Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Montreal and Saanich

For one person, living is cheaper in Montreal: $2,064 a month against $2,592 in Saanich, rent and utilities included – about $6,300 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
124

Cost of Living Index in Saanich
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Saanich Living Index

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Montreal

🇨🇦 Canada

$2,064

/mo nomad

Saanich

🇨🇦 Canada

$2,592

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Montreal and in Saanich

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

A single person spends $2,064 per month in Montreal vs $2,592 in Saanich, rent included.

Montreal $2,064
Saanich $2,592

A couple spends around $3,156 per month in Montreal vs $3,650 in Saanich, rent included.

Montreal $3,156
Saanich $3,650

A family of three spends $4,247 per month in Montreal vs $4,707 in Saanich, rent included.

Montreal $4,247
Saanich $4,707

Montreal is about 20% cheaper than Saanich, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Both Montreal and Saanich sit above the global median – Montreal by 52%, Saanich by 90%.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$18.98 CA$26.55

$17.77 CA$24.86

6.81%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$73.0 CA$102

$71.0 CA$99.3

2.83%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$10.88 CA$15.22

$11.26 CA$15.75

-3.37%

Cappuccino

$3.81 CA$5.34

$4.25 CA$5.94

-10.35%

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

$1.94 CA$2.71

$2.34 CA$3.27

-17.09%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.58 CA$2.21

$1.73 CA$2.43

-8.67%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$6.37 CA$8.91

$5.58 CA$7.81

14.16%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$7.26 CA$10.16

$6.59 CA$9.22

10.17%

Milk (1 liter)

$2.23 CA$3.11

$1.93 CA$2.70

15.54%

White Bread (500g)

$3.17 CA$4.44

$3.04 CA$4.25

4.28%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$3.31 CA$4.63

$3.12 CA$4.36

6.09%

Eggs

$3.63 CA$5.08

$4.08 CA$5.71

-11.03%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$13.16 CA$18.40

$11.36 CA$15.89

15.85%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$11.56 CA$16.17

$12.69 CA$17.76

-8.90%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$13.71 CA$19.18

$17.34 CA$24.26

-20.93%

Apples (1kg)

$3.29 CA$4.60

$4.62 CA$6.47

-28.79%

Banana (1kg)

$1.46 CA$2.04

$1.44 CA$2.02

1.39%

Oranges (1kg)

$3.37 CA$4.71

$4.23 CA$5.92

-20.33%

Tomato (1kg)

$3.15 CA$4.40

$5.78 CA$8.08

-45.50%

Potato (1kg)

$1.89 CA$2.64

$3.45 CA$4.83

-45.22%

Onion (1kg)

$1.79 CA$2.51

$2.89 CA$4.05

-38.06%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.47 CA$3.46

$3.26 CA$4.57

-24.23%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.58 CA$2.21

$2.22 CA$3.11

-28.83%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$11.28 CA$15.78

$14.46 CA$20.22

-21.99%

Wine (Bottle)

$10.49 CA$14.68

$15.63 CA$21.86

-32.89%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.34 CA$3.27

$2.67 CA$3.73

-12.36%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.91 CA$4.07

$3.64 CA$5.10

-20.05%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.61 CA$3.65

$2.29 CA$3.20

13.97%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$79.1 CA$111

$80.0 CA$112

-1.05%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.26 CA$4.56

$2.83 CA$3.95

15.19%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.44 CA$2.01

$1.57 CA$2.19

-8.28%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$33.43 CA$46.76

$28.10 CA$39.31

18.97%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.33 CA$1.86

$1.39 CA$1.95

-4.32%

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

$28.6K CA$40.0K

$28.4K CA$39.8K

0.71%

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

$21.1K CA$29.5K

$21.0K CA$29.4K

0.29%

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

$80.1 CA$112

$119 CA$166

-32.68%

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

$34.30 CA$47.98

$41.27 CA$57.7

-16.89%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$42.85 CA$59.9

$66.2 CA$92.6

-35.25%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$31.14 CA$43.56

$69.6 CA$97.3

-55.25%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$19.41 CA$27.14

Cinema Ticket

$11.23 CA$15.71

$11.22 CA$15.69

0.09%

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

$525 CA$734

$877 CA$1,226

-40.10%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$16.3K CA$22.8K

$13.3K CA$18.7K

22.43%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$58.0 CA$81.1

$54.3 CA$75.9

6.89%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$38.11 CA$53.3

$35.53 CA$49.70

7.26%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$93.4 CA$131

$90.4 CA$126

3.36%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$110 CA$154

$107 CA$150

2.63%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,285 CA$1,797

$1,470 CA$2,055

-12.55%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$977 CA$1,366

$1,347 CA$1,884

-27.48%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,271 CA$3,176

$2,039 CA$2,851

11.39%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,665 CA$2,329

$1,890 CA$2,644

-11.92%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$5,139 CA$7,188

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$3,834 CA$5,363

$3,819 CA$5,341

0.41%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$3,002 CA$4,199

$2,903 CA$4,061

3.40%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

4.48

4.72

-5.08%

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

Last update for Montreal: October 25, 2026

Last update for Saanich: October 24, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Montreal

$977 47.3%

Saanich

$1.3K 52% 37.9% $370

Groceries & Markets

Montreal

$351 17%

Saanich

$413 16% 17.7% $62

Eating Out

Montreal

$291 14.1%

Saanich

$284 11% 2.2% $6.5

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Montreal

$157 7.6%

Saanich

$226 8.7% 44% $69

Clothing & Footwear

Montreal

$135 6.5%

Saanich

$129 5% 4.1% $5.5

Getting Around

Montreal

$100 4.9%

Saanich

$100 3.9% 0.2% $0.2

Sport & Entertainment

Montreal

$54 2.6%

Saanich

$92 3.6% 71.7% $38

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $1,285 in Montreal versus $1,470 in Saanich. 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 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 $71 in Saanich. Groceries tell a different story – $351 in Montreal vs $413 in Saanich – so Montreal wins on supermarket bills even if dining out costs more.

Good to know

🇨🇦 Montreal

🇨🇦 Saanich

🕒 Local time

06:41 6:41 AM

03:41 3:41 AM

3 h behind Montreal

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

1,762,949

117,735

💱 Currency

Canadian Dollar CAD $

📈 Exchange rate

1 CAD = 0.715 USD

1 CAD = 0.641 EUR

1 CAD = 0.715 USD

1 CAD = 0.641 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

On the map

Lowest

Highest

Between locations

Montreal Saanich 3,730 km ≈ 5 h nonstop flight

From you

Montreal
Saanich

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 Saanich: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Saanich costs about 26% 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 $3,888 in Saanich. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

Rent is clearly cheaper in Montreal, especially for central apartments: a one-bedroom in the center costs $1,285 there versus $1,470 in Saanich.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $73 in Montreal and $71 in Saanich. That’s a good indicator of the overall restaurant and café pricing gap between the two cities.

Groceries cost about 18% more in Saanich, though the gap depends on what you buy.

$2,000 is a stretch for both – monthly costs hit $2,064 in Montreal and $2,592 in Saanich. You’ll need shared housing and careful budgeting no matter which city you pick.

Families tend to lean toward Montreal – lower housing and cheaper childcare make a real difference, especially on a single income or when paying for private education.