Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Montreal and Dartmouth

For one person, living costs are similar in Montreal and in Dartmouth: $2,018 and $1,993 a month, rent and utilities included.

99

Cost of Living Index in Montreal
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Montreal Living Index
96

Cost of Living Index in Dartmouth
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Dartmouth Living Index

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Montreal

🇨🇦 Canada

$2,018

/mo nomad

Dartmouth

🇨🇦 Canada

$1,993

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Montreal and in Dartmouth

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

A single person spends $2,018 per month in Montreal vs $1,993 in Dartmouth, rent included.

Montreal $2,018
Dartmouth $1,993

A couple spends around $3,085 per month in Montreal vs $2,990 in Dartmouth, rent included.

Montreal $3,085
Dartmouth $2,990

A family of three spends $4,152 per month in Montreal vs $3,987 in Dartmouth, rent included.

Montreal $4,152
Dartmouth $3,987

Montreal costs about 1% more than Dartmouth, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

Both Montreal and Dartmouth sit above the global median – Montreal by 49%, Dartmouth by 48%.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$18.82 CA$26.61

$10.55 CA$14.91

78.39%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$70.3 CA$99.4

$58.5 CA$82.7

20.19%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$10.66 CA$15.06

$6.96 CA$9.84

53.16%

Cappuccino

$3.84 CA$5.43

$3.56 CA$5.04

7.87%

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

$1.92 CA$2.71

$2.00 CA$2.82

-4.00%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.54 CA$2.18

$1.88 CA$2.66

-18.09%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$6.23 CA$8.81

$4.45 CA$6.30

40.00%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$7.10 CA$10.03

$5.70 CA$8.05

24.56%

Milk (1 liter)

$2.31 CA$3.27

$2.38 CA$3.36

-2.94%

White Bread (500g)

$3.14 CA$4.44

$2.04 CA$2.89

53.92%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$3.21 CA$4.54

$3.31 CA$4.68

-3.02%

Eggs

$3.52 CA$4.97

$3.49 CA$4.93

0.86%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$12.81 CA$18.11

$7.64 CA$10.80

67.67%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$11.46 CA$16.20

$9.18 CA$12.98

24.84%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$13.39 CA$18.92

$10.37 CA$14.65

29.12%

Apples (1kg)

$3.14 CA$4.43

$3.38 CA$4.78

-7.10%

Banana (1kg)

$1.44 CA$2.03

$1.52 CA$2.15

-5.26%

Oranges (1kg)

$3.47 CA$4.91

$4.47 CA$6.32

-22.37%

Tomato (1kg)

$3.07 CA$4.34

$5.75 CA$8.12

-46.61%

Potato (1kg)

$1.90 CA$2.69

$2.03 CA$2.86

-6.40%

Onion (1kg)

$1.77 CA$2.50

$2.11 CA$2.98

-16.11%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.34 CA$3.31

$2.48 CA$3.51

-5.65%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.55 CA$2.19

$2.13 CA$3.01

-27.23%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$11.38 CA$16.09

$13.95 CA$19.72

-18.42%

Wine (Bottle)

