to pass up.

Safety-wise, Montreal and Chilliwack 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 Montreal gentler on the wallet – expenses run 5% less than in Chilliwack. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.