Last update: Nov 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Montreal and Portsmouth, Dominica

For one person, living is cheaper in Portsmouth: $922 a month against $2,067 in Montreal, rent and utilities included – about $13,700 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

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Montreal

🇨🇦 Canada

$2,067

/mo nomad

Portsmouth

🇩🇲 Dominica

$922

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Montreal and in Portsmouth

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

A single person spends $2,067 per month in Montreal vs $922 in Portsmouth, rent included.

Montreal $2,067
Portsmouth $922

A couple spends around $3,179 per month in Montreal vs $1,637 in Portsmouth, rent included.

Montreal $3,179
Portsmouth $1,637

A family of three spends $4,291 per month in Montreal vs $2,352 in Portsmouth, rent included.

Montreal $4,291
Portsmouth $2,352

Montreal costs about 124% more than Portsmouth, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

Montreal sits 53% above the global median, while Portsmouth is 32% below – they fall on opposite sides of the world average.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$18.89 CA$26.69

$5.58 EC$15.06

238.53%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$72.6 CA$103

$54.9 EC$148

32.17%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$10.79 CA$15.25

$6.50 EC$17.55

66.00%

Cappuccino

$3.98 CA$5.62

$2.65 EC$7.16

50.19%

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

$2.02 CA$2.85

$2.20 EC$5.94

-8.18%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.63 CA$2.31

$1.90 EC$5.12

-14.21%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$6.32 CA$8.93

$2.67 EC$7.20

136.70%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$7.06 CA$9.98

$3.66 EC$9.90

92.90%

Milk (1 liter)

$2.33 CA$3.30

$2.75 EC$7.43

-15.27%

White Bread (500g)

$3.25 CA$4.59

$2.17 EC$5.85

49.77%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$3.26 CA$4.61

$2.01 EC$5.43

62.19%

Eggs

$3.48 CA$4.91

$6.54 EC$17.66

-46.79%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$13.73 CA$19.40

$2.61 EC$7.04

426.05%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$11.48 CA$16.21

$5.51 EC$14.89

108.35%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$14.26 CA$20.15

Apples (1kg)

$3.52 CA$4.98

$7.30 EC$19.71

-51.78%

Banana (1kg)

$1.46 CA$2.06

$2.58 EC$6.96

-43.41%

Oranges (1kg)

$3.41 CA$4.82

$4.05 EC$10.94

-15.80%

Tomato (1kg)

$3.20 CA$4.52

$4.10 EC$11.08

-21.95%

Potato (1kg)

$1.94 CA$2.74

$2.88 EC$7.79

-32.64%

Onion (1kg)

$1.78 CA$2.52

$2.89 EC$7.81

-38.41%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.52 CA$3.56

$1.90 EC$5.12

32.63%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.58 CA$2.24

$1.89 EC$5.10

-16.40%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$11.51 CA$16.26

Wine (Bottle)

$10.57 CA$14.94

$11.26 EC$30.41

-6.13%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.35 CA$3.31

$1.87 EC$5.05

25.67%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.90 CA$4.09

$2.67 EC$7.20

8.61%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.61 CA$3.69

$0.72 EC$1.94

262.50%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$78.5 CA$111

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.17 CA$4.48

$3.62 EC$9.78

-12.43%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.49 CA$2.11

$3.65 EC$9.85

-59.18%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$33.49 CA$47.31

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.36 CA$1.93

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

$28.0K CA$39.6K

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

$21.1K CA$29.9K

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

$77.6 CA$110

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

$35.63 CA$50.3

$40.11 EC$108

-11.17%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$43.73 CA$61.8

$65.1 EC$176

-32.83%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$30.07 CA$42.49

$37.54 EC$101

-19.90%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$19.97 CA$28.21

Cinema Ticket

$11.27 CA$15.93

$11.19 EC$30.21

0.71%

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

$522 CA$738

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$17.8K CA$25.1K

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$59.0 CA$83.3

$54.8 EC$148

7.55%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$39.01 CA$55.1

$24.48 EC$66.1

59.35%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$99.8 CA$141

$56.0 EC$151

78.15%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$110 CA$155

$67.7 EC$183

61.93%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,298 CA$1,834

$257 EC$694

404.81%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$970 CA$1,371

$219 EC$591

343.70%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,323 CA$3,282

$658 EC$1,777

253.09%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,689 CA$2,387

$631 EC$1,703

167.75%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$5,004 CA$7,069

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$3,736 CA$5,279

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$2,943 CA$4,158

$638 EC$1,723

361.28%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

4.51

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

Last update for Montreal: November 3, 2026

Last update for Portsmouth: November 1, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Montreal

$970 47%

Portsmouth

–

Groceries & Markets

Montreal

$357 17.3%

Portsmouth

–

Eating Out

Montreal

$292 14.1%

Portsmouth

–

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Montreal

$157 7.6%

Portsmouth

–

Clothing & Footwear

Montreal

$138 6.7%

Portsmouth

–

Getting Around

Montreal

$100 4.8%

Portsmouth

–

Sport & Entertainment

Montreal

$53 2.6%

Portsmouth

–

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $1,298 in Montreal versus $257 in Portsmouth. Rent is usually the largest line item in a monthly budget, so the gap here sets the tone for the overall comparison.

Salaries in Montreal are about 4.6 times higher. Purchasing power depends on which expenses matter most to you.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $73 in Montreal versus $55 in Portsmouth. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $357 vs $289 – making Portsmouth the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇨🇦 Montreal

🇩🇲 Portsmouth

🕒 Local time

20:01 8:01 PM

21:01 9:01 PM

1 h ahead of Montreal

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

1,762,949

3,633

💱 Currency

Canadian Dollar CAD $

East Caribbean Dollar XCD $

📈 Exchange rate

1 CAD = 0.708 USD

1 CAD = 0.633 EUR

1 XCD = 0.37 USD

1 XCD = 0.331 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

XCD, USD, EUR to CAD – Canadian Dollar Converter

🇺🇸 United States Dollar ($)

🇨🇦 Canadian Dollar ($)

Canadian Dollar exchange rates as of November 7, 2026: 1 USD = 1.41 CAD (1 CAD = 0.708 USD). 1 EUR = 1.58 CAD (1 CAD = 0.633 EUR).

East Caribbean Dollar exchange rates as of November 7, 2026: 1 USD = 2.7 XCD (1 XCD = 0.37 USD). 1 EUR = 3.02 XCD (1 XCD = 0.331 EUR).

USD to CAD in detail →

On the map

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Montreal Portsmouth 3,510 km ≈ 5 h nonstop flight

From you

Montreal
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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 Portsmouth: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Montreal costs about 124% more than Portsmouth, and outside of rent the gap comes mainly from eating out. 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 $1,384 in Portsmouth. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

Rent is clearly cheaper in Portsmouth, especially for central apartments: a one-bedroom in the center costs $257 there versus $1,298 in Montreal.

Monthly expenses with rent come to $2,067 in Montreal and $922 in Portsmouth. That makes Portsmouth about 55% cheaper.

Groceries cost about 23% more in Montreal, though the gap depends on what you buy.

It depends on your priorities. Montreal has an edge in some lifestyle areas, with costs from $922 in Portsmouth to $2,067 in Montreal. 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.

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