Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Montreal and Milton

For one person, living is cheaper in Montreal: $2,064 a month against $2,718 in Milton, rent and utilities included – about $7,800 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
132

Cost of Living Index in Milton
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Milton Living Index

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Montreal

🇨🇦 Canada

$2,064

/mo nomad

Milton

🇨🇦 Canada

$2,718

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Montreal and in Milton

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $2,064 in Montreal versus $2,718 in Milton.

Montreal $2,064
Milton $2,718

Estimated couple costs with rent: $3,156 in Montreal versus $3,861 in Milton.

Montreal $3,156
Milton $3,861

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $4,247 in Montreal versus $5,004 in Milton.

Montreal $4,247
Milton $5,004

Living in Montreal costs roughly 24% less than in Milton, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Montreal 52% above, Milton 100% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$18.98 CA$26.53

$14.04 CA$19.62

35.19%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$73.0 CA$102

$71.0 CA$99.3

2.77%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$10.88 CA$15.21

$8.73 CA$12.20

24.63%

Cappuccino

$3.81 CA$5.33

$3.72 CA$5.19

2.42%

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

$1.94 CA$2.71

$2.95 CA$4.13

-34.24%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.58 CA$2.21

$2.36 CA$3.30

-33.05%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$6.37 CA$8.90

$4.95 CA$6.92

28.69%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$7.26 CA$10.15

$6.08 CA$8.50

19.41%

Milk (1 liter)

$2.23 CA$3.11

$2.02 CA$2.82

10.40%

White Bread (500g)

$3.17 CA$4.44

$2.27 CA$3.17

39.65%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$3.31 CA$4.62

$2.56 CA$3.58

29.30%

Eggs

$3.63 CA$5.07

$3.20 CA$4.47

13.44%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$13.16 CA$18.39

$9.04 CA$12.64

45.58%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$11.56 CA$16.16

$22.57 CA$31.54

-48.78%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$13.71 CA$19.17

$22.80 CA$31.86

-39.87%

Apples (1kg)

$3.29 CA$4.60

$4.96 CA$6.94

-33.67%

Banana (1kg)

$1.46 CA$2.04

$1.09 CA$1.53

33.94%

Oranges (1kg)

$3.37 CA$4.71

$2.87 CA$4.01

17.42%

Tomato (1kg)

$3.15 CA$4.40

$4.02 CA$5.61

-21.64%

Potato (1kg)

$1.89 CA$2.64

$2.43 CA$3.39

-22.22%

Onion (1kg)

$1.79 CA$2.51

$2.22 CA$3.10

-19.37%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.47 CA$3.45

$2.19 CA$3.06

12.79%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.58 CA$2.21

$1.93 CA$2.69

-18.13%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$11.28 CA$15.77

$11.43 CA$15.98

-1.31%

Wine (Bottle)

$10.49 CA$14.67

$13.37 CA$18.68

-21.54%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.34 CA$3.26

$2.09 CA$2.91

11.96%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.91 CA$4.07

$2.64 CA$3.69

10.23%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.61 CA$3.65

$2.77 CA$3.87

-5.78%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$79.1 CA$111

$56.5 CA$79.0

39.98%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.26 CA$4.56

$3.29 CA$4.59

-0.91%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.44 CA$2.01

$1.56 CA$2.18

-7.69%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$33.43 CA$46.73

$28.41 CA$39.70

17.67%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.33 CA$1.86

$1.08 CA$1.51

23.15%

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

$28.6K CA$40.0K

$23.8K CA$33.2K

20.44%

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

$21.1K CA$29.5K

$18.8K CA$26.3K

11.97%

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

$80.1 CA$112

$230 CA$321

-65.19%

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

$34.30 CA$47.94

$55.1 CA$77.0

-37.75%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$42.85 CA$59.9

$53.4 CA$74.6

-19.70%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$31.14 CA$43.53

$42.90 CA$60.0

-27.41%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$19.41 CA$27.12

$20.76 CA$29.01

-6.50%

Cinema Ticket

$11.23 CA$15.69

$14.47 CA$20.23

-22.39%

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

$525 CA$734

$401 CA$560

31.04%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$16.3K CA$22.8K

$10.8K CA$15.1K

51.44%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$58.0 CA$81.1

$69.6 CA$97.3

-16.67%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$38.11 CA$53.3

$46.46 CA$64.9

-17.97%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$93.4 CA$131

$91.1 CA$127

2.55%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$110 CA$154

$145 CA$202

-23.86%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,285 CA$1,796

$1,529 CA$2,137

-15.95%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$977 CA$1,365

$1,406 CA$1,966

-30.55%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,271 CA$3,174

$2,549 CA$3,562

-10.90%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,665 CA$2,327

$2,110 CA$2,948

-21.08%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$5,139 CA$7,183

$4,836 CA$6,760

6.26%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$3,834 CA$5,359

$4,132 CA$5,774

-7.19%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$3,002 CA$4,196

$3,138 CA$4,385

-4.32%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

4.48

5.69

-21.27%

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

Last update for Montreal: October 25, 2026

Last update for Milton: October 24, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Montreal

$977 47.3%

Milton

$1.4K 51.7% 44% $430

Groceries & Markets

Montreal

$351 17%

Milton

$423 15.6% 20.5% $72

Eating Out

Montreal

$291 14.1%

Milton

$241 8.9% 17% $50

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Montreal

$157 7.6%

Milton

$338 12.5% 115% $181

Clothing & Footwear

Montreal

$135 6.5%

Milton

$158 5.8% 17.4% $23

Getting Around

Montreal

$100 4.9%

Milton

$79 2.9% 21.3% $21

Sport & Entertainment

Montreal

$54 2.6%

Milton

$72 2.6% 34% $18

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,285 in Montreal and $1,529 in Milton. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Milton pays 5% 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 in Montreal vs $71 in Milton. Groceries flip the comparison at $351 vs $423, with Montreal cheaper for home cooking.

Good to know

🇨🇦 Montreal

🇨🇦 Milton

🕒 Local time

09:26 9:26 AM

Same time as Montreal

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

1,762,949

110,128

💱 Currency

Canadian Dollar CAD $

📈 Exchange rate

1 CAD = 0.715 USD

1 CAD = 0.641 EUR

1 CAD = 0.715 USD

1 CAD = 0.641 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

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Montreal Milton 550 km ≈ 1 h 15 min nonstop flight

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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 Milton: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Total monthly costs including rent come to $2,064 in Montreal and $2,718 in Milton, so Montreal is about 24% cheaper – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

On paper, salaries run 4% lower in Montreal. 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: $1,285 in Montreal versus $1,529 in Milton. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

A monthly transit pass in Milton runs roughly 29% less than in Montreal. The price difference matters if you commute daily and watch your budget.

Childcare runs $525 in Montreal versus $401 in Milton. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Both cities are expensive relative to $2,000. Montreal is the more realistic option, but even there you’ll need to be disciplined with housing, food, and fun money.

Both cities offer a good standard of living with different trade-offs. Neither is objectively better – the right pick depends on what matters most: affordability, career, cultural scene, or climate.

Safety-wise, Montreal and Milton are both considered safe, so it’s unlikely to be the deciding factor between them.

It comes down to priorities – Montreal wins on affordability, Milton on earning potential. Factor in climate, language, visa rules, and proximity to places that matter to you before deciding.