Last update: Nov 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Montreal and Saint John's

For one person, living is cheaper in Saint John’s: $1,811 a month against $2,067 in Montreal, rent and utilities included – about $3,100 less a year. Other living expenses account for most of the difference.

100

Cost of Living Index in Montreal
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Montreal Living Index

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Montreal

🇨🇦 Canada

$2,067

/mo nomad

Saint John's

🇦🇬 Antigua and Barbuda

$1,811

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Montreal and in Saint John's

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

A single person spends $2,067 per month in Montreal vs $1,811 in Saint John’s, rent included.

Montreal $2,067
Saint John's $1,811

A couple spends around $3,179 per month in Montreal vs $2,821 in Saint John’s, rent included.

Montreal $3,179
Saint John's $2,821

A family of three spends $4,291 per month in Montreal vs $3,831 in Saint John’s, rent included.

Montreal $4,291
Saint John's $3,831

Montreal costs about 14% more than Saint John’s, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in clothing.

Both Montreal and Saint John’s sit above the global median – Montreal by 53%, Saint John’s by 34%.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$18.89 CA$26.57

$16.46 EC$44.45

14.76%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$72.6 CA$102

$56.1 EC$152

29.32%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$10.79 CA$15.18

$9.45 EC$25.51

14.18%

Cappuccino

$3.98 CA$5.60

$3.68 EC$9.93

8.15%

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

$2.02 CA$2.84

$1.90 EC$5.14

6.32%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.63 CA$2.29

$1.19 EC$3.21

36.97%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$6.32 CA$8.89

$2.47 EC$6.67

155.87%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$7.06 CA$9.93

$4.43 EC$11.96

59.37%

Milk (1 liter)

$2.33 CA$3.28

$2.24 EC$6.05

4.02%

White Bread (500g)

$3.25 CA$4.57

$2.76 EC$7.44

17.75%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$3.26 CA$4.59

$1.81 EC$4.89

80.11%

Eggs

$3.48 CA$4.89

$6.54 EC$17.67

-46.79%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$13.73 CA$19.31

$8.69 EC$23.46

58.00%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$11.48 CA$16.14

$7.97 EC$21.53

44.04%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$14.26 CA$20.05

$12.23 EC$33.01

16.60%

Apples (1kg)

$3.52 CA$4.95

$6.36 EC$17.19

-44.65%

Banana (1kg)

$1.46 CA$2.05

$2.50 EC$6.76

-41.60%

Oranges (1kg)

$3.41 CA$4.80

$8.34 EC$22.52

-59.11%

Tomato (1kg)

$3.20 CA$4.50

$8.35 EC$22.55

-61.68%

Potato (1kg)

$1.94 CA$2.72

$2.81 EC$7.60

-30.96%

Onion (1kg)

$1.78 CA$2.50

$2.88 EC$7.78

-38.19%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.52 CA$3.54

$2.64 EC$7.11

-4.55%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.58 CA$2.22

$1.59 EC$4.30

-0.63%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$11.51 CA$16.18

Wine (Bottle)

