Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Montreal and Windsor

For one person, living is cheaper in Montreal: $2,059 a month against $2,263 in Windsor, rent and utilities included – about $2,400 less a year. Higher rent and utilities in Windsor outweigh lower spending on other living expenses.

99

Cost of Living Index in Montreal
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Montreal Living Index
110

Cost of Living Index in Windsor
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Windsor Living Index

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Montreal

🇨🇦 Canada

$2,059

/mo nomad

Windsor

🇨🇦 Canada

$2,263

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Montreal and in Windsor

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

A single person spends $2,059 per month in Montreal vs $2,263 in Windsor, rent included.

Montreal $2,059
Windsor $2,263

A couple spends around $3,123 per month in Montreal vs $3,120 in Windsor, rent included.

Montreal $3,123
Windsor $3,120

A family of three spends $4,187 per month in Montreal vs $3,978 in Windsor, rent included.

Montreal $4,187
Windsor $3,978

Montreal is about 9% cheaper than Windsor, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

Both Montreal and Windsor sit above the global median – Montreal by 52%, Windsor by 67%.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$18.84 CA$26.63

$14.12 CA$19.96

33.43%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$73.2 CA$104

$63.6 CA$89.9

15.09%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$10.54 CA$14.90

$10.45 CA$14.78

0.86%

Cappuccino

$3.97 CA$5.61

$3.46 CA$4.89

14.74%

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

$1.94 CA$2.74

$2.59 CA$3.66

-25.10%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.57 CA$2.22

$1.72 CA$2.44

-8.72%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$6.42 CA$9.08

$5.10 CA$7.21

25.88%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$7.20 CA$10.19

$5.98 CA$8.46

20.40%

Milk (1 liter)

$2.32 CA$3.28

$1.75 CA$2.48

32.57%

White Bread (500g)

$3.19 CA$4.51

$2.12 CA$3.00

50.47%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$3.19 CA$4.50

$3.07 CA$4.34

3.91%

Eggs

$3.68 CA$5.20

$2.86 CA$4.05

28.67%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$13.24 CA$18.72

$10.21 CA$14.43

29.68%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$11.69 CA$16.53

$10.37 CA$14.66

12.73%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$13.98 CA$19.76

$14.36 CA$20.30

-2.65%

Apples (1kg)

$3.14 CA$4.44

$3.89 CA$5.50

-19.28%

Banana (1kg)

$1.45 CA$2.05

$0.99 CA$1.40

46.46%

Oranges (1kg)

$3.38 CA$4.78

$3.08 CA$4.36

9.74%

Tomato (1kg)

$3.11 CA$4.40

$3.63 CA$5.13

-14.33%

Potato (1kg)

$1.93 CA$2.72

$2.00 CA$2.83

-3.50%

Onion (1kg)

$1.83 CA$2.58

$2.20 CA$3.11

-16.82%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.36 CA$3.34

$2.24 CA$3.17

5.36%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.50 CA$2.12

$1.32 CA$1.86

13.64%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$11.12 CA$15.73

$12.86 CA$18.19

-13.53%

Wine (Bottle)

$10.60 CA$14.98

$11.76 CA$16.63

-9.86%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.22 CA$3.14

$1.91 CA$2.70

16.23%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.84 CA$4.01

$3.32 CA$4.69

-14.46%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.62 CA$3.71

$2.69 CA$3.81

-2.60%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$79.1 CA$112

$87.3 CA$123

-9.30%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.23 CA$4.56

$2.28 CA$3.22

41.67%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.48 CA$2.10

$1.02 CA$1.44

45.10%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$32.22 CA$45.55

$14.27 CA$20.18

125.79%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.36 CA$1.92

$1.19 CA$1.69

14.29%

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

$27.6K CA$39.1K

$26.7K CA$37.8K

3.51%

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

$21.2K CA$30.0K

$21.7K CA$30.6K

-2.23%

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

$77.0 CA$109

$184 CA$260

-58.06%

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

$34.14 CA$48.26

$37.76 CA$53.4

-9.59%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$42.19 CA$59.7

$55.3 CA$78.2

-23.69%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$30.81 CA$43.56

$44.83 CA$63.4

-31.27%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$19.66 CA$27.79

$28.59 CA$40.42

-31.23%

Cinema Ticket

$11.47 CA$16.22

$10.60 CA$14.98

8.21%

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

$506 CA$716

$491 CA$695

2.99%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$16.2K CA$23.0K

$4,278 CA$6,048

279.53%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$57.3 CA$81.0

$44.21 CA$62.5

29.52%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$38.10 CA$53.9

$33.24 CA$47.00

14.62%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$91.9 CA$130

$81.5 CA$115

12.83%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$110 CA$155

$80.7 CA$114

36.06%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,237 CA$1,748

$1,171 CA$1,655

5.61%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$977 CA$1,381

$1,147 CA$1,622

-14.88%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,180 CA$3,082

$1,803 CA$2,549

20.90%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,608 CA$2,273

$1,516 CA$2,144

6.04%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$5,113 CA$7,228

$2,964 CA$4,191

72.48%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$3,744 CA$5,293

$2,973 CA$4,203

25.94%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$2,957 CA$4,180

$3,117 CA$4,406

-5.12%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

4.48

4.71

-4.88%

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

Last update for Montreal: October 20, 2026

Last update for Windsor: October 20, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Montreal

$977 47.4%

Windsor

$1.1K 50.7% 17.5% $171

Groceries & Markets

Montreal

$351 17.1%

Windsor

$319 14.1% 9.2% $32

Eating Out

Montreal

$290 14.1%

Windsor

$241 10.6% 17.2% $50

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Montreal

$153 7.5%

Windsor

$277 12.2% 80.4% $123

Clothing & Footwear

Montreal

$134 6.5%

Windsor

$108 4.8% 19.3% $26

Getting Around

Montreal

$100 4.9%

Windsor

$105 4.7% 5.1% $5.1

Sport & Entertainment

Montreal

$54 2.6%

Windsor

$66 2.9% 22.8% $12

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $1,237 in Montreal versus $1,171 in Windsor. 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 5% higher in Windsor, 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 $64.0 in Windsor. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $351 vs $319 – making Windsor the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇨🇦 Montreal

🇨🇦 Windsor

🕒 Local time

07:37 7:37 AM

Same time as Montreal

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

1,762,949

217,188

💱 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

On the map

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Between locations

Montreal Windsor 840 km ≈ 1 h 30 min nonstop flight

From you

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 Windsor: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Windsor costs about 10% more than Montreal, 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 $3,394 in Windsor. 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.

Interestingly, groceries are about 10% cheaper in Windsor – one category where the pricier city actually offers better value, probably thanks to stronger retail competition or local farming.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $73.0 in Montreal and $64.0 in Windsor. 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 Windsor at $2,263. In Montreal it covers expenses comfortably, while in Windsor it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.

For digital nomads, it depends on budget. Montreal costs $2,059 versus $2,263 in Windsor. 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, Windsor makes more sense. Both are solid long-term options with distinct trade-offs.