Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Montreal and Sault Ste. Marie

For one person, living costs are similar in Montreal and in Sault Ste. Marie: $2,059 and $2,059 a month, rent and utilities included.

99

Cost of Living Index in Montreal
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Montreal Living Index
100

Cost of Living Index in Sault Ste. Marie
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Sault Ste. Marie Living Index

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Montreal

🇨🇦 Canada

$2,059

/mo nomad

Sault Ste. Marie

🇨🇦 Canada

$2,059

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Montreal and in Sault Ste. Marie

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 Sault Ste. Marie actually costs, broken down by who's living it.

A single person spends $2,059 per month in Montreal vs $2,059 in Sault Ste. Marie, rent included.

Montreal $2,059
Sault Ste. Marie $2,059

A couple spends around $3,123 per month in Montreal vs $3,008 in Sault Ste. Marie, rent included.

Montreal $3,123
Sault Ste. Marie $3,008

A family of three spends $4,187 per month in Montreal vs $3,956 in Sault Ste. Marie, rent included.

Montreal $4,187
Sault Ste. Marie $3,956

Montreal and Sault Ste. Marie have comparable living costs – the differences are in the details.

Both Montreal and Sault Ste. Marie sit above the global median – Montreal by 52%, Sault Ste. Marie by 52%.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$18.84 CA$26.63

$17.17 CA$24.28

9.73%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$73.2 CA$104

$70.6 CA$99.8

3.70%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$10.54 CA$14.90

$10.23 CA$14.46

3.03%

Cappuccino

$3.97 CA$5.61

$3.47 CA$4.90

14.41%

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

$1.94 CA$2.74

$1.64 CA$2.32

18.29%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.57 CA$2.22

$1.35 CA$1.91

16.30%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$6.42 CA$9.08

$4.68 CA$6.62

37.18%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$7.20 CA$10.19

$5.00 CA$7.07

44.00%

Milk (1 liter)

$2.32 CA$3.28

$2.42 CA$3.43

-4.13%

White Bread (500g)

$3.19 CA$4.51

$2.14 CA$3.02

49.07%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$3.19 CA$4.50

$3.27 CA$4.63

-2.45%

Eggs

$3.68 CA$5.20

$2.98 CA$4.22

23.49%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$13.24 CA$18.72

$8.32 CA$11.76

59.13%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$11.69 CA$16.53

$9.97 CA$14.10

17.25%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$13.98 CA$19.76

$10.51 CA$14.86

33.02%

Apples (1kg)

$3.14 CA$4.44

$3.14 CA$4.43

Banana (1kg)

$1.45 CA$2.05

$0.99 CA$1.40

46.46%

Oranges (1kg)

$3.38 CA$4.78

$3.06 CA$4.33

10.46%

Tomato (1kg)

$3.11 CA$4.40

$3.54 CA$5.01

-12.15%

Potato (1kg)

$1.93 CA$2.72

$1.97 CA$2.79

-2.03%

Onion (1kg)

$1.83 CA$2.58

$1.69 CA$2.39

8.28%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.36 CA$3.34

$2.77 CA$3.92

-14.80%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.50 CA$2.12

$1.27 CA$1.79

18.11%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$11.12 CA$15.73

$15.75 CA$22.26

-29.40%

Wine (Bottle)

$10.60 CA$14.98

$10.67 CA$15.08

-0.66%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.22 CA$3.14

$1.84 CA$2.60

20.65%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.84 CA$4.01

$2.28 CA$3.23

24.56%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.62 CA$3.71

$2.24 CA$3.16

16.96%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$79.1 CA$112

$57.5 CA$81.2

37.75%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.23 CA$4.56

$3.47 CA$4.91

-6.92%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.48 CA$2.10

$2.31 CA$3.26

-35.93%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$32.22 CA$45.55

$22.97 CA$32.47

40.27%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.36 CA$1.92

$1.08 CA$1.52

25.93%

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

$27.6K CA$39.1K

$26.5K CA$37.5K

4.36%

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

$21.2K CA$30.0K

$20.3K CA$28.6K

4.58%

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

$77.0 CA$109

$174 CA$246

-55.79%

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

$34.14 CA$48.26

$44.36 CA$62.7

-23.04%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$42.19 CA$59.7

$76.7 CA$108

-44.97%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$30.81 CA$43.56

$50.3 CA$71.0

-38.69%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$19.66 CA$27.79

$17.62 CA$24.90

11.58%

Cinema Ticket

$11.47 CA$16.22

$11.18 CA$15.80

2.59%

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

$506 CA$716

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$16.2K CA$23.0K

$4,984 CA$7,046

225.76%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$57.3 CA$81.0

$45.63 CA$64.5

25.49%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$38.10 CA$53.9

$35.58 CA$50.3

7.08%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$91.9 CA$130

$74.8 CA$106

22.94%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$110 CA$155

$120 CA$170

-8.70%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,237 CA$1,748

$893 CA$1,262

38.51%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$977 CA$1,381

$931 CA$1,316

4.88%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,180 CA$3,082

$1,325 CA$1,873

64.58%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,608 CA$2,273

$1,455 CA$2,057

10.52%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$5,113 CA$7,228

$1,868 CA$2,640

173.77%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$3,744 CA$5,293

$5,432 CA$7,679

-31.06%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$2,957 CA$4,180

$3,049 CA$4,310

-3.01%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

4.48

5.53

-18.99%

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

Last update for Montreal: October 20, 2026

Last update for Sault Ste. Marie: October 20, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Montreal

$977 47.4%

Sault Ste. Marie

$931 45.2% 4.7% $45

Groceries & Markets

Montreal

$351 17.1%

Sault Ste. Marie

$299 14.5% 14.8% $52

Eating Out

Montreal

$290 14.1%

Sault Ste. Marie

$255 12.4% 12.2% $35

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Montreal

$153 7.5%

Sault Ste. Marie

$295 14.3% 92.5% $142

Clothing & Footwear

Montreal

$134 6.5%

Sault Ste. Marie

$124 6% 7% $9.4

Getting Around

Montreal

$100 4.9%

Sault Ste. Marie

$81 4% 18.8% $19

Sport & Entertainment

Montreal

$54 2.6%

Sault Ste. Marie

$73 3.5% 35% $19

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $1,237 in Montreal versus $893 in Sault Ste. Marie. 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 Sault Ste. Marie. Purchasing power depends on which expenses matter most to you.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $73.0 in Montreal versus $71.0 in Sault Ste. Marie. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $351 vs $299 – making Sault Ste. Marie the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇨🇦 Montreal

🇨🇦 Sault Ste. Marie

🕒 Local time

11:06 11:06 AM

Same time as Montreal

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

1,762,949

73,368

💱 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

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Between locations

Montreal Sault Ste. Marie 840 km ≈ 1 h 30 min nonstop flight

From you

Montreal
Sault Ste. Marie

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 Sault Ste. Marie: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

For a comfortable life, plan on about $3,089 per month in Montreal and $3,089 in Sault Ste. Marie. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

Rent is clearly cheaper in Sault Ste. Marie, especially for central apartments. Housing is actually the single biggest factor behind the overall cost gap between these two cities.

Groceries cost about 17% more in Montreal, though it depends on what you buy. Local produce may be comparable; imported and premium items show the biggest price gap.

Public transport costs about 38% less in Sault Ste. Marie. For daily commuters, that gap adds up to noticeable savings over a year.

A $2,500 monthly budget goes further in Sault Ste. Marie, where all-in costs run around $2,059, than in Montreal at $2,059. In Sault Ste. Marie it covers expenses comfortably, while in Montreal it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.

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