Last update: Nov 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Montreal and Kanata

For one person, living is cheaper in Montreal: $2,067 a month against $2,514 in Kanata, rent and utilities included – about $5,400 less a year. Higher rent and utilities in Kanata outweigh lower spending on other living expenses.

100

Cost of Living Index in Montreal
Learn more

Montreal Living Index
119

Cost of Living Index in Kanata
Learn more

Kanata Living Index

Jump to prices

Montreal

🇨🇦 Canada

$2,067

/mo nomad

Kanata

🇨🇦 Canada

$2,514

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Montreal and in Kanata

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

A single person spends $2,067 per month in Montreal vs $2,514 in Kanata, rent included.

Montreal $2,067
Kanata $2,514

A couple spends around $3,179 per month in Montreal vs $3,581 in Kanata, rent included.

Montreal $3,179
Kanata $3,581

A family of three spends $4,291 per month in Montreal vs $4,648 in Kanata, rent included.

Montreal $4,291
Kanata $4,648

Montreal is about 18% cheaper than Kanata, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in leisure.

Both Montreal and Kanata sit above the global median – Montreal by 53%, Kanata by 86%.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$18.89 CA$26.37

$18.08 CA$25.24

4.48%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$72.6 CA$101

$77.2 CA$108

-5.97%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$10.79 CA$15.07

$10.87 CA$15.17

-0.74%

Cappuccino

$3.98 CA$5.56

$3.46 CA$4.83

15.03%

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

$2.02 CA$2.82

$2.00 CA$2.79

1.00%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.63 CA$2.28

$1.66 CA$2.32

-1.81%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$6.32 CA$8.82

$2.65 CA$3.69

138.49%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$7.06 CA$9.86

$2.74 CA$3.83

157.66%

Milk (1 liter)

$2.33 CA$3.26

$1.98 CA$2.76

17.68%

White Bread (500g)

$3.25 CA$4.53

$2.74 CA$3.82

18.61%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$3.26 CA$4.56

$1.83 CA$2.56

78.14%

Eggs

$3.48 CA$4.85

$4.36 CA$6.09

-20.18%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$13.73 CA$19.17

$13.52 CA$18.87

1.55%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$11.48 CA$16.02

$11.22 CA$15.66

2.32%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$14.26 CA$19.91

$8.95 CA$12.50

59.33%

Apples (1kg)

$3.52 CA$4.92

$3.42 CA$4.78

2.92%

Banana (1kg)

$1.46 CA$2.03

$0.98 CA$1.37

48.98%

Oranges (1kg)

$3.41 CA$4.76

$2.86 CA$4.00

19.23%

Tomato (1kg)

$3.20 CA$4.47

$3.91 CA$5.46

-18.16%

Potato (1kg)

$1.94 CA$2.70

$1.13 CA$1.57

71.68%

Onion (1kg)

$1.78 CA$2.49

$2.14 CA$2.98

-16.82%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.52 CA$3.52

$2.56 CA$3.57

-1.56%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.58 CA$2.21

$1.41 CA$1.97

12.06%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$11.51 CA$16.06

$13.08 CA$18.26

-12.00%

Wine (Bottle)

