Last update: Nov 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Montreal and Dawson City

For one person, living is cheaper in Dawson City: $1,915 a month against $2,067 in Montreal, rent and utilities included – about $1,800 less a year. Higher rent and utilities in Montreal outweigh lower spending on other living expenses.

100

Cost of Living Index in Montreal
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Montreal Living Index
91

Cost of Living Index in Dawson City
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Dawson City Living Index

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Montreal

🇨🇦 Canada

$2,067

/mo nomad

Dawson City

🇨🇦 Canada

$1,915

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Montreal and in Dawson City

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

A single person spends $2,067 per month in Montreal vs $1,915 in Dawson City, rent included.

Montreal $2,067
Dawson City $1,915

A couple spends around $3,179 per month in Montreal vs $3,281 in Dawson City, rent included.

Montreal $3,179
Dawson City $3,281

A family of three spends $4,291 per month in Montreal vs $4,646 in Dawson City, rent included.

Montreal $4,291
Dawson City $4,646

Montreal costs about 8% more than Dawson City, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in transport.

Both Montreal and Dawson City sit above the global median – Montreal by 53%, Dawson City by 42%.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$18.89 CA$26.48

$24.82 CA$34.80

-23.89%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$72.6 CA$102

$104 CA$145

-30.04%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$10.79 CA$15.13

$10.59 CA$14.84

1.89%

Cappuccino

$3.98 CA$5.58

$3.95 CA$5.54

0.76%

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

$2.02 CA$2.83

$1.77 CA$2.48

14.12%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.63 CA$2.29

$1.61 CA$2.26

1.24%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$6.32 CA$8.86

$5.12 CA$7.18

23.44%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$7.06 CA$9.90

$5.79 CA$8.12

21.93%

Milk (1 liter)

$2.33 CA$3.27

$2.61 CA$3.65

-10.73%

White Bread (500g)

$3.25 CA$4.55

$4.01 CA$5.61

-18.95%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$3.26 CA$4.58

$4.92 CA$6.89

-33.74%

Eggs

$3.48 CA$4.87

$5.04 CA$7.06

-30.95%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$13.73 CA$19.25

$9.98 CA$13.99

37.58%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$11.48 CA$16.09

$14.60 CA$20.47

-21.37%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$14.26 CA$19.99

$14.68 CA$20.58

-2.86%

Apples (1kg)

$3.52 CA$4.94

$4.02 CA$5.63

-12.44%

Banana (1kg)

$1.46 CA$2.04

$1.36 CA$1.91

7.35%

Oranges (1kg)

$3.41 CA$4.78

$4.20 CA$5.89

-18.81%

Tomato (1kg)

$3.20 CA$4.49

$4.11 CA$5.76

-22.14%

Potato (1kg)

$1.94 CA$2.71

$2.47 CA$3.46

-21.46%

Onion (1kg)

$1.78 CA$2.50

$2.25 CA$3.15

-20.89%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.52 CA$3.53

$2.45 CA$3.44

2.86%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.58 CA$2.22

$1.64 CA$2.30

-3.66%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$11.51 CA$16.13

$14.42 CA$20.21

-20.18%

Wine (Bottle)

