Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Montreal and Saint Andrews

For one person, living is cheaper in Montreal: $2,059 a month against $2,244 in Saint Andrews, rent and utilities included – about $2,200 less a year. Higher rent and utilities in Saint Andrews outweigh lower spending on other living expenses.

99

Cost of Living Index in Montreal
Learn more

Montreal Living Index
108

Cost of Living Index in Saint Andrews
Learn more

Saint Andrews Living Index

Jump to prices

Montreal

🇨🇦 Canada

$2,059

/mo nomad

Saint Andrews

🇨🇦 Canada

$2,244

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Montreal and in Saint Andrews

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

A single person spends $2,059 per month in Montreal vs $2,244 in Saint Andrews, rent included.

Montreal $2,059
Saint Andrews $2,244

A couple spends around $3,123 per month in Montreal vs $3,223 in Saint Andrews, rent included.

Montreal $3,123
Saint Andrews $3,223

A family of three spends $4,187 per month in Montreal vs $4,202 in Saint Andrews, rent included.

Montreal $4,187
Saint Andrews $4,202

Montreal is about 8% cheaper than Saint Andrews, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

Both Montreal and Saint Andrews sit above the global median – Montreal by 52%, Saint Andrews by 66%.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$18.84 CA$26.63

$17.66 CA$24.97

6.68%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$73.2 CA$104

$65.7 CA$92.8

11.51%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$10.54 CA$14.90

$10.59 CA$14.97

-0.47%

Cappuccino

$3.97 CA$5.61

$3.64 CA$5.14

9.07%

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

$1.94 CA$2.74

$1.93 CA$2.73

0.52%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.57 CA$2.22

$1.55 CA$2.19

1.29%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$6.42 CA$9.08

$5.20 CA$7.35

23.46%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$7.20 CA$10.19

$5.62 CA$7.95

28.11%

Milk (1 liter)

$2.32 CA$3.28

$2.05 CA$2.90

13.17%

White Bread (500g)

$3.19 CA$4.51

$2.42 CA$3.42

31.82%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$3.19 CA$4.50

$3.27 CA$4.63

-2.45%

Eggs

$3.68 CA$5.20

$3.41 CA$4.83

7.92%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$13.24 CA$18.72

$9.55 CA$13.50

38.64%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$11.69 CA$16.53

$11.41 CA$16.13

2.45%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$13.98 CA$19.76

$14.79 CA$20.90

-5.48%

Apples (1kg)

$3.14 CA$4.44

$3.65 CA$5.16

-13.97%

Banana (1kg)

$1.45 CA$2.05

$1.27 CA$1.79

14.17%

Oranges (1kg)

$3.38 CA$4.78

$3.71 CA$5.25

-8.89%

Tomato (1kg)

$3.11 CA$4.40

$3.67 CA$5.18

-15.26%

Potato (1kg)

$1.93 CA$2.72

$2.50 CA$3.54

-22.80%

Onion (1kg)

$1.83 CA$2.58

$2.12 CA$3.00

-13.68%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.36 CA$3.34

$2.45 CA$3.46

-3.67%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.50 CA$2.12

$1.60 CA$2.26

-6.25%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$11.12 CA$15.73

$13.98 CA$19.76

-20.46%

Wine (Bottle)

