Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Montreal and Sydney, NS

For one person, living is cheaper in Sydney, NS: $1,614 a month against $2,059 in Montreal, rent and utilities included – about $5,300 less a year. Rent and utilities account for about half of the difference.

99

Cost of Living Index in Montreal
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Montreal Living Index
78

Cost of Living Index in Sydney, NS
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Sydney, NS Living Index

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Montreal

🇨🇦 Canada

$2,059

/mo nomad

Sydney, NS

🇨🇦 Canada

$1,614

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Montreal and in Sydney, NS

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

A single person spends $2,059 per month in Montreal vs $1,614 in Sydney, NS, rent included.

Montreal $2,059
Sydney, NS $1,614

A couple spends around $3,123 per month in Montreal vs $2,535 in Sydney, NS, rent included.

Montreal $3,123
Sydney, NS $2,535

A family of three spends $4,187 per month in Montreal vs $3,456 in Sydney, NS, rent included.

Montreal $4,187
Sydney, NS $3,456

Montreal costs about 28% more than Sydney, NS, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

Both Montreal and Sydney, NS sit above the global median – Montreal by 52%, Sydney, NS by 19%.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$18.84 CA$26.63

$11.13 CA$15.74

69.27%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$73.2 CA$104

$62.3 CA$88.0

17.58%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$10.54 CA$14.90

$7.16 CA$10.12

47.21%

Cappuccino

$3.97 CA$5.61

$2.87 CA$4.06

38.33%

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

$1.94 CA$2.74

$2.33 CA$3.30

-16.74%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.57 CA$2.22

$2.07 CA$2.92

-24.15%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$6.42 CA$9.08

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$7.20 CA$10.19

Milk (1 liter)

$2.32 CA$3.28

$2.15 CA$3.04

7.91%

White Bread (500g)

$3.19 CA$4.51

$2.56 CA$3.61

24.61%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$3.19 CA$4.50

$2.41 CA$3.41

32.37%

Eggs

$3.68 CA$5.20

$3.32 CA$4.69

10.84%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$13.24 CA$18.72

$6.27 CA$8.87

111.16%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$11.69 CA$16.53

$8.23 CA$11.63

42.04%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$13.98 CA$19.76

$12.99 CA$18.36

7.62%

Apples (1kg)

$3.14 CA$4.44

$7.01 CA$9.91

-55.21%

Banana (1kg)

$1.45 CA$2.05

$1.16 CA$1.63

25.00%

Oranges (1kg)

$3.38 CA$4.78

Tomato (1kg)

$3.11 CA$4.40

$1.38 CA$1.95

125.36%

Potato (1kg)

$1.93 CA$2.72

$0.84 CA$1.18

129.76%

Onion (1kg)

$1.83 CA$2.58

$1.90 CA$2.68

-3.68%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.36 CA$3.34

$6.30 CA$8.90

-62.54%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.50 CA$2.12

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$11.12 CA$15.73

$17.78 CA$25.14

-37.46%

Wine (Bottle)

$10.60 CA$14.98

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.22 CA$3.14

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.84 CA$4.01

$4.18 CA$5.92

-32.06%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.62 CA$3.71

$1.08 CA$1.53

142.59%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$79.1 CA$112

$48.48 CA$68.5

63.24%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.23 CA$4.56

$4.15 CA$5.87

-22.17%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.48 CA$2.10

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$32.22 CA$45.55

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.36 CA$1.92

$1.20 CA$1.70

13.33%

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

$27.6K CA$39.1K

$25.7K CA$36.4K

7.38%

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

$21.2K CA$30.0K

$19.1K CA$27.1K

10.67%

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

$77.0 CA$109

$86.3 CA$122

-10.72%

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

$34.14 CA$48.26

$36.04 CA$51.0

-5.27%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$42.19 CA$59.7

$73.3 CA$104

-42.47%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$30.81 CA$43.56

$49.94 CA$70.6

-38.31%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$19.66 CA$27.79

$3.45 CA$4.88

469.86%

Cinema Ticket

$11.47 CA$16.22

$7.04 CA$9.96

62.93%

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

$506 CA$716

$721 CA$1,020

-29.84%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$16.2K CA$23.0K

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$57.3 CA$81.0

$68.1 CA$96.3

-15.95%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$38.10 CA$53.9

$67.2 CA$95.1

-43.33%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$91.9 CA$130

$99.7 CA$141

-7.78%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$110 CA$155

$105 CA$148

4.53%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,237 CA$1,748

$893 CA$1,262

38.56%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$977 CA$1,381

$724 CA$1,024

34.87%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,180 CA$3,082

$1,753 CA$2,479

24.33%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,608 CA$2,273

$1,374 CA$1,943

17.00%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$5,113 CA$7,228

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$3,744 CA$5,293

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$2,957 CA$4,180

$2,527 CA$3,573

17.01%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

4.48

5.8

-22.76%

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

Last update for Montreal: October 20, 2026

Last update for Sydney, NS: October 17, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Montreal

$977 47.4%

Sydney, NS

$724 44.9% 25.9% $253

Groceries & Markets

Montreal

$351 17.1%

Sydney, NS

$258 * 16% 26.6% $93

Eating Out

Montreal

$290 14.1%

Sydney, NS

$163 * 10.1% 44% $128

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Montreal

$153 7.5%

Sydney, NS

$196 12.1% 27.6% $42

Clothing & Footwear

Montreal

$134 6.5%

Sydney, NS

$153 9.5% 14.5% $19

Getting Around

Montreal

$100 4.9%

Sydney, NS

$57 * 3.5% 43.2% $43

Sport & Entertainment

Montreal

$54 2.6%

Sydney, NS

$64 4% 19.1% $10

Categories marked with * are only partly priced – their share counts the items that do have prices.

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $1,237 in Montreal versus $893 in Sydney, NS. 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 17% higher in Montreal, 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 $62.0 in Sydney, NS. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $351 vs $258 – making Sydney, NS the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇨🇦 Montreal

🇨🇦 Sydney, NS

🕒 Local time

00:07 12:07 AM

01:07 1:07 AM

1 h ahead of Montreal

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

1,762,949

30,960

💱 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 Sydney, NS 1,040 km ≈ 1 h 45 min nonstop flight

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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 Sydney, NS: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Montreal costs about 28% more than Sydney, NS, 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 $2,421 in Sydney, NS. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

Rent is clearly cheaper in Sydney, NS, especially for central apartments. Housing is actually the single biggest factor behind the overall cost gap between these two cities.

Groceries cost about 36% more in Montreal, 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 $62.0 in Sydney, NS. 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 Sydney, NS, where all-in costs run around $1,614, than in Montreal at $2,059. In Sydney, NS it covers expenses comfortably, while in Montreal it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.

For digital nomads, it depends on budget. Sydney, NS costs $1,614 versus $2,059 in Montreal. 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 Sydney, NS. If higher salaries, better infrastructure, or specific career opportunities are the priority, Montreal makes more sense. Both are solid long-term options with distinct trade-offs.