Last update: Nov 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Montreal and Oshawa

For one person, living is cheaper in Montreal: $2,067 a month against $2,370 in Oshawa, rent and utilities included – about $3,600 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

100

Cost of Living Index in Montreal
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Montreal Living Index
113

Cost of Living Index in Oshawa
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Oshawa Living Index

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Montreal

🇨🇦 Canada

$2,067

/mo nomad

Oshawa

🇨🇦 Canada

$2,370

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Montreal and in Oshawa

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

A single person spends $2,067 per month in Montreal vs $2,370 in Oshawa, rent included.

Montreal $2,067
Oshawa $2,370

A couple spends around $3,179 per month in Montreal vs $3,414 in Oshawa, rent included.

Montreal $3,179
Oshawa $3,414

A family of three spends $4,291 per month in Montreal vs $4,457 in Oshawa, rent included.

Montreal $4,291
Oshawa $4,457

Montreal is about 13% cheaper than Oshawa, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Both Montreal and Oshawa sit above the global median – Montreal by 53%, Oshawa by 75%.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$18.89 CA$26.48

$14.25 CA$19.98

32.56%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$72.6 CA$102

$63.6 CA$89.1

14.16%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$10.79 CA$15.13

$8.33 CA$11.67

29.53%

Cappuccino

$3.98 CA$5.58

$3.54 CA$4.97

12.43%

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

$2.02 CA$2.83

$1.77 CA$2.48

14.12%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.63 CA$2.29

$1.36 CA$1.91

19.85%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$6.32 CA$8.86

$4.86 CA$6.81

30.04%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$7.06 CA$9.90

$6.04 CA$8.47

16.89%

Milk (1 liter)

$2.33 CA$3.27

$2.91 CA$4.08

-19.93%

White Bread (500g)

$3.25 CA$4.55

$2.91 CA$4.07

11.68%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$3.26 CA$4.58

$4.12 CA$5.77

-20.87%

Eggs

$3.48 CA$4.87

$2.97 CA$4.16

17.17%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$13.73 CA$19.25

$10.14 CA$14.21

35.40%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$11.48 CA$16.09

$13.74 CA$19.27

-16.45%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$14.26 CA$19.99

$16.60 CA$23.27

-14.10%

Apples (1kg)

$3.52 CA$4.94

$4.20 CA$5.89

-16.19%

Banana (1kg)

$1.46 CA$2.04

$1.22 CA$1.71

19.67%

Oranges (1kg)

$3.41 CA$4.78

$2.94 CA$4.12

15.99%

Tomato (1kg)

$3.20 CA$4.49

$3.84 CA$5.39

-16.67%

Potato (1kg)

$1.94 CA$2.71

$3.36 CA$4.71

-42.26%

Onion (1kg)

$1.78 CA$2.50

$2.57 CA$3.60

-30.74%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.52 CA$3.53

$2.35 CA$3.29

7.23%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.58 CA$2.22

$1.73 CA$2.42

-8.67%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$11.51 CA$16.13

$14.29 CA$20.03

-19.45%

Wine (Bottle)

$10.57 CA$14.82

$12.63 CA$17.70

-16.31%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.35 CA$3.29

$3.53 CA$4.94

-33.43%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.90 CA$4.06

$3.49 CA$4.89

-16.91%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.61 CA$3.66

$2.82 CA$3.95

-7.45%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$78.5 CA$110

$87.1 CA$122

-9.96%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.17 CA$4.45

$2.74 CA$3.84

15.69%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.49 CA$2.09

$1.44 CA$2.01

3.47%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$33.49 CA$46.94

$19.58 CA$27.44

71.04%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.36 CA$1.91

$1.24 CA$1.74

9.68%

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

$28.0K CA$39.3K

$28.8K CA$40.3K

-2.64%

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

$21.1K CA$29.6K

$22.9K CA$32.1K

-7.74%

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

$77.6 CA$109

$139 CA$195

-44.16%

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

$35.63 CA$49.94

$37.94 CA$53.2

-6.09%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$43.73 CA$61.3

$54.3 CA$76.2

-19.53%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$30.07 CA$42.16

$22.91 CA$32.11

31.25%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$19.97 CA$27.99

$29.28 CA$41.05

-31.80%

Cinema Ticket

$11.27 CA$15.80

$10.86 CA$15.23

3.78%

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

$522 CA$732

$922 CA$1,292

-43.37%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$17.8K CA$24.9K

$8,083 CA$11.3K

120.15%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$59.0 CA$82.7

$58.3 CA$81.7

1.13%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$39.01 CA$54.7

$57.7 CA$80.8

-32.36%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$99.8 CA$140

$107 CA$150

-6.84%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$110 CA$154

$129 CA$181

-14.92%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,298 CA$1,820

$1,400 CA$1,963

-7.27%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$970 CA$1,360

$1,207 CA$1,692

-19.62%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,323 CA$3,257

$2,003 CA$2,807

16.01%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,689 CA$2,368

$1,824 CA$2,556

-7.37%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$5,004 CA$7,014

$5,158 CA$7,230

-2.99%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$3,736 CA$5,237

$10.3K CA$14.5K

-63.83%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$2,943 CA$4,125

$3,049 CA$4,274

-3.47%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

4.51

4.53

-0.44%

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

Last update for Montreal: November 3, 2026

Last update for Oshawa: October 31, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Montreal

$970 47%

Oshawa

$1.2K 50.9% 24.4% $237

Groceries & Markets

Montreal

$357 17.3%

Oshawa

$390 16.5% 9.2% $33

Eating Out

Montreal

$292 14.1%

Oshawa

$230 9.7% 21% $61

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Montreal

$157 7.6%

Oshawa

$231 9.8% 47.3% $74

Clothing & Footwear

Montreal

$138 6.7%

Oshawa

$158 6.7% 14.5% $20

Getting Around

Montreal

$100 4.8%

Oshawa

$108 4.6% 8.8% $8.8

Sport & Entertainment

Montreal

$53 2.6%

Oshawa

$45 1.9% 15.2% $8

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $1,298 in Montreal versus $1,400 in Oshawa. 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 Oshawa, 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 $64 in Oshawa. Groceries tell a different story – $357 in Montreal vs $390 in Oshawa – so Montreal wins on supermarket bills even if dining out costs more.

Good to know

🇨🇦 Montreal

🇨🇦 Oshawa

🕒 Local time

00:45 12:45 AM

Same time as Montreal

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

1,762,949

159,458

💱 Currency

Canadian Dollar CAD $

📈 Exchange rate

1 CAD = 0.713 USD

1 CAD = 0.635 EUR

1 CAD = 0.713 USD

1 CAD = 0.635 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 Oshawa: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Oshawa costs about 15% 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 $3,100 per month in Montreal and $3,555 in Oshawa. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

A central 1-bedroom goes for about $1,298 in Montreal and $1,400 in Oshawa. The gap holds across neighborhoods – outer areas show a similar spread, just at lower price points.

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

A mid-range dinner for two costs $73 in Montreal and $64 in Oshawa. 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 $2,067 in Montreal and $2,370 in Oshawa. 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.

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