Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Montreal and Edmonton

For one person, living is cheaper in Montreal: $2,064 a month against $2,188 in Edmonton, rent and utilities included – about $1,500 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

99

Cost of Living Index in Montreal
Learn more

Montreal Living Index
106

Cost of Living Index in Edmonton
Learn more

Edmonton Living Index

Jump to prices

Montreal

🇨🇦 Canada

$2,064

/mo nomad

Edmonton

🇨🇦 Canada

$2,188

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Montreal and in Edmonton

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

A single person spends $2,064 per month in Montreal vs $2,188 in Edmonton, rent included.

Montreal $2,064
Edmonton $2,188

A couple spends around $3,156 per month in Montreal vs $3,196 in Edmonton, rent included.

Montreal $3,156
Edmonton $3,196

A family of three spends $4,247 per month in Montreal vs $4,203 in Edmonton, rent included.

Montreal $4,247
Edmonton $4,203

Montreal is about 6% cheaper than Edmonton, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in utilities.

Both Montreal and Edmonton sit above the global median – Montreal by 52%, Edmonton by 61%.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$18.98 CA$26.67

$19.92 CA$27.99

-4.72%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$73.0 CA$103

$78.2 CA$110

-6.62%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$10.88 CA$15.29

$10.14 CA$14.25

7.30%

Cappuccino

$3.81 CA$5.36

$3.96 CA$5.57

-3.79%

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

$1.94 CA$2.73

$2.34 CA$3.28

-17.09%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.58 CA$2.22

$2.03 CA$2.85

-22.17%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$6.37 CA$8.95

$5.76 CA$8.09

10.59%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$7.26 CA$10.21

$6.34 CA$8.91

14.51%

Milk (1 liter)

$2.23 CA$3.13

$1.62 CA$2.27

37.65%

White Bread (500g)

$3.17 CA$4.46

$2.15 CA$3.02

47.44%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$3.31 CA$4.65

$3.03 CA$4.26

9.24%

Eggs

$3.63 CA$5.10

$3.58 CA$5.04

1.40%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$13.16 CA$18.49

$10.77 CA$15.13

22.19%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$11.56 CA$16.24

$11.31 CA$15.89

2.21%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$13.71 CA$19.27

$18.80 CA$26.42

-27.07%

Apples (1kg)

$3.29 CA$4.62

$4.13 CA$5.80

-20.34%

Banana (1kg)

$1.46 CA$2.05

$1.40 CA$1.96

4.29%

Oranges (1kg)

$3.37 CA$4.73

$4.24 CA$5.95

-20.52%

Tomato (1kg)

$3.15 CA$4.42

$3.95 CA$5.55

-20.25%

Potato (1kg)

$1.89 CA$2.65

$2.13 CA$2.99

-11.27%

Onion (1kg)

$1.79 CA$2.52

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.47 CA$3.47

$2.48 CA$3.49

-0.40%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.58 CA$2.22

$1.79 CA$2.51

-11.73%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$11.28 CA$15.85

$14.32 CA$20.12

-21.23%

Wine (Bottle)

$10.49 CA$14.74

$11.58 CA$16.27

-9.41%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.34 CA$3.28

$3.45 CA$4.85

-32.17%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.91 CA$4.09

$2.98 CA$4.19

-2.35%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.61 CA$3.67

$2.64 CA$3.71

-1.14%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$79.1 CA$111

$72.9 CA$102

8.50%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.26 CA$4.58

$2.87 CA$4.03

13.59%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.44 CA$2.02

$1.42 CA$2.00

1.41%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$33.43 CA$46.97

$20.99 CA$29.48

59.27%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.33 CA$1.87

$1.18 CA$1.66

12.71%

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

$28.6K CA$40.2K

$27.5K CA$38.6K

4.23%

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

$21.1K CA$29.6K

$20.7K CA$29.1K

1.78%

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

$80.1 CA$112

$231 CA$324

-65.30%

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

$34.30 CA$48.19

$43.33 CA$60.9

-20.84%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$42.85 CA$60.2

$54.8 CA$77.0

-21.85%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$31.14 CA$43.76

$43.95 CA$61.8

-29.15%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$19.41 CA$27.27

$18.43 CA$25.89

5.32%

Cinema Ticket

$11.23 CA$15.78

$12.60 CA$17.71

-10.87%

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

$525 CA$738

$626 CA$880

-16.18%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$16.3K CA$22.9K

$9,741 CA$13.7K

67.63%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$58.0 CA$81.5

$44.27 CA$62.2

31.01%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$38.11 CA$53.5

$47.59 CA$66.9

-19.92%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$93.4 CA$131

$87.9 CA$124

6.27%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$110 CA$155

$97.1 CA$136

13.42%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,285 CA$1,806

$1,088 CA$1,529

18.07%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$977 CA$1,372

$913 CA$1,283

6.97%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,271 CA$3,190

$1,720 CA$2,416

32.05%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,665 CA$2,339

$1,382 CA$1,941

20.49%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$5,139 CA$7,221

$2,243 CA$3,151

129.11%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$3,834 CA$5,387

$1,946 CA$2,735

97.00%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$3,002 CA$4,218

$3,428 CA$4,816

-12.43%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

4.48

4.32

3.70%

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

Last update for Montreal: October 25, 2026

Last update for Edmonton: October 25, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Montreal

$977 47.3%

Edmonton

$913 41.7% 6.5% $64

Groceries & Markets

Montreal

$351 17%

Edmonton

$363 16.6% 3.3% $12

Eating Out

Montreal

$291 14.1%

Edmonton

$296 13.5% 1.9% $5.5

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Montreal

$157 7.6%

Edmonton

$329 15% 109% $172

Clothing & Footwear

Montreal

$135 6.5%

Edmonton

$125 5.7% 7.6% $10

Getting Around

Montreal

$100 4.9%

Edmonton

$93 4.3% 6.5% $6.5

Sport & Entertainment

Montreal

$54 2.6%

Edmonton

$69 3.2% 29% $16

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $1,285 in Montreal versus $1,088 in Edmonton. 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 14% higher in Edmonton. Purchasing power depends on which expenses matter most to you.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $73 in Montreal versus $78 in Edmonton. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $351 vs $363 – making Montreal the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇨🇦 Montreal

🇨🇦 Edmonton

🕒 Local time

08:30 8:30 AM

06:30 6:30 AM

2 h behind Montreal

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

1,762,949

1,010,899

💱 Currency

Canadian Dollar CAD $

📈 Exchange rate

1 CAD = 0.712 USD

1 CAD = 0.64 EUR

1 CAD = 0.712 USD

1 CAD = 0.64 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

On the map

Lowest

Highest

Between locations

Montreal Edmonton 2,970 km ≈ 4 h 15 min nonstop flight

From you

Montreal
Edmonton

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 Edmonton: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Monthly costs with rent: $2,064 in Montreal, $2,188 in Edmonton – roughly 6% apart. Outside of rent, the biggest gap is in utilities.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $3,096 per month in Montreal and $3,282 in Edmonton. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

Rent is clearly cheaper in Edmonton, especially for central apartments: a one-bedroom in the center costs $1,088 there versus $1,285 in Montreal.

Monthly expenses with rent come to $2,064 in Montreal and $2,188 in Edmonton. That’s a gap of about 6%.

Public transport costs about 8% less in Edmonton. 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 $2,188 in Edmonton. You’ll need shared housing and careful budgeting no matter which city you pick.

It depends on your priorities. Montreal has an edge in some lifestyle areas, with costs from $2,064 in Montreal to $2,188 in Edmonton. Climate, culture, job market, and personal taste all factor in.

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