Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Montreal and Fort Saskatchewan

For one person, living is cheaper in Montreal: $2,018 a month against $2,174 in Fort Saskatchewan, rent and utilities included – about $1,900 less a year. Other living expenses account for most of the difference.

Montreal
🇨🇦 Canada
$2,018
/mo nomad
Fort Saskatchewan
🇨🇦 Canada
$2,174
/mo nomad
Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Montreal and in Fort Saskatchewan

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $2,018 in Montreal versus $2,174 in Fort Saskatchewan.

  • Montreal $2,018
  • Fort Saskatchewan $2,174

Estimated couple costs with rent: $3,085 in Montreal versus $3,367 in Fort Saskatchewan.

  • Montreal $3,085
  • Fort Saskatchewan $3,367

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $4,152 in Montreal versus $4,560 in Fort Saskatchewan.

  • Montreal $4,152
  • Fort Saskatchewan $4,560

Living in Montreal costs roughly 7% less than in Fort Saskatchewan, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Montreal 49% above, Fort Saskatchewan 61% above.

Currency
🍽 Eating Out
Montreal
Fort Saskatchewan
Difference
Meal at Budget Restaurant
$18.82 CA$26.61
$28.07 CA$39.68
-32.95%
Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range
$70.3 CA$99.4
$64.3 CA$90.9
9.28%
Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)
$10.66 CA$15.06
$10.63 CA$15.02
0.28%
Cappuccino
$3.84 CA$5.43
$3.93 CA$5.56
-2.29%
Coke/Pepsi/Fanta/Sprite (0.33 liter bottle)
$1.92 CA$2.71
$3.13 CA$4.42
-38.66%
Water (0.33 liter bottle)
$1.54 CA$2.18
$2.52 CA$3.57
-38.89%
Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)
$6.23 CA$8.81
$7.83 CA$11.06
-20.43%
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$7.10 CA$10.03
$9.06 CA$12.81
-21.63%
🛒 Groceries & Markets
Montreal
Fort Saskatchewan
Difference
Milk (1 liter)
$2.31 CA$3.27
$2.53 CA$3.57
-8.70%
White Bread (500g)
$3.14 CA$4.44
$3.07 CA$4.34
2.28%
Rice (white) (1kg)
$3.21 CA$4.54
$3.08 CA$4.35
4.22%
Eggs
$3.52 CA$4.97
$3.43 CA$4.85
2.62%
Local Cheese (1kg)
$12.81 CA$18.11
$14.97 CA$21.16
-14.43%
Chicken Fillets (1kg)
$11.46 CA$16.20
$13.15 CA$18.59
-12.85%
Beef Round Steak (1kg)
$13.39 CA$18.92
$20.39 CA$28.83
-34.33%
Apples (1kg)
$3.14 CA$4.43
$3.19 CA$4.50
-1.57%
Banana (1kg)
$1.44 CA$2.03
$1.86 CA$2.63
-22.58%
Oranges (1kg)
$3.47 CA$4.91
$3.55 CA$5.02
-2.25%
Tomato (1kg)
$3.07 CA$4.34
$3.65 CA$5.16
-15.89%
Potato (1kg)
$1.90 CA$2.69
$2.40 CA$3.39
-20.83%
Onion (1kg)
$1.77 CA$2.50
$1.92 CA$2.71
-7.81%
Lettuce (1 head)
$2.34 CA$3.31
$2.43 CA$3.43
-3.70%
Water (1.5 liter bottle)
$1.55 CA$2.19
$1.57 CA$2.22
-1.27%
Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)
$11.38 CA$16.09
$15.68 CA$22.16
-27.42%
Wine (Bottle)
$10.63 CA$15.03
$12.73 CA$17.99
-16.50%
Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)
$2.27 CA$3.21
$2.71 CA$3.83
-16.24%
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$2.82 CA$3.99
$3.32 CA$4.70
-15.06%
🚌 Getting Around
Montreal
Fort Saskatchewan
Difference
One-way Ticket (Public Transport)
$2.66 CA$3.76
$2.33 CA$3.30
14.16%
Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)
$77.3 CA$109
$60.5 CA$85.6
27.71%
Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)
$3.20 CA$4.53
$3.29 CA$4.65
-2.74%
Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)
$1.48 CA$2.09
$1.52 CA$2.16
-2.63%
Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)
$32.88 CA$46.48
$23.08 CA$32.63
42.46%
Gasoline (1 liter)
$1.34 CA$1.90
$0.99 CA$1.40
35.35%
Midsize Hatchback 1.4l (Volkswagen Golf, Toyota Prius, Honda Civic, etc)
$28.2K CA$39.8K
$27.4K CA$38.8K
2.62%
Compact Sedan 1.6l (Toyota Corolla, Mazda3, Kia K4, Hyundai Elantra, etc)
$19.6K CA$27.8K
$18.8K CA$26.6K
4.45%
🧾 Monthly Utilities & Internet
Montreal
Fort Saskatchewan
Difference
Utilities for 2 People in 2-bedroom Apartment (Heating, Electricity, Gas, Water, Garbage) (85m2)
$76.0 CA$107
$147 CA$208
-48.46%
SIM Card Monthly Plan (Calls and 10GB+ Data)
$33.95 CA$48.00
$38.07 CA$53.8
-10.82%
Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)
$42.31 CA$59.8
$53.9 CA$76.2
-21.53%
🎉 Sport & Entertainment
Montreal
Fort Saskatchewan
Difference
Gym Membership (Monthly)
$29.76 CA$42.07
$39.52 CA$55.9
-24.70%
Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)
$20.28 CA$28.67
$17.97 CA$25.41
12.85%
Cinema Ticket
$11.15 CA$15.77
$9.43 CA$13.33
18.24%
🧸 Childcare & Education
Montreal
Fort Saskatchewan
Difference
Preschool or Kindergarten, Full Day, Private, 1 Child (Monthly)
$507 CA$717
$736 CA$1,041
-31.14%
International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)
$16.1K CA$22.7K
$12.2K CA$17.3K
31.34%
👕👟 Clothing & Footwear
Montreal
Fort Saskatchewan
Difference
Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)
$57.6 CA$81.4
$63.6 CA$89.9
-9.53%
Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)
$37.58 CA$53.1
$37.27 CA$52.7
0.83%
Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)
$91.9 CA$130
$83.6 CA$118
9.97%
Men's Leather Business Shoes
$110 CA$155
$102 CA$145
7.17%
🏠 Accommodation & Living
Montreal
Fort Saskatchewan
Difference
1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$1,260 CA$1,782
$1,242 CA$1,756
1.48%
1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$948 CA$1,340
$884 CA$1,250
7.19%
3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$2,137 CA$3,021
$1,908 CA$2,697
12.01%
3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$1,614 CA$2,281
$1,669 CA$2,360
-3.33%
Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)
$4,960 CA$7,011
$4,111 CA$5,812
20.64%
Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)
$3,838 CA$5,425
$3,521 CA$4,977
9.00%
💵 Salaries & Financials
Montreal
Fort Saskatchewan
Difference
Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)
$2,827 CA$3,997
$3,118 CA$4,407
-9.31%
20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)
4.48
6.07
-26.19%

