Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Montreal and Hearst

For one person, living is cheaper in Montreal: $2,059 a month against $2,210 in Hearst, rent and utilities included – about $1,800 less a year. Higher rent and utilities in Hearst outweigh lower spending on other living expenses.

99

Cost of Living Index in Montreal
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Montreal Living Index
108

Cost of Living Index in Hearst
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Hearst Living Index

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Montreal

🇨🇦 Canada

$2,059

/mo nomad

Hearst

🇨🇦 Canada

$2,210

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Montreal and in Hearst

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $2,059 in Montreal versus $2,210 in Hearst.

Montreal $2,059
Hearst $2,210

Estimated couple costs with rent: $3,123 in Montreal versus $3,203 in Hearst.

Montreal $3,123
Hearst $3,203

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $4,187 in Montreal versus $4,197 in Hearst.

Montreal $4,187
Hearst $4,197

Living in Montreal costs roughly 7% less than in Hearst, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Montreal 52% above, Hearst 63% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$18.84 CA$26.63

$17.35 CA$24.53

8.59%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$73.2 CA$104

$66.0 CA$93.4

10.87%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$10.54 CA$14.90

$10.67 CA$15.09

-1.22%

Cappuccino

$3.97 CA$5.61

$3.60 CA$5.09

10.28%

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

$1.94 CA$2.74

$2.01 CA$2.83

-3.48%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.57 CA$2.22

$1.55 CA$2.20

1.29%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$6.42 CA$9.08

$5.18 CA$7.32

23.94%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$7.20 CA$10.19

$5.58 CA$7.88

29.03%

Milk (1 liter)

$2.32 CA$3.28

$2.09 CA$2.95

11.00%

White Bread (500g)

$3.19 CA$4.51

$2.55 CA$3.60

25.10%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$3.19 CA$4.50

$3.29 CA$4.65

-3.04%

Eggs

$3.68 CA$5.20

$3.34 CA$4.73

10.18%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$13.24 CA$18.72

$9.67 CA$13.67

36.92%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$11.69 CA$16.53

$11.53 CA$16.30

1.39%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$13.98 CA$19.76

$14.25 CA$20.15

-1.89%

Apples (1kg)

$3.14 CA$4.44

$3.78 CA$5.35

-16.93%

Banana (1kg)

$1.45 CA$2.05

$1.26 CA$1.78

15.08%

Oranges (1kg)

$3.38 CA$4.78

$3.63 CA$5.13

-6.89%

Tomato (1kg)

$3.11 CA$4.40

$3.67 CA$5.18

-15.26%

Potato (1kg)

$1.93 CA$2.72

$2.49 CA$3.52

-22.49%

Onion (1kg)

$1.83 CA$2.58

$2.17 CA$3.06

-15.67%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.36 CA$3.34

$2.48 CA$3.51

-4.84%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.50 CA$2.12

$1.57 CA$2.22

-4.46%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$11.12 CA$15.73

$13.89 CA$19.63

-19.94%

Wine (Bottle)

$10.60 CA$14.98

$12.84 CA$18.15

-17.45%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.22 CA$3.14

$2.61 CA$3.70

-14.94%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.84 CA$4.01

$3.09 CA$4.37

-8.09%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.62 CA$3.71

$2.24 CA$3.17

16.96%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$79.1 CA$112

$62.3 CA$88.0

27.11%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.23 CA$4.56

$2.79 CA$3.95

15.77%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.48 CA$2.10

$1.40 CA$1.98

5.71%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$32.22 CA$45.55

$22.95 CA$32.44

40.39%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.36 CA$1.92

$1.14 CA$1.61

19.30%

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

$27.6K CA$39.1K

$27.9K CA$39.4K

-0.76%

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

$21.2K CA$30.0K

$18.9K CA$26.7K

12.27%

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

$77.0 CA$109

$132 CA$186

-41.47%

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

$34.14 CA$48.26

$38.55 CA$54.5

-11.44%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$42.19 CA$59.7

$54.4 CA$77.0

-22.50%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$30.81 CA$43.56

$40.47 CA$57.2

-23.87%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$19.66 CA$27.79

$17.81 CA$25.18

10.39%

Cinema Ticket

$11.47 CA$16.22

$11.12 CA$15.72

3.15%

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

$506 CA$716

$748 CA$1,057

-32.32%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$16.2K CA$23.0K

$13.1K CA$18.5K

24.40%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$57.3 CA$81.0

$53.7 CA$75.9

6.65%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$38.10 CA$53.9

$38.42 CA$54.3

-0.83%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$91.9 CA$130

$83.4 CA$118

10.18%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$110 CA$155

$103 CA$145

6.99%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,237 CA$1,748

$1,220 CA$1,724

1.39%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$977 CA$1,381

$1,104 CA$1,560

-11.50%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,180 CA$3,082

$1,918 CA$2,711

13.66%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,608 CA$2,273

$1,687 CA$2,384

-4.66%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$5,113 CA$7,228

$4,145 CA$5,860

23.35%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$3,744 CA$5,293

$3,557 CA$5,028

5.27%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$2,957 CA$4,180

$3,120 CA$4,410

-5.21%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

4.48

4.66

-3.86%

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

Last update for Montreal: October 20, 2026

Last update for Hearst: October 19, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Montreal

$977 47.4%

Hearst

$1.1K 49.9% 13% $127

Groceries & Markets

Montreal

$351 17.1%

Hearst

$347 15.7% 1.1% $3.9

Eating Out

Montreal

$290 14.1%

Hearst

$265 12% 8.6% $25

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Montreal

$153 7.5%

Hearst

$225 10.2% 46.4% $71

Clothing & Footwear

Montreal

$134 6.5%

Hearst

$125 5.7% 6.4% $8.5

Getting Around

Montreal

$100 4.9%

Hearst

$81 3.7% 19.2% $19

Sport & Entertainment

Montreal

$54 2.6%

Hearst

$63 2.8% 16.6% $9

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,237 in Montreal and $1,220 in Hearst. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Hearst pays 5% more on average. The extra income cushions the higher costs, though housing choices and lifestyle decide how much of the gap is truly closed.

Dining out: $73.0 in Montreal vs $66.0 in Hearst for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $351 vs $347 per month, with Hearst cheaper across the board.

Good to know

🇨🇦 Montreal

🇨🇦 Hearst

🕒 Local time

10:20 10:20 AM

Same time as Montreal

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

1,762,949

5,000

💱 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

On the map

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Between locations

Montreal Hearst 890 km ≈ 1 h 30 min nonstop flight

From you

Montreal
Hearst

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 Hearst: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Montreal and Hearst differ by about 7% in total monthly costs ($2,059 vs $2,210 including rent). Montreal is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

On paper, salaries run 5% lower in Hearst. 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: $1,237 in Montreal versus $1,220 in Hearst. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $506 in Montreal versus $748 in Hearst. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Shoppers in Hearst pay roughly 1% less for everyday groceries. It's an unusual reversal that partly offsets higher costs elsewhere.

At $2,059 in Montreal versus $2,210 in Hearst, a $2,000 budget is realistic in Montreal but tight or insufficient in Hearst. The gap between the two cities makes Montreal the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

Both cities offer a good standard of living with different trade-offs. Neither is objectively better – the right pick depends on what matters most: affordability, career, cultural scene, or climate.

Safety-wise, Montreal and Hearst 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 7% less than in Hearst. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.