Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Montreal and St. John's, Newfoundland and Labrador

For one person, living is cheaper in Montreal: $2,064 a month against $2,128 in St. John’s, Newfoundland and Labrador, rent and utilities included – about $770 less a year. The total is higher in St. John’s, Newfoundland and Labrador despite lower rent and utilities.

99

Cost of Living Index in Montreal
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Montreal Living Index
102

Cost of Living Index in St. John's, Newfoundland and Labrador
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St. John's, Newfoundland and Labrador Living Index

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Montreal

🇨🇦 Canada

$2,064

/mo nomad

St. John's, Newfoundland and Labrador

🇨🇦 Canada

$2,128

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Montreal and in St. John's, Newfoundland and Labrador

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. John's, Newfoundland and Labrador actually costs, broken down by who's living it.

A single person spends $2,064 per month in Montreal vs $2,128 in St. John’s, Newfoundland and Labrador, rent included.

Montreal $2,064
St. John's, Newfoundland and Labrador $2,128

A couple spends around $3,156 per month in Montreal vs $3,149 in St. John’s, Newfoundland and Labrador, rent included.

Montreal $3,156
St. John's, Newfoundland and Labrador $3,149

A family of three spends $4,247 per month in Montreal vs $4,170 in St. John’s, Newfoundland and Labrador, rent included.

Montreal $4,247
St. John's, Newfoundland and Labrador $4,170

Montreal is about 3% cheaper than St. John’s, Newfoundland and Labrador, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Both Montreal and St. John’s, Newfoundland and Labrador sit above the global median – Montreal by 52%, St. John’s, Newfoundland and Labrador by 56%.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$18.98 CA$26.55

$17.60 CA$24.62

7.84%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$73.0 CA$102

$72.0 CA$101

1.33%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$10.88 CA$15.22

$11.73 CA$16.41

-7.25%

Cappuccino

$3.81 CA$5.34

$4.03 CA$5.64

-5.46%

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

$1.94 CA$2.71

$2.59 CA$3.62

-25.10%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.58 CA$2.21

$2.20 CA$3.08

-28.18%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$6.37 CA$8.91

$4.87 CA$6.82

30.80%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$7.26 CA$10.16

$5.43 CA$7.59

33.70%

Milk (1 liter)

$2.23 CA$3.11

$2.77 CA$3.88

-19.49%

White Bread (500g)

$3.17 CA$4.44

$3.07 CA$4.30

3.26%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$3.31 CA$4.63

$4.28 CA$5.99

-22.66%

Eggs

$3.63 CA$5.08

$3.87 CA$5.42

-6.20%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$13.16 CA$18.40

$11.53 CA$16.13

14.14%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$11.56 CA$16.17

$13.32 CA$18.63

-13.21%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$13.71 CA$19.18

$11.81 CA$16.53

16.09%

Apples (1kg)

$3.29 CA$4.60

$4.85 CA$6.78

-32.16%

Banana (1kg)

$1.46 CA$2.04

$3.09 CA$4.33

-52.75%

Oranges (1kg)

$3.37 CA$4.71

$4.80 CA$6.71

-29.79%

Tomato (1kg)

$3.15 CA$4.40

$3.08 CA$4.30

2.27%

Potato (1kg)

$1.89 CA$2.64

$2.65 CA$3.70

-28.68%

Onion (1kg)

$1.79 CA$2.51

$2.31 CA$3.23

-22.51%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.47 CA$3.46

$2.86 CA$4.00

-13.64%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.58 CA$2.21

$2.02 CA$2.82

-21.78%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$11.28 CA$15.78

$13.80 CA$19.30

-18.26%

Wine (Bottle)

