Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Montreal and Ottawa

For one person, living is cheaper in Montreal: $2,059 a month against $2,416 in Ottawa, rent and utilities included – about $4,300 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
117

Cost of Living Index in Ottawa
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Ottawa Living Index

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Montreal

🇨🇦 Canada

$2,059

/mo nomad

Ottawa

🇨🇦 Canada

$2,416

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Montreal and in Ottawa

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

A single person spends $2,059 per month in Montreal vs $2,416 in Ottawa, rent included.

Montreal $2,059
Ottawa $2,416

A couple spends around $3,123 per month in Montreal vs $3,537 in Ottawa, rent included.

Montreal $3,123
Ottawa $3,537

A family of three spends $4,187 per month in Montreal vs $4,658 in Ottawa, rent included.

Montreal $4,187
Ottawa $4,658

Montreal is about 15% cheaper than Ottawa, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Both Montreal and Ottawa sit above the global median – Montreal by 52%, Ottawa by 78%.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$18.84 CA$26.63

$17.62 CA$24.91

6.92%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$73.2 CA$104

$78.6 CA$111

-6.83%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$10.54 CA$14.90

$10.61 CA$15.00

-0.66%

Cappuccino

$3.97 CA$5.61

$4.04 CA$5.71

-1.73%

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

$1.94 CA$2.74

$2.08 CA$2.94

-6.73%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.57 CA$2.22

$1.75 CA$2.48

-10.29%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$6.42 CA$9.08

$5.71 CA$8.08

12.43%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$7.20 CA$10.19

$6.47 CA$9.14

11.28%

Milk (1 liter)

$2.32 CA$3.28

$2.40 CA$3.39

-3.33%

White Bread (500g)

$3.19 CA$4.51

$2.96 CA$4.19

7.77%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$3.19 CA$4.50

$2.88 CA$4.07

10.76%

Eggs

$3.68 CA$5.20

$3.23 CA$4.57

13.93%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$13.24 CA$18.72

$11.51 CA$16.27

15.03%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$11.69 CA$16.53

$11.61 CA$16.41

0.69%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$13.98 CA$19.76

$19.02 CA$26.90

-26.50%

Apples (1kg)

$3.14 CA$4.44

$3.74 CA$5.29

-16.04%

Banana (1kg)

$1.45 CA$2.05

$1.27 CA$1.79

14.17%

Oranges (1kg)

$3.38 CA$4.78

$3.90 CA$5.52

-13.33%

Tomato (1kg)

$3.11 CA$4.40

$3.61 CA$5.10

-13.85%

Potato (1kg)

$1.93 CA$2.72

$2.57 CA$3.64

-24.90%

Onion (1kg)

$1.83 CA$2.58

$2.39 CA$3.38

-23.43%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.36 CA$3.34

$2.61 CA$3.69

-9.58%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.50 CA$2.12

$1.47 CA$2.08

2.04%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$11.12 CA$15.73

$14.45 CA$20.43

-23.04%

Wine (Bottle)

$10.60 CA$14.98

$12.47 CA$17.63

-15.00%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.22 CA$3.14

$2.61 CA$3.68

-14.94%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.84 CA$4.01

$3.18 CA$4.50

-10.69%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.62 CA$3.71

$2.93 CA$4.14

-10.58%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$79.1 CA$112

$94.6 CA$134

-16.34%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.23 CA$4.56

$2.68 CA$3.79

20.52%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.48 CA$2.10

$1.53 CA$2.16

-3.27%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$32.22 CA$45.55

$19.08 CA$26.98

68.87%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.36 CA$1.92

$1.23 CA$1.74

10.57%

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

$27.6K CA$39.1K

$27.6K CA$39.0K

0.26%

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

$21.2K CA$30.0K

$22.3K CA$31.5K

-4.86%

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

$77.0 CA$109

$139 CA$196

-44.57%

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

$34.14 CA$48.26

$37.37 CA$52.8

-8.64%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$42.19 CA$59.7

$51.1 CA$72.3

-17.47%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$30.81 CA$43.56

$48.10 CA$68.0

-35.95%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$19.66 CA$27.79

$27.89 CA$39.43

-29.51%

Cinema Ticket

$11.47 CA$16.22

$12.68 CA$17.93

-9.54%

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

$506 CA$716

$928 CA$1,311

-45.43%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$16.2K CA$23.0K

$16.1K CA$22.7K

1.16%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$57.3 CA$81.0

-0.07%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$38.10 CA$53.9

$37.28 CA$52.7

2.20%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$91.9 CA$130

$103 CA$146

-10.85%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$110 CA$155

$97.5 CA$138

12.56%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,237 CA$1,748

$1,437 CA$2,031

-13.92%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$977 CA$1,381

$1,215 CA$1,717

-19.59%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,180 CA$3,082

$2,310 CA$3,266

-5.63%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,608 CA$2,273

$1,871 CA$2,645

-14.06%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$5,113 CA$7,228

$4,326 CA$6,115

18.20%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$3,744 CA$5,293

$4,547 CA$6,428

-17.65%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$2,957 CA$4,180

$3,730 CA$5,274

-20.73%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

4.48

4.16

7.69%

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

Last update for Montreal: October 20, 2026

Last update for Ottawa: October 20, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Montreal

$977 47.4%

Ottawa

$1.2K 50.3% 24.4% $238

Groceries & Markets

Montreal

$351 17.1%

Ottawa

$373 15.4% 6.1% $21

Eating Out

Montreal

$290 14.1%

Ottawa

$278 11.5% 4.2% $12

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Montreal

$153 7.5%

Ottawa

$227 9.4% 48.3% $74

Clothing & Footwear

Montreal

$134 6.5%

Ottawa

$133 5.5% 0.6% $0.8

Getting Around

Montreal

$100 4.9%

Ottawa

$117 4.8% 16.3% $16

Sport & Entertainment

Montreal

$54 2.6%

Ottawa

$73 3% 36.7% $20

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $1,237 in Montreal versus $1,437 in Ottawa. 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 26% higher in Ottawa, 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 $73.0 in Montreal versus $79.0 in Ottawa. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $351 vs $373 – making Montreal the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇨🇦 Montreal

🇨🇦 Ottawa

🕒 Local time

13:37 1:37 PM

Same time as Montreal

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

1,762,949

1,000,000 Capital

💱 Currency

Canadian Dollar CAD $

📈 Exchange rate

1 CAD = 0.707 USD

1 CAD = 0.629 EUR

1 CAD = 0.707 USD

1 CAD = 0.629 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

On the map

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Montreal Ottawa 170 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 Ottawa: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Ottawa costs about 17% 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 $3,089 per month in Montreal and $3,623 in Ottawa. 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. Housing is actually the single biggest factor behind the overall cost gap between these two cities.

Groceries cost about 6% more in Ottawa, though it depends on what you buy. Local produce may be comparable; imported and premium items show the biggest price gap.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $73.0 in Montreal and $79.0 in Ottawa. That's a good indicator of the overall restaurant and café pricing gap between the two cities.

A $2,000 monthly budget goes further in Montreal, where all-in costs run around $2,059, than in Ottawa at $2,416. In Montreal it covers expenses comfortably, while in Ottawa it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.

For digital nomads, it depends on budget. Montreal costs $2,059 versus $2,416 in Ottawa. Both have workable remote work infrastructure, but the cost gap matters when income varies month to month.

Both have safer and rougher neighborhoods, but overall safety is comparable to other large cities. Neighborhood choice matters more than the city-level comparison – central, well-trafficked areas feel secure in both.

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