Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Montreal and Creston

For one person, living is cheaper in Montreal: $2,064 a month against $2,156 in Creston, rent and utilities included – about $1,100 less a year. Higher rent and utilities in Creston outweigh lower spending on other living expenses.

99

Cost of Living Index in Montreal
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Montreal Living Index
109

Cost of Living Index in Creston
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Creston Living Index

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Montreal

🇨🇦 Canada

$2,064

/mo nomad

Creston

🇨🇦 Canada

$2,156

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Montreal and in Creston

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

A single person spends $2,064 per month in Montreal vs $2,156 in Creston, rent included.

Montreal $2,064
Creston $2,156

A couple spends around $3,156 per month in Montreal vs $3,178 in Creston, rent included.

Montreal $3,156
Creston $3,178

A family of three spends $4,247 per month in Montreal vs $4,200 in Creston, rent included.

Montreal $4,247
Creston $4,200

Montreal is about 4% cheaper than Creston, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in utilities.

Both Montreal and Creston sit above the global median – Montreal by 52%, Creston by 58%.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$18.98 CA$26.53

$17.53 CA$24.49

8.27%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$73.0 CA$102

$63.8 CA$89.1

14.42%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$10.88 CA$15.20

$9.79 CA$13.68

11.13%

Cappuccino

$3.81 CA$5.33

$4.17 CA$5.82

-8.63%

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

$1.94 CA$2.71

$2.07 CA$2.90

-6.28%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.58 CA$2.21

$1.41 CA$1.97

12.06%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$6.37 CA$8.90

$5.24 CA$7.32

21.56%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$7.26 CA$10.15

$5.44 CA$7.60

33.46%

Milk (1 liter)

$2.23 CA$3.11

$2.14 CA$2.99

4.21%

White Bread (500g)

$3.17 CA$4.44

$2.79 CA$3.90

13.62%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$3.31 CA$4.62

$3.80 CA$5.31

-12.89%

Eggs

$3.63 CA$5.07

$4.44 CA$6.20

-18.24%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$13.16 CA$18.39

$10.29 CA$14.39

27.89%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$11.56 CA$16.15

$12.05 CA$16.84

-4.07%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$13.71 CA$19.16

$14.85 CA$20.76

-7.68%

Apples (1kg)

$3.29 CA$4.60

$3.78 CA$5.28

-12.96%

Banana (1kg)

$1.46 CA$2.04

$1.36 CA$1.91

7.35%

Oranges (1kg)

$3.37 CA$4.71

$3.40 CA$4.75

-0.88%

Tomato (1kg)

$3.15 CA$4.40

$3.28 CA$4.59

-3.96%

Potato (1kg)

$1.89 CA$2.64

$2.23 CA$3.12

-15.25%

Onion (1kg)

$1.79 CA$2.51

$2.22 CA$3.10

-19.37%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.47 CA$3.45

$2.74 CA$3.82

-9.85%

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

$13.96 CA$19.51

-19.20%

Wine (Bottle)

$10.49 CA$14.67

$11.59 CA$16.19

-9.49%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.34 CA$3.26

$2.95 CA$4.13

-20.68%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.91 CA$4.07

$3.16 CA$4.41

-7.91%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.61 CA$3.65

$2.64 CA$3.70

-1.14%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$79.1 CA$111

$54.2 CA$75.8

45.97%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.26 CA$4.56

$2.97 CA$4.15

9.76%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.44 CA$2.01

$1.48 CA$2.06

-2.70%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$33.43 CA$46.72

$23.87 CA$33.36

40.05%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.33 CA$1.86

$1.17 CA$1.64

13.68%

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

$28.6K CA$40.0K

$30.1K CA$42.0K

-4.75%

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

$21.1K CA$29.5K

$21.0K CA$29.3K

0.63%

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

$80.1 CA$112

$135 CA$188

-40.59%

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

$34.30 CA$47.94

$39.04 CA$54.6

-12.14%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$42.85 CA$59.9

$54.5 CA$76.1

-21.32%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$31.14 CA$43.52

$41.90 CA$58.6

-25.68%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$19.41 CA$27.12

$16.08 CA$22.47

20.71%

Cinema Ticket

$11.23 CA$15.69

$10.66 CA$14.90

5.35%

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

$525 CA$734

$696 CA$973

-24.57%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$16.3K CA$22.8K

$13.7K CA$19.1K

19.44%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$58.0 CA$81.1

$55.9 CA$78.2

3.70%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$38.11 CA$53.3

$33.78 CA$47.20

12.82%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$93.4 CA$131

$92.8 CA$130

0.61%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$110 CA$154

$99.8 CA$139

10.46%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,285 CA$1,796

$1,440 CA$2,012

-10.75%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$977 CA$1,365

$1,029 CA$1,438

-5.09%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,271 CA$3,173

$1,949 CA$2,724

16.50%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,665 CA$2,327

$1,656 CA$2,314

0.56%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$5,139 CA$7,182

$4,461 CA$6,234

15.21%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$3,834 CA$5,359

$3,715 CA$5,192

3.21%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$3,002 CA$4,195

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

4.48

4.68

-4.27%

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

Last update for Montreal: October 25, 2026

Last update for Creston: October 24, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Montreal

$977 47.3%

Creston

$1K 47.7% 5.4% $52

Groceries & Markets

Montreal

$351 17%

Creston

$363 16.8% 3.3% $11

Eating Out

Montreal

$291 14.1%

Creston

$271 12.6% 6.9% $20

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Montreal

$157 7.6%

Creston

$228 10.6% 45.2% $71

Clothing & Footwear

Montreal

$135 6.5%

Creston

$127 5.9% 5.8% $7.8

Getting Around

Montreal

$100 4.9%

Creston

$75 3.5% 24.9% $25

Sport & Entertainment

Montreal

$54 2.6%

Creston

$63 2.9% 17.9% $9.6

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $1,285 in Montreal versus $1,440 in Creston. Rent is usually the largest line item in a monthly budget, so the gap here sets the tone for the overall comparison.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $73 in Montreal versus $64 in Creston. Groceries tell a different story – $351 in Montreal vs $363 in Creston – so Montreal wins on supermarket bills even if dining out costs more.

Good to know

🇨🇦 Montreal

🇨🇦 Creston

🕒 Local time

10:10 10:10 AM

07:10 7:10 AM

3 h behind Montreal

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

1,762,949

5,583

💱 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

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Between locations

Montreal Creston 3,220 km ≈ 4 h 30 min nonstop flight

From you

Montreal
Creston

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 Creston: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Yes – Creston is pricier by about 4%, 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 $3,234 in Creston. 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: a one-bedroom in the center costs $1,285 there versus $1,440 in Creston.

Monthly expenses with rent come to $2,064 in Montreal and $2,156 in Creston. That makes Montreal about 4% cheaper.

Public transport costs about 31% less in Creston. For daily commuters, that gap adds up to noticeable savings over a year.

$2,000 is a stretch for both – monthly costs hit $2,064 in Montreal and $2,156 in Creston. You’ll need shared housing and careful budgeting no matter which city you pick.

Families tend to lean toward Montreal – lower housing and cheaper childcare make a real difference, especially on a single income or when paying for private education.