Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Montreal and Halifax

For one person, living is cheaper in Montreal: $2,018 a month against $2,477 in Halifax, rent and utilities included – about $5,500 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

99

Cost of Living Index in Montreal
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Montreal Living Index
120

Cost of Living Index in Halifax
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Halifax Living Index

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Montreal

🇨🇦 Canada

$2,018

/mo nomad

Halifax

🇨🇦 Canada

$2,477

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Montreal and in Halifax

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

A single person spends $2,018 per month in Montreal vs $2,477 in Halifax, rent included.

Montreal $2,018
Halifax $2,477

A couple spends around $3,085 per month in Montreal vs $3,557 in Halifax, rent included.

Montreal $3,085
Halifax $3,557

A family of three spends $4,152 per month in Montreal vs $4,638 in Halifax, rent included.

Montreal $4,152
Halifax $4,638

Montreal is about 19% cheaper than Halifax, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Both Montreal and Halifax sit above the global median – Montreal by 49%, Halifax by 83%.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$18.82 CA$26.61

$17.48 CA$24.71

7.67%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$70.3 CA$99.4

$71.1 CA$101

-1.13%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$10.66 CA$15.06

$10.55 CA$14.92

1.04%

Cappuccino

$3.84 CA$5.43

$4.41 CA$6.23

-12.93%

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

$1.92 CA$2.71

$2.32 CA$3.29

-17.24%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.54 CA$2.18

$1.78 CA$2.51

-13.48%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$6.23 CA$8.81

$5.64 CA$7.98

10.46%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$7.10 CA$10.03

$6.13 CA$8.66

15.82%

Milk (1 liter)

$2.31 CA$3.27

$2.27 CA$3.21

1.76%

White Bread (500g)

$3.14 CA$4.44

$2.63 CA$3.72

19.39%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$3.21 CA$4.54

$3.84 CA$5.43

-16.41%

Eggs

$3.52 CA$4.97

$3.73 CA$5.27

-5.63%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$12.81 CA$18.11

$8.82 CA$12.47

45.24%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$11.46 CA$16.20

$12.93 CA$18.28

-11.37%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$13.39 CA$18.92

$14.25 CA$20.15

-6.04%

Apples (1kg)

$3.14 CA$4.43

$5.26 CA$7.44

-40.30%

Banana (1kg)

$1.44 CA$2.03

$1.78 CA$2.52

-19.10%

Oranges (1kg)

$3.47 CA$4.91

$4.19 CA$5.93

-17.18%

Tomato (1kg)

$3.07 CA$4.34

$4.84 CA$6.85

-36.57%

Potato (1kg)

$1.90 CA$2.69

$2.70 CA$3.82

-29.63%

Onion (1kg)

$1.77 CA$2.50

$3.01 CA$4.26

-41.20%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.34 CA$3.31

$2.57 CA$3.64

-8.95%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.55 CA$2.19

$1.96 CA$2.77

-20.92%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$11.38 CA$16.09

$16.57 CA$23.43

-31.32%

Wine (Bottle)

$10.63 CA$15.03

$16.57 CA$23.43

-35.85%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.27 CA$3.21

$4.50 CA$6.37

-49.56%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.82 CA$3.99

$5.29 CA$7.48

-46.69%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.66 CA$3.76

$2.08 CA$2.94

27.88%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$77.3 CA$109

$62.2 CA$87.9

24.32%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.20 CA$4.53

$3.22 CA$4.55

-0.62%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.48 CA$2.09

$1.21 CA$1.71

22.31%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$32.88 CA$46.48

$20.89 CA$29.53

57.40%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.34 CA$1.90

$1.26 CA$1.78

6.35%

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

$28.2K CA$39.8K

$27.5K CA$38.9K

2.35%

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

$19.6K CA$27.8K

$21.0K CA$29.7K

-6.55%

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

$76.0 CA$107

$140 CA$198

-45.90%

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

$33.95 CA$48.00

$41.34 CA$58.4

-17.88%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$42.31 CA$59.8

$65.7 CA$92.8

-35.57%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$29.76 CA$42.07

$39.39 CA$55.7

-24.45%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$20.28 CA$28.67

$17.70 CA$25.03

14.58%

Cinema Ticket

$11.15 CA$15.77

$10.98 CA$15.52

1.55%

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

$507 CA$717

$955 CA$1,350

-46.92%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$16.1K CA$22.7K

$15.0K CA$21.2K

6.99%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$57.6 CA$81.4

$59.2 CA$83.6

-2.72%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$37.58 CA$53.1

$32.32 CA$45.69

16.27%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$91.9 CA$130

$98.8 CA$140

-6.96%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$110 CA$155

$113 CA$159

-2.87%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,260 CA$1,782

$1,422 CA$2,010

-11.37%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$948 CA$1,340

$1,265 CA$1,788

-25.10%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,137 CA$3,021

$2,461 CA$3,479

-13.16%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,614 CA$2,281

$1,906 CA$2,694

-15.33%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$4,960 CA$7,011

$3,182 CA$4,498

55.88%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$3,838 CA$5,425

$2,763 CA$3,906

38.88%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$2,827 CA$3,997

$2,752 CA$3,891

2.74%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

4.48

4.95

-9.49%

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

Last update for Montreal: October 12, 2026

Last update for Halifax: October 11, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Montreal

$948 47%

Halifax

$1.3K 51.1% 33.5% $317

Groceries & Markets

Montreal

$346 17.2%

Halifax

$405 16.4% 17% $59

Eating Out

Montreal

$288 14.3%

Halifax

$281 11.4% 2.3% $6.6

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Montreal

$152 7.5%

Halifax

$247 10% 62.5% $95

Clothing & Footwear

Montreal

$133 6.6%

Halifax

$136 5.5% 2.2% $2.9

Getting Around

Montreal

$99 4.9%

Halifax

$80 3.2% 19.1% $19

Sport & Entertainment

Montreal

$52 2.6%

Halifax

$61 2.5% 17.8% $9.3

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $1,260 in Montreal versus $1,422 in Halifax. 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 3% 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 $70.0 in Montreal versus $71.0 in Halifax. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $346 vs $405 – making Montreal the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇨🇦 Montreal

🇨🇦 Halifax

🕒 Local time

08:34 8:34 AM

09:34 9:34 AM

1 h ahead of Montreal

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

1,762,949

403,131

💱 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

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Between locations

Montreal Halifax 790 km ≈ 1 h 30 min nonstop flight

From you

Montreal
Halifax

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 Halifax: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Monthly costs with rent: $2,018 in Montreal, $2,477 in Halifax – roughly 23% apart. Outside of rent, the biggest gap is in groceries.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $3,027 per month in Montreal and $3,715 in Halifax. 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.

Public transport costs about 24% less in Montreal. For daily commuters, that gap adds up to noticeable savings over a year.

Kindergarten costs $507 per month in Montreal and $955 in Halifax. For families with young kids, this one expense can tip the scales when choosing between the two cities.

A $2,000 monthly budget goes further in Montreal, where all-in costs run around $2,018, than in Halifax at $2,477. In Montreal it covers expenses comfortably, while in Halifax 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 $2,018 in Montreal to $2,477 in Halifax. 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, Halifax makes more sense. Both are solid long-term options with distinct trade-offs.