$10.49 CA$14.68

$16.10 CA$22.52

-34.84%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.34 CA$3.27

$4.19 CA$5.87

-44.15%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.91 CA$4.07

$4.33 CA$6.06

-32.79%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.61 CA$3.65

$1.83 CA$2.56

42.62%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$79.1 CA$111

$55.7 CA$77.9

42.12%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.26 CA$4.56

$3.22 CA$4.51

1.24%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.44 CA$2.01

$1.75 CA$2.45

-17.71%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$33.43 CA$46.76

$28.39 CA$39.71

17.75%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.33 CA$1.86

$1.39 CA$1.94

-4.32%

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

$28.6K CA$40.0K

$28.6K CA$40.1K

-0.06%

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

$21.1K CA$29.5K

$23.8K CA$33.4K

-11.53%

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

$80.1 CA$112

$182 CA$255

-56.04%

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

$34.30 CA$47.98

$41.72 CA$58.4

-17.79%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$42.85 CA$59.9

$76.6 CA$107

-44.05%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$31.14 CA$43.56

$68.1 CA$95.3

-54.30%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$19.41 CA$27.14

$19.14 CA$26.77

1.41%

Cinema Ticket

$11.23 CA$15.71

$10.63 CA$14.87

5.64%

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

$525 CA$734

$535 CA$748

-1.86%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$16.3K CA$22.8K

$9,862 CA$13.8K

65.58%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$58.0 CA$81.1

$66.9 CA$93.6

-13.34%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$38.11 CA$53.3

$51.5 CA$72.0

-25.96%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$93.4 CA$131

$81.7 CA$114

14.35%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$110 CA$154

$96.2 CA$135

14.53%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,285 CA$1,797

$1,041 CA$1,457

23.39%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$977 CA$1,366

$836 CA$1,169

16.84%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,271 CA$3,176

$1,540 CA$2,153

47.49%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,665 CA$2,329

$1,322 CA$1,849

25.93%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$5,139 CA$7,188

$2,435 CA$3,405

111.08%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$3,834 CA$5,363

$1,776 CA$2,484

115.92%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$3,002 CA$4,199

$2,823 CA$3,949

6.34%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

4.48

4.57

-1.97%

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

Last update for Montreal: October 25, 2026

Last update for St. John's, Newfoundland and Labrador: October 24, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Montreal

$977 47.3%

St. John's, Newfoundland and Labrador

$836 39.3% 14.4% $141

Groceries & Markets

Montreal

$351 17%

St. John's, Newfoundland and Labrador

$415 19.5% 18.2% $64

Eating Out

Montreal

$291 14.1%

St. John's, Newfoundland and Labrador

$279 13.1% 4.1% $12

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Montreal

$157 7.6%

St. John's, Newfoundland and Labrador

$300 14.1% 91.1% $143

Clothing & Footwear

Montreal

$135 6.5%

St. John's, Newfoundland and Labrador

$133 6.3% 1.1% $1.5

Getting Around

Montreal

$100 4.9%

St. John's, Newfoundland and Labrador

$75 3.5% 25% $25

Sport & Entertainment

Montreal

$54 2.6%

St. John's, Newfoundland and Labrador

$89 4.2% 66.8% $36

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $1,285 in Montreal versus $1,041 in St. John’s, Newfoundland and Labrador. 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 6% higher in Montreal, which reinforces the cost advantage – you earn more and spend less. Purchasing power leans clearly in its favor.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $73 in Montreal versus $72 in St. John’s, Newfoundland and Labrador. Groceries tell a different story – $351 in Montreal vs $415 in St. John’s, Newfoundland and Labrador – so Montreal wins on supermarket bills even if dining out costs more.

Good to know

🇨🇦 Montreal

🇨🇦 St. John's, Newfoundland and Labrador

🕒 Local time

23:35 11:35 PM

01:05 1:05 AM

1 h 30 min ahead of Montreal

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

1,762,949

110,525

💱 Currency

Canadian Dollar CAD $

📈 Exchange rate

1 CAD = 0.715 USD

1 CAD = 0.642 EUR

1 CAD = 0.715 USD

1 CAD = 0.642 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

On the map

Lowest

Highest

Between locations

Montreal St. John's, Newfoundland and Labrador 1,610 km ≈ 2 h 30 min nonstop flight

From you

Montreal
St. John's, Newfoundland and Labrador

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. John's, Newfoundland and Labrador: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

St. John’s, Newfoundland and Labrador costs about 3% 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 $3,192 in St. John’s, Newfoundland and Labrador. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

Rent is clearly cheaper in St. John’s, Newfoundland and Labrador, especially for central apartments: a one-bedroom in the center costs $1,041 there versus $1,285 in Montreal.

Public transport costs about 30% less in St. John’s, Newfoundland and Labrador. For daily commuters, that gap adds up to noticeable savings over a year.

Groceries cost about 18% more in St. John’s, Newfoundland and Labrador, though the gap depends on what you buy.

$2,000 is a stretch for both – monthly costs hit $2,064 in Montreal and $2,128 in St. John’s, Newfoundland and Labrador. 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 $2,128 in St. John’s, Newfoundland and Labrador. Climate, culture, job market, and personal taste all factor in.