Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Montreal and Penticton

For one person, living costs are similar in Montreal and in Penticton: $2,059 and $1,999 a month, rent and utilities included.

99

Cost of Living Index in Montreal
Learn more

Montreal Living Index
97

Cost of Living Index in Penticton
Learn more

Penticton Living Index

Jump to prices

Montreal

🇨🇦 Canada

$2,059

/mo nomad

Penticton

🇨🇦 Canada

$1,999

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Montreal and in Penticton

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

A single person spends $2,059 per month in Montreal vs $1,999 in Penticton, rent included.

Montreal $2,059
Penticton $1,999

A couple spends around $3,123 per month in Montreal vs $3,109 in Penticton, rent included.

Montreal $3,123
Penticton $3,109

A family of three spends $4,187 per month in Montreal vs $4,220 in Penticton, rent included.

Montreal $4,187
Penticton $4,220

Montreal costs about 3% more than Penticton, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Both Montreal and Penticton sit above the global median – Montreal by 52%, Penticton by 48%.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$18.84 CA$26.63

$14.41 CA$20.37

30.74%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$73.2 CA$104

$59.7 CA$84.4

22.71%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$10.54 CA$14.90

$10.16 CA$14.36

3.74%

Cappuccino

$3.97 CA$5.61

$3.77 CA$5.33

5.31%

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

$1.94 CA$2.74

$1.79 CA$2.53

8.38%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.57 CA$2.22

$1.85 CA$2.61

-15.14%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$6.42 CA$9.08

$4.94 CA$6.98

29.96%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$7.20 CA$10.19

$8.03 CA$11.35

-10.34%

Milk (1 liter)

$2.32 CA$3.28

$2.95 CA$4.17

-21.36%

White Bread (500g)

$3.19 CA$4.51

$2.25 CA$3.18

41.78%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$3.19 CA$4.50

$6.27 CA$8.87

-49.12%

Eggs

$3.68 CA$5.20

$4.01 CA$5.67

-8.23%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$13.24 CA$18.72

$8.41 CA$11.89

57.43%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$11.69 CA$16.53

$10.35 CA$14.63

12.95%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$13.98 CA$19.76

$16.15 CA$22.83

-13.44%

Apples (1kg)

$3.14 CA$4.44

$5.28 CA$7.47

-40.53%

Banana (1kg)

$1.45 CA$2.05

$2.25 CA$3.18

-35.56%

Oranges (1kg)

$3.38 CA$4.78

$5.11 CA$7.23

-33.86%

Tomato (1kg)

$3.11 CA$4.40

$4.56 CA$6.44

-31.80%

Potato (1kg)

$1.93 CA$2.72

$3.67 CA$5.18

-47.41%

Onion (1kg)

$1.83 CA$2.58

$3.51 CA$4.96

-47.86%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.36 CA$3.34

$2.64 CA$3.73

-10.61%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.50 CA$2.12

$1.89 CA$2.67

-20.63%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$11.12 CA$15.73

$13.12 CA$18.55

-15.24%

Wine (Bottle)

$10.60 CA$14.98

$12.45 CA$17.60

-14.86%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.22 CA$3.14

$4.72 CA$6.67

-52.97%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.84 CA$4.01

$5.59 CA$7.90

-49.19%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.62 CA$3.71

$1.60 CA$2.27

63.75%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$79.1 CA$112

$31.56 CA$44.61

150.76%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.23 CA$4.56

$2.32 CA$3.28

39.22%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.48 CA$2.10

$1.75 CA$2.48

-15.43%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$32.22 CA$45.55

$37.47 CA$53.0

-14.01%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.36 CA$1.92

$1.20 CA$1.69

13.33%

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

$27.6K CA$39.1K

$26.0K CA$36.7K

6.48%

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

$21.2K CA$30.0K

$19.6K CA$27.6K

8.38%

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

$77.0 CA$109

$88.8 CA$125

-13.21%

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

$34.14 CA$48.26

$47.32 CA$66.9

-27.85%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$42.19 CA$59.7

$59.8 CA$84.6

-29.47%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$30.81 CA$43.56

$40.00 CA$56.6

-22.98%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$19.66 CA$27.79

$7.11 CA$10.05

176.51%

Cinema Ticket

$11.47 CA$16.22

$10.81 CA$15.29

6.11%

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

$506 CA$716

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$16.2K CA$23.0K

$6,679 CA$9,442

143.09%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$57.3 CA$81.0

$39.41 CA$55.7

45.29%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$38.10 CA$53.9

$33.33 CA$47.11

14.31%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$91.9 CA$130

$76.9 CA$109

19.47%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$110 CA$155

$148 CA$209

-25.74%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,237 CA$1,748

$1,181 CA$1,669

4.75%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$977 CA$1,381

$900 CA$1,272

8.57%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,180 CA$3,082

$2,010 CA$2,841

8.47%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,608 CA$2,273

$1,719 CA$2,430

-6.46%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$5,113 CA$7,228

$2,659 CA$3,759

92.28%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$3,744 CA$5,293

$3,027 CA$4,279

23.69%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$2,957 CA$4,180

$3,054 CA$4,318

-3.18%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

4.48

4.75

-5.68%

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

Last update for Montreal: October 20, 2026

Last update for Penticton: October 17, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Montreal

$977 47.4%

Penticton

$900 45% 7.9% $77

Groceries & Markets

Montreal

$351 17.1%

Penticton

$413 20.6% 17.5% $62

Eating Out

Montreal

$290 14.1%

Penticton

$246 12.3% 15.2% $44

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Montreal

$153 7.5%

Penticton

$196 9.8% 27.7% $43

Clothing & Footwear

Montreal

$134 6.5%

Penticton

$134 6.7% 0.1% $0.2

Getting Around

Montreal

$100 4.9%

Penticton

$49 2.5% 51.1% $51

Sport & Entertainment

Montreal

$54 2.6%

Penticton

$62 3.1% 14.6% $7.9

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $1,237 in Montreal versus $1,181 in Penticton. 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 3% higher in Penticton, which reinforces the cost advantage – you earn more and spend less. Purchasing power leans clearly in its favor.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $73.0 in Montreal versus $60.0 in Penticton. Groceries tell a different story – $351 in Montreal vs $413 in Penticton – so Montreal wins on supermarket bills even if dining out costs more.

Good to know

🇨🇦 Montreal

🇨🇦 Penticton

🕒 Local time

11:16 11:16 AM

08:16 8:16 AM

3 h behind Montreal

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

1,762,949

43,313

💱 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

Lowest

Highest

Between locations

Montreal Penticton 3,430 km ≈ 4 h 45 min nonstop flight

From you

Montreal
Penticton

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 Penticton: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Montreal costs about 3% more than Penticton, 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 $2,998 in Penticton. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

Rent is clearly cheaper in Penticton, especially for central apartments. Housing is actually the single biggest factor behind the overall cost gap between these two cities.

Public transport costs about 151% less in Penticton. For daily commuters, that gap adds up to noticeable savings over a year.

Interestingly, groceries are about 18% cheaper in Montreal – one category where the pricier city actually offers better value, probably thanks to stronger retail competition or local farming.

A $3,000 monthly budget goes further in Penticton, where all-in costs run around $1,999, than in Montreal at $2,059. In Penticton it covers expenses comfortably, while in Montreal it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.

For digital nomads, it depends on budget. Penticton costs $1,999 versus $2,059 in Montreal. 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 Penticton. If higher salaries, better infrastructure, or specific career opportunities are the priority, Montreal makes more sense. Both are solid long-term options with distinct trade-offs.