Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Montreal and Quebec City

For one person, living is cheaper in Quebec City: $1,935 a month against $2,064 in Montreal, rent and utilities included – about $1,500 less a year. Higher rent and utilities in Montreal outweigh lower spending on other living expenses.

99

Cost of Living Index in Montreal
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Montreal Living Index
93

Cost of Living Index in Quebec City
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Quebec City Living Index

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Montreal

🇨🇦 Canada

$2,064

/mo nomad

Quebec City

🇨🇦 Canada

$1,935

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Montreal and in Quebec City

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

A single person spends $2,064 per month in Montreal vs $1,935 in Quebec City, rent included.

Montreal $2,064
Quebec City $1,935

A couple spends around $3,156 per month in Montreal vs $2,912 in Quebec City, rent included.

Montreal $3,156
Quebec City $2,912

A family of three spends $4,247 per month in Montreal vs $3,889 in Quebec City, rent included.

Montreal $4,247
Quebec City $3,889

Montreal costs about 7% more than Quebec City, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in transport.

Both Montreal and Quebec City sit above the global median – Montreal by 52%, Quebec City by 42%.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$18.98 CA$26.52

$21.22 CA$29.64

-10.56%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$73.0 CA$102

$63.9 CA$89.2

14.26%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$10.88 CA$15.20

$10.75 CA$15.02

1.21%

Cappuccino

$3.81 CA$5.33

$3.83 CA$5.35

-0.52%

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

$1.94 CA$2.71

$2.13 CA$2.97

-8.92%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.58 CA$2.21

$1.50 CA$2.09

5.33%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$6.37 CA$8.90

$5.68 CA$7.94

12.15%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$7.26 CA$10.15

$5.88 CA$8.21

23.47%

Milk (1 liter)

$2.23 CA$3.11

$2.06 CA$2.88

8.25%

White Bread (500g)

$3.17 CA$4.43

$2.89 CA$4.04

9.69%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$3.31 CA$4.62

$4.14 CA$5.78

-20.05%

Eggs

$3.63 CA$5.07

$3.15 CA$4.40

15.24%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$13.16 CA$18.38

$9.13 CA$12.76

44.14%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$11.56 CA$16.15

$10.99 CA$15.35

5.19%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$13.71 CA$19.16

$10.62 CA$14.84

29.10%

Apples (1kg)

$3.29 CA$4.60

$4.17 CA$5.82

-21.10%

Banana (1kg)

$1.46 CA$2.04

$1.55 CA$2.17

-5.81%

Oranges (1kg)

$3.37 CA$4.70

$3.71 CA$5.18

-9.16%

Tomato (1kg)

$3.15 CA$4.40

$4.04 CA$5.64

-22.03%

Potato (1kg)

$1.89 CA$2.64

$2.93 CA$4.10

-35.49%

Onion (1kg)

$1.79 CA$2.50

$2.86 CA$3.99

-37.41%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.47 CA$3.45

$2.73 CA$3.81

-9.52%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.58 CA$2.21

$1.52 CA$2.12

3.95%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$11.28 CA$15.77

$14.78 CA$20.65

-23.68%

Wine (Bottle)

$10.49 CA$14.66

$11.35 CA$15.86

-7.58%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.34 CA$3.26

$3.24 CA$4.52

-27.78%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.91 CA$4.07

$3.44 CA$4.81

-15.41%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.61 CA$3.65

$2.91 CA$4.06

-10.31%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$79.1 CA$111

$70.6 CA$98.7

12.07%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.26 CA$4.55

$2.89 CA$4.04

12.80%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.44 CA$2.01

$1.48 CA$2.07

-2.70%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$33.43 CA$46.71

$35.46 CA$49.54

-5.72%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.33 CA$1.86

$1.30 CA$1.81

2.31%

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

$28.6K CA$40.0K

$28.7K CA$40.1K

-0.27%

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

$21.1K CA$29.5K

$22.2K CA$31.0K

-4.83%

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

$80.1 CA$112

$100 CA$140

-20.09%

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

$34.30 CA$47.92

$32.19 CA$44.97

6.55%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$42.85 CA$59.9

$45.61 CA$63.7

-6.05%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$31.14 CA$43.51

$33.12 CA$46.27

-5.98%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$19.41 CA$27.11

$12.66 CA$17.68

53.32%

Cinema Ticket

$11.23 CA$15.69

$10.56 CA$14.75

6.34%

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

$525 CA$734

$676 CA$945

-22.36%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$16.3K CA$22.8K

$9,492 CA$13.3K

72.03%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$58.0 CA$81.0

$59.3 CA$82.9

-2.23%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$38.11 CA$53.2

$50.9 CA$71.2

-25.19%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$93.4 CA$131

$89.8 CA$126

3.97%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$110 CA$154

$109 CA$152

1.39%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,285 CA$1,795

$1,029 CA$1,437

24.92%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$977 CA$1,364

$821 CA$1,147

18.99%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,271 CA$3,173

$1,633 CA$2,281

39.08%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,665 CA$2,326

$1,333 CA$1,862

24.91%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$5,139 CA$7,180

$4,733 CA$6,613

8.58%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$3,834 CA$5,357

$2,728 CA$3,811

40.56%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$3,002 CA$4,194

$2,906 CA$4,060

3.29%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

4.48

4.44

0.90%

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

Last update for Montreal: October 25, 2026

Last update for Quebec City: October 25, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Montreal

$977 47.3%

Quebec City

$821 42.4% 16% $156

Groceries & Markets

Montreal

$351 17%

Quebec City

$347 18% 1.1% $3.7

Eating Out

Montreal

$291 14.1%

Quebec City

$303 15.6% 4.1% $12

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Montreal

$157 7.6%

Quebec City

$178 9.2% 13.2% $21

Clothing & Footwear

Montreal

$135 6.5%

Quebec City

$139 7.2% 3% $4.1

Getting Around

Montreal

$100 4.9%

Quebec City

$93 4.8% 7.5% $7.5

Sport & Entertainment

Montreal

$54 2.6%

Quebec City

$54 2.8% 1.2% $0.6

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $1,285 in Montreal versus $1,029 in Quebec City. 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 $73 in Montreal versus $64 in Quebec City. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $351 vs $347 – making Quebec City the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇨🇦 Montreal

🇨🇦 Quebec City

🕒 Local time

03:51 3:51 AM

Same time as Montreal

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

1,762,949

530,168

💱 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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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 Quebec City: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Montreal costs about 7% more than Quebec City, 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 $2,902 in Quebec City. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

Rent is clearly cheaper in Quebec City, especially for central apartments: a one-bedroom in the center costs $1,029 there versus $1,285 in Montreal.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $73 in Montreal and $64 in Quebec City. That’s a good indicator of the overall restaurant and café pricing gap between the two cities.

Public transport costs about 11% less in Quebec City. For daily commuters, that gap adds up to noticeable savings over a year.

It depends on your priorities. Montreal has an edge in some lifestyle areas, with costs from $1,935 in Quebec City to $2,064 in Montreal. Climate, culture, job market, and personal taste all factor in.

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