$10.57 CA$14.76

$21.76 CA$30.37

-51.42%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.35 CA$3.27

$2.71 CA$3.78

-13.28%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.90 CA$4.04

$3.23 CA$4.51

-10.22%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.61 CA$3.65

$2.64 CA$3.69

-1.14%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$78.5 CA$110

$89.4 CA$125

-12.22%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.17 CA$4.43

$2.89 CA$4.03

9.69%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.49 CA$2.08

$1.25 CA$1.75

19.20%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$33.49 CA$46.75

$33.64 CA$46.96

-0.45%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.36 CA$1.90

$1.17 CA$1.63

16.24%

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

$28.0K CA$39.1K

$26.8K CA$37.4K

4.53%

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

$21.1K CA$29.5K

$18.4K CA$25.7K

14.99%

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

$77.6 CA$108

$112 CA$157

-30.82%

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

$35.63 CA$49.74

$44.44 CA$62.0

-19.82%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$43.73 CA$61.1

$41.78 CA$58.3

4.67%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$30.07 CA$41.98

$45.73 CA$63.8

-34.24%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$19.97 CA$27.87

Cinema Ticket

$11.27 CA$15.74

$9.40 CA$13.12

19.89%

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

$522 CA$729

$861 CA$1,202

-39.38%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$17.8K CA$24.8K

$10.6K CA$14.8K

67.58%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$59.0 CA$82.3

$57.0 CA$79.5

3.55%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$39.01 CA$54.5

$31.75 CA$44.32

22.87%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$99.8 CA$139

$86.9 CA$121

14.81%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$110 CA$153

$63.3 CA$88.3

73.32%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,298 CA$1,812

$1,559 CA$2,177

-16.74%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$970 CA$1,355

$1,435 CA$2,003

-32.37%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,323 CA$3,243

$2,248 CA$3,138

3.36%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,689 CA$2,358

$2,133 CA$2,978

-20.81%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$5,004 CA$6,984

$3,266 CA$4,559

53.19%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$3,736 CA$5,216

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$2,943 CA$4,108

$2,992 CA$4,177

-1.65%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

4.51

4.97

-9.26%

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

Last update for Montreal: November 3, 2026

Last update for Kanata: October 31, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Montreal

$970 47%

Kanata

$1.4K 57.1% 47.9% $465

Groceries & Markets

Montreal

$357 17.3%

Kanata

$348 13.8% 2.6% $9.4

Eating Out

Montreal

$292 14.1%

Kanata

$252 10% 13.5% $39

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Montreal

$157 7.6%

Kanata

$198 7.9% 26.4% $41

Clothing & Footwear

Montreal

$138 6.7%

Kanata

$108 4.3% 22.3% $31

Getting Around

Montreal

$100 4.8%

Kanata

$109 4.3% 9.6% $9.6

Sport & Entertainment

Montreal

$53 2.6%

Kanata

$65 2.6% 22.6% $12

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $1,298 in Montreal versus $1,559 in Kanata. Rent is usually the largest line item in a monthly budget, so the gap here sets the tone for the overall comparison.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $73 in Montreal versus $77 in Kanata. Groceries tell a different story – $357 in Montreal vs $348 in Kanata – so Kanata wins on supermarket bills even if dining out costs more.

Good to know

🇨🇦 Montreal

🇨🇦 Kanata

🕒 Local time

16:56 4:56 PM

Same time as Montreal

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

1,762,949

90,000

💱 Currency

Canadian Dollar CAD $

📈 Exchange rate

1 CAD = 0.716 USD

1 CAD = 0.638 EUR

1 CAD = 0.716 USD

1 CAD = 0.638 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

On the map

Lowest

Highest

Between locations

Montreal Kanata 190 km

From you

Montreal
Kanata

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 Kanata: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Yes – Kanata is pricier by about 22%, and outside of rent the gap shows up most in leisure.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $3,100 per month in Montreal and $3,772 in Kanata. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

Rent is clearly cheaper in Montreal, especially for central apartments: a one-bedroom in the center costs $1,298 there versus $1,559 in Kanata.

Public transport costs about 12% less in Montreal. For daily commuters, that gap adds up to noticeable savings over a year.

Kindergarten costs $522 per month in Montreal and $861 in Kanata. For families with young kids, this one expense can tip the scales when choosing between the two cities.

$2,000 is a stretch for both – monthly costs hit $2,067 in Montreal and $2,514 in Kanata. You’ll need shared housing and careful budgeting no matter which city you pick.

Families tend to lean toward Montreal – lower housing and cheaper childcare make a real difference, especially on a single income or when paying for private education.

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