Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Montreal and Surrey, Canada

Name: Surrey
Address: Surrey, CA

For one person, living is cheaper in Montreal: $2,064 a month against $2,338 in Surrey, rent and utilities included – about $3,300 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
112

Cost of Living Index in Surrey
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Surrey Living Index

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Montreal

🇨🇦 Canada

$2,064

/mo nomad

Surrey

🇨🇦 Canada

$2,338

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Montreal and in Surrey

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

A single person spends $2,064 per month in Montreal vs $2,338 in Surrey, rent included.

Montreal $2,064
Surrey $2,338

A couple spends around $3,156 per month in Montreal vs $3,564 in Surrey, rent included.

Montreal $3,156
Surrey $3,564

A family of three spends $4,247 per month in Montreal vs $4,791 in Surrey, rent included.

Montreal $4,247
Surrey $4,791

Montreal is about 12% cheaper than Surrey, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in transport.

Both Montreal and Surrey sit above the global median – Montreal by 52%, Surrey by 72%.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$18.98 CA$26.53

$18.11 CA$25.31

4.80%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$73.0 CA$102

$57.5 CA$80.3

26.97%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$10.88 CA$15.20

$10.06 CA$14.06

8.15%

Cappuccino

$3.81 CA$5.33

$3.52 CA$4.92

8.24%

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

$1.94 CA$2.71

$2.01 CA$2.81

-3.48%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.58 CA$2.21

$1.50 CA$2.10

5.33%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$6.37 CA$8.90

$6.01 CA$8.40

5.99%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$7.26 CA$10.15

$5.63 CA$7.87

28.95%

Milk (1 liter)

$2.23 CA$3.11

$2.47 CA$3.46

-9.72%

White Bread (500g)

$3.17 CA$4.44

$2.10 CA$2.94

50.95%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$3.31 CA$4.62

$3.64 CA$5.09

-9.07%

Eggs

$3.63 CA$5.07

$3.22 CA$4.50

12.73%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$13.16 CA$18.39

$9.77 CA$13.65

34.70%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$11.56 CA$16.15

$10.57 CA$14.78

9.37%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$13.71 CA$19.16

$20.34 CA$28.42

-32.60%

Apples (1kg)

$3.29 CA$4.60

$3.33 CA$4.65

-1.20%

Banana (1kg)

$1.46 CA$2.04

$1.30 CA$1.82

12.31%

Oranges (1kg)

$3.37 CA$4.71

$2.94 CA$4.10

14.63%

Tomato (1kg)

$3.15 CA$4.40

$3.02 CA$4.23

4.30%

Potato (1kg)

$1.89 CA$2.64

$2.59 CA$3.62

-27.03%

Onion (1kg)

$1.79 CA$2.51

$2.15 CA$3.01

-16.74%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.47 CA$3.45

$2.00 CA$2.80

23.50%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.58 CA$2.21

$1.83 CA$2.56

-13.66%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$11.28 CA$15.77

$14.11 CA$19.72

-20.06%

Wine (Bottle)

$10.49 CA$14.66

$14.20 CA$19.85

-26.13%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.34 CA$3.26

$2.45 CA$3.43

-4.49%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.91 CA$4.07

$3.23 CA$4.51

-9.91%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.61 CA$3.65

$2.55 CA$3.57

2.35%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$79.1 CA$111

$110 CA$154

-28.33%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.26 CA$4.56

$2.64 CA$3.69

23.48%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.44 CA$2.01

$1.60 CA$2.23

-10.00%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$33.43 CA$46.71

$28.02 CA$39.15

19.31%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.33 CA$1.86

$1.38 CA$1.92

-3.62%

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

$28.6K CA$40.0K

$28.2K CA$39.3K

1.68%

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

$21.1K CA$29.5K

$21.7K CA$30.3K

-2.81%

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

$80.1 CA$112

$187 CA$261

-57.07%

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

$34.30 CA$47.93

$37.14 CA$51.9

-7.65%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$42.85 CA$59.9

$65.7 CA$91.9

-34.82%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$31.14 CA$43.52

$31.83 CA$44.48

-2.17%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$19.41 CA$27.12

$25.35 CA$35.42

-23.43%

Cinema Ticket

$11.23 CA$15.69

$12.18 CA$17.02

-7.80%

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

$525 CA$734

$668 CA$934

-21.45%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$16.3K CA$22.8K

$12.1K CA$16.9K

35.29%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$58.0 CA$81.0

$55.0 CA$76.8

5.51%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$38.11 CA$53.3

$61.1 CA$85.4

-37.63%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$93.4 CA$131

$99.5 CA$139

-6.11%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$110 CA$154

$90.8 CA$127

21.40%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,285 CA$1,796

$1,376 CA$1,923

-6.60%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$977 CA$1,365

$1,094 CA$1,528

-10.69%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,271 CA$3,173

$2,606 CA$3,641

-12.86%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,665 CA$2,326

$2,095 CA$2,927

-20.53%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$5,139 CA$7,181

$6,631 CA$9,265

-22.50%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$3,834 CA$5,358

$5,166 CA$7,218

-25.77%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$3,002 CA$4,195

$3,156 CA$4,410

-4.89%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

4.48

4.87

-8.01%

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

Last update for Montreal: October 25, 2026

Last update for Surrey: October 25, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Montreal

$977 47.3%

Surrey

$1.1K 46.8% 12% $117

Groceries & Markets

Montreal

$351 17%

Surrey

$357 15.3% 1.6% $5.7

Eating Out

Montreal

$291 14.1%

Surrey

$273 11.7% 6.2% $18

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Montreal

$157 7.6%

Surrey

$289 12.4% 84.1% $132

Clothing & Footwear

Montreal

$135 6.5%

Surrey

$138 5.9% 2.2% $3

Getting Around

Montreal

$100 4.9%

Surrey

$131 5.6% 31.2% $31

Sport & Entertainment

Montreal

$54 2.6%

Surrey

$56 2.4% 4.8% $2.6

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $1,285 in Montreal versus $1,376 in Surrey. 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 5% higher in Surrey, 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 $57 in Surrey. Groceries tell a different story – $351 in Montreal vs $357 in Surrey – so Montreal wins on supermarket bills even if dining out costs more.

Good to know

🇨🇦 Montreal

🇨🇦 Surrey

🕒 Local time

08:32 8:32 AM

06:32 6:32 AM

2 h behind Montreal

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

1,762,949

517,887

💱 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 Surrey 3,670 km ≈ 5 h nonstop flight

From you

Montreal
Surrey

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 Surrey: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Surrey costs about 13% more than Montreal, and outside of rent the gap comes mainly from transport. 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 $3,507 in Surrey. 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 $1,376 in Surrey. 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 $57 in Surrey. That’s a good indicator of the overall restaurant and café pricing gap between the two cities.

Public transport costs about 28% less in Montreal. 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 $2,338 in Surrey. 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, Surrey makes more sense. Both are solid long-term options with distinct trade-offs.