$10.60 CA$14.98

$12.82 CA$18.12

-17.32%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.22 CA$3.14

$2.57 CA$3.64

-13.62%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.84 CA$4.01

$3.01 CA$4.25

-5.65%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.62 CA$3.71

$2.31 CA$3.27

13.42%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$79.1 CA$112

$60.6 CA$85.7

30.59%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.23 CA$4.56

$2.83 CA$4.00

14.13%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.48 CA$2.10

$1.47 CA$2.07

0.68%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$32.22 CA$45.55

$22.74 CA$32.15

41.69%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.36 CA$1.92

$1.18 CA$1.67

15.25%

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

$27.6K CA$39.1K

$27.8K CA$39.4K

-0.70%

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

$21.2K CA$30.0K

$19.1K CA$27.1K

10.71%

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

$77.0 CA$109

$131 CA$186

-41.35%

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

$34.14 CA$48.26

$38.72 CA$54.7

-11.83%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$42.19 CA$59.7

$54.4 CA$77.0

-22.50%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$30.81 CA$43.56

$40.72 CA$57.6

-24.34%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$19.66 CA$27.79

$18.09 CA$25.57

8.68%

Cinema Ticket

$11.47 CA$16.22

$11.25 CA$15.90

1.96%

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

$506 CA$716

$750 CA$1,061

-32.53%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$16.2K CA$23.0K

$12.8K CA$18.1K

26.95%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$57.3 CA$81.0

$53.5 CA$75.6

7.13%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$38.10 CA$53.9

$38.15 CA$53.9

-0.13%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$91.9 CA$130

$83.4 CA$118

10.27%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$110 CA$155

$101 CA$143

8.56%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,237 CA$1,748

$1,261 CA$1,783

-1.92%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$977 CA$1,381

$1,139 CA$1,610

-14.22%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,180 CA$3,082

$1,907 CA$2,696

14.33%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,608 CA$2,273

$1,691 CA$2,391

-4.94%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$5,113 CA$7,228

$4,194 CA$5,930

21.90%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$3,744 CA$5,293

$3,621 CA$5,119

3.40%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$2,957 CA$4,180

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

4.48

4.66

-3.86%

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

Last update for Montreal: October 20, 2026

Last update for Saint Andrews: October 20, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Montreal

$977 47.4%

Saint Andrews

$1.1K 50.7% 16.6% $162

Groceries & Markets

Montreal

$351 17.1%

Saint Andrews

$346 15.4% 1.5% $5.1

Eating Out

Montreal

$290 14.1%

Saint Andrews

$268 11.9% 7.8% $23

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Montreal

$153 7.5%

Saint Andrews

$225 10% 46.4% $71

Clothing & Footwear

Montreal

$134 6.5%

Saint Andrews

$124 5.5% 7.1% $9.4

Getting Around

Montreal

$100 4.9%

Saint Andrews

$80 3.6% 20.2% $20

Sport & Entertainment

Montreal

$54 2.6%

Saint Andrews

$63 2.8% 17.6% $9.5

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $1,237 in Montreal versus $1,261 in Saint Andrews. Rent is usually the largest line item in a monthly budget, so the gap here sets the tone for the overall comparison.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $73.0 in Montreal versus $66.0 in Saint Andrews. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $351 vs $346 – making Saint Andrews the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇨🇦 Montreal

🇨🇦 Saint Andrews

🕒 Local time

12:12 12:12 PM

13:12 1:12 PM

1 h ahead of Montreal

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

1,762,949

💱 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

Lowest

Highest

Between locations

Montreal Saint Andrews 510 km ≈ 1 h 15 min nonstop flight

From you

Montreal
Saint Andrews

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 Saint Andrews: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Saint Andrews costs about 9% more than Montreal, 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 $3,089 per month in Montreal and $3,367 in Saint Andrews. 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. Housing is actually the single biggest factor behind the overall cost gap between these two cities.

Interestingly, groceries are about 1% cheaper in Saint Andrews – one category where the pricier city actually offers better value, probably thanks to stronger retail competition or local farming.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $73.0 in Montreal and $66.0 in Saint Andrews. 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 Montreal, where all-in costs run around $2,059, than in Saint Andrews at $2,244. In Montreal it covers expenses comfortably, while in Saint Andrews it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.

For digital nomads, it depends on budget. Montreal costs $2,059 versus $2,244 in Saint Andrews. 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 Montreal. If higher salaries, better infrastructure, or specific career opportunities are the priority, Saint Andrews makes more sense. Both are solid long-term options with distinct trade-offs.