Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Montreal and Nelson BC

For one person, living is cheaper in Montreal: $2,064 a month against $2,255 in Nelson BC, rent and utilities included – about $2,300 less a year. Higher rent and utilities in Nelson BC outweigh lower spending on other living expenses.

99

Cost of Living Index in Montreal
Learn more

Montreal Living Index
108

Cost of Living Index in Nelson BC
Learn more

Nelson BC Living Index

Jump to prices

Montreal

🇨🇦 Canada

$2,064

/mo nomad

Nelson BC

🇨🇦 Canada

$2,255

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Montreal and in Nelson BC

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

A single person spends $2,064 per month in Montreal vs $2,255 in Nelson BC, rent included.

Montreal $2,064
Nelson BC $2,255

A couple spends around $3,156 per month in Montreal vs $3,119 in Nelson BC, rent included.

Montreal $3,156
Nelson BC $3,119

A family of three spends $4,247 per month in Montreal vs $3,984 in Nelson BC, rent included.

Montreal $4,247
Nelson BC $3,984

Montreal is about 8% cheaper than Nelson BC, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Both Montreal and Nelson BC sit above the global median – Montreal by 52%, Nelson BC by 66%.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$18.98 CA$26.52

$14.29 CA$19.97

32.82%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$73.0 CA$102

$59.5 CA$83.1

22.70%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$10.88 CA$15.20

$9.02 CA$12.60

20.62%

Cappuccino

$3.81 CA$5.33

$3.99 CA$5.57

-4.51%

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

$1.94 CA$2.71

$2.07 CA$2.89

-6.28%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.58 CA$2.21

$1.73 CA$2.42

-8.67%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$6.37 CA$8.90

$4.68 CA$6.54

36.11%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$7.26 CA$10.15

$5.83 CA$8.14

24.53%

Milk (1 liter)

$2.23 CA$3.11

$2.05 CA$2.87

8.78%

White Bread (500g)

$3.17 CA$4.43

$2.88 CA$4.03

10.07%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$3.31 CA$4.62

$3.49 CA$4.88

-5.16%

Eggs

$3.63 CA$5.07

$3.14 CA$4.39

15.61%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$13.16 CA$18.38

$9.17 CA$12.81

43.51%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$11.56 CA$16.15

$13.60 CA$18.99

-15.00%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$13.71 CA$19.16

$21.34 CA$29.82

-35.75%

Apples (1kg)

$3.29 CA$4.60

$3.52 CA$4.91

-6.53%

Banana (1kg)

$1.46 CA$2.04

$0.61 CA$0.86

139.34%

Oranges (1kg)

$3.37 CA$4.70

$1.62 CA$2.26

108.02%

Tomato (1kg)

$3.15 CA$4.40

$4.68 CA$6.54

-32.69%

Potato (1kg)

$1.89 CA$2.64

$3.23 CA$4.51

-41.49%

Onion (1kg)

$1.79 CA$2.50

$3.14 CA$4.39

-42.99%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.47 CA$3.45

$2.62 CA$3.66

-5.73%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.58 CA$2.21

$1.97 CA$2.76

-19.80%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$11.28 CA$15.77

$14.51 CA$20.27

-22.26%

Wine (Bottle)

