Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Montreal and Estevan

For one person, living is cheaper in Montreal: $2,059 a month against $2,230 in Estevan, rent and utilities included – about $2,100 less a year. Higher rent and utilities in Estevan outweigh lower spending on other living expenses.

99

Cost of Living Index in Montreal
Learn more

Montreal Living Index
107

Cost of Living Index in Estevan
Learn more

Estevan Living Index

Jump to prices

Montreal

🇨🇦 Canada

$2,059

/mo nomad

Estevan

🇨🇦 Canada

$2,230

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Montreal and in Estevan

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

A single person spends $2,059 per month in Montreal vs $2,230 in Estevan, rent included.

Montreal $2,059
Estevan $2,230

A couple spends around $3,123 per month in Montreal vs $3,133 in Estevan, rent included.

Montreal $3,123
Estevan $3,133

A family of three spends $4,187 per month in Montreal vs $4,037 in Estevan, rent included.

Montreal $4,187
Estevan $4,037

Montreal is about 8% cheaper than Estevan, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Both Montreal and Estevan sit above the global median – Montreal by 52%, Estevan by 65%.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$18.84 CA$26.63

$21.21 CA$29.99

-11.17%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$73.2 CA$104

$66.3 CA$93.8

10.39%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$10.54 CA$14.90

$5.54 CA$7.83

90.25%

Cappuccino

$3.97 CA$5.61

$2.16 CA$3.06

83.80%

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

$1.94 CA$2.74

$2.25 CA$3.18

-13.78%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.57 CA$2.22

$1.78 CA$2.52

-11.80%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$6.42 CA$9.08

$6.76 CA$9.55

-5.03%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$7.20 CA$10.19

$5.88 CA$8.31

22.45%

Milk (1 liter)

$2.32 CA$3.28

$0.97 CA$1.37

139.18%

White Bread (500g)

$3.19 CA$4.51

$1.16 CA$1.64

175.00%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$3.19 CA$4.50

$3.10 CA$4.38

2.90%

Eggs

$3.68 CA$5.20

$1.94 CA$2.75

89.69%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$13.24 CA$18.72

$13.71 CA$19.38

-3.43%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$11.69 CA$16.53

$6.36 CA$8.99

83.81%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$13.98 CA$19.76

$16.11 CA$22.77

-13.22%

Apples (1kg)

$3.14 CA$4.44

$4.18 CA$5.90

-24.88%

Banana (1kg)

$1.45 CA$2.05

$1.19 CA$1.68

21.85%

Oranges (1kg)

$3.38 CA$4.78

$3.93 CA$5.56

-13.99%

Tomato (1kg)

$3.11 CA$4.40

$3.57 CA$5.05

-12.89%

Potato (1kg)

$1.93 CA$2.72

$2.29 CA$3.23

-15.72%

Onion (1kg)

$1.83 CA$2.58

$2.37 CA$3.35

-22.78%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.36 CA$3.34

$1.40 CA$1.98

68.57%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.50 CA$2.12

$0.41 CA$0.57

265.85%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$11.12 CA$15.73

$14.50 CA$20.50

-23.31%

Wine (Bottle)

$10.60 CA$14.98

$13.39 CA$18.93

-20.84%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.22 CA$3.14

$3.46 CA$4.90

-35.84%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.84 CA$4.01

$3.30 CA$4.67

-13.94%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.62 CA$3.71

$2.00 CA$2.83

31.00%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$79.1 CA$112

$61.5 CA$87.0

28.62%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.23 CA$4.56

$3.70 CA$5.22

-12.70%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.48 CA$2.10

$0.80 CA$1.13

85.00%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$32.22 CA$45.55

$21.13 CA$29.87

52.48%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.36 CA$1.92

$1.14 CA$1.61

19.30%

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

$27.6K CA$39.1K

$28.0K CA$39.5K

-1.14%

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

$21.2K CA$30.0K

$21.6K CA$30.5K

-1.90%

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

$77.0 CA$109

$127 CA$179

-39.15%

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

$34.14 CA$48.26

$51.7 CA$73.0

-33.91%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$42.19 CA$59.7

$56.3 CA$79.6

-25.05%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$30.81 CA$43.56

$40.96 CA$57.9

-24.78%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$19.66 CA$27.79

$19.95 CA$28.21

-1.45%

Cinema Ticket

$11.47 CA$16.22

$10.44 CA$14.76

9.87%

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

$506 CA$716

$466 CA$659

8.59%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$16.2K CA$23.0K

$10.7K CA$15.1K

51.93%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$57.3 CA$81.0

$52.0 CA$73.5

10.09%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$38.10 CA$53.9

$37.50 CA$53.0

1.60%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$91.9 CA$130

$94.2 CA$133

-2.42%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$110 CA$155

$108 CA$153

1.25%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,237 CA$1,748

$1,242 CA$1,756

-0.42%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$977 CA$1,381

$1,154 CA$1,631

-15.33%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,180 CA$3,082

$1,881 CA$2,659

15.89%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,608 CA$2,273

$1,584 CA$2,240

1.48%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$5,113 CA$7,228

$4,391 CA$6,208

16.44%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$3,744 CA$5,293

$3,310 CA$4,680

13.11%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$2,957 CA$4,180

$4,314 CA$6,099

-31.45%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

4.48

4.58

-2.18%

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

Last update for Montreal: October 20, 2026

Last update for Estevan: October 20, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Montreal

$977 47.4%

Estevan

$1.2K 51.7% 18.1% $177

Groceries & Markets

Montreal

$351 17.1%

Estevan

$297 13.3% 15.4% $54

Eating Out

Montreal

$290 14.1%

Estevan

$274 12.3% 5.7% $17

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Montreal

$153 7.5%

Estevan

$235 10.5% 52.9% $81

Clothing & Footwear

Montreal

$134 6.5%

Estevan

$131 5.9% 1.7% $2.2

Getting Around

Montreal

$100 4.9%

Estevan

$77 3.5% 23% $23

Sport & Entertainment

Montreal

$54 2.6%

Estevan

$62 2.8% 15% $8.1

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $1,237 in Montreal versus $1,242 in Estevan. 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 46% higher in Estevan, 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 $73.0 in Montreal versus $66.0 in Estevan. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $351 vs $297 – making Estevan the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇨🇦 Montreal

🇨🇦 Estevan

🕒 Local time

10:20 10:20 AM

08:20 8:20 AM

2 h behind Montreal

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

1,762,949

11,054

💱 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

On the map

Lowest

Highest

Between locations

Montreal Estevan 2,240 km ≈ 3 h 15 min nonstop flight

From you

Montreal
Estevan

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 Estevan: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Monthly costs with rent: $2,059 in Montreal, $2,230 in Estevan – roughly 8% apart. Outside of rent, the biggest gap is in groceries.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $3,089 per month in Montreal and $3,344 in Estevan. 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. Housing is actually the single biggest factor behind the overall cost gap between these two cities.

Kindergarten costs $506 per month in Montreal and $466 in Estevan. For families with young kids, this one expense can tip the scales when choosing between the two cities.

Interestingly, groceries are about 18% cheaper in Estevan – one category where the pricier city actually offers better value, probably thanks to stronger retail competition or local farming.

A $2,000 monthly budget goes further in Montreal, where all-in costs run around $2,059, than in Estevan at $2,230. In Montreal it covers expenses comfortably, while in Estevan 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 $2,059 in Montreal to $2,230 in Estevan. 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 Montreal. If higher salaries, better infrastructure, or specific career opportunities are the priority, Estevan makes more sense. Both are solid long-term options with distinct trade-offs.