Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Montreal and Courtenay

For one person, living is cheaper in Montreal: $2,064 a month against $2,184 in Courtenay, rent and utilities included – about $1,400 less a year. Higher rent and utilities in Courtenay outweigh lower spending on other living expenses.

99

Cost of Living Index in Montreal
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Montreal Living Index
104

Cost of Living Index in Courtenay
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Courtenay Living Index

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Montreal

🇨🇦 Canada

$2,064

/mo nomad

Courtenay

🇨🇦 Canada

$2,184

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Montreal and in Courtenay

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

A single person spends $2,064 per month in Montreal vs $2,184 in Courtenay, rent included.

Montreal $2,064
Courtenay $2,184

A couple spends around $3,156 per month in Montreal vs $3,080 in Courtenay, rent included.

Montreal $3,156
Courtenay $3,080

A family of three spends $4,247 per month in Montreal vs $3,975 in Courtenay, rent included.

Montreal $4,247
Courtenay $3,975

Montreal is about 5% cheaper than Courtenay, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in utilities.

Both Montreal and Courtenay sit above the global median – Montreal by 52%, Courtenay by 60%.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$18.98 CA$26.53

$14.38 CA$20.10

31.99%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$73.0 CA$102

$57.2 CA$79.9

27.61%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$10.88 CA$15.20

$9.76 CA$13.64

11.48%

Cappuccino

$3.81 CA$5.33

$3.68 CA$5.14

3.53%

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

$1.94 CA$2.71

$2.04 CA$2.85

-4.90%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.58 CA$2.21

$1.55 CA$2.17

1.94%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$6.37 CA$8.90

$5.79 CA$8.09

10.02%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$7.26 CA$10.15

$5.74 CA$8.02

26.48%

Milk (1 liter)

$2.23 CA$3.11

$2.41 CA$3.37

-7.47%

White Bread (500g)

$3.17 CA$4.44

$2.05 CA$2.87

54.63%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$3.31 CA$4.62

$2.08 CA$2.91

59.13%

Eggs

$3.63 CA$5.07

$3.20 CA$4.47

13.44%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$13.16 CA$18.39

$10.17 CA$14.21

29.40%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$11.56 CA$16.15

$9.20 CA$12.85

25.65%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$13.71 CA$19.16

$19.79 CA$27.65

-30.72%

Apples (1kg)

$3.29 CA$4.60

$3.30 CA$4.62

-0.30%

Banana (1kg)

$1.46 CA$2.04

$1.31 CA$1.83

11.45%

Oranges (1kg)

$3.37 CA$4.71

$2.35 CA$3.28

43.40%

Tomato (1kg)

$3.15 CA$4.40

$3.07 CA$4.29

2.61%

Potato (1kg)

$1.89 CA$2.64

$2.65 CA$3.71

-28.68%

Onion (1kg)

$1.79 CA$2.51

$2.15 CA$3.01

-16.74%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.47 CA$3.45

$2.07 CA$2.89

19.32%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.58 CA$2.21

$1.64 CA$2.29

-3.66%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$11.28 CA$15.77

$14.20 CA$19.85

-20.56%

Wine (Bottle)

