Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Montreal and Coquitlam

For one person, living is cheaper in Montreal: $2,064 a month against $2,586 in Coquitlam, rent and utilities included – about $6,300 less a year. Higher rent and utilities in Coquitlam outweigh lower spending on other living expenses.

99

Cost of Living Index in Montreal
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Montreal Living Index
124

Cost of Living Index in Coquitlam
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Coquitlam Living Index

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Montreal

🇨🇦 Canada

$2,064

/mo nomad

Coquitlam

🇨🇦 Canada

$2,586

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Montreal and in Coquitlam

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $2,064 in Montreal versus $2,586 in Coquitlam.

Montreal $2,064
Coquitlam $2,586

Estimated couple costs with rent: $3,156 in Montreal versus $3,784 in Coquitlam.

Montreal $3,156
Coquitlam $3,784

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $4,247 in Montreal versus $4,983 in Coquitlam.

Montreal $4,247
Coquitlam $4,983

Living in Montreal costs roughly 20% less than in Coquitlam, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in utilities.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Montreal 52% above, Coquitlam 90% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$18.98 CA$26.53

$16.62 CA$23.23

14.20%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$73.0 CA$102

$72.0 CA$101

1.42%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$10.88 CA$15.21

$10.68 CA$14.93

1.87%

Cappuccino

$3.81 CA$5.33

$3.93 CA$5.49

-3.05%

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

$1.94 CA$2.71

$2.14 CA$2.99

-9.35%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.58 CA$2.21

$1.68 CA$2.35

-5.95%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$6.37 CA$8.90

$5.59 CA$7.81

13.95%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$7.26 CA$10.15

$6.49 CA$9.07

11.86%

Milk (1 liter)

$2.23 CA$3.11

$1.40 CA$1.96

59.29%

White Bread (500g)

$3.17 CA$4.44

$2.68 CA$3.74

18.28%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$3.31 CA$4.62

$2.67 CA$3.73

23.97%

Eggs

$3.63 CA$5.07

$3.84 CA$5.37

-5.47%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$13.16 CA$18.39

$10.04 CA$14.03

31.08%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$11.56 CA$16.16

$13.23 CA$18.49

-12.62%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$13.71 CA$19.17

$20.27 CA$28.33

-32.36%

Apples (1kg)

$3.29 CA$4.60

$4.00 CA$5.59

-17.75%

Banana (1kg)

$1.46 CA$2.04

$1.36 CA$1.90

7.35%

Oranges (1kg)

$3.37 CA$4.71

$3.68 CA$5.15

-8.42%

Tomato (1kg)

$3.15 CA$4.40

$3.45 CA$4.83

-8.70%

Potato (1kg)

$1.89 CA$2.64

$1.09 CA$1.52

73.39%

Onion (1kg)

$1.79 CA$2.51

$2.82 CA$3.94

-36.52%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.47 CA$3.45

$2.63 CA$3.67

-6.08%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.58 CA$2.21

$1.05 CA$1.47

50.48%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$11.28 CA$15.77

$15.79 CA$22.07

-28.56%

Wine (Bottle)

