Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Montreal and Kingston

For one person, living is cheaper in Montreal: $2,059 a month against $2,297 in Kingston, rent and utilities included – about $2,900 less a year. Higher rent and utilities in Kingston outweigh lower spending on other living expenses.

99

Cost of Living Index in Montreal
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Montreal Living Index
110

Cost of Living Index in Kingston
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Kingston Living Index

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Montreal

🇨🇦 Canada

$2,059

/mo nomad

Kingston

🇨🇦 Canada

$2,297

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Montreal and in Kingston

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

A single person spends $2,059 per month in Montreal vs $2,297 in Kingston, rent included.

Montreal $2,059
Kingston $2,297

A couple spends around $3,123 per month in Montreal vs $3,179 in Kingston, rent included.

Montreal $3,123
Kingston $3,179

A family of three spends $4,187 per month in Montreal vs $4,062 in Kingston, rent included.

Montreal $4,187
Kingston $4,062

Montreal is about 10% cheaper than Kingston, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

Both Montreal and Kingston sit above the global median – Montreal by 52%, Kingston by 70%.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$18.84 CA$26.63

$15.68 CA$22.16

20.15%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$73.2 CA$104

$63.5 CA$89.8

15.23%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$10.54 CA$14.90

$10.52 CA$14.87

0.19%

Cappuccino

$3.97 CA$5.61

$3.51 CA$4.96

13.11%

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

$1.94 CA$2.74

$2.10 CA$2.96

-7.62%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.57 CA$2.22

$1.31 CA$1.85

19.85%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$6.42 CA$9.08

$5.65 CA$7.98

13.63%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$7.20 CA$10.19

$6.19 CA$8.75

16.32%

Milk (1 liter)

$2.32 CA$3.28

$2.25 CA$3.18

3.11%

White Bread (500g)

$3.19 CA$4.51

$2.62 CA$3.70

21.76%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$3.19 CA$4.50

$3.00 CA$4.24

6.33%

Eggs

$3.68 CA$5.20

$2.93 CA$4.14

25.60%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$13.24 CA$18.72

$10.43 CA$14.75

26.94%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$11.69 CA$16.53

$11.77 CA$16.63

-0.68%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$13.98 CA$19.76

$11.35 CA$16.04

23.17%

Apples (1kg)

$3.14 CA$4.44

$2.98 CA$4.21

5.37%

Banana (1kg)

$1.45 CA$2.05

$1.16 CA$1.64

25.00%

Oranges (1kg)

$3.38 CA$4.78

$3.48 CA$4.92

-2.87%

Tomato (1kg)

$3.11 CA$4.40

$3.80 CA$5.37

-18.16%

Potato (1kg)

$1.93 CA$2.72

$2.98 CA$4.21

-35.23%

Onion (1kg)

$1.83 CA$2.58

$2.53 CA$3.57

-27.67%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.36 CA$3.34

$2.15 CA$3.03

9.77%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.50 CA$2.12

$1.60 CA$2.27

-6.25%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$11.12 CA$15.73

$14.24 CA$20.13

-21.91%

Wine (Bottle)

$10.60 CA$14.98

$12.74 CA$18.01

-16.80%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.22 CA$3.14

$2.24 CA$3.17

-0.89%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.84 CA$4.01

$2.98 CA$4.21

-4.70%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.62 CA$3.71

$2.44 CA$3.44

7.38%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$79.1 CA$112

$57.8 CA$81.7

36.90%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.23 CA$4.56

$3.35 CA$4.74

-3.58%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.48 CA$2.10

$1.41 CA$1.99

4.96%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$32.22 CA$45.55

$32.42 CA$45.84

-0.62%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.36 CA$1.92

$1.13 CA$1.59

20.35%

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

$27.6K CA$39.1K

$27.9K CA$39.5K

-0.94%

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

$21.2K CA$30.0K

$20.8K CA$29.5K

1.72%

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

$77.0 CA$109

$130 CA$184

-40.82%

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

$34.14 CA$48.26

$39.13 CA$55.3

-12.75%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$42.19 CA$59.7

$61.6 CA$87.1

-31.50%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$30.81 CA$43.56

$29.11 CA$41.16

5.84%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$19.66 CA$27.79

$8.76 CA$12.38

124.43%

Cinema Ticket

$11.47 CA$16.22

$10.66 CA$15.07

7.60%

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

$506 CA$716

$525 CA$742

-3.59%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$16.2K CA$23.0K

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$57.3 CA$81.0

$53.4 CA$75.5

7.17%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$38.10 CA$53.9

$31.73 CA$44.86

20.08%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$91.9 CA$130

$78.4 CA$111

17.19%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$110 CA$155

$81.8 CA$116

34.25%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,237 CA$1,748

$1,512 CA$2,137

-18.20%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$977 CA$1,381

$1,238 CA$1,751

-21.13%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,180 CA$3,082

$2,329 CA$3,293

-6.40%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,608 CA$2,273

$1,684 CA$2,380

-4.50%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$5,113 CA$7,228

$3,402 CA$4,810

50.28%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$3,744 CA$5,293

$2,433 CA$3,439

53.92%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$2,957 CA$4,180

$3,099 CA$4,382

-4.59%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

4.48

4.61

-2.82%

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

Last update for Montreal: October 20, 2026

Last update for Kingston: October 19, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Montreal

$977 47.4%

Kingston

$1.2K 53.9% 26.8% $262

Groceries & Markets

Montreal

$351 17.1%

Kingston

$336 14.6% 4.4% $15

Eating Out

Montreal

$290 14.1%

Kingston

$253 11% 12.8% $37

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Montreal

$153 7.5%

Kingston

$231 10.1% 50.5% $78

Clothing & Footwear

Montreal

$134 6.5%

Kingston

$110 4.8% 17.4% $23

Getting Around

Montreal

$100 4.9%

Kingston

$78 3.4% 22.3% $22

Sport & Entertainment

Montreal

$54 2.6%

Kingston

$50 2.2% 6.2% $3.3

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $1,237 in Montreal versus $1,512 in Kingston. 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 5% higher in Kingston, 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 $73.0 in Montreal versus $64.0 in Kingston. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $351 vs $336 – making Kingston the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇨🇦 Montreal

🇨🇦 Kingston

🕒 Local time

16:30 4:30 PM

Same time as Montreal

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

1,762,949

123,363

💱 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

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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 Kingston: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Monthly costs with rent: $2,059 in Montreal, $2,297 in Kingston – roughly 12% apart. Outside of rent, the biggest gap is in eating out.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $3,089 per month in Montreal and $3,446 in Kingston. 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. Housing is actually the single biggest factor behind the overall cost gap between these two cities.

Monthly expenses with rent come to $2,059 in Montreal and $2,297 in Kingston. That's a gap of about 12%.

Public transport costs about 37% less in Montreal. For daily commuters, that gap adds up to noticeable savings over a year.

A $2,000 monthly budget goes further in Montreal, where all-in costs run around $2,059, than in Kingston at $2,297. In Montreal it covers expenses comfortably, while in Kingston it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.

It depends on your priorities. Montreal has an edge in some lifestyle areas, with costs from $2,059 in Montreal to $2,297 in Kingston. Climate, culture, job market, and personal taste all factor in.

Both have safer and rougher neighborhoods, but overall safety is comparable to other large cities. Neighborhood choice matters more than the city-level comparison – central, well-trafficked areas feel secure in both.

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