Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Montreal and St.Catharines

For one person, living is cheaper in Montreal: $2,059 a month against $2,309 in St.Catharines, rent and utilities included – about $3,000 less a year. Higher rent and utilities in St.Catharines outweigh lower spending on other living expenses.

99

Cost of Living Index in Montreal
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Montreal Living Index
112

Cost of Living Index in St.Catharines
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St.Catharines Living Index

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Montreal

🇨🇦 Canada

$2,059

/mo nomad

St.Catharines

🇨🇦 Canada

$2,309

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Montreal and in St.Catharines

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

A single person spends $2,059 per month in Montreal vs $2,309 in St.Catharines, rent included.

Montreal $2,059
St.Catharines $2,309

A couple spends around $3,123 per month in Montreal vs $3,210 in St.Catharines, rent included.

Montreal $3,123
St.Catharines $3,210

A family of three spends $4,187 per month in Montreal vs $4,111 in St.Catharines, rent included.

Montreal $4,187
St.Catharines $4,111

Montreal is about 11% cheaper than St.Catharines, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

Both Montreal and St.Catharines sit above the global median – Montreal by 52%, St.Catharines by 70%.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$18.84 CA$26.63

$14.32 CA$20.24

31.56%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$73.2 CA$104

$57.6 CA$81.5

27.03%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$10.54 CA$14.90

$12.63 CA$17.86

-16.55%

Cappuccino

$3.97 CA$5.61

$3.03 CA$4.29

31.02%

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

$1.94 CA$2.74

$1.65 CA$2.34

17.58%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.57 CA$2.22

$1.60 CA$2.27

-1.88%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$6.42 CA$9.08

$4.65 CA$6.58

38.06%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$7.20 CA$10.19

$4.61 CA$6.52

56.18%

Milk (1 liter)

$2.32 CA$3.28

$2.09 CA$2.96

11.00%

White Bread (500g)

$3.19 CA$4.51

$2.18 CA$3.08

46.33%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$3.19 CA$4.50

$4.60 CA$6.50

-30.65%

Eggs

$3.68 CA$5.20

$4.28 CA$6.06

-14.02%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$13.24 CA$18.72

$14.90 CA$21.06

-11.14%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$11.69 CA$16.53

$11.22 CA$15.86

4.19%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$13.98 CA$19.76

$14.04 CA$19.85

-0.43%

Apples (1kg)

$3.14 CA$4.44

$5.19 CA$7.34

-39.50%

Banana (1kg)

$1.45 CA$2.05

$1.11 CA$1.57

30.63%

Oranges (1kg)

$3.38 CA$4.78

$4.36 CA$6.17

-22.48%

Tomato (1kg)

$3.11 CA$4.40

$4.14 CA$5.85

-24.88%

Potato (1kg)

$1.93 CA$2.72

$2.82 CA$3.99

-31.56%

Onion (1kg)

$1.83 CA$2.58

$4.39 CA$6.20

-58.31%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.36 CA$3.34

$2.60 CA$3.67

-9.23%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.50 CA$2.12

$1.29 CA$1.83

16.28%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$11.12 CA$15.73

$13.73 CA$19.41

-19.01%

Wine (Bottle)

