Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Montreal and Smithers

For one person, living is cheaper in Montreal: $2,064 a month against $2,422 in Smithers, rent and utilities included – about $4,300 less a year. Higher rent and utilities in Smithers outweigh lower spending on other living expenses.

99

Cost of Living Index in Montreal
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Montreal Living Index
109

Cost of Living Index in Smithers
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Smithers Living Index

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Montreal

🇨🇦 Canada

$2,064

/mo nomad

Smithers

🇨🇦 Canada

$2,422

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Montreal and in Smithers

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

A single person spends $2,064 per month in Montreal vs $2,422 in Smithers, rent included.

Montreal $2,064
Smithers $2,422

A couple spends around $3,156 per month in Montreal vs $3,389 in Smithers, rent included.

Montreal $3,156
Smithers $3,389

A family of three spends $4,247 per month in Montreal vs $4,356 in Smithers, rent included.

Montreal $4,247
Smithers $4,356

Montreal is about 15% cheaper than Smithers, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in utilities.

Both Montreal and Smithers sit above the global median – Montreal by 52%, Smithers by 78%.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$18.98 CA$26.52

$17.95 CA$25.08

5.74%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$73.0 CA$102

$64.4 CA$89.9

13.38%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$10.88 CA$15.20

$10.66 CA$14.89

2.06%

Cappuccino

$3.81 CA$5.33

$3.69 CA$5.15

3.25%

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

$1.94 CA$2.71

$1.99 CA$2.78

-2.51%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.58 CA$2.21

$1.63 CA$2.28

-3.07%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$6.37 CA$8.90

$5.10 CA$7.13

24.90%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$7.26 CA$10.15

$5.70 CA$7.97

27.37%

Milk (1 liter)

$2.23 CA$3.11

$2.03 CA$2.84

9.85%

White Bread (500g)

$3.17 CA$4.43

$2.63 CA$3.67

20.53%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$3.31 CA$4.62

$3.35 CA$4.68

-1.19%

Eggs

$3.63 CA$5.07

$3.39 CA$4.74

7.08%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$13.16 CA$18.38

$10.11 CA$14.12

30.17%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$11.56 CA$16.15

$11.88 CA$16.60

-2.69%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$13.71 CA$19.16

$14.93 CA$20.85

-8.17%

Apples (1kg)

$3.29 CA$4.60

$3.74 CA$5.23

-12.03%

Banana (1kg)

$1.46 CA$2.04

$1.37 CA$1.91

6.57%

Oranges (1kg)

$3.37 CA$4.70

$3.68 CA$5.14

-8.42%

Tomato (1kg)

$3.15 CA$4.40

$3.72 CA$5.19

-15.32%

Potato (1kg)

$1.89 CA$2.64

$2.35 CA$3.29

-19.57%

Onion (1kg)

$1.79 CA$2.50

$2.19 CA$3.06

-18.26%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.47 CA$3.45

$2.39 CA$3.34

3.35%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.58 CA$2.21

$1.66 CA$2.32

-4.82%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$11.28 CA$15.77

$16.26 CA$22.72

-30.63%

Wine (Bottle)

$10.49 CA$14.66

$12.73 CA$17.78

-17.60%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.34 CA$3.26

$3.09 CA$4.32

-24.27%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.91 CA$4.07

$3.25 CA$4.54

-10.46%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.61 CA$3.65

$2.25 CA$3.15

16.00%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$79.1 CA$111

$61.6 CA$86.1

28.46%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.26 CA$4.55

$2.67 CA$3.74

22.10%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.44 CA$2.01

$1.64 CA$2.29

-12.20%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$33.43 CA$46.71

$23.42 CA$32.72

42.74%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.33 CA$1.86

$1.18 CA$1.65

12.71%

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

$28.6K CA$40.0K

$27.8K CA$38.8K

3.06%

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

$21.1K CA$29.5K

$23.5K CA$32.8K

-10.24%

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

$80.1 CA$112

$150 CA$210

-46.61%

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

$34.30 CA$47.92

$39.00 CA$54.5

-12.05%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$42.85 CA$59.9

$58.5 CA$81.8

-26.79%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$31.14 CA$43.51

$35.13 CA$49.09

-11.36%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$19.41 CA$27.11

$17.93 CA$25.05

8.25%

Cinema Ticket

$11.23 CA$15.69

$10.65 CA$14.87

5.45%

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

$525 CA$734

$629 CA$879

-16.56%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$16.3K CA$22.8K

$15.1K CA$21.1K

7.96%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$58.0 CA$81.0

$56.2 CA$78.5

3.22%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$38.11 CA$53.2

$38.51 CA$53.8

-1.04%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$93.4 CA$131

$87.9 CA$123

6.24%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$110 CA$154

$103 CA$144

6.55%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,285 CA$1,795

$1,291 CA$1,804

-0.45%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$977 CA$1,364

$1,280 CA$1,788

-23.67%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,271 CA$3,173

$1,989 CA$2,779

14.14%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,665 CA$2,326

$1,801 CA$2,516

-7.54%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$5,139 CA$7,180

$4,739 CA$6,621

8.44%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$3,834 CA$5,357

$3,719 CA$5,196

3.10%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$3,002 CA$4,194

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

4.48

4.68

-4.27%

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

Last update for Montreal: October 25, 2026

Last update for Smithers: October 25, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Montreal

$977 47.3%

Smithers

$1.3K 52.8% 31% $303

Groceries & Markets

Montreal

$351 17%

Smithers

$357 14.7% 1.5% $5.4

Eating Out

Montreal

$291 14.1%

Smithers

$271 11.2% 6.7% $20

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Montreal

$157 7.6%

Smithers

$247 10.2% 57.4% $90

Clothing & Footwear

Montreal

$135 6.5%

Smithers

$129 5.3% 4.6% $6.1

Getting Around

Montreal

$100 4.9%

Smithers

$81 3.4% 18.5% $19

Sport & Entertainment

Montreal

$54 2.6%

Smithers

$56 2.3% 5.3% $2.8

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $1,285 in Montreal versus $1,291 in Smithers. 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 $64 in Smithers. Groceries tell a different story – $351 in Montreal vs $357 in Smithers – so Montreal wins on supermarket bills even if dining out costs more.

Good to know

🇨🇦 Montreal

🇨🇦 Smithers

🕒 Local time

23:47 11:47 PM

21:47 9:47 PM

2 h behind Montreal

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

1,762,949

5,400

💱 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

On the map

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Between locations

Montreal Smithers 3,850 km ≈ 5 h nonstop flight

From you

Montreal
Smithers

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 Smithers: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Smithers costs about 17% more than Montreal, and outside of rent the gap comes mainly from utilities. 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 $3,632 in Smithers. 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 $1,291 in Smithers. 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 $64 in Smithers. That’s a good indicator of the overall restaurant and café pricing gap between the two cities.

Public transport costs about 22% less in Smithers. For daily commuters, that gap adds up to noticeable savings over a year.

$2,000 is a stretch for both – monthly costs hit $2,064 in Montreal and $2,422 in Smithers. You’ll need shared housing and careful budgeting no matter which city you pick.

It depends on your priorities. Montreal has an edge in some lifestyle areas, with costs from $2,064 in Montreal to $2,422 in Smithers. Climate, culture, job market, and personal taste all factor in.