Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Montreal and Sarnia

For one person, living costs are similar in Montreal and in Sarnia: $2,064 and $2,014 a month, rent and utilities included.

99

Cost of Living Index in Montreal
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Montreal Living Index
96

Cost of Living Index in Sarnia
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Sarnia Living Index

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Montreal

🇨🇦 Canada

$2,064

/mo nomad

Sarnia

🇨🇦 Canada

$2,014

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Montreal and in Sarnia

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

A single person spends $2,064 per month in Montreal vs $2,014 in Sarnia, rent included.

Montreal $2,064
Sarnia $2,014

A couple spends around $3,156 per month in Montreal vs $2,778 in Sarnia, rent included.

Montreal $3,156
Sarnia $2,778

A family of three spends $4,247 per month in Montreal vs $3,543 in Sarnia, rent included.

Montreal $4,247
Sarnia $3,543

Montreal and Sarnia have comparable living costs – the differences are in the details.

Both Montreal and Sarnia sit above the global median – Montreal by 52%, Sarnia by 48%.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$18.98 CA$26.64

$13.71 CA$19.24

38.44%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$73.0 CA$102

$46.44 CA$65.2

57.15%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$10.88 CA$15.27

$10.86 CA$15.23

0.18%

Cappuccino

$3.81 CA$5.35

$3.12 CA$4.38

22.12%

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

$1.94 CA$2.72

$1.93 CA$2.71

0.52%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.58 CA$2.22

$1.22 CA$1.72

29.51%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$6.37 CA$8.94

$4.20 CA$5.90

51.67%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$7.26 CA$10.20

$5.54 CA$7.78

31.05%

Milk (1 liter)

$2.23 CA$3.13

$1.27 CA$1.78

75.59%

White Bread (500g)

$3.17 CA$4.45

$2.45 CA$3.44

29.39%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$3.31 CA$4.64

$2.37 CA$3.32

39.66%

Eggs

$3.63 CA$5.09

$2.96 CA$4.15

22.64%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$13.16 CA$18.47

$11.52 CA$16.16

14.24%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$11.56 CA$16.22

$11.48 CA$16.11

0.70%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$13.71 CA$19.25

$14.18 CA$19.90

-3.31%

Apples (1kg)

$3.29 CA$4.62

$3.39 CA$4.76

-2.95%

Banana (1kg)

$1.46 CA$2.05

$1.25 CA$1.75

16.80%

Oranges (1kg)

$3.37 CA$4.73

$3.38 CA$4.74

-0.30%

Tomato (1kg)

$3.15 CA$4.42

$3.52 CA$4.94

-10.51%

Potato (1kg)

$1.89 CA$2.65

$1.34 CA$1.88

41.04%

Onion (1kg)

$1.79 CA$2.52

$1.86 CA$2.60

-3.76%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.47 CA$3.47

$1.68 CA$2.36

47.02%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.58 CA$2.22

$1.28 CA$1.80

23.44%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$11.28 CA$15.84

$12.56 CA$17.63

-10.19%

Wine (Bottle)

$10.49 CA$14.73

$10.01 CA$14.04

4.80%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.34 CA$3.28

$2.53 CA$3.56

-7.51%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.91 CA$4.09

$2.83 CA$3.97

2.83%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.61 CA$3.66

$2.37 CA$3.33

10.13%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$79.1 CA$111

$62.1 CA$87.2

27.38%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.26 CA$4.57

$2.57 CA$3.60

26.85%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.44 CA$2.02

$1.76 CA$2.47

-18.18%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$33.43 CA$46.92

$28.33 CA$39.75

18.00%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.33 CA$1.87

$1.23 CA$1.73

8.13%

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

$28.6K CA$40.2K

$26.2K CA$36.7K

9.39%

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

$21.1K CA$29.6K

$21.0K CA$29.4K

0.69%

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

$80.1 CA$112

$145 CA$204

-44.91%

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

$34.30 CA$48.14

$28.26 CA$39.66

21.37%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$42.85 CA$60.1

$43.79 CA$61.5

-2.15%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$31.14 CA$43.71

$20.85 CA$29.26

49.35%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$19.41 CA$27.24

$17.89 CA$25.11

8.50%

Cinema Ticket

$11.23 CA$15.76

$10.91 CA$15.30

2.93%

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

$525 CA$737

$354 CA$496

48.45%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$16.3K CA$22.9K

$16.2K CA$22.8K

0.63%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$58.0 CA$81.4

$59.7 CA$83.8

-2.88%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$38.11 CA$53.5

$33.28 CA$46.71

14.51%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$93.4 CA$131

$76.9 CA$108

21.44%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$110 CA$155

$77.3 CA$108

42.57%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,285 CA$1,803

$1,236 CA$1,735

3.93%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$977 CA$1,371

$1,018 CA$1,429

-4.08%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,271 CA$3,187

$2,001 CA$2,809

13.46%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,665 CA$2,336

$1,365 CA$1,916

21.92%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$5,139 CA$7,212

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$3,834 CA$5,381

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$3,002 CA$4,213

$3,074 CA$4,314

-2.33%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

4.48

5.22

-14.18%

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

Last update for Montreal: October 25, 2026

Last update for Sarnia: October 27, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Montreal

$977 47.3%

Sarnia

$1K 50.6% 4.2% $42

Groceries & Markets

Montreal

$351 17%

Sarnia

$317 15.7% 9.8% $34

Eating Out

Montreal

$291 14.1%

Sarnia

$224 11.2% 22.8% $66

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Montreal

$157 7.6%

Sarnia

$217 10.8% 38.3% $60

Clothing & Footwear

Montreal

$135 6.5%

Sarnia

$111 5.5% 17.5% $24

Getting Around

Montreal

$100 4.9%

Sarnia

$83 4.1% 17.1% $17

Sport & Entertainment

Montreal

$54 2.6%

Sarnia

$43 2.1% 20.4% $11

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $1,285 in Montreal versus $1,236 in Sarnia. 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 in Montreal versus $46 in Sarnia. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $351 vs $317 – making Sarnia the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇨🇦 Montreal

🇨🇦 Sarnia

🕒 Local time

18:10 6:10 PM

Same time as Montreal

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

1,762,949

71,594

💱 Currency

Canadian Dollar CAD $

📈 Exchange rate

1 CAD = 0.713 USD

1 CAD = 0.64 EUR

1 CAD = 0.713 USD

1 CAD = 0.64 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

On the map

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Between locations

Montreal Sarnia 760 km ≈ 1 h 30 min nonstop flight

From you

Montreal
Sarnia

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 Sarnia: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

For a comfortable life, plan on about $3,096 per month in Montreal and $3,020 in Sarnia. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

A central 1-bedroom goes for about $1,285 in Montreal and $1,236 in Sarnia. The gap holds across neighborhoods – outer areas show a similar spread, just at lower price points.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $73 in Montreal and $46 in Sarnia. That’s a good indicator of the overall restaurant and café pricing gap between the two cities.

Public transport costs about 21% less in Sarnia. For daily commuters, that gap adds up to noticeable savings over a year.

$3,000 covers both cities comfortably – all-in costs are $2,064 in Montreal and $2,014 in Sarnia, leaving budget for savings and extras in both cases.

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