Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Montreal and St. Thomas, Canada

For one person, living is cheaper in Montreal: $2,064 a month against $2,436 in St. Thomas, rent and utilities included – about $4,500 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

Montreal, Canada
St. Thomas, Canada
Montreal
🇨🇦 Canada
$2,064
/mo nomad
St. Thomas
🇨🇦 Canada
$2,436
/mo nomad
Monthly Cost of Living

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

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

A single person spends $2,064 per month in Montreal vs $2,436 in St. Thomas, rent included.

  • Montreal $2,064
  • St. Thomas $2,436

A couple spends around $3,156 per month in Montreal vs $3,399 in St. Thomas, rent included.

  • Montreal $3,156
  • St. Thomas $3,399

A family of three spends $4,247 per month in Montreal vs $4,363 in St. Thomas, rent included.

  • Montreal $4,247
  • St. Thomas $4,363

Montreal is about 15% cheaper than St. Thomas, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Both Montreal and St. Thomas sit above the global median – Montreal by 52%, St. Thomas by 79%.

Currency
🍽 Eating Out
Montreal
St. Thomas
Difference
Meal at Budget Restaurant
$18.98 CA$26.53
$21.56 CA$30.13
-11.97%
Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range
$73.0 CA$102
$63.6 CA$88.9
14.68%
Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)
$10.88 CA$15.20
$11.22 CA$15.67
-3.03%
Cappuccino
$3.81 CA$5.33
$3.45 CA$4.82
10.43%
Coke/Pepsi/Fanta/Sprite (0.33 liter bottle)
$1.94 CA$2.71
$2.11 CA$2.95
-8.06%
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
$4.85 CA$6.77
31.34%
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$7.26 CA$10.15
$6.15 CA$8.59
18.05%
🛒 Groceries & Markets
Montreal
St. Thomas
Difference
Milk (1 liter)
$2.23 CA$3.11
$2.22 CA$3.10
0.45%
White Bread (500g)
$3.17 CA$4.44
$2.76 CA$3.85
14.86%
Rice (white) (1kg)
$3.31 CA$4.62
$3.78 CA$5.28
-12.43%
Eggs
$3.63 CA$5.07
$3.27 CA$4.57
11.01%
Local Cheese (1kg)
$13.16 CA$18.39
$10.05 CA$14.04
30.95%
Chicken Fillets (1kg)
$11.56 CA$16.15
$15.80 CA$22.07
-26.84%
Beef Round Steak (1kg)
$13.71 CA$19.16
$19.72 CA$27.56
-30.48%
Apples (1kg)
$3.29 CA$4.60
$4.10 CA$5.73
-19.76%
Banana (1kg)
$1.46 CA$2.04
$1.28 CA$1.78
14.06%
Oranges (1kg)
$3.37 CA$4.71
$3.65 CA$5.10
-7.67%
Tomato (1kg)
$3.15 CA$4.40
$4.06 CA$5.68
-22.41%
Potato (1kg)
$1.89 CA$2.64
$3.30 CA$4.61
-42.73%
Onion (1kg)
$1.79 CA$2.51
$3.06 CA$4.27
-41.50%
Lettuce (1 head)
$2.47 CA$3.45
$2.87 CA$4.01
-13.94%
Water (1.5 liter bottle)
$1.58 CA$2.21
$1.55 CA$2.17
1.94%
Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)
$11.28 CA$15.77
$11.23 CA$15.70
0.45%
Wine (Bottle)
$10.49 CA$14.66
$12.51 CA$17.48
-16.15%
Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)
$2.34 CA$3.26
$2.52 CA$3.52
-7.14%
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$2.91 CA$4.07
$2.91 CA$4.06
-
🚌 Getting Around
Montreal
St. Thomas
Difference
One-way Ticket (Public Transport)
$2.61 CA$3.65
$2.19 CA$3.06
19.18%
Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)
$79.1 CA$111
$68.2 CA$95.2
16.11%
Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)
$3.26 CA$4.56
$2.38 CA$3.32
36.97%
Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)
$1.44 CA$2.01
$1.66 CA$2.32
-13.25%
Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)
$33.43 CA$46.71
$22.83 CA$31.91
46.43%
Gasoline (1 liter)
$1.33 CA$1.86
$1.17 CA$1.64
13.68%
Midsize Hatchback 1.4l (Volkswagen Golf, Toyota Prius, Honda Civic, etc)
$28.6K CA$40.0K
$27.0K CA$37.8K
5.96%
Compact Sedan 1.6l (Toyota Corolla, Mazda3, Kia K4, Hyundai Elantra, etc)
$21.1K CA$29.5K
$23.1K CA$32.2K
-8.46%
🧾 Monthly Utilities & Internet
Montreal
St. Thomas
Difference
Utilities for 2 People in 2-bedroom Apartment (Heating, Electricity, Gas, Water, Garbage) (85m2)
$80.1 CA$112
$126 CA$176
-36.40%
SIM Card Monthly Plan (Calls and 10GB+ Data)
$34.30 CA$47.93
$42.99 CA$60.1
-20.21%
Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)
$42.85 CA$59.9
$57.4 CA$80.2
-25.30%
🎉 Sport & Entertainment
Montreal
St. Thomas
Difference
Gym Membership (Monthly)
$31.14 CA$43.52
$39.32 CA$55.0
-20.80%
Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)
$19.41 CA$27.12
$17.06 CA$23.84
13.77%
Cinema Ticket
$11.23 CA$15.69
$10.65 CA$14.88
5.45%
🧸 Childcare & Education
Montreal
St. Thomas
Difference
Preschool or Kindergarten, Full Day, Private, 1 Child (Monthly)
$525 CA$734
$421 CA$588
24.68%
International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)
$16.3K CA$22.8K
$17.3K CA$24.2K
-5.77%
👕👟 Clothing & Footwear
Montreal
St. Thomas
Difference
Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)
$58.0 CA$81.0
$53.9 CA$75.4
7.55%
Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)
$38.11 CA$53.3
$36.85 CA$51.5
3.42%
Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)
$93.4 CA$131
$82.4 CA$115
13.33%
Men's Leather Business Shoes
$110 CA$154
$90.4 CA$126
21.87%
🏠 Accommodation & Living
Montreal
St. Thomas
Difference
1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$1,285 CA$1,796
$1,163 CA$1,625
10.51%
1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$977 CA$1,365
$1,245 CA$1,740
-21.57%
3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$2,271 CA$3,173
$2,276 CA$3,180
-0.23%
3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$1,665 CA$2,326
$1,659 CA$2,319
0.33%
Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)
$5,139 CA$7,181
$4,403 CA$6,152
16.72%
Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)
$3,834 CA$5,358
$3,575 CA$4,996
7.24%
💵 Salaries & Financials
Montreal
St. Thomas
Difference
Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)
$3,002 CA$4,195
$3,004 CA$4,197
-0.05%
20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)
4.48
4.99
-10.22%

