Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Montreal and Prince Albert

For one person, living is cheaper in Prince Albert: $1,677 a month against $2,018 in Montreal, rent and utilities included – about $4,100 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
81

Cost of Living Index in Prince Albert
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Prince Albert Living Index

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Montreal

🇨🇦 Canada

$2,018

/mo nomad

Prince Albert

🇨🇦 Canada

$1,677

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Montreal and in Prince Albert

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

A single person spends $2,018 per month in Montreal vs $1,677 in Prince Albert, rent included.

Montreal $2,018
Prince Albert $1,677

A couple spends around $3,085 per month in Montreal vs $2,409 in Prince Albert, rent included.

Montreal $3,085
Prince Albert $2,409

A family of three spends $4,152 per month in Montreal vs $3,141 in Prince Albert, rent included.

Montreal $4,152
Prince Albert $3,141

Montreal costs about 20% more than Prince Albert, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in leisure.

Both Montreal and Prince Albert sit above the global median – Montreal by 49%, Prince Albert by 24%.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$18.82 CA$26.61

$17.29 CA$24.44

8.85%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$70.3 CA$99.4

$69.9 CA$98.8

0.57%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$10.66 CA$15.06

$9.14 CA$12.92

16.63%

Cappuccino

$3.84 CA$5.43

$3.72 CA$5.26

3.23%

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

$1.92 CA$2.71

$1.96 CA$2.77

-2.04%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.54 CA$2.18

$1.73 CA$2.44

-10.98%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$6.23 CA$8.81

$4.21 CA$5.96

47.98%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$7.10 CA$10.03

$6.21 CA$8.78

14.33%

Milk (1 liter)

$2.31 CA$3.27

$1.22 CA$1.72

89.34%

White Bread (500g)

$3.14 CA$4.44

$1.44 CA$2.03

118.06%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$3.21 CA$4.54

$2.49 CA$3.52

28.92%

Eggs

$3.52 CA$4.97

$3.59 CA$5.08

-1.95%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$12.81 CA$18.11

$6.90 CA$9.75

85.65%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$11.46 CA$16.20

$8.56 CA$12.10

33.88%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$13.39 CA$18.92

$4.28 CA$6.04

212.85%

Apples (1kg)

$3.14 CA$4.43

$4.02 CA$5.68

-21.89%

Banana (1kg)

$1.44 CA$2.03

$1.45 CA$2.04

-0.69%

Oranges (1kg)

$3.47 CA$4.91

$4.33 CA$6.12

-19.86%

Tomato (1kg)

$3.07 CA$4.34

$3.16 CA$4.47

-2.85%

Potato (1kg)

$1.90 CA$2.69

$2.09 CA$2.95

-9.09%

Onion (1kg)

$1.77 CA$2.50

$2.05 CA$2.90

-13.66%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.34 CA$3.31

$2.68 CA$3.79

-12.69%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.55 CA$2.19

$1.41 CA$1.99

9.93%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$11.38 CA$16.09

$10.66 CA$15.07

6.75%

Wine (Bottle)

$10.63 CA$15.03

$13.82 CA$19.54

-23.08%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.27 CA$3.21

$2.73 CA$3.85

-16.85%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.82 CA$3.99

$3.43 CA$4.85

-17.78%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.66 CA$3.76

$1.57 CA$2.22

69.43%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$77.3 CA$109

$38.45 CA$54.4

101.01%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.20 CA$4.53

$2.94 CA$4.16

8.84%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.48 CA$2.09

$0.81 CA$1.15

82.72%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$32.88 CA$46.48

$13.99 CA$19.78

135.03%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.34 CA$1.90

$1.11 CA$1.57

20.72%

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

$28.2K CA$39.8K

$21.9K CA$31.0K

28.29%

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

$19.6K CA$27.8K

$20.5K CA$29.0K

-4.17%

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

$76.0 CA$107

$52.8 CA$74.7

43.84%

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

$33.95 CA$48.00

$47.56 CA$67.2

-28.62%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$42.31 CA$59.8

$58.7 CA$83.1

-27.97%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$29.76 CA$42.07

$115 CA$163

-74.14%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$20.28 CA$28.67

$15.89 CA$22.47

27.63%

Cinema Ticket

$11.15 CA$15.77

$9.28 CA$13.12

20.15%

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

$507 CA$717

$482 CA$681

5.28%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$16.1K CA$22.7K

$14.2K CA$20.0K

13.33%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$57.6 CA$81.4

$49.41 CA$69.9

16.47%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$37.58 CA$53.1

$34.99 CA$49.47

7.40%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$91.9 CA$130

$84.5 CA$120

8.72%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$110 CA$155

$105 CA$149

4.16%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,260 CA$1,782

$903 CA$1,277

39.59%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$948 CA$1,340

$675 CA$955

40.32%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,137 CA$3,021

$1,377 CA$1,947

55.15%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,614 CA$2,281

$779 CA$1,101

107.10%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$4,960 CA$7,011

$4,205 CA$5,945

17.94%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$3,838 CA$5,425

$3,748 CA$5,298

2.40%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$2,827 CA$3,997

$2,750 CA$3,888

2.81%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

4.48

4.8

-6.67%

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

Last update for Montreal: October 12, 2026

Last update for Prince Albert: October 11, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Montreal

$948 47%

Prince Albert

$675 40.3% 28.7% $272

Groceries & Markets

Montreal

$346 17.2%

Prince Albert

$275 16.4% 20.6% $71

Eating Out

Montreal

$288 14.3%

Prince Albert

$259 15.4% 10.2% $29

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Montreal

$152 7.5%

Prince Albert

$159 9.5% 4.5% $6.9

Clothing & Footwear

Montreal

$133 6.6%

Prince Albert

$123 7.4% 7.6% $10

Getting Around

Montreal

$99 4.9%

Prince Albert

$52 3.1% 47.5% $47

Sport & Entertainment

Montreal

$52 2.6%

Prince Albert

$134 8% 157% $82

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $1,260 in Montreal versus $903 in Prince Albert. 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 Montreal, 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 $70.0 in Montreal versus $70.0 in Prince Albert. Groceries tell a different story – $346 in Montreal vs $275 in Prince Albert – so Prince Albert wins on supermarket bills even if dining out costs more.

Good to know

🇨🇦 Montreal

🇨🇦 Prince Albert

🕒 Local time

13:50 1:50 PM

11:50 11:50 AM

2 h behind Montreal

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

1,762,949

35,129

💱 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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Between locations

Montreal Prince Albert 2,460 km ≈ 3 h 30 min nonstop flight

From you

Montreal
Prince Albert

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 Prince Albert: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Montreal costs about 20% more than Prince Albert, and outside of rent the gap comes mainly from leisure. That's enough to noticeably affect everyday spending and lifestyle for anyone choosing between the two.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $3,027 per month in Montreal and $2,515 in Prince Albert. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

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

Groceries cost about 26% more in Montreal, 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 $70.0 in Montreal and $70.0 in Prince Albert. 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 Prince Albert, where all-in costs run around $1,677, than in Montreal at $2,018. In Prince Albert it covers expenses comfortably, while in Montreal it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.

For digital nomads, it depends on budget. Prince Albert costs $1,677 versus $2,018 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 Prince Albert. 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.