Cost of Living Comparison Between Montreal and Hearst Cost of Living Comparison Between Montreal and Hearst

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $2,063 in Montreal versus $2,348 in Hearst.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $3,159 in Montreal versus $3,364 in Hearst.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $4,255 in Montreal versus $4,380 in Hearst.

Living in Montreal costs roughly 12% less than in Hearst, driven mainly by Monthly Utilities & Internet.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Montreal 54% above, Hearst 75% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$15.92 CA$22.14

$16.91 CA$23.52

-5.85%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$73.1 CA$102

$69.2 CA$96.2

5.62%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$11.15 CA$15.50

$11.14 CA$15.50

0.09%

Cappuccino

$3.80 CA$5.29

$3.82 CA$5.31

-0.52%

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

$2.18 CA$3.03

$2.07 CA$2.88

5.31%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.46 CA$2.03

$1.65 CA$2.30

-11.52%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$6.12 CA$8.51

$5.43 CA$7.55

12.71%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$6.78 CA$9.42

$6.01 CA$8.36

12.81%

Milk (1 liter)

$2.33 CA$3.24

$2.16 CA$3.00

7.87%

White Bread (500g)

$3.39 CA$4.72

$2.73 CA$3.79

24.18%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$3.73 CA$5.19

$3.63 CA$5.05

2.75%

Eggs

$3.38 CA$4.70

$3.41 CA$4.74

-0.88%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$16.25 CA$22.60

$10.96 CA$15.24

48.27%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$11.54 CA$16.05

$11.50 CA$15.99

0.35%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$15.24 CA$21.19

$14.90 CA$20.73

2.28%

Apples (1kg)

$3.74 CA$5.20

$4.09 CA$5.69

-8.56%

Banana (1kg)

$1.70 CA$2.37

$1.43 CA$1.98

18.88%

Oranges (1kg)

$4.11 CA$5.71

$3.64 CA$5.07

12.91%

Tomato (1kg)

$4.35 CA$6.05

$3.74 CA$5.20

16.31%

Potato (1kg)

$2.71 CA$3.76

$2.51 CA$3.49

7.97%

Onion (1kg)

$2.62 CA$3.64

$2.54 CA$3.54

3.15%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.25 CA$3.13

$2.64 CA$3.68

-14.77%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.73 CA$2.40

$1.76 CA$2.45

-1.70%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$13.31 CA$18.51

$14.03 CA$19.52

-5.13%

Wine (Bottle)

$10.78 CA$15.00

$12.47 CA$17.34

-13.55%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$3.01 CA$4.19

$2.95 CA$4.10

2.03%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.46 CA$4.82

$3.00 CA$4.18

15.33%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.74 CA$3.81

$2.31 CA$3.21

18.61%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$72.7 CA$101

$62.2 CA$86.5

16.81%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.63 CA$5.05

$3.26 CA$4.54

11.35%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.46 CA$2.03

$1.50 CA$2.08

-2.67%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$33.44 CA$46.50

$26.03 CA$36.20

28.47%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.21 CA$1.69

$1.17 CA$1.62

3.42%

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

$24.6K CA$34.3K

$25.0K CA$34.8K

-1.42%

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

$21.7K CA$30.2K

$20.5K CA$28.5K

5.67%

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

$76.0 CA$106

$143 CA$198

-46.73%

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

$35.72 CA$49.68

$44.04 CA$61.3

-18.89%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$42.86 CA$59.6

$63.7 CA$88.6

-32.76%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$42.92 CA$59.7

$41.31 CA$57.4

3.90%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$17.23 CA$23.97

$14.82 CA$20.62

16.26%

Cinema Ticket

$11.09 CA$15.42

$11.45 CA$15.93

-3.14%

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

$620 CA$862

$734 CA$1,021

-15.60%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$5,834 CA$8,114

$12.0K CA$16.6K

-51.21%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$62.7 CA$87.1

$54.0 CA$75.1

16.10%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$44.41 CA$61.8

$39.98 CA$55.6

11.08%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$101 CA$140

$85.8 CA$119

17.42%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$119 CA$166

$109 CA$152

9.08%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,211 CA$1,684

$1,289 CA$1,792

-6.02%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$960 CA$1,334

$1,158 CA$1,610

-17.11%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,035 CA$2,831

$1,992 CA$2,770

2.18%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,589 CA$2,210

$1,784 CA$2,482

-10.93%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$5,181 CA$7,205

$4,349 CA$6,048

19.12%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$3,934 CA$5,470

$3,475 CA$4,832

13.21%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$2,960 CA$4,116

$3,189 CA$4,435

-7.19%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

5.01

6.46

-22.45%

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

Last update for Montreal: May 31, 2026

Last update for Hearst: June 1, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,211 in Montreal and $1,289 in Hearst. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Hearst pays 8% 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 $69.0 in Hearst for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $392 vs $364 per month, with Hearst cheaper across the board.

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 14% in total monthly costs ($2,063 vs $2,348 including rent). Montreal is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

On paper, Hearst earns 8% less. 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: $1,211 in Montreal versus $1,289 in Hearst. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $620 in Montreal versus $734 in Hearst. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Shoppers in Hearst pay roughly 7% less for everyday groceries. It's an unusual reversal that partly offsets higher costs elsewhere.

At $2,063 in Montreal versus $2,348 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 14% less than in Hearst. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.