Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Nelson BC and Montreal

For one person, living is cheaper in Montreal: $2,064 a month against $2,255 in Nelson BC, rent and utilities included – about $2,300 less a year. Higher rent and utilities in Nelson BC outweigh lower spending on other living expenses.

108

Cost of Living Index in Nelson BC
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Nelson BC Living Index
99

Cost of Living Index in Montreal
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Montreal Living Index

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Nelson BC

🇨🇦 Canada

$2,255

/mo nomad

Montreal

🇨🇦 Canada

$2,064

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Nelson 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 Nelson BC and in Montreal actually costs, broken down by who's living it.

A single person spends $2,255 per month in Nelson BC vs $2,064 in Montreal, rent included.

Nelson BC $2,255
Montreal $2,064

A couple spends around $3,119 per month in Nelson BC vs $3,156 in Montreal, rent included.

Nelson BC $3,119
Montreal $3,156

A family of three spends $3,984 per month in Nelson BC vs $4,247 in Montreal, rent included.

Nelson BC $3,984
Montreal $4,247

Nelson BC costs about 9% more than Montreal, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Both Nelson BC and Montreal sit above the global median – Nelson BC by 66%, Montreal by 52%.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$14.29 CA$19.97

$18.98 CA$26.53

-24.71%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$59.5 CA$83.1

$73.0 CA$102

-18.50%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$9.02 CA$12.60

$10.88 CA$15.20

-17.10%

Cappuccino

$3.99 CA$5.57

$3.81 CA$5.33

4.72%

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

$2.07 CA$2.89

$1.94 CA$2.71

6.70%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.73 CA$2.42

$1.58 CA$2.21

9.49%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$4.68 CA$6.54

$6.37 CA$8.90

-26.53%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$5.83 CA$8.14

$7.26 CA$10.15

-19.70%

Milk (1 liter)

$2.05 CA$2.87

$2.23 CA$3.11

-8.07%

White Bread (500g)

$2.88 CA$4.03

$3.17 CA$4.44

-9.15%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$3.49 CA$4.88

$3.31 CA$4.62

5.44%

Eggs

$3.14 CA$4.39

$3.63 CA$5.07

-13.50%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$9.17 CA$12.82

$13.16 CA$18.39

-30.32%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$13.60 CA$19.00

$11.56 CA$16.15

17.65%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$21.34 CA$29.82

$13.71 CA$19.16

55.65%

Apples (1kg)

$3.52 CA$4.91

$3.29 CA$4.60

6.99%

Banana (1kg)

$0.61 CA$0.86

$1.46 CA$2.04

-58.22%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.62 CA$2.26

$3.37 CA$4.71

-51.93%

Tomato (1kg)

$4.68 CA$6.54

$3.15 CA$4.40

48.57%

Potato (1kg)

$3.23 CA$4.51

$1.89 CA$2.64

70.90%

Onion (1kg)

$3.14 CA$4.39

$1.79 CA$2.51

75.42%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.62 CA$3.66

$2.47 CA$3.45

6.07%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.97 CA$2.76

$1.58 CA$2.21

24.68%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$14.51 CA$20.27

$11.28 CA$15.77

28.63%

Wine (Bottle)

$13.74 CA$19.20

$10.49 CA$14.66

30.98%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.62 CA$3.65

$2.34 CA$3.26

11.97%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.16 CA$4.42

$2.91 CA$4.07

8.59%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.53 CA$2.14

$2.61 CA$3.65

-41.38%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$37.16 CA$51.9

$79.1 CA$111

-53.04%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$2.91 CA$4.07

$3.26 CA$4.56

-10.74%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.76 CA$2.45

$1.44 CA$2.01

22.22%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$34.81 CA$48.65

$33.43 CA$46.71

4.13%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.27 CA$1.78

$1.33 CA$1.86

-4.51%

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

$28.5K CA$39.9K

$28.6K CA$40.0K

-0.33%

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

$18.0K CA$25.2K

$21.1K CA$29.5K

-14.53%

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

$128 CA$178

$80.1 CA$112

59.28%

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

$44.60 CA$62.3

$34.30 CA$47.93

30.03%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$58.1 CA$81.2

$42.85 CA$59.9

35.54%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$57.8 CA$80.7

$31.14 CA$43.52

85.45%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$19.41 CA$27.12

Cinema Ticket

$11.39 CA$15.91

$11.23 CA$15.69

1.42%

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

$1,018 CA$1,422

$525 CA$734

93.78%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$16.6K CA$23.2K

$16.3K CA$22.8K

1.73%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$48.21 CA$67.4

$58.0 CA$81.0

-16.88%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$41.74 CA$58.3

$38.11 CA$53.3

9.53%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$84.7 CA$118

$93.4 CA$131

-9.35%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$99.1 CA$138

$110 CA$154

-10.07%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,357 CA$1,896

$1,285 CA$1,796

5.58%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,143 CA$1,597

$977 CA$1,365

17.01%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,171 CA$3,033

$2,271 CA$3,173

-4.40%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,504 CA$2,101

$1,665 CA$2,326

-9.68%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$5,139 CA$7,181

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$3,834 CA$5,358

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$3,219 CA$4,498

$3,002 CA$4,195

7.23%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

4.62

4.48

3.12%

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

Last update for Nelson BC: October 27, 2026

Last update for Montreal: October 25, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Nelson BC

$1.1K 50.7%

Montreal

$977 47.3% 14.5% $166

Groceries & Markets

Nelson BC

$384 17%

Montreal

$351 17% 8.4% $32

Eating Out

Nelson BC

$240 10.6%

Montreal

$291 14.1% 21.4% $51

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Nelson BC

$230 10.2%

Montreal

$157 7.6% 31.7% $73

Clothing & Footwear

Nelson BC

$123 5.5%

Montreal

$135 6.5% 9.5% $12

Sport & Entertainment

Nelson BC

$81 3.6%

Montreal

$54 2.6% 33.4% $27

Getting Around

Nelson BC

$55 2.4%

Montreal

$100 4.9% 82% $45

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $1,357 in Nelson 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 7% higher in Nelson 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 $59 in Nelson BC versus $73 in Montreal. Groceries tell a different story – $384 in Nelson BC vs $351 in Montreal – so Montreal wins on supermarket bills even if dining out costs more.

Good to know

🇨🇦 Nelson BC

🇨🇦 Montreal

🕒 Local time

16:12 4:12 PM

18:12 6:12 PM

2 h ahead of Nelson BC

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

10,664

1,762,949

💱 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

Nelson BC Montreal 3,270 km ≈ 4 h 30 min nonstop flight

From you

Nelson BC
Montreal

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

Nelson BC vs Montreal: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Nelson BC costs about 9% 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 $3,382 per month in Nelson 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 $1,357 in Nelson 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 9% more in Nelson BC, though the gap depends on what you buy.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $59 in Nelson 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 $2,255 in Nelson 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, Nelson BC makes more sense. Both are solid long-term options with distinct trade-offs.