Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Montreal and Terrace

For one person, living is cheaper in Terrace: $1,887 a month against $2,018 in Montreal, rent and utilities included – about $1,600 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

Montreal
🇨🇦 Canada
$2,018
/mo nomad
Terrace
🇨🇦 Canada
$1,887
/mo nomad
Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Montreal and in Terrace

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

A single person spends $2,018 per month in Montreal vs $1,887 in Terrace, rent included.

  • Montreal $2,018
  • Terrace $1,887

A couple spends around $3,085 per month in Montreal vs $2,853 in Terrace, rent included.

  • Montreal $3,085
  • Terrace $2,853

A family of three spends $4,152 per month in Montreal vs $3,819 in Terrace, rent included.

  • Montreal $4,152
  • Terrace $3,819

Montreal costs about 7% more than Terrace, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in transport.

Both Montreal and Terrace sit above the global median – Montreal by 49%, Terrace by 40%.

Currency
🍽 Eating Out
Montreal
Terrace
Difference
Meal at Budget Restaurant
$18.82 CA$26.61
$17.53 CA$24.78
7.36%
Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range
$70.3 CA$99.4
$79.9 CA$113
-12.01%
Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)
$10.66 CA$15.06
$9.87 CA$13.95
8.00%
Cappuccino
$3.84 CA$5.43
$3.93 CA$5.55
-2.29%
Coke/Pepsi/Fanta/Sprite (0.33 liter bottle)
$1.92 CA$2.71
$2.09 CA$2.95
-8.13%
Water (0.33 liter bottle)
$1.54 CA$2.18
$1.62 CA$2.29
-4.94%
Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)
$6.23 CA$8.81
$5.19 CA$7.34
20.04%
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$7.10 CA$10.03
$6.15 CA$8.69
15.45%
🛒 Groceries & Markets
Montreal
Terrace
Difference
Milk (1 liter)
$2.31 CA$3.27
$2.25 CA$3.19
2.67%
White Bread (500g)
$3.14 CA$4.44
$2.63 CA$3.72
19.39%
Rice (white) (1kg)
$3.21 CA$4.54
$5.10 CA$7.21
-37.06%
Eggs
$3.52 CA$4.97
$3.60 CA$5.10
-2.22%
Local Cheese (1kg)
$12.81 CA$18.11
$8.81 CA$12.45
45.40%
Chicken Fillets (1kg)
$11.46 CA$16.20
$15.36 CA$21.71
-25.39%
Beef Round Steak (1kg)
$13.39 CA$18.92
$13.51 CA$19.10
-0.89%
Apples (1kg)
$3.14 CA$4.43
$4.06 CA$5.73
-22.66%
Banana (1kg)
$1.44 CA$2.03
$1.21 CA$1.72
19.01%
Oranges (1kg)
$3.47 CA$4.91
$2.99 CA$4.23
16.05%
Tomato (1kg)
$3.07 CA$4.34
$3.67 CA$5.20
-16.35%
Potato (1kg)
$1.90 CA$2.69
$3.14 CA$4.44
-39.49%
Onion (1kg)
$1.77 CA$2.50
$3.13 CA$4.43
-43.45%
Lettuce (1 head)
$2.34 CA$3.31
$2.37 CA$3.36
-1.27%
Water (1.5 liter bottle)
$1.55 CA$2.19
$1.01 CA$1.43
53.47%
Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)
$11.38 CA$16.09
$11.27 CA$15.94
0.98%
Wine (Bottle)
$10.63 CA$15.03
$13.44 CA$18.99
-20.91%
Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)
$2.27 CA$3.21
$2.09 CA$2.96
8.61%
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$2.82 CA$3.99
$1.78 CA$2.52
58.43%
🚌 Getting Around
Montreal
Terrace
Difference
One-way Ticket (Public Transport)
$2.66 CA$3.76
$1.38 CA$1.95
92.75%
Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)
$77.3 CA$109
$31.40 CA$44.40
146.15%
Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)
$3.20 CA$4.53
$3.30 CA$4.66
-3.03%
Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)
$1.48 CA$2.09
$1.50 CA$2.12
-1.33%
Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)
$32.88 CA$46.48
$20.03 CA$28.31
64.15%
Gasoline (1 liter)
$1.34 CA$1.90
$1.22 CA$1.72
9.84%
Midsize Hatchback 1.4l (Volkswagen Golf, Toyota Prius, Honda Civic, etc)
$28.2K CA$39.8K
$27.8K CA$39.3K
1.25%
Compact Sedan 1.6l (Toyota Corolla, Mazda3, Kia K4, Hyundai Elantra, etc)
$19.6K CA$27.8K
$18.7K CA$26.5K
4.84%
🧾 Monthly Utilities & Internet
Montreal
Terrace
Difference
Utilities for 2 People in 2-bedroom Apartment (Heating, Electricity, Gas, Water, Garbage) (85m2)
$76.0 CA$107
$93.2 CA$132
-18.53%
SIM Card Monthly Plan (Calls and 10GB+ Data)
$33.95 CA$48.00
$38.92 CA$55.0
-12.77%
Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)
$42.31 CA$59.8
$58.3 CA$82.5
-27.48%
🎉 Sport & Entertainment
Montreal
Terrace
Difference
Gym Membership (Monthly)
$29.76 CA$42.07
$40.14 CA$56.7
-25.86%
Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)
$20.28 CA$28.67
$16.45 CA$23.26
23.28%
Cinema Ticket
$11.15 CA$15.77
$8.91 CA$12.60
25.14%
🧸 Childcare & Education
Montreal
Terrace
Difference
Preschool or Kindergarten, Full Day, Private, 1 Child (Monthly)
$507 CA$717
$733 CA$1,037
-30.85%
International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)
$16.1K CA$22.7K
$13.4K CA$18.9K
19.78%
👕👟 Clothing & Footwear
Montreal
Terrace
Difference
Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)
$57.6 CA$81.4
$36.65 CA$51.8
57.03%
Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)
$37.58 CA$53.1
$30.29 CA$42.82
24.07%
Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)
$91.9 CA$130
$79.8 CA$113
15.21%
Men's Leather Business Shoes
$110 CA$155
$104 CA$147
5.61%
🏠 Accommodation & Living
Montreal
Terrace
Difference
1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$1,260 CA$1,782
$992 CA$1,402
27.11%
1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$948 CA$1,340
$845 CA$1,194
12.15%
3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$2,137 CA$3,021
$1,556 CA$2,200
37.34%
3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$1,614 CA$2,281
$1,325 CA$1,874
21.74%
Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)
$4,960 CA$7,011
$4,127 CA$5,835
20.17%
Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)
$3,838 CA$5,425
$3,426 CA$4,843
12.03%
💵 Salaries & Financials
Montreal
Terrace
Difference
Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)
$2,827 CA$3,997
$3,096 CA$4,376
-8.66%
20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)
4.48
5.05
-11.29%

