Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Montreal and Joliette

For one person, living is cheaper in Joliette: $1,717 a month against $2,064 in Montreal, rent and utilities included – about $4,200 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

99

Cost of Living Index in Montreal
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Montreal Living Index
83

Cost of Living Index in Joliette
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Joliette Living Index

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Montreal

🇨🇦 Canada

$2,064

/mo nomad

Joliette

🇨🇦 Canada

$1,717

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Montreal and in Joliette

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

A single person spends $2,064 per month in Montreal vs $1,717 in Joliette, rent included.

Montreal $2,064
Joliette $1,717

A couple spends around $3,156 per month in Montreal vs $2,639 in Joliette, rent included.

Montreal $3,156
Joliette $2,639

A family of three spends $4,247 per month in Montreal vs $3,562 in Joliette, rent included.

Montreal $4,247
Joliette $3,562

Montreal costs about 20% more than Joliette, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

Both Montreal and Joliette sit above the global median – Montreal by 52%, Joliette by 26%.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$18.98 CA$26.64

$18.02 CA$25.30

5.33%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$73.0 CA$102

$52.9 CA$74.2

38.04%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$10.88 CA$15.27

$10.71 CA$15.03

1.59%

Cappuccino

$3.81 CA$5.35

$2.53 CA$3.56

50.59%

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

$1.94 CA$2.72

$2.06 CA$2.90

-5.83%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.58 CA$2.22

$1.74 CA$2.44

-9.20%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$6.37 CA$8.94

$4.22 CA$5.93

50.95%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$7.26 CA$10.20

$6.44 CA$9.04

12.73%

Milk (1 liter)

$2.23 CA$3.13

$2.39 CA$3.35

-6.69%

White Bread (500g)

$3.17 CA$4.45

$2.55 CA$3.58

24.31%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$3.31 CA$4.64

$3.02 CA$4.23

9.60%

Eggs

$3.63 CA$5.09

$2.54 CA$3.56

42.91%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$13.16 CA$18.47

$11.79 CA$16.54

11.62%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$11.56 CA$16.22

$11.90 CA$16.69

-2.86%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$13.71 CA$19.25

$18.70 CA$26.24

-26.68%

Apples (1kg)

$3.29 CA$4.62

$3.63 CA$5.10

-9.37%

Banana (1kg)

$1.46 CA$2.05

$1.33 CA$1.86

9.77%

Oranges (1kg)

$3.37 CA$4.73

$3.88 CA$5.44

-13.14%

Tomato (1kg)

$3.15 CA$4.42

$3.43 CA$4.81

-8.16%

Potato (1kg)

$1.89 CA$2.65

$2.60 CA$3.64

-27.31%

Onion (1kg)

$1.79 CA$2.52

$2.40 CA$3.37

-25.42%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.47 CA$3.47

$1.61 CA$2.26

53.42%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.58 CA$2.22

$1.48 CA$2.08

6.76%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$11.28 CA$15.84

$14.09 CA$19.78

-19.94%

Wine (Bottle)