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

Last update for Montreal: October 12, 2026

Last update for Fort Saskatchewan: October 10, 2026

Monthly budget structure
Share of the monthly basket for one person, rent included.
Accommodation & Living
Montreal
$948
Fort Saskatchewan
$884 6.7% $64
Groceries & Markets
Montreal
$346
Fort Saskatchewan
$399 15% $52
Eating Out
Montreal
$288
Fort Saskatchewan
$383 33.2% $96
Monthly Utilities & Internet
Montreal
$152
Fort Saskatchewan
$239 57.3% $87
Clothing & Footwear
Montreal
$133
Fort Saskatchewan
$129 3.3% $4.4
Getting Around
Montreal
$99
Fort Saskatchewan
$81 18% $18
Sport & Entertainment
Montreal
$52
Fort Saskatchewan
$58 12.1% $6.3

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,260 in Montreal and $1,242 in Fort Saskatchewan. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Fort Saskatchewan pays 10% more on average. The extra income cushions the higher costs, though housing choices and lifestyle decide how much of the gap is truly closed.

Dining out: $70.0 in Montreal vs $64.0 in Fort Saskatchewan. Groceries flip the comparison at $346 vs $399, with Montreal cheaper for home cooking.

Good to know
🇨🇦 Montreal
🇨🇦 Fort Saskatchewan
🕒 Local time
15:35 3:35 PM
13:35 1:35 PM
2 h behind Montreal
🌤 Weather
👥 Population
1,762,949
28,624
💱 Currency
Exchange rates and currency converter

USD, EUR to CAD – Canadian Dollar Converter

Canadian Dollar exchange rates as of October 18, 2026: 1 USD = 1.41 CAD (1 CAD = 0.707 USD). 1 EUR = 1.59 CAD (1 CAD = 0.629 EUR).

On the map
Between locations
  • Montreal Fort Saskatchewan 2,950 km ≈ 4 h 15 min nonstop flight
From you
  • Montreal
  • Fort Saskatchewan

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 Fort Saskatchewan: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions
What is the total cost difference between living in Montreal and in Fort Saskatchewan?
Montreal and Fort Saskatchewan differ by about 8% in total monthly costs ($2,018 vs $2,174 including rent). Montreal is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.
Which city has better-paying jobs?
On paper, salaries run 10% lower in Fort Saskatchewan. That's worth factoring in alongside costs, though remote workers earning in a stronger currency may not notice the difference at all.
How do apartment prices compare in Montreal and in Fort Saskatchewan?
Rent for a central apartment: $1,260 in Montreal versus $1,242 in Fort Saskatchewan. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.
What is the difference in childcare costs between Montreal and Fort Saskatchewan?
Childcare runs $507 in Montreal versus $736 in Fort Saskatchewan. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.
Which city has cheaper grocery shopping?
Supermarket bills run roughly 15% higher in Fort Saskatchewan. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.
Which city is more doable on $2,000 per month?
At $2,018 in Montreal versus $2,174 in Fort Saskatchewan, a $2,000 budget is realistic in Montreal but tight or insufficient in Fort Saskatchewan. The gap between the two cities makes Montreal the clear choice for anyone on this budget.
How does quality of life compare between Montreal and Fort Saskatchewan?
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.
Is Montreal or Fort Saskatchewan safer for residents?
Safety-wise, Montreal and Fort Saskatchewan are on par. Petty crime is typical for cities this size, and most residents feel comfortable going about their daily routines in either place.
Where should expats move: Montreal or Fort Saskatchewan?
Expats usually find Montreal gentler on the wallet – expenses run 8% less than in Fort Saskatchewan. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.

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