Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Montreal and Quesnel

For one person, living is cheaper in Montreal: $2,064 a month against $2,355 in Quesnel, rent and utilities included – about $3,500 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
114

Cost of Living Index in Quesnel
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Quesnel Living Index

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Montreal

🇨🇦 Canada

$2,064

/mo nomad

Quesnel

🇨🇦 Canada

$2,355

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Montreal and in Quesnel

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

A single person spends $2,064 per month in Montreal vs $2,355 in Quesnel, rent included.

Montreal $2,064
Quesnel $2,355

A couple spends around $3,156 per month in Montreal vs $3,323 in Quesnel, rent included.

Montreal $3,156
Quesnel $3,323

A family of three spends $4,247 per month in Montreal vs $4,292 in Quesnel, rent included.

Montreal $4,247
Quesnel $4,292

Montreal is about 12% cheaper than Quesnel, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Both Montreal and Quesnel sit above the global median – Montreal by 52%, Quesnel by 73%.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$18.98 CA$26.53

$17.10 CA$23.90

10.99%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$73.0 CA$102

$46.28 CA$64.7

57.69%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$10.88 CA$15.20

$10.75 CA$15.02

1.21%

Cappuccino

$3.81 CA$5.33

$4.27 CA$5.96

-10.77%

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

$1.94 CA$2.71

$2.57 CA$3.59

-24.51%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.58 CA$2.21

$2.03 CA$2.84

-22.17%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$6.37 CA$8.90

$4.61 CA$6.44

38.18%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$7.26 CA$10.15

$5.54 CA$7.75

31.05%

Milk (1 liter)

$2.23 CA$3.11

$2.36 CA$3.30

-5.51%

White Bread (500g)

$3.17 CA$4.44

$2.43 CA$3.40

30.45%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$3.31 CA$4.62

$4.17 CA$5.83

-20.62%

Eggs

$3.63 CA$5.07

$4.76 CA$6.65

-23.74%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$13.16 CA$18.39

$12.34 CA$17.24

6.65%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$11.56 CA$16.15

$16.79 CA$23.47

-31.15%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$13.71 CA$19.16

$16.67 CA$23.29

-17.76%

Apples (1kg)

$3.29 CA$4.60

$4.11 CA$5.74

-19.95%

Banana (1kg)

$1.46 CA$2.04

$1.36 CA$1.89

7.35%

Oranges (1kg)

$3.37 CA$4.71

$4.42 CA$6.18

-23.76%

Tomato (1kg)

$3.15 CA$4.40

$4.22 CA$5.89

-25.36%

Potato (1kg)

$1.89 CA$2.64

$3.10 CA$4.33

-39.03%

Onion (1kg)

$1.79 CA$2.51

$3.63 CA$5.07

-50.69%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.47 CA$3.45

$2.50 CA$3.50

-1.20%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.58 CA$2.21

$1.81 CA$2.53

-12.71%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$11.28 CA$15.77

$11.89 CA$16.61

-5.13%

Wine (Bottle)

$10.49 CA$14.66

$10.57 CA$14.76

-0.76%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.34 CA$3.26

$2.74 CA$3.83

-14.60%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.91 CA$4.07

$3.42 CA$4.78

-14.91%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.61 CA$3.65

$2.37 CA$3.32

10.13%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$79.1 CA$111

$66.9 CA$93.5

18.26%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.26 CA$4.56

$2.53 CA$3.53

28.85%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.44 CA$2.01

$2.16 CA$3.02

-33.33%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$33.43 CA$46.71

$42.22 CA$59.0

-20.82%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.33 CA$1.86

$1.23 CA$1.72

8.13%

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

$28.6K CA$40.0K

$29.3K CA$40.9K

-2.13%

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

$21.1K CA$29.5K

$22.6K CA$31.6K

-6.68%

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

$80.1 CA$112

$175 CA$245

-54.33%

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

$34.30 CA$47.93

$38.67 CA$54.0

-11.30%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$42.85 CA$59.9

$70.7 CA$98.8

-39.37%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$31.14 CA$43.52

$37.83 CA$52.9

-17.68%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$19.41 CA$27.12

$18.38 CA$25.68

5.60%

Cinema Ticket

$11.23 CA$15.69

$7.68 CA$10.73

46.22%

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

$525 CA$734

$651 CA$909

-19.30%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$16.3K CA$22.8K

$12.7K CA$17.8K

28.34%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$58.0 CA$81.0

$36.45 CA$50.9

59.12%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$38.11 CA$53.3

$46.09 CA$64.4

-17.31%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$93.4 CA$131

$79.4 CA$111

17.62%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$110 CA$154

$106 CA$148

4.16%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,285 CA$1,796

$778 CA$1,087

65.20%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$977 CA$1,365

$1,122 CA$1,568

-12.95%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,271 CA$3,173

$2,012 CA$2,811

12.86%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,665 CA$2,326

$1,653 CA$2,310

0.72%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$5,139 CA$7,181

$3,852 CA$5,383

33.40%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$3,834 CA$5,358

$3,110 CA$4,346

23.28%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$3,002 CA$4,195

$2,436 CA$3,403

23.25%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

4.48

5.35

-16.26%

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

Last update for Montreal: October 25, 2026

Last update for Quesnel: October 25, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Montreal

$977 47.3%

Quesnel

$1.1K 47.6% 14.9% $145

Groceries & Markets

Montreal

$351 17%

Quesnel

$412 17.5% 17.4% $61

Eating Out

Montreal

$291 14.1%

Quesnel

$273 11.6% 6.2% $18

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Montreal

$157 7.6%

Quesnel

$285 12.1% 81.1% $127

Clothing & Footwear

Montreal

$135 6.5%

Quesnel

$120 5.1% 10.7% $14

Getting Around

Montreal

$100 4.9%

Quesnel

$90 3.8% 10.3% $10

Sport & Entertainment

Montreal

$54 2.6%

Quesnel

$53 2.3% 0.8% $0.4

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $1,285 in Montreal versus $778 in Quesnel. 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 23% 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 $46 in Quesnel. Groceries tell a different story – $351 in Montreal vs $412 in Quesnel – so Montreal wins on supermarket bills even if dining out costs more.

Good to know

🇨🇦 Montreal

🇨🇦 Quesnel

🕒 Local time

23:40 11:40 PM

21:40 9:40 PM

2 h behind Montreal

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

1,762,949

10,007

💱 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

On the map

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Between locations

Montreal Quesnel 3,570 km ≈ 5 h nonstop flight

From you

Montreal
Quesnel

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 Quesnel: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Quesnel costs about 14% 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 $3,532 in Quesnel. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

Rent is clearly cheaper in Quesnel, especially for central apartments: a one-bedroom in the center costs $778 there versus $1,285 in Montreal.

Groceries cost about 17% more in Quesnel, though the gap depends on what you buy.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $73 in Montreal and $46 in Quesnel. 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 $2,355 in Quesnel. 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 $2,355 in Quesnel. Climate, culture, job market, and personal taste all factor in.