$10.49 CA$14.73

$12.46 CA$17.49

-15.81%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.34 CA$3.28

$2.53 CA$3.55

-7.51%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.91 CA$4.09

$3.11 CA$4.36

-6.43%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.61 CA$3.66

$2.20 CA$3.08

18.64%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$79.1 CA$111

$58.0 CA$81.4

36.48%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.26 CA$4.57

$2.72 CA$3.82

19.85%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.44 CA$2.02

$1.46 CA$2.05

-1.37%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$33.43 CA$46.92

$19.01 CA$26.68

75.85%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.33 CA$1.87

$0.97 CA$1.37

37.11%

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

$28.6K CA$40.2K

$27.4K CA$38.5K

4.33%

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

$21.1K CA$29.6K

$22.5K CA$31.6K

-6.42%

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

$80.1 CA$112

$141 CA$198

-43.19%

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

$34.30 CA$48.14

$36.90 CA$51.8

-7.05%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$42.85 CA$60.1

$50.7 CA$71.2

-15.48%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$31.14 CA$43.71

$42.60 CA$59.8

-26.90%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$19.41 CA$27.24

$19.19 CA$26.93

1.15%

Cinema Ticket

$11.23 CA$15.76

$13.01 CA$18.25

-13.68%

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

$525 CA$737

$809 CA$1,136

-35.11%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$16.3K CA$22.9K

$16.0K CA$22.5K

1.97%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$58.0 CA$81.4

$50.5 CA$70.9

14.81%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$38.11 CA$53.5

$37.12 CA$52.1

2.67%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$93.4 CA$131

$87.0 CA$122

7.40%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$110 CA$155

$100 CA$141

9.69%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,285 CA$1,803

$652 CA$915

97.02%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$977 CA$1,371

$602 CA$844

62.37%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,271 CA$3,187

$1,302 CA$1,827

74.47%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,665 CA$2,336

$1,087 CA$1,525

53.21%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$5,139 CA$7,212

$3,928 CA$5,512

30.85%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$3,834 CA$5,381

$3,688 CA$5,175

3.98%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$3,002 CA$4,213

$2,709 CA$3,802

10.81%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

4.48

4.16

7.69%

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

Last update for Montreal: October 25, 2026

Last update for Joliette: October 26, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Montreal

$977 47.3%

Joliette

$602 35% 38.4% $375

Groceries & Markets

Montreal

$351 17%

Joliette

$362 21.1% 3.1% $11

Eating Out

Montreal

$291 14.1%

Joliette

$256 14.9% 12% $35

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Montreal

$157 7.6%

Joliette

$229 13.3% 45.4% $71

Clothing & Footwear

Montreal

$135 6.5%

Joliette

$124 7.2% 8.2% $11

Getting Around

Montreal

$100 4.9%

Joliette

$77 4.5% 23.2% $23

Sport & Entertainment

Montreal

$54 2.6%

Joliette

$69 4% 28% $15

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $1,285 in Montreal versus $652 in Joliette. Rent is usually the largest line item in a monthly budget, so the gap here sets the tone for the overall comparison.

Salaries run about 11% higher in Montreal, which partly offsets the higher cost of living there. Purchasing power depends on which expenses matter most to you.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $73 in Montreal versus $53 in Joliette. Groceries tell a different story – $351 in Montreal vs $362 in Joliette – so Montreal wins on supermarket bills even if dining out costs more.

Good to know

🇨🇦 Montreal

🇨🇦 Joliette

🕒 Local time

16:36 4:36 PM

Same time as Montreal

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

1,762,949

20,484

💱 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

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Montreal Joliette 59 km

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City Median Internet Speeds Comparison (Updated April 2026)

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Digital Nomad Cost of Living Index

Montreal vs Joliette: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Yes – Montreal is pricier by about 20%, and outside of rent the gap shows up most in eating out.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $3,096 per month in Montreal and $2,576 in Joliette. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

Rent is clearly cheaper in Joliette, especially for central apartments: a one-bedroom in the center costs $652 there versus $1,285 in Montreal.

Kindergarten costs $525 per month in Montreal and $809 in Joliette. For families with young kids, this one expense can tip the scales when choosing between the two cities.

Interestingly, groceries are about 3% cheaper in Montreal – one category where the pricier city actually offers better value.

$2,500 covers both cities comfortably – all-in costs are $2,064 in Montreal and $1,717 in Joliette, leaving budget for savings and extras in both cases.

It depends on your priorities. Montreal has an edge in some lifestyle areas, with costs from $1,717 in Joliette to $2,064 in Montreal. Climate, culture, job market, and personal taste all factor in.

Both cities have a reputation for safety. In either place, the choice of neighborhood matters more than the choice between the two cities.

If budget matters most, go with Joliette. If higher salaries or specific career opportunities are the priority, Montreal makes more sense. Both are solid long-term options with distinct trade-offs.