Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Montreal and Powell River, BC

For one person, living is cheaper in Montreal: $2,064 a month against $2,288 in Powell River, BC, rent and utilities included – about $2,700 less a year. Rent and utilities account for about half of the difference.

99

Cost of Living Index in Montreal
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Montreal Living Index
111

Cost of Living Index in Powell River, BC
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Powell River, BC Living Index

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Montreal

🇨🇦 Canada

$2,064

/mo nomad

Powell River, BC

🇨🇦 Canada

$2,288

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Montreal and in Powell River, BC

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 Powell River, BC actually costs, broken down by who's living it.

A single person spends $2,064 per month in Montreal vs $2,288 in Powell River, BC, rent included.

Montreal $2,064
Powell River, BC $2,288

A couple spends around $3,156 per month in Montreal vs $3,340 in Powell River, BC, rent included.

Montreal $3,156
Powell River, BC $3,340

A family of three spends $4,247 per month in Montreal vs $4,392 in Powell River, BC, rent included.

Montreal $4,247
Powell River, BC $4,392

Montreal is about 10% cheaper than Powell River, BC, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Both Montreal and Powell River, BC sit above the global median – Montreal by 52%, Powell River, BC by 68%.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$18.98 CA$26.53

$17.90 CA$25.00

6.03%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$73.0 CA$102

$65.5 CA$91.5

11.45%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$10.88 CA$15.20

$13.63 CA$19.05

-20.18%

Cappuccino

$3.81 CA$5.33

$4.00 CA$5.59

-4.75%

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

$1.94 CA$2.71

$2.09 CA$2.91

-7.18%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.58 CA$2.21

$2.11 CA$2.94

-25.12%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$6.37 CA$8.90

$5.00 CA$6.99

27.40%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$7.26 CA$10.15

$6.65 CA$9.29

9.17%

Milk (1 liter)

$2.23 CA$3.11

$3.25 CA$4.54

-31.38%

White Bread (500g)

$3.17 CA$4.44

$3.39 CA$4.74

-6.49%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$3.31 CA$4.62

$5.24 CA$7.33

-36.83%

Eggs

$3.63 CA$5.07

$4.44 CA$6.21

-18.24%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$13.16 CA$18.39

$22.12 CA$30.90

-40.51%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$11.56 CA$16.15

$16.58 CA$23.17

-30.28%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$13.71 CA$19.16

$9.07 CA$12.67

51.16%

Apples (1kg)

$3.29 CA$4.60

$3.97 CA$5.55

-17.13%

Banana (1kg)

$1.46 CA$2.04

$1.42 CA$1.98

2.82%

Oranges (1kg)

$3.37 CA$4.71

$4.15 CA$5.80

-18.80%

Tomato (1kg)

$3.15 CA$4.40

$4.70 CA$6.57

-32.98%

Potato (1kg)

$1.89 CA$2.64

$3.31 CA$4.63

-42.90%

Onion (1kg)

$1.79 CA$2.51

$3.21 CA$4.49

-44.24%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.47 CA$3.45

$2.75 CA$3.84

-10.18%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.58 CA$2.21

$1.60 CA$2.23

-1.25%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$11.28 CA$15.77

$16.30 CA$22.78

-30.80%

Wine (Bottle)

$10.49 CA$14.66

$14.48 CA$20.23

-27.56%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.34 CA$3.26

$4.70 CA$6.56

-50.21%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.91 CA$4.07

$3.13 CA$4.37

-7.03%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.61 CA$3.65

$1.64 CA$2.29

59.15%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$79.1 CA$111

$35.99 CA$50.3

119.87%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.26 CA$4.56

$3.15 CA$4.40

3.49%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.44 CA$2.01

$1.50 CA$2.10

-4.00%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$33.43 CA$46.71

$23.40 CA$32.70

42.86%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.33 CA$1.86

$1.25 CA$1.74

6.40%

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

$28.6K CA$40.0K

$25.7K CA$35.9K

11.57%

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

$21.1K CA$29.5K

$22.2K CA$31.0K

-4.89%

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

$80.1 CA$112

$153 CA$214

-47.81%

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

$34.30 CA$47.93

$52.0 CA$72.7

-34.04%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$42.85 CA$59.9

$71.0 CA$99.2

-39.66%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$31.14 CA$43.52

$37.74 CA$52.7

-17.49%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$19.41 CA$27.12

$17.09 CA$23.88

13.58%

Cinema Ticket

$11.23 CA$15.69

$10.53 CA$14.71

6.65%

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

$525 CA$734

$631 CA$882

-16.84%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$16.3K CA$22.8K

$15.0K CA$20.9K

8.98%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$58.0 CA$81.0

$43.84 CA$61.3

32.30%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$38.11 CA$53.3

$52.0 CA$72.7

-26.75%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$93.4 CA$131

$92.5 CA$129

1.01%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$110 CA$154

$127 CA$177

-13.22%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,285 CA$1,796

$1,215 CA$1,698

5.76%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$977 CA$1,365

$1,015 CA$1,418

-3.76%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,271 CA$3,173

$1,819 CA$2,541

24.87%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,665 CA$2,326

$1,569 CA$2,193

6.08%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$5,139 CA$7,181

$3,724 CA$5,204

37.99%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$3,834 CA$5,358

$3,881 CA$5,422

-1.19%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$3,002 CA$4,195

$2,621 CA$3,663

14.53%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

4.48

5.67

-20.99%

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

Last update for Montreal: October 25, 2026

Last update for Powell River, BC: October 25, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Montreal

$977 47.3%

Powell River, BC

$1K 44.4% 3.9% $38

Groceries & Markets

Montreal

$351 17%

Powell River, BC

$455 19.9% 29.7% $104

Eating Out

Montreal

$291 14.1%

Powell River, BC

$287 12.6% 1.2% $3.6

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Montreal

$157 7.6%

Powell River, BC

$276 12.1% 75.8% $119

Clothing & Footwear

Montreal

$135 6.5%

Powell River, BC

$142 6.2% 5.2% $7

Getting Around

Montreal

$100 4.9%

Powell River, BC

$53 2.3% 46.8% $47

Sport & Entertainment

Montreal

$54 2.6%

Powell River, BC

$59 2.6% 9.7% $5.2

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $1,285 in Montreal versus $1,215 in Powell River, BC. 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 15% higher in Montreal, 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 in Montreal versus $65 in Powell River, BC. Groceries tell a different story – $351 in Montreal vs $455 in Powell River, BC – so Montreal wins on supermarket bills even if dining out costs more.

Good to know

🇨🇦 Montreal

🇨🇦 Powell River, BC

🕒 Local time

19:07 7:07 PM

17:07 5:07 PM

2 h behind Montreal

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

1,762,949

13,157

💱 Currency

Canadian Dollar CAD $

📈 Exchange rate

1 CAD = 0.716 USD

1 CAD = 0.641 EUR

1 CAD = 0.716 USD

1 CAD = 0.641 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

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Between locations

Montreal Powell River, BC 3,770 km ≈ 5 h nonstop flight

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Montreal
Powell River, BC

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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 Powell River, BC: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Powell River, BC costs about 11% 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 $3,096 per month in Montreal and $3,431 in Powell River, BC. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

A central 1-bedroom goes for about $1,285 in Montreal and $1,215 in Powell River, BC. The gap holds across neighborhoods – outer areas show a similar spread, just at lower price points.

Groceries cost about 30% more in Powell River, BC, though the gap depends on what you buy.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $73 in Montreal and $65 in Powell River, BC. 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 $2,288 in Powell River, BC. 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 $2,288 in Powell River, BC. 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.