Last update: Nov 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Montreal and Duncan BC

For one person, living is cheaper in Montreal: $2,067 a month against $2,161 in Duncan BC, rent and utilities included – about $1,100 less a year. Higher rent and utilities in Duncan BC outweigh lower spending on other living expenses.

100

Cost of Living Index in Montreal
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Montreal Living Index
103

Cost of Living Index in Duncan BC
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Duncan BC Living Index

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Montreal

🇨🇦 Canada

$2,067

/mo nomad

Duncan BC

🇨🇦 Canada

$2,161

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Montreal and in Duncan BC

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $2,067 in Montreal versus $2,161 in Duncan BC.

Montreal $2,067
Duncan BC $2,161

Estimated couple costs with rent: $3,179 in Montreal versus $3,358 in Duncan BC.

Montreal $3,179
Duncan BC $3,358

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $4,291 in Montreal versus $4,555 in Duncan BC.

Montreal $4,291
Duncan BC $4,555

Living in Montreal costs roughly 4% less than in Duncan BC, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in leisure.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Montreal 53% above, Duncan BC 60% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$18.89 CA$26.36

$17.85 CA$24.91

5.83%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$72.6 CA$101

$70.8 CA$98.7

2.56%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$10.79 CA$15.06

$10.56 CA$14.73

2.18%

Cappuccino

$3.98 CA$5.55

$3.95 CA$5.51

0.76%

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

$2.02 CA$2.81

$2.15 CA$3.00

-6.05%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.63 CA$2.28

$1.70 CA$2.38

-4.12%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$6.32 CA$8.82

$5.49 CA$7.66

15.12%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$7.06 CA$9.85

$5.78 CA$8.07

22.15%

Milk (1 liter)

$2.33 CA$3.26

$1.64 CA$2.29

42.07%

White Bread (500g)

$3.25 CA$4.53

$2.65 CA$3.69

22.64%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$3.26 CA$4.55

$4.40 CA$6.13

-25.91%

Eggs

$3.48 CA$4.85

$4.08 CA$5.70

-14.71%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$13.73 CA$19.16

$11.96 CA$16.69

14.80%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$11.48 CA$16.01

$13.19 CA$18.40

-12.96%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$14.26 CA$19.90

$14.02 CA$19.57

1.71%

Apples (1kg)

$3.52 CA$4.91

$3.91 CA$5.45

-9.97%

Banana (1kg)

$1.46 CA$2.03

$1.39 CA$1.93

5.04%

Oranges (1kg)

$3.41 CA$4.76

$3.67 CA$5.12

-7.08%

Tomato (1kg)

$3.20 CA$4.47

$3.98 CA$5.56

-19.60%

Potato (1kg)

$1.94 CA$2.70

$2.77 CA$3.87

-29.96%

Onion (1kg)

$1.78 CA$2.49

$2.95 CA$4.11

-39.66%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.52 CA$3.52

$2.54 CA$3.54

-0.79%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.58 CA$2.21

$1.57 CA$2.20

0.64%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$11.51 CA$16.05

$13.72 CA$19.14

-16.11%

Wine (Bottle)

$10.57 CA$14.75

$11.71 CA$16.33

-9.74%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.35 CA$3.27

$2.54 CA$3.54

-7.48%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.90 CA$4.04

$2.84 CA$3.96

2.11%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.61 CA$3.65

$1.83 CA$2.56

42.62%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$78.5 CA$109

$39.92 CA$55.7

96.52%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.17 CA$4.43

$2.62 CA$3.65

20.99%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.49 CA$2.08

$1.63 CA$2.27

-8.59%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$33.49 CA$46.73

$30.31 CA$42.30

10.49%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.36 CA$1.90

$1.23 CA$1.71

10.57%

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

$28.0K CA$39.1K

$26.4K CA$36.8K

6.21%

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

$21.1K CA$29.5K

$21.2K CA$29.6K

-0.24%

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

$77.6 CA$108

$87.4 CA$122

-11.27%

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

$35.63 CA$49.71

$35.93 CA$50.1

-0.83%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$43.73 CA$61.0

$51.5 CA$71.8

-15.05%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$30.07 CA$41.96

$61.3 CA$85.5

-50.93%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$19.97 CA$27.86

Cinema Ticket

$11.27 CA$15.73

$12.53 CA$17.49

-10.06%

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

$522 CA$728

$1,082 CA$1,510

-51.78%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$17.8K CA$24.8K

$18.6K CA$25.9K

-4.17%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$59.0 CA$82.3

$57.7 CA$80.4

2.29%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$39.01 CA$54.4

$33.54 CA$46.80

16.31%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$99.8 CA$139

$91.6 CA$128

8.93%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$110 CA$153

$92.0 CA$128

19.25%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,298 CA$1,812

$1,321 CA$1,843

-1.72%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$970 CA$1,354

$1,074 CA$1,498

-9.63%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,323 CA$3,242

$2,553 CA$3,562

-8.99%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,689 CA$2,357

$2,019 CA$2,817

-16.34%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$5,004 CA$6,981

$4,345 CA$6,062

15.16%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$3,736 CA$5,213

$3,638 CA$5,076

2.70%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$2,943 CA$4,106

$3,096 CA$4,319

-4.93%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

4.51

4.24

6.37%

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

Last update for Montreal: November 3, 2026

Last update for Duncan BC: November 2, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Montreal

$970 47%

Duncan BC

$1.1K 49.7% 10.7% $103

Groceries & Markets

Montreal

$357 17.3%

Duncan BC

$368 17% 3.1% $11

Eating Out

Montreal

$292 14.1%

Duncan BC

$276 12.8% 5.2% $15

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Montreal

$157 7.6%

Duncan BC

$175 8.1% 11.4% $18

Clothing & Footwear

Montreal

$138 6.7%

Duncan BC

$124 5.7% 10.6% $15

Getting Around

Montreal

$100 4.8%

Duncan BC

$58 2.7% 41.7% $42

Sport & Entertainment

Montreal

$53 2.6%

Duncan BC

$86 4% 64.1% $34

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,298 in Montreal and $1,321 in Duncan BC. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Duncan BC pays 5% more on average. How far that income stretches comes down to housing choices and lifestyle.

Dining out: $73 in Montreal vs $71 in Duncan BC. Groceries flip the comparison at $357 vs $368, with Montreal cheaper for home cooking.

Good to know

🇨🇦 Montreal

🇨🇦 Duncan BC

🕒 Local time

11:14 11:14 AM

09:14 9:14 AM

2 h behind Montreal

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

1,762,949

22,199

💱 Currency

Canadian Dollar CAD $

📈 Exchange rate

1 CAD = 0.717 USD

1 CAD = 0.64 EUR

1 CAD = 0.717 USD

1 CAD = 0.64 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

On the map

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Between locations

Montreal Duncan BC 3,740 km ≈ 5 h nonstop flight

From you

Montreal
Duncan BC

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 Duncan BC: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Montreal is about 4% cheaper overall, especially in leisure, groceries, and utilities. That difference adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

On paper, salaries run 5% lower in Montreal. That’s worth factoring in alongside costs, though remote workers earning in a stronger currency may not notice the difference at all.

Rent for a central apartment: $1,298 in Montreal versus $1,321 in Duncan BC. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Supermarket bills run roughly 3% higher in Duncan BC. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

Dining out is cheaper in Duncan BC – a meal for two runs $71 versus $73 in Montreal. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

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.

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.

It comes down to priorities – Montreal wins on affordability, Duncan BC on earning potential. Factor in climate, language, visa rules, and proximity to places that matter to you before deciding.