Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Montreal and Gatineau

For one person, living is cheaper in Montreal: $2,064 a month against $2,132 in Gatineau, rent and utilities included – about $820 less a year. Higher rent and utilities in Gatineau outweigh lower spending on other living expenses.

99

Cost of Living Index in Montreal
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Montreal Living Index
103

Cost of Living Index in Gatineau
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Gatineau Living Index

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Montreal

🇨🇦 Canada

$2,064

/mo nomad

Gatineau

🇨🇦 Canada

$2,132

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Montreal and in Gatineau

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

A single person spends $2,064 per month in Montreal vs $2,132 in Gatineau, rent included.

Montreal $2,064
Gatineau $2,132

A couple spends around $3,156 per month in Montreal vs $3,159 in Gatineau, rent included.

Montreal $3,156
Gatineau $3,159

A family of three spends $4,247 per month in Montreal vs $4,186 in Gatineau, rent included.

Montreal $4,247
Gatineau $4,186

Montreal is about 3% cheaper than Gatineau, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Both Montreal and Gatineau sit above the global median – Montreal by 52%, Gatineau by 57%.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$18.98 CA$26.52

$13.03 CA$18.20

45.66%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$73.0 CA$102

$86.5 CA$121

-15.65%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$10.88 CA$15.20

$10.82 CA$15.12

0.55%

Cappuccino

$3.81 CA$5.33

$3.17 CA$4.43

20.19%

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

$1.94 CA$2.71

$1.37 CA$1.91

41.61%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.58 CA$2.21

$1.32 CA$1.85

19.70%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$6.37 CA$8.90

$4.41 CA$6.16

44.44%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$7.26 CA$10.15

$6.45 CA$9.02

12.56%

Milk (1 liter)

$2.23 CA$3.11

$1.91 CA$2.67

16.75%

White Bread (500g)

$3.17 CA$4.43

$2.99 CA$4.18

6.02%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$3.31 CA$4.62

$5.16 CA$7.20

-35.85%

Eggs

$3.63 CA$5.07

$3.21 CA$4.48

13.08%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$13.16 CA$18.38

$11.63 CA$16.25

13.16%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$11.56 CA$16.15

$9.99 CA$13.96

15.72%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$13.71 CA$19.16

$11.08 CA$15.48

23.74%

Apples (1kg)

$3.29 CA$4.60

$3.97 CA$5.55

-17.13%

Banana (1kg)

$1.46 CA$2.04

$1.93 CA$2.69

-24.35%

Oranges (1kg)

$3.37 CA$4.70

$4.72 CA$6.59

-28.60%

Tomato (1kg)

$3.15 CA$4.40

$4.52 CA$6.32

-30.31%

Potato (1kg)

$1.89 CA$2.64

$2.10 CA$2.93

-10.00%

Onion (1kg)

$1.79 CA$2.50

$2.47 CA$3.44

-27.53%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.47 CA$3.45

$2.08 CA$2.91

18.75%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.58 CA$2.21

$2.68 CA$3.74

-41.04%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$11.28 CA$15.77

$11.94 CA$16.68

-5.53%

Wine (Bottle)

$10.49 CA$14.66

$12.40 CA$17.32

-15.40%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.34 CA$3.26

$2.92 CA$4.09

-19.86%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.91 CA$4.07

$3.37 CA$4.71

-13.65%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.61 CA$3.65

$3.28 CA$4.59

-20.43%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$79.1 CA$111

$80.3 CA$112

-1.51%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.26 CA$4.55

$4.91 CA$6.86

-33.60%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.44 CA$2.01

$2.28 CA$3.18

-36.84%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$33.43 CA$46.71

$33.31 CA$46.53

0.36%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.33 CA$1.86

$1.24 CA$1.73

7.26%

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

$28.6K CA$40.0K

$27.7K CA$38.7K

3.26%

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

$21.1K CA$29.5K

$20.9K CA$29.3K

0.75%

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

$80.1 CA$112

$116 CA$162

-30.97%

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

$34.30 CA$47.92

$36.45 CA$50.9

-5.90%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$42.85 CA$59.9

$49.10 CA$68.6

-12.73%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$31.14 CA$43.51

$46.92 CA$65.5

-33.63%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$19.41 CA$27.11

$29.37 CA$41.03

-33.91%

Cinema Ticket

$11.23 CA$15.69

$10.78 CA$15.07

4.17%

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

$525 CA$734

$552 CA$771

-4.81%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$16.3K CA$22.8K

$137.5K CA$192.1K

-88.12%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$58.0 CA$81.0

$69.9 CA$97.7

-17.07%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$38.11 CA$53.2

$43.48 CA$60.7

-12.35%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$93.4 CA$131

$88.8 CA$124

5.23%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$110 CA$154

$120 CA$168

-8.10%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,285 CA$1,795

$1,287 CA$1,799

-0.18%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$977 CA$1,364

$1,016 CA$1,419

-3.87%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,271 CA$3,173

$1,933 CA$2,700

17.50%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,665 CA$2,326

$1,524 CA$2,129

9.27%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$5,139 CA$7,180

$5,162 CA$7,212

-0.45%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$3,834 CA$5,357

$6,163 CA$8,610

-37.78%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$3,002 CA$4,194

$2,656 CA$3,711

13.02%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

4.48

4.64

-3.45%

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

Last update for Montreal: October 25, 2026

Last update for Gatineau: October 24, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Montreal

$977 47.3%

Gatineau

$1K 47.6% 4% $39

Groceries & Markets

Montreal

$351 17%

Gatineau

$371 17.4% 5.7% $20

Eating Out

Montreal

$291 14.1%

Gatineau

$220 10.3% 24.2% $70

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Montreal

$157 7.6%

Gatineau

$202 9.5% 28.2% $44

Clothing & Footwear

Montreal

$135 6.5%

Gatineau

$145 6.8% 7.5% $10

Getting Around

Montreal

$100 4.9%

Gatineau

$110 5.2% 9.7% $9.8

Sport & Entertainment

Montreal

$54 2.6%

Gatineau

$68 3.2% 27.8% $15

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $1,285 in Montreal versus $1,287 in Gatineau. 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 13% higher in Montreal, which reinforces the cost advantage – you earn more and spend less. Purchasing power leans clearly in its favor.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $73 in Montreal versus $87 in Gatineau. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $351 vs $371 – making Montreal the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇨🇦 Montreal

🇨🇦 Gatineau

🕒 Local time

05:06 5:06 AM

Same time as Montreal

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

1,762,949

291,041

💱 Currency

Canadian Dollar CAD $

📈 Exchange rate

1 CAD = 0.716 USD

1 CAD = 0.641 EUR

1 CAD = 0.716 USD

1 CAD = 0.641 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

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Montreal Gatineau 170 km

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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 Gatineau: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Gatineau costs about 3% more than Montreal, and outside of rent the gap comes mainly from groceries. That’s enough to noticeably affect everyday spending and lifestyle for anyone choosing between the two.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $3,096 per month in Montreal and $3,199 in Gatineau. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

A central 1-bedroom goes for about $1,285 in Montreal and $1,287 in Gatineau. The gap holds across neighborhoods – outer areas show a similar spread, just at lower price points.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $73 in Montreal and $87 in Gatineau. That’s a good indicator of the overall restaurant and café pricing gap between the two cities.

Groceries cost about 6% more in Gatineau, though the gap depends on what you buy.

$2,000 is a stretch for both – monthly costs hit $2,064 in Montreal and $2,132 in Gatineau. 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 $2,132 in Gatineau. Climate, culture, job market, and personal taste all factor in.