$10.49 CA$14.66

$10.89 CA$15.22

-3.67%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.34 CA$3.26

$2.59 CA$3.62

-9.65%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.91 CA$4.07

$2.44 CA$3.40

19.26%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.61 CA$3.65

$1.94 CA$2.71

34.54%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$79.1 CA$111

$42.49 CA$59.4

86.23%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.26 CA$4.56

$2.75 CA$3.84

18.55%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.44 CA$2.01

$1.40 CA$1.96

2.86%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$33.43 CA$46.71

$17.82 CA$24.90

87.60%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.33 CA$1.86

$1.28 CA$1.78

3.91%

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

$28.6K CA$40.0K

$20.8K CA$29.1K

37.36%

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

$21.1K CA$29.5K

$18.2K CA$25.5K

15.62%

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

$80.1 CA$112

$139 CA$194

-42.37%

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

$34.30 CA$47.93

$36.71 CA$51.3

-6.56%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$42.85 CA$59.9

$65.3 CA$91.3

-34.39%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$31.14 CA$43.52

$42.38 CA$59.2

-26.52%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$19.41 CA$27.12

$38.49 CA$53.8

-49.57%

Cinema Ticket

$11.23 CA$15.69

$10.78 CA$15.06

4.17%

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

$525 CA$734

$648 CA$906

-19.00%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$16.3K CA$22.8K

$12.3K CA$17.2K

32.65%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$58.0 CA$81.0

$56.9 CA$79.5

1.99%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$38.11 CA$53.3

$45.43 CA$63.5

-16.11%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$93.4 CA$131

$78.5 CA$110

19.05%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$110 CA$154

$59.8 CA$83.5

84.34%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,285 CA$1,796

$1,219 CA$1,703

5.44%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$977 CA$1,365

$1,137 CA$1,588

-14.09%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,271 CA$3,173

$2,043 CA$2,855

11.14%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,665 CA$2,326

$1,629 CA$2,277

2.17%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$5,139 CA$7,181

$5,318 CA$7,430

-3.36%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$3,834 CA$5,358

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$3,002 CA$4,195

$3,239 CA$4,525

-7.30%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

4.48

4.87

-8.01%

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

Last update for Montreal: October 25, 2026

Last update for Courtenay: October 26, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Montreal

$977 47.3%

Courtenay

$1.1K 52.1% 16.4% $160

Groceries & Markets

Montreal

$351 17%

Courtenay

$331 15.1% 5.9% $21

Eating Out

Montreal

$291 14.1%

Courtenay

$243 11.1% 16.3% $47

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Montreal

$157 7.6%

Courtenay

$241 11% 53.3% $84

Clothing & Footwear

Montreal

$135 6.5%

Courtenay

$108 5% 19.7% $27

Getting Around

Montreal

$100 4.9%

Courtenay

$60 2.8% 40% $40

Sport & Entertainment

Montreal

$54 2.6%

Courtenay

$64 2.9% 19.3% $10

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $1,285 in Montreal versus $1,219 in Courtenay. 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 8% higher in Courtenay. Purchasing power depends on which expenses matter most to you.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $73 in Montreal versus $57 in Courtenay. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $351 vs $331 – making Courtenay the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇨🇦 Montreal

🇨🇦 Courtenay

🕒 Local time

04:46 4:46 AM

02:46 2:46 AM

2 h behind Montreal

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

1,762,949

25,599

💱 Currency

Canadian Dollar CAD $

📈 Exchange rate

1 CAD = 0.716 USD

1 CAD = 0.641 EUR

1 CAD = 0.716 USD

1 CAD = 0.641 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

On the map

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Between locations

Montreal Courtenay 3,810 km ≈ 5 h nonstop flight

From you

Montreal
Courtenay

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 Courtenay: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Yes – Courtenay is pricier by about 6%, and outside of rent the gap shows up most in utilities.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $3,096 per month in Montreal and $3,276 in Courtenay. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

A central 1-bedroom goes for about $1,285 in Montreal and $1,219 in Courtenay. The gap holds across neighborhoods – outer areas show a similar spread, just at lower price points.

Interestingly, groceries are about 6% cheaper in Courtenay – one category where the pricier city actually offers better value.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $73 in Montreal and $57 in Courtenay. That’s a good indicator of the overall restaurant and café pricing gap between the two cities.

$2,000 is a stretch for both – monthly costs hit $2,064 in Montreal and $2,184 in Courtenay. You’ll need shared housing and careful budgeting no matter which city you pick.

It depends on your priorities. Montreal has an edge in some lifestyle areas, with costs from $2,064 in Montreal to $2,184 in Courtenay. Climate, culture, job market, and personal taste all factor in.

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