Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Montreal and Whistler

For one person, living is cheaper in Montreal: $2,064 a month against $2,744 in Whistler, rent and utilities included – about $8,200 less a year. Higher rent and utilities in Whistler outweigh lower spending on other living expenses.

99

Cost of Living Index in Montreal
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Montreal Living Index
133

Cost of Living Index in Whistler
Learn more

Whistler Living Index

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Montreal

🇨🇦 Canada

$2,064

/mo nomad

Whistler

🇨🇦 Canada

$2,744

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Montreal and in Whistler

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

A single person spends $2,064 per month in Montreal vs $2,744 in Whistler, rent included.

Montreal $2,064
Whistler $2,744

A couple spends around $3,156 per month in Montreal vs $4,233 in Whistler, rent included.

Montreal $3,156
Whistler $4,233

A family of three spends $4,247 per month in Montreal vs $5,722 in Whistler, rent included.

Montreal $4,247
Whistler $5,722

Montreal is about 25% cheaper than Whistler, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in leisure.

Both Montreal and Whistler sit above the global median – Montreal by 52%, Whistler by 102%.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$18.98 CA$26.52

$19.66 CA$27.47

-3.46%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$73.0 CA$102

$86.7 CA$121

-15.82%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$10.88 CA$15.20

$12.33 CA$17.22

-11.76%

Cappuccino

$3.81 CA$5.33

$3.62 CA$5.05

5.25%

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

$1.94 CA$2.71

$2.38 CA$3.32

-18.49%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.58 CA$2.21

$1.91 CA$2.66

-17.28%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$6.37 CA$8.90

$5.88 CA$8.22

8.33%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$7.26 CA$10.15

$6.56 CA$9.16

10.67%

Milk (1 liter)

$2.23 CA$3.11

$1.84 CA$2.57

21.20%

White Bread (500g)

$3.17 CA$4.43

$2.99 CA$4.18

6.02%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$3.31 CA$4.62

$2.99 CA$4.18

10.70%

Eggs

$3.63 CA$5.07

$3.88 CA$5.41

-6.44%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$13.16 CA$18.38

$10.44 CA$14.59

26.05%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$11.56 CA$16.15

$12.96 CA$18.11

-10.80%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$13.71 CA$19.16

$17.81 CA$24.88

-23.02%

Apples (1kg)

$3.29 CA$4.60

$3.84 CA$5.36

-14.32%

Banana (1kg)

$1.46 CA$2.04

$1.22 CA$1.71

19.67%

Oranges (1kg)

$3.37 CA$4.70

$2.86 CA$4.00

17.83%

Tomato (1kg)

$3.15 CA$4.40

$4.07 CA$5.69

-22.60%

Potato (1kg)

$1.89 CA$2.64

$2.11 CA$2.95

-10.43%

Onion (1kg)

$1.79 CA$2.50

$2.18 CA$3.04

-17.89%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.47 CA$3.45

$2.25 CA$3.14

9.78%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.58 CA$2.21

$1.41 CA$1.97

12.06%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$11.28 CA$15.77

$14.87 CA$20.78

-24.14%

Wine (Bottle)

$10.49 CA$14.66

$15.56 CA$21.74

-32.58%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.34 CA$3.26

$2.36 CA$3.30

-0.85%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.91 CA$4.07

$2.10 CA$2.93

38.57%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.61 CA$3.65

$1.73 CA$2.41

50.87%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$79.1 CA$111

$38.94 CA$54.4

103.21%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.26 CA$4.55

$2.09 CA$2.92

55.98%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.44 CA$2.01

$1.40 CA$1.96

2.86%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$33.43 CA$46.71

$31.79 CA$44.42

5.16%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.33 CA$1.86

$1.21 CA$1.69

9.92%

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

$28.6K CA$40.0K

$28.2K CA$39.4K

1.58%

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

$21.1K CA$29.5K

$17.8K CA$24.9K

18.38%

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

$80.1 CA$112

$109 CA$152

-26.62%

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

$34.30 CA$47.92

$37.58 CA$52.5

-8.73%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$42.85 CA$59.9

$52.2 CA$73.0

-17.94%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$31.14 CA$43.51

$52.1 CA$72.8

-40.22%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$19.41 CA$27.11

$10.75 CA$15.01

80.56%

Cinema Ticket

$11.23 CA$15.69

$10.73 CA$14.99

4.66%

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

$525 CA$734

$726 CA$1,015

-27.69%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$16.3K CA$22.8K

$10.8K CA$15.1K

51.53%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$58.0 CA$81.0

$63.3 CA$88.5

-8.39%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$38.11 CA$53.2

$29.00 CA$40.51

31.41%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$93.4 CA$131

$81.0 CA$113

15.26%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$110 CA$154

$71.0 CA$99.2

55.23%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,285 CA$1,795

$1,864 CA$2,604

-31.05%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$977 CA$1,364

$1,642 CA$2,294

-40.52%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,271 CA$3,173

$3,231 CA$4,513

-29.71%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,665 CA$2,326

$3,092 CA$4,319

-46.15%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$5,139 CA$7,180

$10.4K CA$14.5K

-50.43%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$3,834 CA$5,357

$7,099 CA$9,917

-45.98%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$3,002 CA$4,194

$3,105 CA$4,338

-3.31%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

4.48

4.62

-3.03%

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

Last update for Montreal: October 25, 2026

Last update for Whistler: October 25, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Montreal

$977 47.3%

Whistler

$1.6K 59.8% 68.1% $665

Groceries & Markets

Montreal

$351 17%

Whistler

$367 13.4% 4.6% $16

Eating Out

Montreal

$291 14.1%

Whistler

$297 10.8% 2.3% $6.6

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Montreal

$157 7.6%

Whistler

$199 7.3% 26.5% $42

Clothing & Footwear

Montreal

$135 6.5%

Whistler

$110 4% 18.5% $25

Getting Around

Montreal

$100 4.9%

Whistler

$55 2% 45.1% $45

Sport & Entertainment

Montreal

$54 2.6%

Whistler

$74 2.7% 37.2% $20

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $1,285 in Montreal versus $1,864 in Whistler. 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 3% higher in Whistler, 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 $87 in Whistler. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $351 vs $367 – making Montreal the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇨🇦 Montreal

🇨🇦 Whistler

🕒 Local time

03:32 3:32 AM

01:32 1:32 AM

2 h behind Montreal

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

1,762,949

14,000

💱 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 Whistler 3,650 km ≈ 5 h nonstop flight

From you

Montreal
Whistler

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 Whistler: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Whistler costs about 33% more than Montreal, and outside of rent the gap comes mainly from leisure. 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 $4,116 in Whistler. 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: a one-bedroom in the center costs $1,285 there versus $1,864 in Whistler.

Groceries cost about 5% more in Whistler, though the gap depends on what you buy.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $73 in Montreal and $87 in Whistler. That’s a good indicator of the overall restaurant and café pricing gap between the two cities.

$2,000 is a stretch for both – monthly costs hit $2,064 in Montreal and $2,744 in Whistler. 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, Whistler makes more sense. Both are solid long-term options with distinct trade-offs.