Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Montreal and Iqaluit, NU

For one person, living is cheaper in Montreal: $2,059 a month against $2,950 in Iqaluit, NU, rent and utilities included – about $10,700 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

99

Cost of Living Index in Montreal
Learn more

Montreal Living Index
143

Cost of Living Index in Iqaluit, NU
Learn more

Iqaluit, NU Living Index

Jump to prices

Montreal

🇨🇦 Canada

$2,059

/mo nomad

Iqaluit, NU

🇨🇦 Canada

$2,950

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Montreal and in Iqaluit, NU

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $2,059 in Montreal versus $2,950 in Iqaluit, NU.

Montreal $2,059
Iqaluit, NU $2,950

Estimated couple costs with rent: $3,123 in Montreal versus $4,618 in Iqaluit, NU.

Montreal $3,123
Iqaluit, NU $4,618

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $4,187 in Montreal versus $6,286 in Iqaluit, NU.

Montreal $4,187
Iqaluit, NU $6,286

Living in Montreal costs roughly 30% less than in Iqaluit, NU, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Montreal 52% above, Iqaluit, NU 118% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$18.84 CA$26.63

$27.52 CA$38.91

-31.54%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$73.2 CA$104

$64.8 CA$91.6

12.96%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$10.54 CA$14.90

$12.90 CA$18.24

-18.29%

Cappuccino

$3.97 CA$5.61

$7.04 CA$9.95

-43.61%

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

$1.94 CA$2.74

$3.63 CA$5.14

-46.56%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.57 CA$2.22

$1.63 CA$2.31

-3.68%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$6.42 CA$9.08

$6.57 CA$9.29

-2.28%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$7.20 CA$10.19

$5.82 CA$8.23

23.71%

Milk (1 liter)

$2.32 CA$3.28

$2.42 CA$3.41

-4.13%

White Bread (500g)

$3.19 CA$4.51

$2.52 CA$3.56

26.59%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$3.19 CA$4.50

$3.38 CA$4.78

-5.62%

Eggs

$3.68 CA$5.20

$3.45 CA$4.88

6.67%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$13.24 CA$18.72

$9.91 CA$14.01

33.60%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$11.69 CA$16.53

$13.57 CA$19.19

-13.85%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$13.98 CA$19.76

$14.93 CA$21.10

-6.36%

Apples (1kg)

$3.14 CA$4.44

$3.67 CA$5.19

-14.44%

Banana (1kg)

$1.45 CA$2.05

$1.27 CA$1.80

14.17%

Oranges (1kg)

$3.38 CA$4.78

$3.68 CA$5.20

-8.15%

Tomato (1kg)

$3.11 CA$4.40

$3.87 CA$5.47

-19.64%

Potato (1kg)

$1.93 CA$2.72

$2.42 CA$3.43

-20.25%

Onion (1kg)

$1.83 CA$2.58

$2.17 CA$3.06

-15.67%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.36 CA$3.34

$2.46 CA$3.48

-4.07%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.50 CA$2.12

$1.60 CA$2.26

-6.25%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$11.12 CA$15.73

$13.78 CA$19.48

-19.30%

Wine (Bottle)

$10.60 CA$14.98

$12.58 CA$17.79

-15.74%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.22 CA$3.14

$2.57 CA$3.63

-13.62%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.84 CA$4.01

$3.15 CA$4.45

-9.84%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.62 CA$3.71

$2.33 CA$3.29

12.45%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$79.1 CA$112

$61.3 CA$86.7

29.04%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.23 CA$4.56

$6.43 CA$9.09

-49.77%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.48 CA$2.10

$1.47 CA$2.08

0.68%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$32.22 CA$45.55

$25.63 CA$36.23

25.71%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.36 CA$1.92

$1.21 CA$1.71

12.40%

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

$27.6K CA$39.1K

$37.2K CA$52.6K

-25.76%

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

$21.2K CA$30.0K

$31.3K CA$44.3K

-32.38%

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

$77.0 CA$109

$117 CA$166

-34.23%

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

$34.14 CA$48.26

$38.21 CA$54.0

-10.65%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$42.19 CA$59.7

$54.4 CA$76.8

-22.37%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$30.81 CA$43.56

$41.12 CA$58.1

-25.07%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$19.66 CA$27.79

$18.00 CA$25.45

9.22%

Cinema Ticket

$11.47 CA$16.22

$7.98 CA$11.28

43.73%

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

$506 CA$716

$698 CA$986

-27.45%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$16.2K CA$23.0K

$13.2K CA$18.7K

23.04%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$57.3 CA$81.0

$52.9 CA$74.8

8.26%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$38.10 CA$53.9

$38.72 CA$54.7

-1.60%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$91.9 CA$130

$84.5 CA$120

8.74%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$110 CA$155

$103 CA$146

6.34%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,237 CA$1,748

$1,834 CA$2,593

-32.57%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$977 CA$1,381

$1,701 CA$2,404

-42.57%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,180 CA$3,082

$2,902 CA$4,103

-24.88%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,608 CA$2,273

$3,459 CA$4,890

-53.51%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$5,113 CA$7,228

$4,284 CA$6,056

19.36%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$3,744 CA$5,293

$3,562 CA$5,035

5.13%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$2,957 CA$4,180

$4,205 CA$5,944

-29.68%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

4.48

5.32

-15.79%

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

Last update for Montreal: October 20, 2026

Last update for Iqaluit, NU: October 18, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Montreal

$977 47.4%

Iqaluit, NU

$1.7K 57.6% 74.1% $724

Groceries & Markets

Montreal

$351 17.1%

Iqaluit, NU

$364 12.3% 3.7% $13

Eating Out

Montreal

$290 14.1%

Iqaluit, NU

$409 13.9% 40.8% $118

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Montreal

$153 7.5%

Iqaluit, NU

$210 7.1% 36.7% $56

Clothing & Footwear

Montreal

$134 6.5%

Iqaluit, NU

$126 4.3% 5.9% $8

Getting Around

Montreal

$100 4.9%

Iqaluit, NU

$84 2.9% 15.8% $16

Sport & Entertainment

Montreal

$54 2.6%

Iqaluit, NU

$57 1.9% 6.2% $3.3

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,237 in Montreal and $1,834 in Iqaluit, NU. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Iqaluit, NU pays 42% 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 $65.0 in Iqaluit, NU. Groceries flip the comparison at $351 vs $364, with Montreal cheaper for home cooking.

Good to know

🇨🇦 Montreal

🇨🇦 Iqaluit, NU

🕒 Local time

07:41 7:41 AM

Same time as Montreal

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

1,762,949

8,000

💱 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

Lowest

Highest

Between locations

Montreal Iqaluit, NU 2,050 km ≈ 3 h nonstop flight

From you

Montreal
Iqaluit, NU

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 Iqaluit, NU: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Montreal is cheaper overall, especially in groceries, eating out, and utilities. The 43% gap adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

On paper, salaries run 42% lower in Iqaluit, NU. 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 $1,834 in Iqaluit, NU. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $506 in Montreal versus $698 in Iqaluit, NU. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Supermarket bills run roughly 4% higher in Iqaluit, NU. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

At $2,059 in Montreal versus $2,950 in Iqaluit, NU, a $2,000 budget is realistic in Montreal but tight or insufficient in Iqaluit, NU. The gap between the two cities makes Montreal the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

For families, Montreal is more practical. Housing and childcare are both notably cheaper than in Iqaluit, NU, and the savings on those two alone free up budget for education, activities, and family trips.

Safety-wise, Montreal and Iqaluit, NU 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 43% less than in Iqaluit, NU. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.