Cost of Living Comparison Between Montreal and Fort St John, BC Cost of Living Comparison Between Montreal and Fort St John, BC

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $2,063 in Montreal versus $1,728 in Fort St John, BC.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $3,159 in Montreal versus $2,737 in Fort St John, BC.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $4,255 in Montreal versus $3,746 in Fort St John, BC.

Living in Montreal is roughly 19% more expensive than Fort St John, BC, driven mainly by Monthly Utilities & Internet.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Montreal 54% above, Fort St John, BC 29% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$15.92 CA$22.05

$13.80 CA$19.10

15.36%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$73.1 CA$101

$44.90 CA$62.2

62.69%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$11.15 CA$15.43

$9.53 CA$13.20

17.00%

Cappuccino

$3.80 CA$5.26

$4.31 CA$5.97

-11.83%

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

$2.18 CA$3.01

$1.85 CA$2.57

17.84%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.46 CA$2.02

$1.25 CA$1.73

16.80%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$6.12 CA$8.48

$6.35 CA$8.79

-3.62%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$6.78 CA$9.38

$5.60 CA$7.76

21.07%

Milk (1 liter)

$2.33 CA$3.22

$2.35 CA$3.25

-0.85%

White Bread (500g)

$3.39 CA$4.69

$3.29 CA$4.55

3.04%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$3.73 CA$5.16

$3.94 CA$5.45

-5.33%

Eggs

$3.38 CA$4.68

$3.86 CA$5.35

-12.44%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$16.25 CA$22.50

$6.57 CA$9.10

147.34%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$11.54 CA$15.98

$12.13 CA$16.79

-4.86%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$15.24 CA$21.10

$19.41 CA$26.87

-21.48%

Apples (1kg)

$3.74 CA$5.18

$5.22 CA$7.23

-28.35%

Banana (1kg)

$1.70 CA$2.36

$0.68 CA$0.94

150.00%

Oranges (1kg)

$4.11 CA$5.68

$3.85 CA$5.33

6.75%

Tomato (1kg)

$4.35 CA$6.02

$3.75 CA$5.19

16.00%

Potato (1kg)

$2.71 CA$3.75

$5.22 CA$7.23

-48.08%

Onion (1kg)

$2.62 CA$3.62

$2.90 CA$4.02

-9.66%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.25 CA$3.12

$2.51 CA$3.47

-10.36%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.73 CA$2.39

$2.25 CA$3.11

-23.11%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$13.31 CA$18.43

$14.68 CA$20.33

-9.33%

Wine (Bottle)

$10.78 CA$14.93

$21.27 CA$29.44

-49.32%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$3.01 CA$4.17

$2.95 CA$4.08

2.03%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.46 CA$4.80

$3.02 CA$4.18

14.57%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.74 CA$3.79

$1.45 CA$2.00

88.97%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$72.7 CA$101

$29.49 CA$40.84

146.42%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.63 CA$5.03

$7.24 CA$10.03

-49.86%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.46 CA$2.02

$1.02 CA$1.41

43.14%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$33.44 CA$46.30

$26.28 CA$36.38

27.25%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.21 CA$1.68

$1.26 CA$1.75

-3.97%

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

$24.6K CA$34.1K

$25.2K CA$34.9K

-2.21%

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

$21.7K CA$30.0K

$20.5K CA$28.4K

5.73%

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

$76.0 CA$105

$86.3 CA$119

-11.90%

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

$35.72 CA$49.46

$104 CA$144

-65.69%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$42.86 CA$59.4

$65.1 CA$90.1

-34.15%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$42.92 CA$59.4

$55.9 CA$77.3

-23.15%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$17.23 CA$23.86

Cinema Ticket

$11.09 CA$15.35

$10.91 CA$15.10

1.65%

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

$620 CA$858

$745 CA$1,032

-16.84%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$5,834 CA$8,078

$11.6K CA$16.1K

-49.81%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$62.7 CA$86.8

$74.3 CA$103

-15.68%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$44.41 CA$61.5

$48.13 CA$66.6

-7.73%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$101 CA$139

$84.7 CA$117

18.90%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$119 CA$165

$145 CA$201

-17.94%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,211 CA$1,677

$589 CA$815

105.77%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$960 CA$1,329

$552 CA$765

73.72%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,035 CA$2,818

$1,302 CA$1,803

56.31%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,589 CA$2,201

$1,125 CA$1,557

41.29%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$5,181 CA$7,173

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$3,934 CA$5,446

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$2,960 CA$4,098

$3,124 CA$4,325

-5.24%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

5.01

7.45

-32.75%

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

Last update for Montreal: May 31, 2026

Last update for Fort St John, BC: May 31, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,211 in Montreal and $589 in Fort St John, BC. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Fort St John, BC pays 6% more on average while also being the cheaper of the two. The combined effect is a noticeably stronger local purchasing power.

Dining out: $73.0 in Montreal vs $45.00 in Fort St John, BC. Groceries flip the comparison at $392 vs $412, with Montreal cheaper for home cooking.

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 St John, BC: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Fort St John, BC is cheaper overall, especially in Eating Out, Getting Around. The 19% gap adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

On paper, Fort St John, BC earns 6% less. 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: $1,211 in Montreal versus $589 in Fort St John, BC. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Dining out is cheaper in Fort St John, BC – a meal for two runs $45.00 versus $73.0 in Montreal. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

All in, you'll spend $2,063 per month in Montreal versus $1,728 in Fort St John, BC – a 19% gap that adds up to real savings over time for anyone picking the cheaper option.

At $1,728 in Fort St John, BC versus $2,063 in Montreal, a $2,500 budget is realistic in Fort St John, BC but tight or insufficient in Montreal. The gap between the two cities makes Fort St John, BC the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

For families, Fort St John, BC is more practical. Housing and childcare are both notably cheaper than in Montreal, and the savings on those two alone free up budget for education, activities, and family trips.

Safety-wise, Montreal and Fort St John, BC are on par. Petty crime is typical for cities this size, and most residents feel comfortable going about their daily routines in either place.

Expats usually find Fort St John, BC gentler on the wallet – expenses run 19% less than in Montreal. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.