Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Montreal and Thunder Bay

For one person, living is cheaper in Montreal: $2,059 a month against $2,169 in Thunder Bay, rent and utilities included – about $1,300 less a year. Other living expenses account for most of the difference.

99

Cost of Living Index in Montreal
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Montreal Living Index
106

Cost of Living Index in Thunder Bay
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Thunder Bay Living Index

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Montreal

🇨🇦 Canada

$2,059

/mo nomad

Thunder Bay

🇨🇦 Canada

$2,169

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Montreal and in Thunder Bay

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

A single person spends $2,059 per month in Montreal vs $2,169 in Thunder Bay, rent included.

Montreal $2,059
Thunder Bay $2,169

A couple spends around $3,123 per month in Montreal vs $3,338 in Thunder Bay, rent included.

Montreal $3,123
Thunder Bay $3,338

A family of three spends $4,187 per month in Montreal vs $4,508 in Thunder Bay, rent included.

Montreal $4,187
Thunder Bay $4,508

Montreal is about 5% cheaper than Thunder Bay, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in utilities.

Both Montreal and Thunder Bay sit above the global median – Montreal by 52%, Thunder Bay by 60%.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$18.84 CA$26.63

$17.63 CA$24.93

6.86%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$73.2 CA$104

$60.2 CA$85.1

21.61%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$10.54 CA$14.90

$12.62 CA$17.84

-16.48%

Cappuccino

$3.97 CA$5.61

$3.40 CA$4.81

16.76%

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

$1.94 CA$2.74

$1.86 CA$2.63

4.30%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.57 CA$2.22

$1.59 CA$2.25

-1.26%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$6.42 CA$9.08

$5.43 CA$7.68

18.23%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$7.20 CA$10.19

$5.03 CA$7.12

43.14%

Milk (1 liter)

$2.32 CA$3.28

$2.27 CA$3.20

2.20%

White Bread (500g)

$3.19 CA$4.51

$2.55 CA$3.60

25.10%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$3.19 CA$4.50

$3.29 CA$4.65

-3.04%

Eggs

$3.68 CA$5.20

$3.59 CA$5.08

2.51%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$13.24 CA$18.72

$16.69 CA$23.59

-20.67%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$11.69 CA$16.53

$15.91 CA$22.50

-26.52%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$13.98 CA$19.76

$16.25 CA$22.98

-13.97%

Apples (1kg)

$3.14 CA$4.44

$3.33 CA$4.71

-5.71%

Banana (1kg)

$1.45 CA$2.05

$1.21 CA$1.71

19.83%

Oranges (1kg)

$3.38 CA$4.78

$3.92 CA$5.54

-13.78%

Tomato (1kg)

$3.11 CA$4.40

$3.48 CA$4.92

-10.63%

Potato (1kg)

$1.93 CA$2.72

$2.50 CA$3.53

-22.80%

Onion (1kg)

$1.83 CA$2.58

$2.16 CA$3.05

-15.28%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.36 CA$3.34

$2.91 CA$4.12

-18.90%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.50 CA$2.12

$2.38 CA$3.36

-36.97%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$11.12 CA$15.73

$10.69 CA$15.11

4.02%

Wine (Bottle)

$10.60 CA$14.98

$8.67 CA$12.26

22.26%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.22 CA$3.14

$1.96 CA$2.77

13.27%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.84 CA$4.01

$2.92 CA$4.14

-2.74%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.62 CA$3.71

$2.28 CA$3.22

14.91%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$79.1 CA$112

$64.3 CA$90.9

23.06%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.23 CA$4.56

$5.26 CA$7.44

-38.59%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.48 CA$2.10

$2.08 CA$2.94

-28.85%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$32.22 CA$45.55

$35.48 CA$50.2

-9.19%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.36 CA$1.92

$1.16 CA$1.63

17.24%

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

$27.6K CA$39.1K

$28.0K CA$39.6K

-1.20%

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

$21.2K CA$30.0K

$21.0K CA$29.7K

0.98%

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

$77.0 CA$109

$159 CA$225

-51.65%

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

$34.14 CA$48.26

$57.9 CA$81.8

-40.99%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$42.19 CA$59.7

$79.3 CA$112

-46.81%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$30.81 CA$43.56

$29.52 CA$41.73

4.37%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$19.66 CA$27.79

$18.06 CA$25.54

8.86%

Cinema Ticket

$11.47 CA$16.22

$17.88 CA$25.27

-35.85%

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

$506 CA$716

$670 CA$947

-24.48%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$16.2K CA$23.0K

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$57.3 CA$81.0

$76.7 CA$108

-25.36%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$38.10 CA$53.9

$35.15 CA$49.69

8.39%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$91.9 CA$130

$76.6 CA$108

20.00%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$110 CA$155

$130 CA$184

-15.68%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,237 CA$1,748

$1,053 CA$1,488

17.50%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$977 CA$1,381

$908 CA$1,283

7.61%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,180 CA$3,082

$1,898 CA$2,683

14.87%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,608 CA$2,273

$1,741 CA$2,461

-7.64%

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

$3,027 CA$4,279

-2.30%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

4.48

4.58

-2.18%

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

Last update for Montreal: October 20, 2026

Last update for Thunder Bay: October 17, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Montreal

$977 47.4%

Thunder Bay

$908 41.9% 7.1% $69

Groceries & Markets

Montreal

$351 17.1%

Thunder Bay

$396 18.3% 12.8% $45

Eating Out

Montreal

$290 14.1%

Thunder Bay

$271 12.5% 6.8% $20

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Montreal

$153 7.5%

Thunder Bay

$296 13.7% 93.3% $143

Clothing & Footwear

Montreal

$134 6.5%

Thunder Bay

$143 6.6% 7.3% $9.7

Getting Around

Montreal

$100 4.9%

Thunder Bay

$89 4.1% 11.2% $11

Sport & Entertainment

Montreal

$54 2.6%

Thunder Bay

$65 3% 21.4% $12

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $1,237 in Montreal versus $1,053 in Thunder Bay. 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 2% higher in Thunder Bay, 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 $60.0 in Thunder Bay. Groceries tell a different story – $351 in Montreal vs $396 in Thunder Bay – so Montreal wins on supermarket bills even if dining out costs more.

Good to know

🇨🇦 Montreal

🇨🇦 Thunder Bay

🕒 Local time

05:38 5:38 AM

Same time as Montreal

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

1,762,949

107,909

💱 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 Thunder Bay 1,230 km ≈ 2 h nonstop flight

From you

Montreal
Thunder Bay

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 Thunder Bay: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Thunder Bay costs about 5% more than Montreal, and outside of rent the gap comes mainly from utilities. 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 $3,253 in Thunder Bay. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

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

Groceries cost about 13% more in Thunder Bay, 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 $60.0 in Thunder Bay. 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 Montreal, where all-in costs run around $2,059, than in Thunder Bay at $2,169. In Montreal it covers expenses comfortably, while in Thunder Bay it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.

For digital nomads, it depends on budget. Montreal costs $2,059 versus $2,169 in Thunder Bay. 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 Montreal. If higher salaries, better infrastructure, or specific career opportunities are the priority, Thunder Bay makes more sense. Both are solid long-term options with distinct trade-offs.