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

Last update for Montreal: October 25, 2026

Last update for St. Thomas: October 26, 2026

Monthly budget structure
Share of the monthly basket for one person, rent included.
Accommodation & Living
Montreal
$977
St. Thomas
$1.2K 27.5% $269
Groceries & Markets
Montreal
$351
St. Thomas
$399 13.6% $48
Eating Out
Montreal
$291
St. Thomas
$299 2.9% $8.3
Monthly Utilities & Internet
Montreal
$157
St. Thomas
$226 43.9% $69
Clothing & Footwear
Montreal
$135
St. Thomas
$119 12% $16
Getting Around
Montreal
$100
St. Thomas
$88 12.4% $12
Sport & Entertainment
Montreal
$54
St. Thomas
$61 13.1% $7

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $1,285 in Montreal versus $1,163 in St. Thomas. 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 St. Thomas. Groceries tell a different story – $351 in Montreal vs $399 in St. Thomas – so Montreal wins on supermarket bills even if dining out costs more.

Good to know
🇨🇦 Montreal
🇨🇦 St. Thomas
🕒 Local time
16:53 4:53 PM
16:53 4:53 PM
Same time as Montreal
🌤 Weather
👥 Population
1,762,949
38,909
💱 Currency
Exchange rates and currency converter

USD, EUR to CAD – Canadian Dollar Converter

Canadian Dollar exchange rates as of November 1, 2026: 1 USD = 1.4 CAD (1 CAD = 0.716 USD). 1 EUR = 1.56 CAD (1 CAD = 0.641 EUR).

On the map
Between locations
  • Montreal St. Thomas 680 km ≈ 1 h 15 min nonstop flight
From you
  • Montreal
  • St. Thomas

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. Thomas: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions
Which city is more expensive, Montreal or St. Thomas?
St. Thomas costs about 18% 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.
How much do you need to earn to live comfortably in Montreal and in St. Thomas?
For a comfortable life, plan on about $3,096 per month in Montreal and $3,654 in St. Thomas. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.
Where is rent cheaper, Montreal or St. Thomas?
Rent is clearly cheaper in St. Thomas, especially for central apartments: a one-bedroom in the center costs $1,163 there versus $1,285 in Montreal.
Are groceries more expensive in Montreal or in St. Thomas?
Groceries cost about 14% more in St. Thomas, though the gap depends on what you buy.
How do dining costs compare in Montreal and in St. Thomas?
A mid-range dinner for two costs $73 in Montreal and $64 in St. Thomas. That’s a good indicator of the overall restaurant and café pricing gap between the two cities.
Can you live on $2,000/month in Montreal or in St. Thomas?
$2,000 is a stretch for both – monthly costs hit $2,064 in Montreal and $2,436 in St. Thomas. You’ll need shared housing and careful budgeting no matter which city you pick.
Which city offers a better quality of life: Montreal or St. Thomas?
It depends on your priorities. Montreal has an edge in some lifestyle areas, with costs from $2,064 in Montreal to $2,436 in St. Thomas. Climate, culture, job market, and personal taste all factor in.

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