Cost of Living Comparison Between Montreal and Montpellier Cost of Living Comparison Between Montreal and Montpellier

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $2,063 in Montreal versus $1,960 in Montpellier.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $3,159 in Montreal versus $2,922 in Montpellier.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $4,255 in Montreal versus $3,884 in Montpellier.

Living in Montreal is roughly 5% more expensive than Montpellier, driven mainly by Getting Around.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Montreal 54% above, Montpellier 46% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$15.92 CA$22.12

$17.30 €14.90

-7.98%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$73.1 CA$102

$56.9 €48.97

28.45%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$11.15 CA$15.49

$13.07 €11.25

-14.69%

Cappuccino

$3.80 CA$5.28

$3.72 €3.21

2.15%

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

$2.18 CA$3.03

$2.72 €2.34

-19.85%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.46 CA$2.03

$1.91 €1.64

-23.56%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$6.12 CA$8.51

$5.92 €5.10

3.38%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$6.78 CA$9.41

$4.50 €3.87

50.67%

Milk (1 liter)

$2.33 CA$3.23

$1.36 €1.17

71.32%

White Bread (500g)

$3.39 CA$4.71

$2.98 €2.57

13.76%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$3.73 CA$5.18

$2.62 €2.26

42.37%

Eggs

$3.38 CA$4.70

$4.19 €3.60

-19.33%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$16.25 CA$22.58

$19.08 €16.43

-14.83%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$11.54 CA$16.04

$15.47 €13.32

-25.40%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$15.24 CA$21.17

$26.43 €22.76

-42.34%

Apples (1kg)

$3.74 CA$5.20

$3.17 €2.73

17.98%

Banana (1kg)

$1.70 CA$2.37

$2.29 €1.97

-25.76%

Oranges (1kg)

$4.11 CA$5.70

$2.48 €2.14

65.73%

Tomato (1kg)

$4.35 CA$6.05

$3.87 €3.33

12.40%

Potato (1kg)

$2.71 CA$3.76

$2.36 €2.03

14.83%

Onion (1kg)

$2.62 CA$3.63

$2.65 €2.28

-1.13%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.25 CA$3.13

$1.58 €1.36

42.41%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.73 CA$2.40

$0.58 €0.50

198.28%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$13.31 CA$18.49

$14.04 €12.09

-5.20%

Wine (Bottle)

$10.78 CA$14.98

$8.12 €7.00

32.76%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$3.01 CA$4.19

$3.12 €2.68

-3.53%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.46 CA$4.81

$3.80 €3.27

-8.95%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.74 CA$3.81

$1.81 €1.56

51.38%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$72.7 CA$101

$17.41 €14.99

317.40%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.63 CA$5.05

$5.08 €4.38

-28.54%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.46 CA$2.03

$1.59 €1.37

-8.18%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$33.44 CA$46.46

$33.35 €28.72

0.27%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.21 CA$1.68

$2.03 €1.75

-40.39%

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

$24.6K CA$34.2K

$37.5K €32.3K

-34.24%

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

$21.7K CA$30.1K

$38.0K €32.8K

-42.99%

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

$76.0 CA$106

$190 €164

-60.09%

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

$35.72 CA$49.63

$28.11 €24.20

27.07%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$42.86 CA$59.6

$35.06 €30.19

22.25%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$42.92 CA$59.6

$38.36 €33.04

11.89%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$17.23 CA$23.94

$29.35 €25.28

-41.29%

Cinema Ticket

$11.09 CA$15.40

$14.15 €12.18

-21.63%

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

$620 CA$861

$770 €663

-19.54%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$5,834 CA$8,106

$8,169 €7,034

-28.58%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$62.7 CA$87.1

$103 €88.5

-39.04%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$44.41 CA$61.7

$44.46 €38.29

-0.11%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$101 CA$140

$108 €93.0

-6.70%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$119 CA$165

$178 €153

-33.17%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,211 CA$1,683

$836 €720

44.85%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$960 CA$1,333

$752 €648

27.59%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,035 CA$2,828

$1,363 €1,174

49.35%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,589 CA$2,208

$1,115 €960

42.50%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$5,181 CA$7,198

$5,167 €4,449

0.27%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$3,934 CA$5,465

$4,116 €3,545

-4.44%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$2,960 CA$4,113

$2,784 €2,397

6.33%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

5.01

3.64

37.64%

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

Last update for Montreal: May 31, 2026

Last update for Montpellier: May 31, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,211 in Montreal and $836 in Montpellier. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Montreal pays 6% 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: $73.0 in Montreal vs $57.0 in Montpellier. Groceries flip the comparison at $392 vs $408, with Montreal cheaper for home cooking.

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 Montpellier: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Montpellier is cheaper overall, especially in Getting Around, Monthly Utilities & Internet. The 5% gap adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

Montreal pays 6% more on average, which matters when comparing affordability. Whether that higher income actually nets you more depends on your spending habits and housing choices.

Rent for a central apartment: $1,211 in Montreal versus $836 in Montpellier. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Shoppers in Montreal pay roughly 4% less for everyday groceries. It's an unusual reversal that partly offsets higher costs elsewhere.

Dining out is cheaper in Montpellier – a meal for two runs $57.0 versus $73.0 in Montreal. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

At $1,960 in Montpellier versus $2,063 in Montreal, a $2,500 budget is realistic in Montpellier but tight or insufficient in Montreal. The gap between the two cities makes Montpellier the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

For families, Montpellier is more practical. Housing and childcare are both notably cheaper than in Montreal, and the savings on those two alone free up budget for education, activities, and family trips.

Safety-wise, Montreal and Montpellier 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 Montpellier gentler on the wallet – expenses run 5% less than in Montreal. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.