Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Montreal and Squamish, BC

For one person, living is cheaper in Montreal: $2,064 a month against $2,633 in Squamish, BC, rent and utilities included – about $6,800 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

99

Cost of Living Index in Montreal
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Montreal Living Index
128

Cost of Living Index in Squamish, BC
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Squamish, BC Living Index

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Montreal

🇨🇦 Canada

$2,064

/mo nomad

Squamish, BC

🇨🇦 Canada

$2,633

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Montreal and in Squamish, BC

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

A single person spends $2,064 per month in Montreal vs $2,633 in Squamish, BC, rent included.

Montreal $2,064
Squamish, BC $2,633

A couple spends around $3,156 per month in Montreal vs $3,977 in Squamish, BC, rent included.

Montreal $3,156
Squamish, BC $3,977

A family of three spends $4,247 per month in Montreal vs $5,322 in Squamish, BC, rent included.

Montreal $4,247
Squamish, BC $5,322

Montreal is about 22% cheaper than Squamish, BC, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Both Montreal and Squamish, BC sit above the global median – Montreal by 52%, Squamish, BC by 93%.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$18.98 CA$26.53

$16.13 CA$22.54

17.67%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$73.0 CA$102

$50.9 CA$71.1

43.41%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$10.88 CA$15.20

$10.35 CA$14.47

5.12%

Cappuccino

$3.81 CA$5.33

$3.87 CA$5.40

-1.55%

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

$1.94 CA$2.71

$1.83 CA$2.56

6.01%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.58 CA$2.21

$1.56 CA$2.17

1.28%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$6.37 CA$8.90

$5.76 CA$8.05

10.59%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$7.26 CA$10.15

$5.77 CA$8.06

25.82%

Milk (1 liter)

$2.23 CA$3.11

$1.72 CA$2.41

29.65%

White Bread (500g)

$3.17 CA$4.44

$2.16 CA$3.01

46.76%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$3.31 CA$4.62

$3.51 CA$4.91

-5.70%

Eggs

$3.63 CA$5.07

$3.13 CA$4.37

15.97%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$13.16 CA$18.39

$12.63 CA$17.65

4.20%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$11.56 CA$16.15

$15.42 CA$21.55

-25.03%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$13.71 CA$19.16

$19.49 CA$27.23

-29.66%

Apples (1kg)

$3.29 CA$4.60

$5.33 CA$7.45

-38.27%

Banana (1kg)

$1.46 CA$2.04

$1.18 CA$1.65

23.73%

Oranges (1kg)

$3.37 CA$4.71

$4.85 CA$6.77

-30.52%

Tomato (1kg)

$3.15 CA$4.40

$3.69 CA$5.15

-14.63%

Potato (1kg)

$1.89 CA$2.64

$4.22 CA$5.90

-55.21%

Onion (1kg)

$1.79 CA$2.51

$2.56 CA$3.57

-30.08%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.47 CA$3.45

$2.61 CA$3.65

-5.36%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.58 CA$2.21

$1.82 CA$2.54

-13.19%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$11.28 CA$15.77

$14.69 CA$20.53

-23.21%

Wine (Bottle)

$10.49 CA$14.66

$10.85 CA$15.16

-3.32%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.34 CA$3.26

$2.89 CA$4.04

-19.03%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.91 CA$4.07

$3.60 CA$5.04

-19.17%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.61 CA$3.65

$1.46 CA$2.04

78.77%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$79.1 CA$111

$31.22 CA$43.62

153.46%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.26 CA$4.56

$3.62 CA$5.05

-9.94%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.44 CA$2.01

$1.44 CA$2.02

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$33.43 CA$46.71

$24.78 CA$34.63

34.91%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.33 CA$1.86

$1.20 CA$1.67

10.83%

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

$28.6K CA$40.0K

$26.6K CA$37.1K

7.80%

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

$21.1K CA$29.5K

$19.0K CA$26.5K

11.21%

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

$80.1 CA$112

$116 CA$162

-30.92%

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

$34.30 CA$47.93

$44.40 CA$62.0

-22.75%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$42.85 CA$59.9

$64.0 CA$89.5

-33.07%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$31.14 CA$43.52

$51.5 CA$71.9

-39.49%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$19.41 CA$27.12

Cinema Ticket

$11.23 CA$15.69

$11.29 CA$15.77

-0.53%

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

$525 CA$734

$1,088 CA$1,521

-51.75%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$16.3K CA$22.8K

$8,575 CA$12.0K

90.42%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$58.0 CA$81.0

$52.3 CA$73.0

11.00%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$38.11 CA$53.3

$42.74 CA$59.7

-10.83%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$93.4 CA$131

$79.4 CA$111

17.64%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$110 CA$154

$99.4 CA$139

10.90%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,285 CA$1,796

$1,639 CA$2,291

-21.62%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$977 CA$1,365

$1,499 CA$2,095

-34.84%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,271 CA$3,173

$3,153 CA$4,406

-27.98%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,665 CA$2,326

$2,821 CA$3,941

-40.97%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$5,139 CA$7,181

$5,834 CA$8,153

-11.92%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$3,834 CA$5,358

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$3,002 CA$4,195

$3,121 CA$4,360

-3.80%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

4.48

4.72

-5.08%

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

Last update for Montreal: October 25, 2026

Last update for Squamish, BC: October 26, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Montreal

$977 47.3%

Squamish, BC

$1.5K 56.9% 53.5% $522

Groceries & Markets

Montreal

$351 17%

Squamish, BC

$404 15.3% 15% $53

Eating Out

Montreal

$291 14.1%

Squamish, BC

$260 9.9% 10.4% $30

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Montreal

$157 7.6%

Squamish, BC

$224 8.5% 42.7% $67

Clothing & Footwear

Montreal

$135 6.5%

Squamish, BC

$123 4.7% 8.7% $12

Getting Around

Montreal

$100 4.9%

Squamish, BC

$48 1.8% 52.1% $52

Sport & Entertainment

Montreal

$54 2.6%

Squamish, BC

$74 2.8% 38.1% $20

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $1,285 in Montreal versus $1,639 in Squamish, BC. 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 4% higher in Squamish, BC, which partly offsets the higher cost of living there. Purchasing power depends on which expenses matter most to you.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $73 in Montreal versus $51 in Squamish, BC. Groceries tell a different story – $351 in Montreal vs $404 in Squamish, BC – so Montreal wins on supermarket bills even if dining out costs more.

Good to know

🇨🇦 Montreal

🇨🇦 Squamish, BC

🕒 Local time

15:47 3:47 PM

13:47 1:47 PM

2 h behind Montreal

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

1,762,949

19,512

💱 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

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Between locations

Montreal Squamish, BC 3,680 km ≈ 5 h nonstop flight

From you

Montreal
Squamish, BC

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 Squamish, BC: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Squamish, BC costs about 28% more than Montreal, and outside of rent the gap comes mainly from groceries. 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 $3,949 in Squamish, BC. 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: a one-bedroom in the center costs $1,285 there versus $1,639 in Squamish, BC.

Groceries cost about 15% more in Squamish, BC, though the gap depends on what you buy.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $73 in Montreal and $51 in Squamish, BC. That’s a good indicator of the overall restaurant and café pricing gap between the two cities.

$2,000 is a stretch for both – monthly costs hit $2,064 in Montreal and $2,633 in Squamish, BC. You’ll need shared housing and careful budgeting no matter which city you pick.

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

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