Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Montreal and Pickering, ON

For one person, living is cheaper in Montreal: $2,064 a month against $2,590 in Pickering, ON, rent and utilities included – about $6,300 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
126

Cost of Living Index in Pickering, ON
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Pickering, ON Living Index

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Montreal

🇨🇦 Canada

$2,064

/mo nomad

Pickering, ON

🇨🇦 Canada

$2,590

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Montreal and in Pickering, ON

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

A single person spends $2,064 per month in Montreal vs $2,590 in Pickering, ON, rent included.

Montreal $2,064
Pickering, ON $2,590

A couple spends around $3,156 per month in Montreal vs $3,662 in Pickering, ON, rent included.

Montreal $3,156
Pickering, ON $3,662

A family of three spends $4,247 per month in Montreal vs $4,733 in Pickering, ON, rent included.

Montreal $4,247
Pickering, ON $4,733

Montreal is about 20% cheaper than Pickering, ON, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in transport.

Both Montreal and Pickering, ON sit above the global median – Montreal by 52%, Pickering, ON by 90%.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$18.98 CA$26.64

$14.17 CA$19.89

33.94%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$73.0 CA$102

$57.9 CA$81.2

26.13%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$10.88 CA$15.27

$10.80 CA$15.16

0.74%

Cappuccino

$3.81 CA$5.35

$1.97 CA$2.76

93.40%

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

$1.94 CA$2.72

$1.69 CA$2.38

14.79%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.58 CA$2.22

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$6.37 CA$8.94

$4.72 CA$6.63

34.96%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$7.26 CA$10.20

$4.56 CA$6.40

59.21%

Milk (1 liter)

$2.23 CA$3.13

$2.14 CA$3.00

4.21%

White Bread (500g)

$3.17 CA$4.45

$2.21 CA$3.11

43.44%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$3.31 CA$4.64

$4.40 CA$6.17

-24.77%

Eggs

$3.63 CA$5.09

$3.65 CA$5.13

-0.55%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$13.16 CA$18.47

$9.81 CA$13.77

34.15%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$11.56 CA$16.22

$11.38 CA$15.97

1.58%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$13.71 CA$19.25

$14.15 CA$19.86

-3.11%

Apples (1kg)

$3.29 CA$4.62

$3.12 CA$4.37

5.45%

Banana (1kg)

$1.46 CA$2.05

$0.59 CA$0.82

147.46%

Oranges (1kg)

$3.37 CA$4.73

$2.54 CA$3.57

32.68%

Tomato (1kg)

$3.15 CA$4.42

$2.08 CA$2.92

51.44%

Potato (1kg)

$1.89 CA$2.65

$2.20 CA$3.08

-14.09%

Onion (1kg)

$1.79 CA$2.52

$2.72 CA$3.81

-34.19%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.47 CA$3.47

$2.75 CA$3.87

-10.18%

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

$13.49 CA$18.93

-16.38%

Wine (Bottle)

$10.49 CA$14.73

$12.98 CA$18.21

-19.18%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.34 CA$3.28

$1.75 CA$2.46

33.71%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.91 CA$4.09

$2.39 CA$3.35

21.76%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.61 CA$3.66

$2.74 CA$3.85

-4.74%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$79.1 CA$111

$161 CA$227

-50.98%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.26 CA$4.57

$2.89 CA$4.06

12.80%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.44 CA$2.02

$2.25 CA$3.16

-36.00%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$33.43 CA$46.92

$22.27 CA$31.26

50.11%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.33 CA$1.87

$1.11 CA$1.56

19.82%

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

$28.6K CA$40.2K

$25.0K CA$35.0K

14.73%

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

$21.1K CA$29.6K

$22.2K CA$31.2K

-5.06%

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

$80.1 CA$112

$107 CA$150

-24.97%

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

$34.30 CA$48.14

$34.45 CA$48.34

-0.44%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$42.85 CA$60.1

$48.19 CA$67.6

-11.08%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$31.14 CA$43.71

$59.9 CA$84.0

-47.97%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$19.41 CA$27.24

$26.56 CA$37.27

-26.92%

Cinema Ticket

$11.23 CA$15.76

$11.21 CA$15.73

0.18%

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

$525 CA$737

$503 CA$706

4.35%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$16.3K CA$22.9K

$28.4K CA$39.9K

-42.56%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$58.0 CA$81.4

$74.4 CA$104

-22.01%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$38.11 CA$53.5

$54.1 CA$75.9

-29.49%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$93.4 CA$131

$82.6 CA$116

13.13%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$110 CA$155

$77.2 CA$108

42.65%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,285 CA$1,803

$1,658 CA$2,326

-22.47%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$977 CA$1,371

$1,465 CA$2,056

-33.33%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,271 CA$3,187

$2,504 CA$3,515

-9.33%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,665 CA$2,336

$2,194 CA$3,079

-24.12%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$5,139 CA$7,212

$4,334 CA$6,083

18.57%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$3,834 CA$5,381

$3,903 CA$5,478

-1.76%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$3,002 CA$4,213

$3,072 CA$4,311

-2.28%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

4.48

4.22

6.16%

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

Last update for Montreal: October 25, 2026

Last update for Pickering, ON: October 25, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Montreal

$977 47.3%

Pickering, ON

$1.5K 56.6% 50% $488

Groceries & Markets

Montreal

$351 17%

Pickering, ON

$322 12.4% 8.4% $29

Eating Out

Montreal

$291 14.1%

Pickering, ON

$215 8.3% 26% $76

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Montreal

$157 7.6%

Pickering, ON

$189 7.3% 20.4% $32

Clothing & Footwear

Montreal

$135 6.5%

Pickering, ON

$130 5% 3.8% $5.2

Getting Around

Montreal

$100 4.9%

Pickering, ON

$187 7.2% 86.5% $87

Sport & Entertainment

Montreal

$54 2.6%

Pickering, ON

$82 3.2% 53.5% $29

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $1,285 in Montreal versus $1,658 in Pickering, ON. Rent is usually the largest line item in a monthly budget, so the gap here sets the tone for the overall comparison.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $73 in Montreal versus $58 in Pickering, ON. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $351 vs $322 – making Pickering, ON the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇨🇦 Montreal

🇨🇦 Pickering, ON

🕒 Local time

18:12 6:12 PM

Same time as Montreal

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

1,762,949

91,771

💱 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 Pickering, ON 470 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 Pickering, ON: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Pickering, ON costs about 25% more than Montreal, and outside of rent the gap comes mainly from transport. 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 $3,885 in Pickering, ON. 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 $1,658 in Pickering, ON.

Interestingly, groceries are about 8% cheaper in Pickering, ON – one category where the pricier city actually offers better value.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $73 in Montreal and $58 in Pickering, ON. 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 $2,590 in Pickering, ON. You’ll need shared housing and careful budgeting no matter which city you pick.

It depends on your priorities. Montreal has an edge in some lifestyle areas, with costs from $2,064 in Montreal to $2,590 in Pickering, ON. Climate, culture, job market, and personal taste all factor in.

Both cities have a reputation for safety. In either place, the choice of neighborhood matters more than the choice between the two cities.