$10.57 CA$14.87

$5.65 EC$15.25

87.08%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.35 CA$3.30

$1.91 EC$5.15

23.04%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.90 CA$4.07

$3.34 EC$9.03

-13.17%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.61 CA$3.68

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$78.5 CA$110

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.17 CA$4.46

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.49 CA$2.10

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$33.49 CA$47.10

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.36 CA$1.92

$1.65 EC$4.44

-17.58%

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

$28.0K CA$39.4K

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

$21.1K CA$29.7K

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

$77.6 CA$109

$259 EC$701

-70.10%

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

$35.63 CA$50.1

$41.21 EC$111

-13.54%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$43.73 CA$61.5

$82.4 EC$222

-46.90%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$30.07 CA$42.29

$64.9 EC$175

-53.69%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$19.97 CA$28.08

Cinema Ticket

$11.27 CA$15.85

$6.12 EC$16.53

84.15%

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

$522 CA$734

$188 EC$508

177.68%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$17.8K CA$25.0K

$1,842 EC$4,972

866.33%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$59.0 CA$82.9

$50.4 EC$136

17.00%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$39.01 CA$54.9

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$99.8 CA$140

$74.9 EC$202

33.31%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$110 CA$154

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,298 CA$1,826

$1,039 EC$2,805

24.99%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$970 CA$1,365

$678 EC$1,830

43.18%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,323 CA$3,267

$1,684 EC$4,547

37.96%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,689 CA$2,376

$1,455 EC$3,927

16.13%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$5,004 CA$7,037

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$3,736 CA$5,255

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$2,943 CA$4,139

$1,366 EC$3,688

115.47%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

4.51

5.5

-18.00%

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

Last update for Montreal: November 3, 2026

Last update for Saint John's: October 31, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Montreal

$970 47%

Saint John's

–

Groceries & Markets

Montreal

$357 17.3%

Saint John's

–

Eating Out

Montreal

$292 14.1%

Saint John's

–

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Montreal

$157 7.6%

Saint John's

–

Clothing & Footwear

Montreal

$138 6.7%

Saint John's

–

Getting Around

Montreal

$100 4.8%

Saint John's

–

Sport & Entertainment

Montreal

$53 2.6%

Saint John's

–

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $1,298 in Montreal versus $1,039 in Saint John’s. Rent is usually the largest line item in a monthly budget, so the gap here sets the tone for the overall comparison.

Salaries in Montreal are about 2.2 times higher. Purchasing power depends on which expenses matter most to you.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $73 in Montreal versus $56 in Saint John’s. Groceries tell a different story – $357 in Montreal vs $379 in Saint John’s – so Montreal wins on supermarket bills even if dining out costs more.

Good to know

🇨🇦 Montreal

🇦🇬 Saint John's

🕒 Local time

10:21 10:21 AM

11:21 11:21 AM

1 h ahead of Montreal

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

1,762,949

21,926 Capital

💱 Currency

Canadian Dollar CAD $

East Caribbean Dollar XCD $

📈 Exchange rate

1 CAD = 0.711 USD

1 CAD = 0.633 EUR

1 XCD = 0.37 USD

1 XCD = 0.33 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

XCD, USD, EUR to CAD – Canadian Dollar Converter

🇺🇸 United States Dollar ($)

🇨🇦 Canadian Dollar ($)

Canadian Dollar exchange rates as of November 6, 2026: 1 USD = 1.41 CAD (1 CAD = 0.711 USD). 1 EUR = 1.58 CAD (1 CAD = 0.633 EUR).

East Caribbean Dollar exchange rates as of November 6, 2026: 1 USD = 2.7 XCD (1 XCD = 0.37 USD). 1 EUR = 3.03 XCD (1 XCD = 0.33 EUR).

USD to CAD in detail →

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Montreal Saint John's 3,340 km ≈ 4 h 45 min nonstop flight

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Montreal
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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 John's: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Montreal costs about 14% more than Saint John’s, 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 $3,100 per month in Montreal and $2,717 in Saint John’s. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

Rent is clearly cheaper in Saint John’s, especially for central apartments: a one-bedroom in the center costs $1,039 there versus $1,298 in Montreal.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $73 in Montreal and $56 in Saint John’s. That’s a good indicator of the overall restaurant and café pricing gap between the two cities.

Interestingly, groceries are about 6% cheaper in Montreal – one category where the pricier city actually offers better value.

$2,500 covers both cities comfortably – all-in costs are $2,067 in Montreal and $1,811 in Saint John’s, leaving budget for savings and extras in both cases.

For digital nomads, it depends on budget. Saint John’s costs $1,811 versus $2,067 in Montreal. Both appeal to remote workers, and the cost gap matters when income varies month to month.

Both cities have a reputation for safety. In either place, the choice of neighborhood matters more than the choice between the two cities.

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