Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Montreal and High Level

For one person, living is cheaper in Montreal: $2,064 a month against $2,168 in High Level, rent and utilities included – about $1,200 less a year. Higher rent and utilities in High Level outweigh lower spending on other living expenses.

99

Cost of Living Index in Montreal
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Montreal Living Index
109

Cost of Living Index in High Level
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High Level Living Index

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Montreal

🇨🇦 Canada

$2,064

/mo nomad

High Level

🇨🇦 Canada

$2,168

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Montreal and in High Level

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $2,064 in Montreal versus $2,168 in High Level.

Montreal $2,064
High Level $2,168

Estimated couple costs with rent: $3,156 in Montreal versus $3,250 in High Level.

Montreal $3,156
High Level $3,250

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $4,247 in Montreal versus $4,332 in High Level.

Montreal $4,247
High Level $4,332

Living in Montreal costs roughly 5% less than in High Level, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in utilities.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Montreal 52% above, High Level 59% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$18.98 CA$26.64

$19.04 CA$26.71

-0.32%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$73.0 CA$102

$57.0 CA$80.0

27.99%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$10.88 CA$15.27

$10.18 CA$14.28

6.88%

Cappuccino

$3.81 CA$5.35

$3.41 CA$4.79

11.73%

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

$1.94 CA$2.72

$1.90 CA$2.66

2.11%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.58 CA$2.22

$1.83 CA$2.57

-13.66%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$6.37 CA$8.94

$5.39 CA$7.57

18.18%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$7.26 CA$10.20

$6.29 CA$8.82

15.42%

Milk (1 liter)

$2.23 CA$3.13

$2.30 CA$3.23

-3.04%

White Bread (500g)

$3.17 CA$4.45

$2.85 CA$4.00

11.23%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$3.31 CA$4.64

$3.60 CA$5.05

-8.06%

Eggs

$3.63 CA$5.09

$3.62 CA$5.08

0.28%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$13.16 CA$18.47

$9.52 CA$13.36

38.24%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$11.56 CA$16.22

$10.62 CA$14.90

8.85%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$13.71 CA$19.25

$14.27 CA$20.02

-3.92%

Apples (1kg)

$3.29 CA$4.62

$3.39 CA$4.75

-2.95%

Banana (1kg)

$1.46 CA$2.05

$1.36 CA$1.91

7.35%

Oranges (1kg)

$3.37 CA$4.73

$3.47 CA$4.86

-2.88%

Tomato (1kg)

$3.15 CA$4.42

$3.73 CA$5.23

-15.55%

Potato (1kg)

$1.89 CA$2.65

$2.58 CA$3.62

-26.74%

Onion (1kg)

$1.79 CA$2.52

$2.12 CA$2.97

-15.57%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.47 CA$3.47

$2.77 CA$3.88

-10.83%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.58 CA$2.22

$1.79 CA$2.52

-11.73%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$11.28 CA$15.84

$14.78 CA$20.74

-23.68%

Wine (Bottle)

$10.49 CA$14.73

$12.93 CA$18.14

-18.87%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.34 CA$3.28

$2.70 CA$3.79

-13.33%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.91 CA$4.09

$3.02 CA$4.24

-3.64%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.61 CA$3.66

$2.22 CA$3.11

17.57%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$79.1 CA$111

$55.5 CA$77.9

42.55%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.26 CA$4.57

$2.59 CA$3.64

25.87%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.44 CA$2.02

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$33.43 CA$46.92

$22.89 CA$32.12

46.05%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.33 CA$1.87

$1.13 CA$1.59

17.70%

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

$28.6K CA$40.2K

$31.5K CA$44.2K

-9.13%

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

$21.1K CA$29.6K

$22.4K CA$31.4K

-5.62%

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

$80.1 CA$112

$121 CA$170

-34.09%

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

$34.30 CA$48.14

$40.46 CA$56.8

-15.22%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$42.85 CA$60.1

$58.1 CA$81.5

-26.25%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$31.14 CA$43.71

$36.13 CA$50.7

-13.81%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$19.41 CA$27.24

$19.53 CA$27.41

-0.61%

Cinema Ticket

$11.23 CA$15.76

$10.77 CA$15.11

4.27%

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

$525 CA$737

$580 CA$814

-9.45%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$16.3K CA$22.9K

$14.4K CA$20.2K

13.56%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$58.0 CA$81.4

$49.88 CA$70.0

16.28%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$38.11 CA$53.5

$36.48 CA$51.2

4.47%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$93.4 CA$131

$92.9 CA$130

0.51%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$110 CA$155

$89.6 CA$126

22.96%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,285 CA$1,803

$1,288 CA$1,807

-0.22%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$977 CA$1,371

$1,064 CA$1,493

-8.21%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,271 CA$3,187

$1,988 CA$2,790

14.22%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,665 CA$2,336

$1,862 CA$2,614

-10.61%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$5,139 CA$7,212

$4,808 CA$6,747

6.89%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$3,834 CA$5,381

$3,870 CA$5,431

-0.92%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$3,002 CA$4,213

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

4.48

4.68

-4.27%

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

Last update for Montreal: October 25, 2026

Last update for High Level: October 25, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Montreal

$977 47.3%

High Level

$1.1K 49.1% 8.9% $87

Groceries & Markets

Montreal

$351 17%

High Level

$352 16.3% 0.4% $1.2

Eating Out

Montreal

$291 14.1%

High Level

$278 12.8% 4.3% $13

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Montreal

$157 7.6%

High Level

$220 10.2% 40% $63

Clothing & Footwear

Montreal

$135 6.5%

High Level

$121 5.6% 10.3% $14

Getting Around

Montreal

$100 4.9%

High Level

$74 3.4% 25.8% $26

Sport & Entertainment

Montreal

$54 2.6%

High Level

$58 2.7% 7.6% $4.1

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,285 in Montreal and $1,288 in High Level. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Dining out: $73 in Montreal vs $57 in High Level. Groceries flip the comparison at $351 vs $352, with Montreal cheaper for home cooking.

Good to know

🇨🇦 Montreal

🇨🇦 High Level

🕒 Local time

19:45 7:45 PM

17:45 5:45 PM

2 h behind Montreal

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

1,762,949

3,200

💱 Currency

Canadian Dollar CAD $

📈 Exchange rate

1 CAD = 0.713 USD

1 CAD = 0.64 EUR

1 CAD = 0.713 USD

1 CAD = 0.64 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

On the map

Lowest

Highest

Between locations

Montreal High Level 3,240 km ≈ 4 h 30 min nonstop flight

From you

Montreal
High Level

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 High Level: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Total monthly costs including rent come to $2,064 in Montreal and $2,168 in High Level, so Montreal is about 5% cheaper – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

You’d need roughly $3,096 in Montreal and $3,251 in High Level to live well. The gap comes down to housing and overall price levels. Both cities are liveable on less, but these numbers represent actual comfort.

Rent for a central apartment: $1,285 in Montreal versus $1,288 in High Level. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $525 in Montreal versus $580 in High Level. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Dining out is cheaper in High Level – a meal for two runs $57 versus $73 in Montreal. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

Both cities are expensive relative to $2,000. Montreal is the more realistic option, but even there you’ll need to be disciplined with housing, food, and fun money.

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 High Level are both considered safe, so it’s unlikely to be the deciding factor between them.