Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Montreal and Cranbrook

For one person, living is cheaper in Montreal: $2,064 a month against $2,231 in Cranbrook, rent and utilities included – about $2,000 less a year. Higher rent and utilities in Cranbrook outweigh lower spending on other living expenses.

Montreal, Canada
Cranbrook, Canada
Montreal
🇨🇦 Canada
$2,064
/mo nomad
Cranbrook
🇨🇦 Canada
$2,231
/mo nomad
Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Montreal and in Cranbrook

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $2,064 in Montreal versus $2,231 in Cranbrook.

  • Montreal $2,064
  • Cranbrook $2,231

Estimated couple costs with rent: $3,156 in Montreal versus $3,017 in Cranbrook.

  • Montreal $3,156
  • Cranbrook $3,017

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $4,247 in Montreal versus $3,804 in Cranbrook.

  • Montreal $4,247
  • Cranbrook $3,804

Living in Montreal costs roughly 7% less than in Cranbrook, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Montreal 52% above, Cranbrook 64% above.

Currency
🍽 Eating Out
Montreal
Cranbrook
Difference
Meal at Budget Restaurant
$18.98 CA$26.53
$14.16 CA$19.78
34.04%
Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range
$73.0 CA$102
$67.2 CA$93.8
8.67%
Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)
$10.88 CA$15.20
$10.12 CA$14.14
7.51%
Cappuccino
$3.81 CA$5.33
$3.99 CA$5.57
-4.51%
Coke/Pepsi/Fanta/Sprite (0.33 liter bottle)
$1.94 CA$2.71
$1.83 CA$2.56
6.01%
Water (0.33 liter bottle)
$1.58 CA$2.21
$1.77 CA$2.47
-10.73%
Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)
$6.37 CA$8.90
$5.12 CA$7.16
24.41%
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$7.26 CA$10.15
$5.67 CA$7.92
28.04%
🛒 Groceries & Markets
Montreal
Cranbrook
Difference
Milk (1 liter)
$2.23 CA$3.11
$1.84 CA$2.57
21.20%
White Bread (500g)
$3.17 CA$4.44
$2.43 CA$3.39
30.45%
Rice (white) (1kg)
$3.31 CA$4.62
$4.47 CA$6.24
-25.95%
Eggs
$3.63 CA$5.07
$3.54 CA$4.94
2.54%
Local Cheese (1kg)
$13.16 CA$18.39
$10.04 CA$14.03
31.08%
Chicken Fillets (1kg)
$11.56 CA$16.15
$12.51 CA$17.48
-7.59%
Beef Round Steak (1kg)
$13.71 CA$19.16
$13.03 CA$18.21
5.22%
Apples (1kg)
$3.29 CA$4.60
$3.44 CA$4.81
-4.36%
Banana (1kg)
$1.46 CA$2.04
$1.29 CA$1.80
13.18%
Oranges (1kg)
$3.37 CA$4.71
$2.78 CA$3.88
21.22%
Tomato (1kg)
$3.15 CA$4.40
$4.56 CA$6.38
-30.92%
Potato (1kg)
$1.89 CA$2.64
$3.67 CA$5.13
-48.50%
Onion (1kg)
$1.79 CA$2.51
$3.13 CA$4.38
-42.81%
Lettuce (1 head)
$2.47 CA$3.45
$3.18 CA$4.44
-22.33%
Water (1.5 liter bottle)
$1.58 CA$2.21
$1.77 CA$2.47
-10.73%
Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)
$11.28 CA$15.77
$11.89 CA$16.62
-5.13%
Wine (Bottle)
$10.49 CA$14.66
$14.25 CA$19.91
-26.39%
Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)
$2.34 CA$3.26
$3.14 CA$4.39
-25.48%
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$2.91 CA$4.07
$3.82 CA$5.34
-23.82%
🚌 Getting Around
Montreal
Cranbrook
Difference
One-way Ticket (Public Transport)
$2.61 CA$3.65
$1.41 CA$1.97
85.11%
Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)
$79.1 CA$111
-
-
Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)
$3.26 CA$4.56
$3.55 CA$4.96
-8.17%
Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)
$1.44 CA$2.01
$2.88 CA$4.03
-50.00%
Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)
$33.43 CA$46.71
$42.89 CA$59.9
-22.06%
Gasoline (1 liter)
$1.33 CA$1.86
$1.12 CA$1.57
18.75%
Midsize Hatchback 1.4l (Volkswagen Golf, Toyota Prius, Honda Civic, etc)
$28.6K CA$40.0K
$25.0K CA$34.9K
14.57%
Compact Sedan 1.6l (Toyota Corolla, Mazda3, Kia K4, Hyundai Elantra, etc)
$21.1K CA$29.5K
$21.0K CA$29.4K
0.26%
🧾 Monthly Utilities & Internet
Montreal
Cranbrook
Difference
Utilities for 2 People in 2-bedroom Apartment (Heating, Electricity, Gas, Water, Garbage) (85m2)
$80.1 CA$112
$176 CA$246
-54.60%
SIM Card Monthly Plan (Calls and 10GB+ Data)
$34.30 CA$47.93
$18.11 CA$25.31
89.40%
Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)
$42.85 CA$59.9
$60.3 CA$84.3
-28.97%
🎉 Sport & Entertainment
Montreal
Cranbrook
Difference
Gym Membership (Monthly)
$31.14 CA$43.52
$28.38 CA$39.65
9.73%
Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)
$19.41 CA$27.12
-
-
Cinema Ticket
$11.23 CA$15.69
$14.24 CA$19.89
-21.14%
🧸 Childcare & Education
Montreal
Cranbrook
Difference
Preschool or Kindergarten, Full Day, Private, 1 Child (Monthly)
$525 CA$734
$863 CA$1,205
-39.13%
International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)
$16.3K CA$22.8K
$3,601 CA$5,032
353.44%
👕👟 Clothing & Footwear
Montreal
Cranbrook
Difference
Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)
$58.0 CA$81.0
$43.66 CA$61.0
32.84%
Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)
$38.11 CA$53.3
$50.8 CA$71.0
-24.95%
Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)
$93.4 CA$131
$77.2 CA$108
20.95%
Men's Leather Business Shoes
$110 CA$154
$120 CA$168
-8.18%
🏠 Accommodation & Living
Montreal
Cranbrook
Difference
1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$1,285 CA$1,796
$1,063 CA$1,485
20.89%
1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$977 CA$1,365
$1,153 CA$1,611
-15.30%
3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$2,271 CA$3,173
$1,679 CA$2,346
35.25%
3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$1,665 CA$2,326
$1,422 CA$1,987
17.08%
Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)
$5,139 CA$7,181
-
-
Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)
$3,834 CA$5,358
-
-
💵 Salaries & Financials
Montreal
Cranbrook
Difference
Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)
$3,002 CA$4,195
$2,933 CA$4,099
2.35%
20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)
4.48
4.85
-7.63%

