Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Montreal and London

For one person, living is cheaper in Montreal: $2,018 a month against $2,300 in London, rent and utilities included – about $3,400 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
112

Cost of Living Index in London
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London Living Index

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Montreal

🇨🇦 Canada

$2,018

/mo nomad

London

🇨🇦 Canada

$2,300

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Montreal and in London

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $2,018 in Montreal versus $2,300 in London.

Montreal $2,018
London $2,300

Estimated couple costs with rent: $3,085 in Montreal versus $3,321 in London.

Montreal $3,085
London $3,321

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $4,152 in Montreal versus $4,341 in London.

Montreal $4,152
London $4,341

Living in Montreal costs roughly 12% less than in London, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Montreal 49% above, London 70% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$18.82 CA$26.61

$20.81 CA$29.42

-9.56%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$70.3 CA$99.4

$62.0 CA$87.7

13.37%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$10.66 CA$15.06

$12.35 CA$17.47

-13.68%

Cappuccino

$3.84 CA$5.43

$3.82 CA$5.41

0.52%

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

$1.92 CA$2.71

$2.10 CA$2.98

-8.57%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.54 CA$2.18

$2.15 CA$3.04

-28.37%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$6.23 CA$8.81

$6.39 CA$9.03

-2.50%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$7.10 CA$10.03

$6.21 CA$8.77

14.33%

Milk (1 liter)

$2.31 CA$3.27

$1.86 CA$2.63

24.19%

White Bread (500g)

$3.14 CA$4.44

$2.57 CA$3.64

22.18%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$3.21 CA$4.54

$4.00 CA$5.65

-19.75%

Eggs

$3.52 CA$4.97

$3.67 CA$5.19

-4.09%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$12.81 CA$18.11

$10.08 CA$14.25

27.08%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$11.46 CA$16.20

$11.45 CA$16.19

0.09%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$13.39 CA$18.92

$14.74 CA$20.84

-9.16%

Apples (1kg)

$3.14 CA$4.43

$4.31 CA$6.09

-27.15%

Banana (1kg)

$1.44 CA$2.03

$1.17 CA$1.66

23.08%

Oranges (1kg)

$3.47 CA$4.91

$3.77 CA$5.33

-7.96%

Tomato (1kg)

$3.07 CA$4.34

$4.06 CA$5.74

-24.38%

Potato (1kg)

$1.90 CA$2.69

$3.16 CA$4.46

-39.87%

Onion (1kg)

$1.77 CA$2.50

$3.06 CA$4.33

-42.16%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.34 CA$3.31

$2.49 CA$3.52

-6.02%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.55 CA$2.19

$1.47 CA$2.08

5.44%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$11.38 CA$16.09

$12.08 CA$17.08

-5.79%

Wine (Bottle)

$10.63 CA$15.03

$12.41 CA$17.55

-14.34%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.27 CA$3.21

$2.46 CA$3.48

-7.72%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.82 CA$3.99

$2.78 CA$3.93

1.44%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.66 CA$3.76

$2.34 CA$3.30

13.68%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$77.3 CA$109

$79.0 CA$112

-2.19%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.20 CA$4.53

$2.42 CA$3.42

32.23%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.48 CA$2.09

$1.67 CA$2.36

-11.38%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$32.88 CA$46.48

$22.36 CA$31.61

47.05%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.34 CA$1.90

$1.19 CA$1.68

12.61%

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

$28.2K CA$39.8K

$27.4K CA$38.7K

2.74%

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

$19.6K CA$27.8K

$22.9K CA$32.4K

-14.42%

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

$76.0 CA$107

$138 CA$195

-44.97%

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

$33.95 CA$48.00

$39.00 CA$55.1

-12.95%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$42.31 CA$59.8

$55.7 CA$78.8

-24.08%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$29.76 CA$42.07

$37.53 CA$53.1

-20.70%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$20.28 CA$28.67

$28.91 CA$40.87

-29.85%

Cinema Ticket

$11.15 CA$15.77

$10.40 CA$14.70

7.21%

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

$507 CA$717

$410 CA$580

23.62%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$16.1K CA$22.7K

$20.4K CA$28.8K

-21.33%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$57.6 CA$81.4

$52.8 CA$74.6

9.02%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$37.58 CA$53.1

$38.41 CA$54.3

-2.16%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$91.9 CA$130

$82.2 CA$116

11.79%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$110 CA$155

$88.7 CA$125

23.57%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,260 CA$1,782

$1,241 CA$1,754

1.59%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$948 CA$1,340

$1,125 CA$1,590

-15.76%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,137 CA$3,021

$2,042 CA$2,887

4.64%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,614 CA$2,281

$1,700 CA$2,404

-5.10%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$4,960 CA$7,011

$3,473 CA$4,910

42.79%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$3,838 CA$5,425

$3,551 CA$5,020

8.07%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$2,827 CA$3,997

$2,866 CA$4,051

-1.33%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

4.48

4.72

-5.08%

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

Last update for Montreal: October 12, 2026

Last update for London: October 12, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Montreal

$948 47%

London

$1.1K 48.9% 18.7% $177

Groceries & Markets

Montreal

$346 17.2%

London

$357 15.5% 2.9% $10

Eating Out

Montreal

$288 14.3%

London

$311 13.5% 8% $23

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Montreal

$152 7.5%

London

$233 10.1% 52.9% $81

Clothing & Footwear

Montreal

$133 6.6%

London

$118 5.1% 11.6% $16

Getting Around

Montreal

$99 4.9%

London

$99 4.3% 0.6% $0.6

Sport & Entertainment

Montreal

$52 2.6%

London

$58 2.5% 12% $6.3

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,260 in Montreal and $1,241 in London. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

London pays 1% 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: $70.0 in Montreal vs $62.0 in London. Groceries flip the comparison at $346 vs $357, with Montreal cheaper for home cooking.

Good to know

🇨🇦 Montreal

🇨🇦 London

🕒 Local time

17:31 5:31 PM

Same time as Montreal

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

1,762,949

383,822

💱 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

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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 London: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Montreal is cheaper overall, especially in groceries, eating out, and transport. The 14% gap adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

On paper, salaries run 1% lower in London. 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: $1,260 in Montreal versus $1,241 in London. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

All in, you'll spend $2,018 per month in Montreal versus $2,300 in London – a 14% gap that adds up to real savings over time for anyone picking the cheaper option.

A monthly transit pass in Montreal runs roughly 2% less than in London. Both cities have functional networks, but the price difference matters if you're watching your budget.

At $2,018 in Montreal versus $2,300 in London, a $2,000 budget is realistic in Montreal but tight or insufficient in London. 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 London, and the savings on those two alone free up budget for education, activities, and family trips.

Safety-wise, Montreal and London 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 14% less than in London. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.