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: $2,085 in Montreal versus $1,730 in Fort St John, BC.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $3,174 in Montreal versus $2,740 in Fort St John, BC.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $4,262 in Montreal versus $3,751 in Fort St John, BC.

Living in Montreal is roughly 21% more expensive than in Fort St John, BC, driven mainly by Monthly Utilities & Internet.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Montreal 56% above, Fort St John, BC 29% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$16.52 CA$23.16

$13.92 CA$19.52

18.68%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$74.0 CA$104

$43.98 CA$61.7

68.24%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$10.94 CA$15.34

$9.45 CA$13.24

15.77%

Cappuccino

$3.84 CA$5.39

$4.42 CA$6.20

-13.12%

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

$2.14 CA$2.99

$1.86 CA$2.61

15.05%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.45 CA$2.03

$1.31 CA$1.84

10.69%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$6.13 CA$8.60

$6.68 CA$9.37

-8.23%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$6.73 CA$9.44

$5.59 CA$7.84

20.39%

Milk (1 liter)

$2.35 CA$3.30

$2.38 CA$3.33

-1.26%

White Bread (500g)

$3.34 CA$4.68

$3.40 CA$4.77

-1.76%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$3.74 CA$5.25

$3.81 CA$5.34

-1.84%

Eggs

$3.39 CA$4.76

$3.91 CA$5.48

-13.30%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$16.30 CA$22.85

$6.51 CA$9.13

150.38%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$11.81 CA$16.56

$12.39 CA$17.37

-4.68%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$15.64 CA$21.93

$19.09 CA$26.77

-18.07%

Apples (1kg)

$3.69 CA$5.18

$5.25 CA$7.35

-29.71%

Banana (1kg)

$1.70 CA$2.39

$0.67 CA$0.94

153.73%

Oranges (1kg)

$4.11 CA$5.76

$3.98 CA$5.58

3.27%

Tomato (1kg)

$4.41 CA$6.18

$3.59 CA$5.03

22.84%

Potato (1kg)

$2.79 CA$3.91

$5.23 CA$7.33

-46.65%

Onion (1kg)

$2.64 CA$3.70

$2.87 CA$4.02

-8.01%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.29 CA$3.21

$2.46 CA$3.44

-6.91%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.78 CA$2.50

$2.19 CA$3.07

-18.72%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$13.17 CA$18.47

$14.61 CA$20.48

-9.86%

Wine (Bottle)

$10.64 CA$14.92

$21.01 CA$29.46

-49.36%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.99 CA$4.19

$2.86 CA$4.00

4.55%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.44 CA$4.82

$3.08 CA$4.32

11.69%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.81 CA$3.94

$1.49 CA$2.09

88.59%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$72.8 CA$102

$28.99 CA$40.64

151.19%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.52 CA$4.93

$7.23 CA$10.13

-51.31%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.45 CA$2.04

$1.07 CA$1.50

35.51%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$34.29 CA$48.08

$25.59 CA$35.88

34.00%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.22 CA$1.72

$1.26 CA$1.77

-3.17%

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

$25.3K CA$35.4K

$25.0K CA$35.0K

1.10%

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

$22.1K CA$31.0K

$20.3K CA$28.5K

9.01%

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

$76.5 CA$107

$87.8 CA$123

-12.86%

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

$35.60 CA$49.91

$103 CA$144

-65.40%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$42.96 CA$60.2

$66.2 CA$92.9

-35.14%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$43.39 CA$60.8

$56.6 CA$79.3

-23.27%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$16.83 CA$23.60

Cinema Ticket

$11.09 CA$15.55

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

$625 CA$876

$746 CA$1,047

-16.33%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$5,896 CA$8,266

$11.9K CA$16.7K

-50.59%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$63.1 CA$88.5

$72.7 CA$102

-13.19%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$44.50 CA$62.4

$47.98 CA$67.3

-7.25%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$103 CA$144

$83.6 CA$117

23.03%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$118 CA$166

$148 CA$207

-19.93%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,207 CA$1,692

$578 CA$811

108.80%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$965 CA$1,353

$541 CA$759

78.29%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,031 CA$2,848

$1,340 CA$1,879

51.61%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,577 CA$2,211

$1,094 CA$1,534

44.13%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$5,085 CA$7,129

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$3,783 CA$5,304

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$2,890 CA$4,051

$3,079 CA$4,317

-6.16%

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: July 11, 2026

Last update for Fort St John, BC: July 13, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,207 in Montreal and $578 in Fort St John, BC. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Fort St John, BC pays 7% more on average while also being the cheaper of the two. The combined effect is a noticeably stronger local purchasing power.

Dining out: $74.0 in Montreal vs $44.00 in Fort St John, BC. Groceries flip the comparison at $395 vs $411, 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 21% gap adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

On paper, salaries run 7% lower in Fort St John, BC. 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: $1,207 in Montreal versus $578 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 $44.00 versus $74.0 in Montreal. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

All in, you'll spend $2,085 per month in Montreal versus $1,730 in Fort St John, BC – a 21% gap that adds up to real savings over time for anyone picking the cheaper option.

At $1,730 in Fort St John, BC versus $2,085 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 21% less than in Montreal. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.