$10.63 CA$15.03

$14.17 CA$20.03

-24.98%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.27 CA$3.21

$3.35 CA$4.74

-32.24%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.82 CA$3.99

$3.87 CA$5.47

-27.13%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.66 CA$3.76

$1.97 CA$2.78

35.03%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$77.3 CA$109

$59.6 CA$84.2

29.77%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.20 CA$4.53

$2.76 CA$3.90

15.94%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.48 CA$2.09

$1.32 CA$1.86

12.12%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$32.88 CA$46.48

$21.34 CA$30.17

54.08%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.34 CA$1.90

$1.12 CA$1.58

19.64%

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

$28.2K CA$39.8K

$28.0K CA$39.5K

0.65%

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

$19.6K CA$27.8K

$18.9K CA$26.7K

4.06%

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

$76.0 CA$107

$77.5 CA$109

-1.92%

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

$33.95 CA$48.00

$41.92 CA$59.3

-19.01%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$42.31 CA$59.8

$63.3 CA$89.5

-33.16%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$29.76 CA$42.07

$35.19 CA$49.75

-15.43%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$20.28 CA$28.67

Cinema Ticket

$11.15 CA$15.77

$12.41 CA$17.54

-10.15%

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

$507 CA$717

$373 CA$527

35.96%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$16.1K CA$22.7K

$13.2K CA$18.7K

21.55%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$57.6 CA$81.4

$39.41 CA$55.7

46.03%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$37.58 CA$53.1

$33.13 CA$46.84

13.43%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$91.9 CA$130

$66.7 CA$94.3

37.80%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$110 CA$155

$74.6 CA$105

46.93%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,260 CA$1,782

$1,215 CA$1,717

3.78%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$948 CA$1,340

$1,037 CA$1,466

-8.64%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,137 CA$3,021

$1,956 CA$2,765

9.26%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,614 CA$2,281

$1,818 CA$2,570

-11.24%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$4,960 CA$7,011

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$3,838 CA$5,425

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$2,827 CA$3,997

$2,539 CA$3,589

11.37%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

4.48

4.6

-2.61%

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

Last update for Montreal: October 12, 2026

Last update for Dartmouth: October 13, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Montreal

$948 47%

Dartmouth

$1K 52.1% 9.5% $90

Groceries & Markets

Montreal

$346 17.2%

Dartmouth

$343 17.2% 1.1% $3.9

Eating Out

Montreal

$288 14.3%

Dartmouth

$197 9.9% 31.5% $91

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Montreal

$152 7.5%

Dartmouth

$183 9.2% 20% $30

Clothing & Footwear

Montreal

$133 6.6%

Dartmouth

$96 4.8% 27.9% $37

Getting Around

Montreal

$99 4.9%

Dartmouth

$77 3.9% 22.1% $22

Sport & Entertainment

Montreal

$52 2.6%

Dartmouth

$60 3% 15.3% $7.9

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $1,260 in Montreal versus $1,215 in Dartmouth. 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 11% higher in Montreal, which partly offsets the higher cost of living there. Purchasing power depends on which expenses matter most to you.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $70.0 in Montreal versus $58.0 in Dartmouth. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $346 vs $343 – making Dartmouth the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇨🇦 Montreal

🇨🇦 Dartmouth

🕒 Local time

05:34 5:34 AM

06:34 6:34 AM

1 h ahead of Montreal

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

1,762,949

70,000

💱 Currency

Canadian Dollar CAD $

📈 Exchange rate

1 CAD = 0.707 USD

1 CAD = 0.629 EUR

1 CAD = 0.707 USD

1 CAD = 0.629 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

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Between locations

Montreal Dartmouth 790 km ≈ 1 h 30 min nonstop flight

From you

Montreal
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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 Dartmouth: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Monthly costs with rent: $2,018 in Montreal, $1,993 in Dartmouth – roughly 1% apart. Outside of rent, the biggest gap is in eating out.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $3,027 per month in Montreal and $2,989 in Dartmouth. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

Rent is clearly cheaper in Dartmouth, especially for central apartments. Housing is actually the single biggest factor behind the overall cost gap between these two cities.

Monthly expenses with rent come to $2,018 in Montreal and $1,993 in Dartmouth. That's a gap of about 1%.

Public transport costs about 30% less in Dartmouth. For daily commuters, that gap adds up to noticeable savings over a year.

A $3,000 monthly budget goes further in Dartmouth, where all-in costs run around $1,993, than in Montreal at $2,018. In Dartmouth it covers expenses comfortably, while in Montreal it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.

It depends on your priorities. Montreal has an edge in some lifestyle areas, with costs from $1,993 in Dartmouth to $2,018 in Montreal. Climate, culture, job market, and personal taste all factor in.

Both have safer and rougher neighborhoods, but overall safety is comparable to other large cities. Neighborhood choice matters more than the city-level comparison – central, well-trafficked areas feel secure in both.

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