Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Montreal and White Rock, BC

For one person, living is cheaper in Montreal: $2,064 a month against $2,733 in White Rock, BC, rent and utilities included – about $8,000 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
132

Cost of Living Index in White Rock, BC
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White Rock, BC Living Index

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Montreal

🇨🇦 Canada

$2,064

/mo nomad

White Rock, BC

🇨🇦 Canada

$2,733

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Montreal and in White Rock, BC

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 White Rock, BC actually costs, broken down by who's living it.

A single person spends $2,064 per month in Montreal vs $2,733 in White Rock, BC, rent included.

Montreal $2,064
White Rock, BC $2,733

A couple spends around $3,156 per month in Montreal vs $3,888 in White Rock, BC, rent included.

Montreal $3,156
White Rock, BC $3,888

A family of three spends $4,247 per month in Montreal vs $5,044 in White Rock, BC, rent included.

Montreal $4,247
White Rock, BC $5,044

Montreal is about 24% cheaper than White Rock, BC, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Both Montreal and White Rock, BC sit above the global median – Montreal by 52%, White Rock, BC by 101%.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$18.98 CA$26.52

$19.63 CA$27.43

-3.31%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$73.0 CA$102

$72.2 CA$101

1.12%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$10.88 CA$15.20

$10.96 CA$15.31

-0.73%

Cappuccino

$3.81 CA$5.33

$4.19 CA$5.85

-9.07%

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

$1.94 CA$2.71

$2.35 CA$3.29

-17.45%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.58 CA$2.21

$1.87 CA$2.62

-15.51%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$6.37 CA$8.90

$5.67 CA$7.92

12.35%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$7.26 CA$10.15

$6.74 CA$9.42

7.72%

Milk (1 liter)

$2.23 CA$3.11

$2.03 CA$2.84

9.85%

White Bread (500g)

$3.17 CA$4.43

$2.88 CA$4.03

10.07%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$3.31 CA$4.62

$3.03 CA$4.24

9.24%

Eggs

$3.63 CA$5.07

$4.02 CA$5.62

-9.70%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$13.16 CA$18.38

$14.50 CA$20.26

-9.24%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$11.56 CA$16.15

$13.65 CA$19.07

-15.31%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$13.71 CA$19.16

$17.92 CA$25.04

-23.49%

Apples (1kg)

$3.29 CA$4.60

$4.06 CA$5.68

-18.97%

Banana (1kg)

$1.46 CA$2.04

$1.47 CA$2.06

-0.68%

Oranges (1kg)

$3.37 CA$4.70

$3.98 CA$5.56

-15.33%

Tomato (1kg)

$3.15 CA$4.40

$4.14 CA$5.79

-23.91%

Potato (1kg)

$1.89 CA$2.64

$3.59 CA$5.02

-47.35%

Onion (1kg)

$1.79 CA$2.50

$2.88 CA$4.02

-37.85%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.47 CA$3.45

$3.26 CA$4.56

-24.23%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.58 CA$2.21

$2.08 CA$2.90

-24.04%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$11.28 CA$15.77

$14.45 CA$20.19

-21.94%

Wine (Bottle)

$10.49 CA$14.66

$14.15 CA$19.77

-25.87%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.34 CA$3.26

$3.53 CA$4.93

-33.71%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.91 CA$4.07

$3.48 CA$4.87

-16.38%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.61 CA$3.65

$2.34 CA$3.26

11.54%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$79.1 CA$111

$108 CA$151

-26.75%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.26 CA$4.55

$2.76 CA$3.86

18.12%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.44 CA$2.01

$1.62 CA$2.26

-11.11%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$33.43 CA$46.71

$13.99 CA$19.55

138.96%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.33 CA$1.86

$1.29 CA$1.80

3.10%

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

$28.6K CA$40.0K

$28.0K CA$39.1K

2.30%

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

$21.1K CA$29.5K

$20.8K CA$29.1K

1.29%

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

$80.1 CA$112

$105 CA$146

-23.44%

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

$34.30 CA$47.92

$44.84 CA$62.6

-23.51%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$42.85 CA$59.9

$62.7 CA$87.6

-31.65%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$31.14 CA$43.51

$27.03 CA$37.77

15.21%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$19.41 CA$27.11

Cinema Ticket

$11.23 CA$15.69

$10.79 CA$15.07

4.08%

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

$525 CA$734

$869 CA$1,214

-39.57%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$16.3K CA$22.8K

$10.7K CA$15.0K

51.91%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$58.0 CA$81.0

$55.3 CA$77.3

4.90%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$38.11 CA$53.2

$47.07 CA$65.8

-19.04%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$93.4 CA$131

$81.8 CA$114

14.14%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$110 CA$154

$108 CA$151

1.96%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,285 CA$1,795

$1,763 CA$2,463

-27.11%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$977 CA$1,364

$1,497 CA$2,092

-34.77%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,271 CA$3,173

$2,654 CA$3,708

-14.43%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,665 CA$2,326

$2,219 CA$3,101

-24.98%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$5,139 CA$7,180

$7,642 CA$10.7K

-32.75%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$3,834 CA$5,357

$5,690 CA$7,949

-32.61%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$3,002 CA$4,194

$3,434 CA$4,797

-12.58%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

4.48

4.69

-4.48%

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

Last update for Montreal: October 25, 2026

Last update for White Rock, BC: October 27, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Montreal

$977 47.3%

White Rock, BC

$1.5K 54.8% 53.3% $521

Groceries & Markets

Montreal

$351 17%

White Rock, BC

$416 15.2% 18.5% $65

Eating Out

Montreal

$291 14.1%

White Rock, BC

$299 10.9% 2.8% $8.2

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Montreal

$157 7.6%

White Rock, BC

$212 7.8% 34.9% $55

Clothing & Footwear

Montreal

$135 6.5%

White Rock, BC

$132 4.8% 2.5% $3.3

Getting Around

Montreal

$100 4.9%

White Rock, BC

$128 4.7% 28.2% $28

Sport & Entertainment

Montreal

$54 2.6%

White Rock, BC

$49 1.8% 9.3% $5

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $1,285 in Montreal versus $1,763 in White Rock, BC. 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 14% higher in White Rock, BC, 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 $72 in White Rock, BC. Groceries tell a different story – $351 in Montreal vs $416 in White Rock, BC – so Montreal wins on supermarket bills even if dining out costs more.

Good to know

🇨🇦 Montreal

🇨🇦 White Rock, BC

🕒 Local time

04:50 4:50 AM

02:50 2:50 AM

2 h behind Montreal

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

1,762,949

21,939

💱 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

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Between locations

Montreal White Rock, BC 3,670 km ≈ 5 h nonstop flight

From you

Montreal
White Rock, BC

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 White Rock, BC: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

White Rock, BC costs about 32% more than Montreal, and outside of rent the gap comes mainly from groceries. 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 $4,099 in White Rock, BC. 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 $1,763 in White Rock, BC.

Public transport costs about 27% less in Montreal. For daily commuters, that gap adds up to noticeable savings over a year.

Groceries cost about 18% more in White Rock, BC, though the gap depends on what you buy.

$2,000 is a stretch for both – monthly costs hit $2,064 in Montreal and $2,733 in White Rock, BC. 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, White Rock, BC makes more sense. Both are solid long-term options with distinct trade-offs.