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

Last update for Montreal: October 12, 2026

Last update for Terrace: October 11, 2026

Monthly budget structure
Share of the monthly basket for one person, rent included.
Accommodation & Living
Montreal
$948
Terrace
$845 10.8% $103
Groceries & Markets
Montreal
$346
Terrace
$364 5% $17
Eating Out
Montreal
$288
Terrace
$270 6.2% $18
Monthly Utilities & Internet
Montreal
$152
Terrace
$191 25.2% $38
Clothing & Footwear
Montreal
$133
Terrace
$113 15.6% $21
Getting Around
Montreal
$99
Terrace
$48 51.6% $51
Sport & Entertainment
Montreal
$52
Terrace
$58 11.4% $5.9

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $1,260 in Montreal versus $992 in Terrace. 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 9% higher in Terrace, 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 $70.0 in Montreal versus $80.0 in Terrace. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $346 vs $364 – making Montreal the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know
🇨🇦 Montreal
🇨🇦 Terrace
🕒 Local time
15:24 3:24 PM
12:24 12:24 PM
3 h behind Montreal
🌤 Weather
👥 Population
1,762,949
19,443
💱 Currency
Exchange rates and currency converter

USD, EUR to CAD – Canadian Dollar Converter

Canadian Dollar exchange rates as of October 19, 2026: 1 USD = 1.41 CAD (1 CAD = 0.707 USD). 1 EUR = 1.59 CAD (1 CAD = 0.629 EUR).

On the map
Between locations
  • Montreal Terrace 3,950 km ≈ 5 h nonstop flight
From you
  • Montreal
  • Terrace

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 Terrace: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions
Which city is more expensive, Montreal or Terrace?
Montreal costs about 7% more than Terrace, 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.
How much do you need to earn to live comfortably in Montreal and in Terrace?
For a comfortable life, plan on about $3,027 per month in Montreal and $2,831 in Terrace. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.
Where is rent cheaper, Montreal or Terrace?
Rent is clearly cheaper in Terrace, especially for central apartments. Housing is actually the single biggest factor behind the overall cost gap between these two cities.
Are groceries more expensive in Montreal or in Terrace?
Interestingly, groceries are about 5% cheaper in Montreal – one category where the pricier city actually offers better value, probably thanks to stronger retail competition or local farming.
How do dining costs compare in Montreal and in Terrace?
A mid-range dinner for two costs $70.0 in Montreal and $80.0 in Terrace. 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 Terrace?
A $2,000 monthly budget goes further in Terrace, where all-in costs run around $1,887, than in Montreal at $2,018. In Terrace it covers expenses comfortably, while in Montreal it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.
Which city is better for digital nomads, Montreal or Terrace?
For digital nomads, it depends on budget. Terrace costs $1,887 versus $2,018 in Montreal. Both have workable remote work infrastructure, but the cost gap matters when income varies month to month.
How safe is Montreal compared to Terrace?
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.
Should I move to Montreal or to Terrace?
If budget matters most, go with Terrace. 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.

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