Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between North Bay and Montreal

For one person, living is cheaper in Montreal: $2,064 a month against $2,162 in North Bay, rent and utilities included – about $1,200 less a year. Higher rent and utilities in North Bay outweigh lower spending on other living expenses.

105

Cost of Living Index in North Bay
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North Bay Living Index
99

Cost of Living Index in Montreal
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Montreal Living Index

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North Bay

🇨🇦 Canada

$2,162

/mo nomad

Montreal

🇨🇦 Canada

$2,064

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

A single person spends $2,162 per month in North Bay vs $2,064 in Montreal, rent included.

North Bay $2,162
Montreal $2,064

A couple spends around $3,060 per month in North Bay vs $3,156 in Montreal, rent included.

North Bay $3,060
Montreal $3,156

A family of three spends $3,957 per month in North Bay vs $4,247 in Montreal, rent included.

North Bay $3,957
Montreal $4,247

North Bay costs about 5% more than Montreal, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in utilities.

Both North Bay and Montreal sit above the global median – North Bay by 59%, Montreal by 52%.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$17.83 CA$25.02

$18.98 CA$26.64

-6.06%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$77.4 CA$109

$73.0 CA$102

6.03%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$10.73 CA$15.05

$10.88 CA$15.27

-1.38%

Cappuccino

$3.98 CA$5.59

$3.81 CA$5.35

4.46%

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

$2.07 CA$2.91

$1.94 CA$2.72

6.70%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.76 CA$2.46

$1.58 CA$2.22

11.39%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$5.02 CA$7.05

$6.37 CA$8.94

-21.19%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$6.81 CA$9.55

$7.26 CA$10.20

-6.20%

Milk (1 liter)

$2.56 CA$3.59

$2.23 CA$3.13

14.80%

White Bread (500g)

$2.72 CA$3.82

$3.17 CA$4.45

-14.20%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.24 CA$3.14

$3.31 CA$4.64

-32.33%

Eggs

$3.53 CA$4.95

$3.63 CA$5.09

-2.75%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$9.49 CA$13.32

$13.16 CA$18.47

-27.89%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$11.32 CA$15.89

$11.56 CA$16.22

-2.08%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$12.37 CA$17.36

$13.71 CA$19.25

-9.77%

Apples (1kg)

$3.67 CA$5.15

$3.29 CA$4.62

11.55%

Banana (1kg)

$1.22 CA$1.71

$1.46 CA$2.05

-16.44%

Oranges (1kg)

$3.21 CA$4.51

$3.37 CA$4.73

-4.75%

Tomato (1kg)

$4.19 CA$5.88

$3.15 CA$4.42

33.02%

Potato (1kg)

$1.85 CA$2.59

$1.89 CA$2.65

-2.12%

Onion (1kg)

$1.68 CA$2.35

$1.79 CA$2.52

-6.15%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.24 CA$3.14

$2.47 CA$3.47

-9.31%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.26 CA$1.77

$1.58 CA$2.22

-20.25%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$14.46 CA$20.29

$11.28 CA$15.84

28.19%

Wine (Bottle)

$14.26 CA$20.01

$10.49 CA$14.73

35.94%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.23 CA$3.14

$2.34 CA$3.28

-4.70%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.46 CA$3.46

$2.91 CA$4.09

-15.46%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.28 CA$3.19

$2.61 CA$3.66

-12.64%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$67.4 CA$94.5

$79.1 CA$111

-14.86%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.08 CA$4.33

$3.26 CA$4.57

-5.52%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.13 CA$1.58

$1.44 CA$2.02

-21.53%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$22.26 CA$31.25

$33.43 CA$46.92

-33.41%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.25 CA$1.75

$1.33 CA$1.87

-6.02%

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

$26.8K CA$37.6K

$28.6K CA$40.2K

-6.34%

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

$21.5K CA$30.2K

$21.1K CA$29.6K

1.83%

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

$124 CA$174

$80.1 CA$112

54.52%

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

$32.74 CA$45.95

$34.30 CA$48.14

-4.55%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$48.00 CA$67.4

$42.85 CA$60.1

12.02%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$24.94 CA$35.00

$31.14 CA$43.71

-19.91%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$19.41 CA$27.24

Cinema Ticket

$13.09 CA$18.37

$11.23 CA$15.76

16.56%

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

$753 CA$1,057

$525 CA$737

43.43%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$23.8K CA$33.4K

$16.3K CA$22.9K

45.67%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$44.70 CA$62.7

$58.0 CA$81.4

-22.93%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$18.18 CA$25.52

$38.11 CA$53.5

-52.30%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$101 CA$142

$93.4 CA$131

8.30%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$89.3 CA$125

$110 CA$155

-18.91%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,457 CA$2,045

$1,285 CA$1,803

13.37%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,095 CA$1,537

$977 CA$1,371

12.13%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,852 CA$2,599

$2,271 CA$3,187

-18.46%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,475 CA$2,070

$1,665 CA$2,336

-11.39%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$5,139 CA$7,212

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$3,834 CA$5,381

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$3,108 CA$4,362

$3,002 CA$4,213

3.53%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

4.45

4.48

-0.67%

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

Last update for North Bay: 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

North Bay

$1.1K 50.7%

Montreal

$977 47.3% 10.8% $118

Groceries & Markets

North Bay

$335 15.5%

Montreal

$351 17% 4.8% $16

Eating Out

North Bay

$277 12.8%

Montreal

$291 14.1% 5.1% $14

Monthly Utilities & Internet

North Bay

$204 9.5%

Montreal

$157 7.6% 23.1% $47

Clothing & Footwear

North Bay

$114 5.3%

Montreal

$135 6.5% 18.3% $21

Getting Around

North Bay

$85 3.9%

Montreal

$100 4.9% 17.4% $15

Sport & Entertainment

North Bay

$51 2.4%

Montreal

$54 2.6% 4.9% $2.5

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $1,457 in North Bay 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 4% higher in North Bay, 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 $77 in North Bay versus $73 in Montreal. Groceries tell a different story – $335 in North Bay vs $351 in Montreal – so North Bay wins on supermarket bills even if dining out costs more.

Good to know

🇨🇦 North Bay

🇨🇦 Montreal

🕒 Local time

19:03 7:03 PM

Same time as North Bay

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

51,553

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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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

North Bay vs Montreal: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

North Bay costs about 5% more than Montreal, and outside of rent the gap comes mainly from utilities. That’s enough to noticeably affect everyday spending and lifestyle for anyone choosing between the two.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $3,243 per month in North Bay and $3,096 in Montreal. 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 $1,457 in North Bay.

Interestingly, groceries are about 5% cheaper in North Bay – one category where the pricier city actually offers better value.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $77 in North Bay 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 $2,162 in North Bay 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, North Bay makes more sense. Both are solid long-term options with distinct trade-offs.