$10.60 CA$14.98

$12.65 CA$17.88

-16.21%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.22 CA$3.14

$3.00 CA$4.24

-26.00%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.84 CA$4.01

$3.02 CA$4.28

-5.96%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.62 CA$3.71

$2.46 CA$3.48

6.50%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$79.1 CA$112

$70.9 CA$100

11.62%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.23 CA$4.56

$2.88 CA$4.07

12.15%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.48 CA$2.10

$2.22 CA$3.14

-33.33%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$32.22 CA$45.55

$22.28 CA$31.50

44.61%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.36 CA$1.92

$1.15 CA$1.63

18.26%

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

$27.6K CA$39.1K

$26.4K CA$37.4K

4.64%

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

$21.2K CA$30.0K

$22.0K CA$31.1K

-3.60%

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

$77.0 CA$109

$178 CA$251

-56.69%

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

$34.14 CA$48.26

$33.39 CA$47.21

2.25%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$42.19 CA$59.7

$47.75 CA$67.5

-11.64%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$30.81 CA$43.56

$31.41 CA$44.41

-1.91%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$19.66 CA$27.79

$41.10 CA$58.1

-52.17%

Cinema Ticket

$11.47 CA$16.22

$11.04 CA$15.60

3.89%

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

$506 CA$716

$504 CA$713

0.35%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$16.2K CA$23.0K

$27.6K CA$39.0K

-41.22%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$57.3 CA$81.0

$73.6 CA$104

-22.24%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$38.10 CA$53.9

$52.2 CA$73.8

-27.04%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$91.9 CA$130

$80.1 CA$113

14.76%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$110 CA$155

$76.7 CA$108

43.16%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,237 CA$1,748

$1,210 CA$1,710

2.24%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$977 CA$1,381

$1,159 CA$1,638

-15.72%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,180 CA$3,082

$1,707 CA$2,413

27.73%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,608 CA$2,273

$1,557 CA$2,201

3.26%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$5,113 CA$7,228

$3,026 CA$4,277

69.00%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$3,744 CA$5,293

$2,705 CA$3,824

38.42%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$2,957 CA$4,180

$2,969 CA$4,198

-0.41%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

4.48

5.71

-21.54%

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

Last update for Montreal: October 20, 2026

Last update for St.Catharines: October 17, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Montreal

$977 47.4%

St.Catharines

$1.2K 50.2% 18.7% $182

Groceries & Markets

Montreal

$351 17.1%

St.Catharines

$381 16.5% 8.7% $30

Eating Out

Montreal

$290 14.1%

St.Catharines

$234 10.2% 19.3% $56

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Montreal

$153 7.5%

St.Catharines

$259 11.2% 68.9% $106

Clothing & Footwear

Montreal

$134 6.5%

St.Catharines

$127 5.5% 4.8% $6.5

Getting Around

Montreal

$100 4.9%

St.Catharines

$95 4.1% 5.6% $5.6

Sport & Entertainment

Montreal

$54 2.6%

St.Catharines

$53 2.3% 0.5% $0.3

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $1,237 in Montreal versus $1,210 in St.Catharines. 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 0% higher in St.Catharines, 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 $73.0 in Montreal versus $58.0 in St.Catharines. Groceries tell a different story – $351 in Montreal vs $381 in St.Catharines – so Montreal wins on supermarket bills even if dining out costs more.

Good to know

🇨🇦 Montreal

🇨🇦 St.Catharines

🕒 Local time

02:05 2:05 AM

Same time as Montreal

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

1,762,949

133,113

💱 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

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Montreal St.Catharines 520 km ≈ 1 h 15 min nonstop flight

From you

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 St.Catharines: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

St.Catharines costs about 12% more than Montreal, and outside of rent the gap comes mainly from eating out. That's enough to noticeably affect everyday spending and lifestyle for anyone choosing between the two.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $3,089 per month in Montreal and $3,464 in St.Catharines. 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. Housing is actually the single biggest factor behind the overall cost gap between these two cities.

Groceries cost about 9% more in St.Catharines, though it depends on what you buy. Local produce may be comparable; imported and premium items show the biggest price gap.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $73.0 in Montreal and $58.0 in St.Catharines. That's a good indicator of the overall restaurant and café pricing gap between the two cities.

A $2,000 monthly budget goes further in Montreal, where all-in costs run around $2,059, than in St.Catharines at $2,309. In Montreal it covers expenses comfortably, while in St.Catharines it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.

For digital nomads, it depends on budget. Montreal costs $2,059 versus $2,309 in St.Catharines. 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 Montreal. If higher salaries, better infrastructure, or specific career opportunities are the priority, St.Catharines makes more sense. Both are solid long-term options with distinct trade-offs.