$10.49 CA$14.66

$13.74 CA$19.20

-23.65%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.34 CA$3.26

$2.62 CA$3.65

-10.69%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.91 CA$4.07

$3.16 CA$4.42

-7.91%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.61 CA$3.65

$1.53 CA$2.14

70.59%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$79.1 CA$111

$37.16 CA$51.9

112.94%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.26 CA$4.55

$2.91 CA$4.07

12.03%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.44 CA$2.01

$1.76 CA$2.45

-18.18%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$33.43 CA$46.71

$34.81 CA$48.64

-3.96%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.33 CA$1.86

$1.27 CA$1.78

4.72%

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

$28.6K CA$40.0K

$28.5K CA$39.9K

0.33%

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

$21.1K CA$29.5K

$18.0K CA$25.2K

17.00%

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

$80.1 CA$112

$128 CA$178

-37.22%

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

$34.30 CA$47.92

$44.60 CA$62.3

-23.09%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$42.85 CA$59.9

$58.1 CA$81.1

-26.22%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$31.14 CA$43.51

$57.8 CA$80.7

-46.08%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$19.41 CA$27.11

Cinema Ticket

$11.23 CA$15.69

$11.39 CA$15.91

-1.40%

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

$525 CA$734

$1,018 CA$1,422

-48.40%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$16.3K CA$22.8K

$16.6K CA$23.2K

-1.70%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$58.0 CA$81.0

$48.21 CA$67.4

20.31%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$38.11 CA$53.2

$41.74 CA$58.3

-8.70%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$93.4 CA$131

$84.7 CA$118

10.31%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$110 CA$154

$99.1 CA$138

11.20%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,285 CA$1,795

$1,357 CA$1,896

-5.28%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$977 CA$1,364

$1,143 CA$1,597

-14.54%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,271 CA$3,173

$2,171 CA$3,033

4.60%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,665 CA$2,326

$1,504 CA$2,101

10.72%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$5,139 CA$7,180

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$3,834 CA$5,357

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$3,002 CA$4,194

$3,219 CA$4,498

-6.75%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

4.48

4.62

-3.03%

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

Last update for Montreal: October 25, 2026

Last update for Nelson BC: October 27, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Montreal

$977 47.3%

Nelson BC

$1.1K 50.7% 17% $166

Groceries & Markets

Montreal

$351 17%

Nelson BC

$384 17% 9.2% $32

Eating Out

Montreal

$291 14.1%

Nelson BC

$240 10.6% 17.6% $51

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Montreal

$157 7.6%

Nelson BC

$230 10.2% 46.4% $73

Clothing & Footwear

Montreal

$135 6.5%

Nelson BC

$123 5.5% 8.7% $12

Getting Around

Montreal

$100 4.9%

Nelson BC

$55 2.4% 45% $45

Sport & Entertainment

Montreal

$54 2.6%

Nelson BC

$81 3.6% 50.2% $27

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $1,285 in Montreal versus $1,357 in Nelson BC. 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 7% higher in Nelson BC, 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 in Montreal versus $59 in Nelson BC. Groceries tell a different story – $351 in Montreal vs $384 in Nelson BC – so Montreal wins on supermarket bills even if dining out costs more.

Good to know

🇨🇦 Montreal

🇨🇦 Nelson BC

🕒 Local time

04:08 4:08 AM

02:08 2:08 AM

2 h behind Montreal

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

1,762,949

10,664

💱 Currency

Canadian Dollar CAD $

📈 Exchange rate

1 CAD = 0.716 USD

1 CAD = 0.641 EUR

1 CAD = 0.716 USD

1 CAD = 0.641 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

On the map

Lowest

Highest

Between locations

Montreal Nelson BC 3,270 km ≈ 4 h 30 min nonstop flight

From you

Montreal
Nelson BC

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 Nelson BC: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Nelson BC costs about 9% more than Montreal, and outside of rent the gap comes mainly from groceries. That’s enough to noticeably affect everyday spending and lifestyle for anyone choosing between the two.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $3,096 per month in Montreal and $3,382 in Nelson BC. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

A central 1-bedroom goes for about $1,285 in Montreal and $1,357 in Nelson BC. The gap holds across neighborhoods – outer areas show a similar spread, just at lower price points.

Groceries cost about 9% more in Nelson BC, though the gap depends on what you buy.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $73 in Montreal and $59 in Nelson BC. That’s a good indicator of the overall restaurant and café pricing gap between the two cities.

$2,000 is a stretch for both – monthly costs hit $2,064 in Montreal and $2,255 in Nelson BC. 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.

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