$10.49 CA$14.67

$12.36 CA$17.27

-15.13%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.34 CA$3.26

$2.59 CA$3.61

-9.65%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.91 CA$4.07

$3.03 CA$4.24

-3.96%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.61 CA$3.65

$2.29 CA$3.20

13.97%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$79.1 CA$111

$79.0 CA$110

0.13%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.26 CA$4.56

$2.74 CA$3.83

18.98%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.44 CA$2.01

$1.36 CA$1.90

5.88%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$33.43 CA$46.73

$24.25 CA$33.89

37.86%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.33 CA$1.86

$1.37 CA$1.92

-2.92%

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

$28.6K CA$40.0K

$25.9K CA$36.2K

10.40%

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

$21.1K CA$29.5K

$21.5K CA$30.1K

-2.05%

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

$80.1 CA$112

$83.3 CA$116

-3.88%

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

$34.30 CA$47.94

$32.46 CA$45.37

5.67%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$42.85 CA$59.9

$51.7 CA$72.3

-17.17%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$31.14 CA$43.53

$14.10 CA$19.71

120.85%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$19.41 CA$27.12

$10.56 CA$14.76

83.81%

Cinema Ticket

$11.23 CA$15.69

$10.62 CA$14.84

5.74%

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

$525 CA$734

$388 CA$543

35.19%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$16.3K CA$22.8K

$11.6K CA$16.3K

40.34%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$58.0 CA$81.1

$58.5 CA$81.7

-0.77%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$38.11 CA$53.3

$34.10 CA$47.67

11.76%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$93.4 CA$131

$94.8 CA$132

-1.41%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$110 CA$154

$94.4 CA$132

16.70%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,285 CA$1,796

$1,814 CA$2,536

-29.18%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$977 CA$1,365

$1,530 CA$2,138

-36.17%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,271 CA$3,174

$3,333 CA$4,658

-31.87%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,665 CA$2,327

$2,485 CA$3,472

-32.99%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$5,139 CA$7,183

$6,088 CA$8,509

-15.59%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$3,834 CA$5,359

$4,998 CA$6,986

-23.29%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$3,002 CA$4,196

$3,143 CA$4,393

-4.48%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

4.48

4.28

4.67%

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

Last update for Montreal: October 25, 2026

Last update for Coquitlam: October 25, 2026

Monthly budget structure

Share of the monthly basket for one person, rent included.

Accommodation & Living

Montreal

$977 47.3%

Coquitlam

$1.5K 59.2% 56.7% $553

Groceries & Markets

Montreal

$351 17%

Coquitlam

$360 13.9% 2.5% $8.6

Eating Out

Montreal

$291 14.1%

Coquitlam

$268 10.4% 7.7% $22

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Montreal

$157 7.6%

Coquitlam

$167 6.5% 6.5% $10

Clothing & Footwear

Montreal

$135 6.5%

Coquitlam

$127 4.9% 6% $8.1

Getting Around

Montreal

$100 4.9%

Coquitlam

$98 3.8% 2.3% $2.3

Sport & Entertainment

Montreal

$54 2.6%

Coquitlam

$35 1.4% 34.1% $18

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,285 in Montreal and $1,814 in Coquitlam. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Coquitlam pays 5% 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 in Montreal vs $72 in Coquitlam. Groceries flip the comparison at $351 vs $360, with Montreal cheaper for home cooking.

Good to know

🇨🇦 Montreal

🇨🇦 Coquitlam

🕒 Local time

13:25 1:25 PM

11:25 11:25 AM

2 h behind Montreal

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

1,762,949

148,625

💱 Currency

Canadian Dollar CAD $

📈 Exchange rate

1 CAD = 0.715 USD

1 CAD = 0.641 EUR

1 CAD = 0.715 USD

1 CAD = 0.641 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

On the map

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Between locations

Montreal Coquitlam 3,660 km ≈ 5 h nonstop flight

From you

Montreal
Coquitlam

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 Coquitlam: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Montreal is about 20% cheaper overall, especially in utilities. That difference adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

On paper, salaries run 4% lower in Montreal. 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: $1,285 in Montreal versus $1,814 in Coquitlam. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $525 in Montreal versus $388 in Coquitlam. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

All in, you’ll spend $2,064 per month in Montreal versus $2,586 in Coquitlam – Montreal is about 20% cheaper, which adds up to real savings over time.

Both cities are expensive relative to $2,000. Montreal is the more realistic option, but even there you’ll need to be disciplined with housing, food, and fun money.

Both cities offer a good standard of living with different trade-offs. Neither is objectively better – the right pick depends on what matters most: affordability, career, cultural scene, or climate.

It comes down to priorities – Montreal wins on affordability, Coquitlam on earning potential. Factor in climate, language, visa rules, and proximity to places that matter to you before deciding.