Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Nanaimo, BC and Montreal

For one person, living is cheaper in Montreal: $2,064 a month against $2,368 in Nanaimo, BC, rent and utilities included – about $3,600 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

115

Cost of Living Index in Nanaimo, BC
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Nanaimo, BC Living Index
99

Cost of Living Index in Montreal
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Montreal Living Index

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Nanaimo, BC

🇨🇦 Canada

$2,368

/mo nomad

Montreal

🇨🇦 Canada

$2,064

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Nanaimo, BC and in Montreal

Real prices from locals and on-the-ground checks – rent, groceries, transit and the daily extras. Here's what a month in Nanaimo, BC and in Montreal actually costs, broken down by who's living it.

A single person spends $2,368 per month in Nanaimo, BC vs $2,064 in Montreal, rent included.

Nanaimo, BC $2,368
Montreal $2,064

A couple spends around $3,410 per month in Nanaimo, BC vs $3,156 in Montreal, rent included.

Nanaimo, BC $3,410
Montreal $3,156

A family of three spends $4,452 per month in Nanaimo, BC vs $4,247 in Montreal, rent included.

Nanaimo, BC $4,452
Montreal $4,247

Nanaimo, BC costs about 15% more than Montreal, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Both Nanaimo, BC and Montreal sit above the global median – Nanaimo, BC by 74%, Montreal by 52%.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$17.85 CA$25.05

$18.98 CA$26.64

-5.95%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$78.8 CA$111

$73.0 CA$102

7.97%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$11.34 CA$15.92

$10.88 CA$15.27

4.23%

Cappuccino

$4.10 CA$5.75

$3.81 CA$5.35

7.61%

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

$2.32 CA$3.26

$1.94 CA$2.72

19.59%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.64 CA$2.30

$1.58 CA$2.22

3.80%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$5.67 CA$7.96

$6.37 CA$8.94

-10.99%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$5.68 CA$7.97

$7.26 CA$10.20

-21.76%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.73 CA$2.42

$2.23 CA$3.13

-22.42%

White Bread (500g)

$3.38 CA$4.75

$3.17 CA$4.45

6.62%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$3.06 CA$4.29

$3.31 CA$4.64

-7.55%

Eggs

$4.08 CA$5.72

$3.63 CA$5.09

12.40%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$11.27 CA$15.82

$13.16 CA$18.47

-14.36%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$14.22 CA$19.96

$11.56 CA$16.22

23.01%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$16.80 CA$23.58

$13.71 CA$19.25

22.54%

Apples (1kg)

$4.73 CA$6.63

$3.29 CA$4.62

43.77%

Banana (1kg)

$1.23 CA$1.73

$1.46 CA$2.05

-15.75%

Oranges (1kg)

$4.24 CA$5.94

$3.37 CA$4.73

25.82%

Tomato (1kg)

$5.70 CA$8.00

$3.15 CA$4.42

80.95%

Potato (1kg)

$2.91 CA$4.08

$1.89 CA$2.65

53.97%

Onion (1kg)

$2.84 CA$3.99

$1.79 CA$2.52

58.66%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.80 CA$3.93

$2.47 CA$3.47

13.36%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$2.27 CA$3.19

$1.58 CA$2.22

43.67%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$14.39 CA$20.19

$11.28 CA$15.84

27.57%

Wine (Bottle)