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

Last update for Montreal: October 25, 2026

Last update for Cranbrook: October 24, 2026

Monthly budget structure
Share of the monthly basket for one person, rent included.
Accommodation & Living
Montreal
$977
Cranbrook
$1.2K 18.1% $176
Groceries & Markets
Montreal
$351
Cranbrook
$368 4.9% $17
Eating Out
Montreal
$291
Cranbrook
$243 16.5% $48
Monthly Utilities & Internet
Montreal
$157
Cranbrook
$255 62.1% $98
Clothing & Footwear
Montreal
$135
Cranbrook
$131 2.7% $3.6
Getting Around
Montreal
$100
Cranbrook
$24 * 76.4% $76
Sport & Entertainment
Montreal
$54
Cranbrook
$57 6.1% $3.3

Categories marked with * are only partly priced – their share counts the items that do have prices.

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,285 in Montreal and $1,063 in Cranbrook. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Dining out: $73 in Montreal vs $67 in Cranbrook. Groceries flip the comparison at $351 vs $368, with Montreal cheaper for home cooking.

Good to know
🇨🇦 Montreal
🇨🇦 Cranbrook
🕒 Local time
14:17 2:17 PM
13:17 1:17 PM
1 h behind Montreal
🌤 Weather
👥 Population
1,762,949
20,047
💱 Currency
Exchange rates and currency converter

USD, EUR to CAD – Canadian Dollar Converter

Canadian Dollar exchange rates as of November 1, 2026: 1 USD = 1.4 CAD (1 CAD = 0.716 USD). 1 EUR = 1.56 CAD (1 CAD = 0.641 EUR).

On the map
Between locations
  • Montreal Cranbrook 3,160 km ≈ 4 h 30 min nonstop flight
From you
  • Montreal
  • Cranbrook

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 Cranbrook: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions
Which city is more expensive, Montreal or Cranbrook?
Montreal wins on cost – living expenses run 7% lower than in Cranbrook. Housing and daily spending are where you’ll feel the difference most, making Montreal the obvious pick if budget is a priority.
How much do you need to earn to live comfortably in Montreal and in Cranbrook?
You’d need roughly $3,096 in Montreal and $3,346 in Cranbrook to live well. The gap comes down to housing and overall price levels. Both cities are liveable on less, but these numbers represent actual comfort.
How much does a 1-bedroom apartment cost in Montreal compared to Cranbrook?
Rent for a central apartment: $1,285 in Montreal versus $1,063 in Cranbrook. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.
How do childcare costs compare in Montreal and in Cranbrook?
Childcare runs $525 in Montreal versus $863 in Cranbrook. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.
How do dining costs compare in Montreal and in Cranbrook?
Dining out is cheaper in Cranbrook – a meal for two runs $67 versus $73 in Montreal. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.
Can you live on $2,000/month in Montreal or in Cranbrook?
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.
Which city offers a better quality of life: Montreal or Cranbrook?
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.

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