Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Montreal and North Bay

For one person, living is cheaper in Montreal: $2,064 a month against $2,162 in North Bay, rent and utilities included – about $1,200 less a year. Higher rent and utilities in North Bay outweigh lower spending on other living expenses.

99

Cost of Living Index in Montreal
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Montreal Living Index
105

Cost of Living Index in North Bay
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North Bay Living Index

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Montreal

🇨🇦 Canada

$2,064

/mo nomad

North Bay

🇨🇦 Canada

$2,162

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Montreal and in North Bay

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

A single person spends $2,064 per month in Montreal vs $2,162 in North Bay, rent included.

Montreal $2,064
North Bay $2,162

A couple spends around $3,156 per month in Montreal vs $3,060 in North Bay, rent included.

Montreal $3,156
North Bay $3,060

A family of three spends $4,247 per month in Montreal vs $3,957 in North Bay, rent included.

Montreal $4,247
North Bay $3,957

Montreal is about 5% cheaper than North Bay, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in utilities.

Both Montreal and North Bay sit above the global median – Montreal by 52%, North Bay by 59%.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$18.98 CA$26.64

$17.83 CA$25.02

6.45%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$73.0 CA$102

$77.4 CA$109

-5.69%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$10.88 CA$15.27

$10.73 CA$15.05

1.40%

Cappuccino

$3.81 CA$5.35

$3.98 CA$5.59

-4.27%

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

$1.94 CA$2.72

$2.07 CA$2.91

-6.28%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.58 CA$2.22

$1.76 CA$2.46

-10.23%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$6.37 CA$8.94

$5.02 CA$7.05

26.89%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$7.26 CA$10.20

$6.81 CA$9.55

6.61%

Milk (1 liter)

$2.23 CA$3.13

$2.56 CA$3.59

-12.89%

White Bread (500g)

$3.17 CA$4.45

$2.72 CA$3.82

16.54%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$3.31 CA$4.64

$2.24 CA$3.14

47.77%

Eggs

$3.63 CA$5.09

$3.53 CA$4.95

2.83%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$13.16 CA$18.47

$9.49 CA$13.32

38.67%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$11.56 CA$16.22

$11.32 CA$15.89

2.12%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$13.71 CA$19.25

$12.37 CA$17.36

10.83%

Apples (1kg)

$3.29 CA$4.62

$3.67 CA$5.15

-10.35%

Banana (1kg)

$1.46 CA$2.05

$1.22 CA$1.71

19.67%

Oranges (1kg)

$3.37 CA$4.73

$3.21 CA$4.51

4.98%

Tomato (1kg)

$3.15 CA$4.42

$4.19 CA$5.88

-24.82%

Potato (1kg)

$1.89 CA$2.65

$1.85 CA$2.59

2.16%

Onion (1kg)

$1.79 CA$2.52

$1.68 CA$2.35

6.55%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.47 CA$3.47

$2.24 CA$3.14

10.27%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.58 CA$2.22

$1.26 CA$1.77

25.40%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$11.28 CA$15.84

$14.46 CA$20.29

-21.99%

Wine (Bottle)

$10.49 CA$14.73

$14.26 CA$20.01

-26.44%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.34 CA$3.28

$2.23 CA$3.14

4.93%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.91 CA$4.09

$2.46 CA$3.46

18.29%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.61 CA$3.66

$2.28 CA$3.19

14.47%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$79.1 CA$111

$67.4 CA$94.5

17.46%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.26 CA$4.57

$3.08 CA$4.33

5.84%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.44 CA$2.02

$1.13 CA$1.58

27.43%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$33.43 CA$46.92

$22.26 CA$31.25

50.18%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.33 CA$1.87

$1.25 CA$1.75

6.40%

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

$28.6K CA$40.2K

$26.8K CA$37.6K

6.77%

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

$21.1K CA$29.6K

$21.5K CA$30.2K

-1.79%

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

$80.1 CA$112

$124 CA$174

-35.28%

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

$34.30 CA$48.14

$32.74 CA$45.95

4.76%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$42.85 CA$60.1

$48.00 CA$67.4

-10.73%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$31.14 CA$43.71

$24.94 CA$35.00

24.86%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$19.41 CA$27.24

Cinema Ticket

$11.23 CA$15.76

$13.09 CA$18.37

-14.21%

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

$525 CA$737

$753 CA$1,057

-30.28%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$16.3K CA$22.9K

$23.8K CA$33.4K

-31.35%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$58.0 CA$81.4

$44.70 CA$62.7

29.75%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$38.11 CA$53.5

$18.18 CA$25.52

109.63%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$93.4 CA$131

$101 CA$142

-7.66%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$110 CA$155

$89.3 CA$125

23.33%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,285 CA$1,803

$1,457 CA$2,045

-11.79%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$977 CA$1,371

$1,095 CA$1,537

-10.81%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,271 CA$3,187

$1,852 CA$2,599

22.63%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,665 CA$2,336

$1,475 CA$2,070

12.85%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$5,139 CA$7,212

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$3,834 CA$5,381

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$3,002 CA$4,213

$3,108 CA$4,362

-3.41%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

4.48

4.45

0.67%

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

Last update for Montreal: October 25, 2026

Last update for North Bay: October 25, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Montreal

$977 47.3%

North Bay

$1.1K 50.7% 12.1% $118

Groceries & Markets

Montreal

$351 17%

North Bay

$335 15.5% 4.6% $16

Eating Out

Montreal

$291 14.1%

North Bay

$277 12.8% 4.9% $14

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Montreal

$157 7.6%

North Bay

$204 9.5% 30.1% $47

Clothing & Footwear

Montreal

$135 6.5%

North Bay

$114 5.3% 15.5% $21

Getting Around

Montreal

$100 4.9%

North Bay

$85 3.9% 14.8% $15

Sport & Entertainment

Montreal

$54 2.6%

North Bay

$51 2.4% 4.6% $2.5

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $1,285 in Montreal versus $1,457 in North Bay. 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 4% higher in North Bay, 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 $77 in North Bay. Groceries tell a different story – $351 in Montreal vs $335 in North Bay – so North Bay wins on supermarket bills even if dining out costs more.

Good to know

🇨🇦 Montreal

🇨🇦 North Bay

🕒 Local time

18:28 6:28 PM

Same time as Montreal

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

1,762,949

51,553

💱 Currency

Canadian Dollar CAD $

📈 Exchange rate

1 CAD = 0.713 USD

1 CAD = 0.64 EUR

1 CAD = 0.713 USD

1 CAD = 0.64 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

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Montreal North Bay 460 km

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Montreal
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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 North Bay: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

North Bay costs about 5% more than Montreal, and outside of rent the gap comes mainly from utilities. 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 $3,243 in North Bay. 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: a one-bedroom in the center costs $1,285 there versus $1,457 in North Bay.

Interestingly, groceries are about 5% cheaper in North Bay – one category where the pricier city actually offers better value.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $73 in Montreal and $77 in North Bay. 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 $2,162 in North Bay. 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, North Bay makes more sense. Both are solid long-term options with distinct trade-offs.