Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Montreal and Saguenay

For one person, living is cheaper in Saguenay: $1,427 a month against $2,064 in Montreal, rent and utilities included – about $7,600 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
68

Cost of Living Index in Saguenay
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Saguenay Living Index

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Montreal

🇨🇦 Canada

$2,064

/mo nomad

Saguenay

🇨🇦 Canada

$1,427

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Montreal and in Saguenay

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

A single person spends $2,064 per month in Montreal vs $1,427 in Saguenay, rent included.

Montreal $2,064
Saguenay $1,427

A couple spends around $3,156 per month in Montreal vs $2,280 in Saguenay, rent included.

Montreal $3,156
Saguenay $2,280

A family of three spends $4,247 per month in Montreal vs $3,132 in Saguenay, rent included.

Montreal $4,247
Saguenay $3,132

Montreal costs about 45% more than Saguenay, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

Both Montreal and Saguenay sit above the global median – Montreal by 52%, Saguenay by 5%.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$18.98 CA$26.52

$15.39 CA$21.50

23.33%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$73.0 CA$102

$43.46 CA$60.7

67.92%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$10.88 CA$15.20

$10.53 CA$14.72

3.32%

Cappuccino

$3.81 CA$5.33

$3.84 CA$5.36

-0.78%

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

$1.94 CA$2.71

$1.53 CA$2.14

26.80%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.58 CA$2.21

$1.23 CA$1.71

28.46%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$6.37 CA$8.90

$5.45 CA$7.61

16.88%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$7.26 CA$10.15

$5.30 CA$7.40

36.98%

Milk (1 liter)

$2.23 CA$3.11

$2.14 CA$2.99

4.21%

White Bread (500g)

$3.17 CA$4.43

$2.88 CA$4.02

10.07%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$3.31 CA$4.62

$4.29 CA$6.00

-22.84%

Eggs

$3.63 CA$5.07

$2.79 CA$3.90

30.11%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$13.16 CA$18.38

$8.63 CA$12.06

52.49%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$11.56 CA$16.15

$7.17 CA$10.02

61.23%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$13.71 CA$19.16

$10.63 CA$14.85

28.97%

Apples (1kg)

$3.29 CA$4.60

$4.09 CA$5.72

-19.56%

Banana (1kg)

$1.46 CA$2.04

$1.41 CA$1.97

3.55%

Oranges (1kg)

$3.37 CA$4.70

$3.87 CA$5.41

-12.92%

Tomato (1kg)

$3.15 CA$4.40

$4.14 CA$5.79

-23.91%

Potato (1kg)

$1.89 CA$2.64

$2.91 CA$4.06

-35.05%

Onion (1kg)

$1.79 CA$2.50

$2.80 CA$3.92

-36.07%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.47 CA$3.45

$2.45 CA$3.43

0.82%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.58 CA$2.21

$0.76 CA$1.06

107.89%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$11.28 CA$15.77

$12.22 CA$17.08

-7.69%

Wine (Bottle)

$10.49 CA$14.66

$11.61 CA$16.22

-9.65%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.34 CA$3.26

$3.20 CA$4.46

-26.88%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.91 CA$4.07

$3.40 CA$4.74

-14.41%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.61 CA$3.65

$2.61 CA$3.64

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$79.1 CA$111

$56.5 CA$79.0

40.00%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.26 CA$4.55

$2.95 CA$4.12

10.51%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.44 CA$2.01

$1.43 CA$2.00

0.70%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$33.43 CA$46.71

$28.38 CA$39.65

17.79%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.33 CA$1.86

$1.21 CA$1.69

9.92%

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

$28.6K CA$40.0K

$27.8K CA$38.9K

2.84%

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

$21.1K CA$29.5K

$19.6K CA$27.4K

7.57%

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

$80.1 CA$112

$64.4 CA$90.0

24.28%

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

$34.30 CA$47.92

$32.29 CA$45.11

6.22%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$42.85 CA$59.9

$45.01 CA$62.9

-4.80%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$31.14 CA$43.51

$25.03 CA$34.96

24.41%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$19.41 CA$27.11

$19.54 CA$27.30

-0.67%

Cinema Ticket

$11.23 CA$15.69

$9.52 CA$13.31

17.96%

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

$525 CA$734

$702 CA$981

-25.22%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$16.3K CA$22.8K

$9,123 CA$12.7K

79.00%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$58.0 CA$81.0

$56.2 CA$78.6

3.13%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$38.11 CA$53.2

$36.19 CA$50.6

5.31%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$93.4 CA$131

$83.9 CA$117

11.28%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$110 CA$154

$108 CA$150

2.45%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,285 CA$1,795

$618 CA$864

107.82%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$977 CA$1,364

$470 CA$657

107.69%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,271 CA$3,173

$1,190 CA$1,663

90.75%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,665 CA$2,326

$970 CA$1,355

71.72%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$5,139 CA$7,180

$5,670 CA$7,921

-9.36%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$3,834 CA$5,357

$3,522 CA$4,921

8.87%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$3,002 CA$4,194

$2,554 CA$3,567

17.57%

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 Saguenay: October 27, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Montreal

$977 47.3%

Saguenay

$470 33% 51.9% $506

Groceries & Markets

Montreal

$351 17%

Saguenay

$317 22.2% 9.9% $35

Eating Out

Montreal

$291 14.1%

Saguenay

$250 17.5% 14.2% $41

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Montreal

$157 7.6%

Saguenay

$142 9.9% 9.9% $16

Clothing & Footwear

Montreal

$135 6.5%

Saguenay

$128 9% 5.3% $7.1

Getting Around

Montreal

$100 4.9%

Saguenay

$77 5.4% 23% $23

Sport & Entertainment

Montreal

$54 2.6%

Saguenay

$44 3.1% 17.8% $9.5

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $1,285 in Montreal versus $618 in Saguenay. 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 18% 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 $43 in Saguenay. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $351 vs $317 – making Saguenay the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇨🇦 Montreal

🇨🇦 Saguenay

🕒 Local time

05:08 5:08 AM

Same time as Montreal

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

1,762,949

144,723

💱 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)

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Montreal vs Saguenay: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Montreal costs about 45% more than Saguenay, and outside of rent the gap comes mainly from eating out. 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 $2,140 in Saguenay. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

Rent is clearly cheaper in Saguenay, especially for central apartments: a one-bedroom in the center costs $618 there versus $1,285 in Montreal.

Groceries cost about 11% more in Montreal, though the gap depends on what you buy.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $73 in Montreal and $43 in Saguenay. 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 Saguenay, where all-in costs run around $1,427, than in Montreal at $2,064. In Saguenay it covers expenses comfortably, while in Montreal it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.

It depends on your priorities. Montreal has an edge in some lifestyle areas, with costs from $1,427 in Saguenay to $2,064 in Montreal. Climate, culture, job market, and personal taste all factor in.

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