$10.57 CA$14.82

$12.94 CA$18.13

-18.32%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.35 CA$3.29

$2.82 CA$3.95

-16.67%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.90 CA$4.06

$3.09 CA$4.33

-6.15%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.61 CA$3.66

$2.30 CA$3.23

13.48%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$78.5 CA$110

$63.5 CA$89.0

23.60%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.17 CA$4.45

$2.94 CA$4.12

7.82%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.49 CA$2.09

$1.43 CA$2.01

4.20%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$33.49 CA$46.94

$23.50 CA$32.95

42.51%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.36 CA$1.91

$1.22 CA$1.71

11.48%

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

$28.0K CA$39.3K

$28.1K CA$39.4K

-0.25%

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

$21.1K CA$29.6K

$21.2K CA$29.7K

-0.14%

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

$77.6 CA$109

$138 CA$193

-43.78%

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

$35.63 CA$49.94

$38.13 CA$53.4

-6.56%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$43.73 CA$61.3

$55.5 CA$77.8

-21.21%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$30.07 CA$42.16

$37.74 CA$52.9

-20.32%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$19.97 CA$27.99

$18.04 CA$25.29

10.70%

Cinema Ticket

$11.27 CA$15.80

$10.75 CA$15.07

4.84%

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

$522 CA$732

$632 CA$886

-17.41%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$17.8K CA$24.9K

$13.6K CA$19.0K

31.33%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$59.0 CA$82.7

$64.9 CA$90.9

-9.11%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$39.01 CA$54.7

$38.15 CA$53.5

2.25%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$99.8 CA$140

$66.5 CA$93.2

50.09%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$110 CA$154

$102 CA$143

7.51%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,298 CA$1,820

$1,277 CA$1,790

1.68%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$970 CA$1,360

$685 CA$960

41.72%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,323 CA$3,257

$2,019 CA$2,830

15.09%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,689 CA$2,368

$1,670 CA$2,341

1.15%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$5,004 CA$7,014

$4,396 CA$6,162

13.81%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$3,736 CA$5,237

$3,638 CA$5,100

2.69%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$2,943 CA$4,125

$2,923 CA$4,097

0.69%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

4.51

4.68

-3.63%

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

Last update for Montreal: November 3, 2026

Last update for Dawson City: November 2, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Montreal

$970 47%

Dawson City

$685 35.8% 29.4% $286

Groceries & Markets

Montreal

$357 17.3%

Dawson City

$406 21.2% 13.7% $49

Eating Out

Montreal

$292 14.1%

Dawson City

$328 17.2% 12.7% $37

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Montreal

$157 7.6%

Dawson City

$232 12.1% 47.6% $75

Clothing & Footwear

Montreal

$138 6.7%

Dawson City

$122 6.4% 11.7% $16

Getting Around

Montreal

$100 4.8%

Dawson City

$83 4.3% 16.8% $17

Sport & Entertainment

Montreal

$53 2.6%

Dawson City

$59 3.1% 12.6% $6.6

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $1,298 in Montreal versus $1,277 in Dawson City. 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 $104 in Dawson City. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $357 vs $406 – making Montreal the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇨🇦 Montreal

🇨🇦 Dawson City

🕒 Local time

07:25 7:25 AM

05:25 5:25 AM

2 h behind Montreal

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

1,762,949

1,375

💱 Currency

Canadian Dollar CAD $

📈 Exchange rate

1 CAD = 0.713 USD

1 CAD = 0.635 EUR

1 CAD = 0.713 USD

1 CAD = 0.635 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

On the map

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Highest

Between locations

Montreal Dawson City 4,440 km ≈ 6 h nonstop flight

From you

Montreal
Dawson City

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 Dawson City: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Yes – Montreal is pricier by about 8%, and outside of rent the gap shows up most in transport.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $3,100 per month in Montreal and $2,873 in Dawson City. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

A central 1-bedroom goes for about $1,298 in Montreal and $1,277 in Dawson City. The gap holds across neighborhoods – outer areas show a similar spread, just at lower price points.

Kindergarten costs $522 per month in Montreal and $632 in Dawson City. For families with young kids, this one expense can tip the scales when choosing between the two cities.

Interestingly, groceries are about 12% cheaper in Montreal – one category where the pricier city actually offers better value.

$2,500 covers both cities comfortably – all-in costs are $2,067 in Montreal and $1,915 in Dawson City, leaving budget for savings and extras in both cases.

It depends on your priorities. Montreal has an edge in some lifestyle areas, with costs from $1,915 in Dawson City to $2,067 in Montreal. Climate, culture, job market, and personal taste all factor in.