Cost of Living Comparison Between Montreal and Halifax Cost of Living Comparison Between Montreal and Halifax

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $2,056 in Montreal versus $2,458 in Halifax.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $3,112 in Montreal versus $3,222 in Halifax.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $4,167 in Montreal versus $3,987 in Halifax.

Living in Montreal costs roughly 16% less than in Halifax, driven mainly by Eating Out.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Montreal 50% above, Halifax 79% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$17.85 CA$24.70

$27.29 £20.19

-34.59%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$72.3 CA$100

$79.9 £59.1

-9.48%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$10.92 CA$15.11

$10.82 £8.01

0.92%

Cappuccino

$3.97 CA$5.49

$5.05 £3.73

-21.39%

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

$2.07 CA$2.87

$2.75 £2.03

-24.73%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.55 CA$2.14

$1.77 £1.31

-12.43%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$6.41 CA$8.87

$6.68 £4.94

-4.04%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$7.29 CA$10.09

$6.66 £4.93

9.46%

Milk (1 liter)

$2.39 CA$3.30

$1.74 £1.29

37.36%

White Bread (500g)

$3.21 CA$4.43

$1.60 £1.18

100.62%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$3.07 CA$4.25

$2.57 £1.90

19.46%

Eggs

$3.68 CA$5.08

$3.91 £2.89

-5.88%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$13.57 CA$18.78

$10.75 £7.95

26.23%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$11.63 CA$16.08

$8.65 £6.40

34.45%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$13.97 CA$19.33

$11.34 £8.39

23.19%

Apples (1kg)

$3.68 CA$5.10

$3.12 £2.31

17.95%

Banana (1kg)

$1.56 CA$2.16

$1.97 £1.46

-20.81%

Oranges (1kg)

$3.41 CA$4.72

$2.54 £1.88

34.25%

Tomato (1kg)

$3.03 CA$4.19

$4.67 £3.46

-35.12%

Potato (1kg)

$1.98 CA$2.74

$1.67 £1.24

18.56%

Onion (1kg)

$1.82 CA$2.52

$1.72 £1.27

5.81%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.56 CA$3.54

$1.41 £1.04

81.56%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.39 CA$1.92

$1.65 £1.22

-15.76%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$11.49 CA$15.90

$22.00 £16.27

-47.77%

Wine (Bottle)

$10.92 CA$15.11

$10.72 £7.93

1.87%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.26 CA$3.13

$2.99 £2.21

-24.41%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.01 CA$4.16

$3.05 £2.25

-1.31%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.69 CA$3.72

$2.78 £2.06

-3.24%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$75.3 CA$104

$120 £88.9

-37.34%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.35 CA$4.63

$4.00 £2.96

-16.25%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.50 CA$2.08

$2.68 £1.98

-44.03%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$33.70 CA$46.63

$18.63 £13.79

80.89%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.29 CA$1.79

$2.08 £1.54

-37.98%

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

$28.3K CA$39.1K

$39.8K £29.4K

-28.94%

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

$20.0K CA$27.6K

$42.5K £31.4K

-53.04%

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

$80.4 CA$111

$285 £211

-71.79%

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

$34.23 CA$47.36

$21.55 £15.94

58.84%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$41.39 CA$57.3

$42.41 £31.37

-2.41%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$29.24 CA$40.46

$29.93 £22.14

-2.31%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$19.89 CA$27.52

$6.74 £4.99

195.10%

Cinema Ticket

$11.71 CA$16.20

$13.66 £10.11

-14.28%

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

$564 CA$781

$1,637 £1,211

-65.52%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$16.8K CA$23.3K

$16.8K £12.4K

0.46%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$59.5 CA$82.3

$80.4 £59.5

-26.02%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$42.13 CA$58.3

$47.68 £35.27

-11.64%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$107 CA$148

$81.7 £60.4

31.19%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$111 CA$153

$87.8 £64.9

26.27%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,284 CA$1,776

$1,277 £945

0.50%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$990 CA$1,370

$1,071 £793

-7.58%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,260 CA$3,127

$838 £620

169.65%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,667 CA$2,307

$986 £730

69.04%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$5,287 CA$7,315

$5,330 £3,943

-0.80%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$3,813 CA$5,275

$3,978 £2,943

-4.16%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$3,019 CA$4,177

$2,993 £2,214

0.87%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

4.41

5.61

-21.39%

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

Last update for Montreal: August 31, 2026

Last update for Halifax: August 30, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,284 in Montreal and $1,277 in Halifax. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Montreal pays 1% more on average while also being the cheaper of the two. The combined effect is a noticeably stronger local purchasing power.

Dining out: $72.0 in Montreal vs $80.0 in Halifax. Groceries flip the comparison at $356 vs $306, with Halifax 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 Halifax: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Montreal wins on cost – living expenses run 20% lower than in Halifax. Housing and daily spending are where you'll feel the difference most, making Montreal the obvious pick if budget is a priority.

Average pay runs 1% higher in Montreal, which matters when comparing affordability. Whether that higher income actually nets you more depends on your spending habits and housing choices.

Rent for a central apartment: $1,284 in Montreal versus $1,277 in Halifax. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

A monthly transit pass in Montreal runs roughly 60% less than in Halifax. Both cities have functional networks, but the price difference matters if you're watching your budget.

Childcare runs $564 in Montreal versus $1,637 in Halifax. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

At $2,056 in Montreal versus $2,458 in Halifax, a $2,000 budget is realistic in Montreal but tight or insufficient in Halifax. The gap between the two cities makes Montreal the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

Both work as nomad bases, but Montreal delivers better value – similar infrastructure at $2,056 monthly. If stretching your runway or maximizing savings is the goal, the price difference makes Montreal hard to pass up.

Safety-wise, Montreal and Halifax 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 Montreal gentler on the wallet – expenses run 20% less than in Halifax. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.