$14.34 CA$20.12

$10.49 CA$14.73

36.70%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.74 CA$3.85

$2.34 CA$3.28

17.09%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.65 CA$3.72

$2.91 CA$4.09

-8.93%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.00 CA$2.81

$2.61 CA$3.66

-23.37%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$46.18 CA$64.8

$79.1 CA$111

-41.64%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$2.81 CA$3.94

$3.26 CA$4.57

-13.80%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.10 CA$2.95

$1.44 CA$2.02

45.83%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$28.55 CA$40.07

$33.43 CA$46.92

-14.60%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.40 CA$1.97

$1.33 CA$1.87

5.26%

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

$26.1K CA$36.7K

$28.6K CA$40.2K

-8.72%

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

$20.8K CA$29.2K

$21.1K CA$29.6K

-1.36%

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

$149 CA$209

$80.1 CA$112

86.31%

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

$41.64 CA$58.4

$34.30 CA$48.14

21.40%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$65.1 CA$91.4

$42.85 CA$60.1

51.97%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$25.48 CA$35.75

$31.14 CA$43.71

-18.18%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$18.96 CA$26.61

$19.41 CA$27.24

-2.32%

Cinema Ticket

$11.31 CA$15.87

$11.23 CA$15.76

0.71%

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

$705 CA$989

$525 CA$737

34.23%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$13.0K CA$18.2K

$16.3K CA$22.9K

-20.37%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$48.80 CA$68.5

$58.0 CA$81.4

-15.86%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$33.66 CA$47.24

$38.11 CA$53.5

-11.68%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$101 CA$142

$93.4 CA$131

8.32%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$109 CA$153

$110 CA$155

-0.79%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,404 CA$1,971

$1,285 CA$1,803

9.27%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,171 CA$1,643

$977 CA$1,371

19.88%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,075 CA$2,912

$2,271 CA$3,187

-8.61%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,701 CA$2,387

$1,665 CA$2,336

2.17%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,789 CA$5,318

$5,139 CA$7,212

-26.27%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$3,508 CA$4,923

$3,834 CA$5,381

-8.52%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$3,153 CA$4,424

$3,002 CA$4,213

5.01%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

4.72

4.48

5.36%

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

Last update for Nanaimo, BC: October 25, 2026

Last update for Montreal: October 25, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Nanaimo, BC

$1.2K 49.5%

Montreal

$977 47.3% 16.6% $194

Groceries & Markets

Nanaimo, BC

$412 17.4%

Montreal

$351 17% 14.8% $61

Eating Out

Nanaimo, BC

$282 11.9%

Montreal

$291 14.1% 3.3% $9.2

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Nanaimo, BC

$256 10.8%

Montreal

$157 7.6% 38.6% $99

Clothing & Footwear

Nanaimo, BC

$132 5.6%

Montreal

$135 6.5% 2.3% $3

Getting Around

Nanaimo, BC

$68 2.9%

Montreal

$100 4.9% 48.2% $33

Sport & Entertainment

Nanaimo, BC

$48 2%

Montreal

$54 2.6% 11.4% $5.5

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $1,404 in Nanaimo, BC versus $1,285 in Montreal. 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 Nanaimo, 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 $79 in Nanaimo, BC versus $73 in Montreal. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $412 vs $351 – making Montreal the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇨🇦 Nanaimo, BC

🇨🇦 Montreal

🕒 Local time

16:13 4:13 PM

19:13 7:13 PM

3 h ahead of Nanaimo, BC

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

90,504

1,762,949

💱 Currency

Canadian Dollar CAD $

📈 Exchange rate

1 CAD = 0.713 USD

1 CAD = 0.64 EUR

1 CAD = 0.713 USD

1 CAD = 0.64 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

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Between locations

Nanaimo, BC Montreal 3,750 km ≈ 5 h nonstop flight

From you

Nanaimo, BC
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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

Nanaimo, BC vs Montreal: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Nanaimo, BC costs about 15% 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 $3,552 per month in Nanaimo, BC and $3,096 in Montreal. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

A central 1-bedroom goes for about $1,404 in Nanaimo, BC and $1,285 in Montreal. The gap holds across neighborhoods – outer areas show a similar spread, just at lower price points.

Groceries cost about 17% more in Nanaimo, BC, though the gap depends on what you buy.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $79 in Nanaimo, BC and $73 in Montreal. 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 $2,368 in Nanaimo, BC and $2,064 in Montreal. 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.

Both cities have a reputation for safety. In either place, the choice of neighborhood matters more than the choice between the two cities.

If budget matters most, go with Montreal. If higher salaries or specific career opportunities are the priority, Nanaimo, BC makes more sense. Both are solid long-term options with distinct trade-offs.