Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Ontario, CA and Montreal

For one person, living is cheaper in Montreal: $2,059 a month against $2,850 in Ontario, CA, rent and utilities included – about $9,500 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

139

Cost of Living Index in Ontario, CA
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Ontario, CA Living Index
99

Cost of Living Index in Montreal
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Montreal Living Index

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Ontario, CA

🇺🇸 United States

$2,850

/mo nomad

Montreal

🇨🇦 Canada

$2,059

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

A single person spends $2,850 per month in Ontario, CA vs $2,059 in Montreal, rent included.

Ontario, CA $2,850
Montreal $2,059

A couple spends around $2,929 per month in Ontario, CA vs $3,123 in Montreal, rent included.

Ontario, CA $2,929
Montreal $3,123

A family of three spends $3,008 per month in Ontario, CA vs $4,187 in Montreal, rent included.

Ontario, CA $3,008
Montreal $4,187

Ontario, CA costs about 38% more than Montreal, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in transport.

Both Ontario, CA and Montreal sit above the global median – Ontario, CA by 110%, Montreal by 52%.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$19.61 $19.61

$18.84 CA$26.63

4.09%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$77.2 $77.2

$73.2 CA$104

5.42%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$15.06 $15.06

$10.54 CA$14.90

42.88%

Cappuccino

$5.70 $5.70

$3.97 CA$5.61

43.58%

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

$3.02 $3.02

$1.94 CA$2.74

55.67%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.34 $2.34

$1.57 CA$2.22

49.04%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$7.15 $7.15

$6.42 CA$9.08

11.37%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$9.25 $9.25

$7.20 CA$10.19

28.47%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.09 $1.09

$2.32 CA$3.28

-53.02%

White Bread (500g)

$4.04 $4.04

$3.19 CA$4.51

26.65%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$4.86 $4.86

$3.19 CA$4.50

52.35%

Eggs

$4.81 $4.81

$3.68 CA$5.20

30.71%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$13.01 $13.01

$13.24 CA$18.72

-1.74%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$9.06 $9.06

$11.69 CA$16.53

-22.50%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$15.67 $15.67

$13.98 CA$19.76

12.09%

Apples (1kg)

$4.77 $4.77

$3.14 CA$4.44

51.91%

Banana (1kg)

$1.70 $1.70

$1.45 CA$2.05

17.24%

Oranges (1kg)

$3.91 $3.91

$3.38 CA$4.78

15.68%

Tomato (1kg)

$5.59 $5.59

$3.11 CA$4.40

79.74%

Potato (1kg)

$3.78 $3.78

$1.93 CA$2.72

95.85%

Onion (1kg)

$2.31 $2.31

$1.83 CA$2.58

26.23%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.95 $1.95

$2.36 CA$3.34

-17.37%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.92 $1.92

$1.50 CA$2.12

28.00%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$11.94 $11.94

$11.12 CA$15.73

7.37%

Wine (Bottle)

$15.28 $15.28

$10.60 CA$14.98

44.15%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.94 $1.94

$2.22 CA$3.14

-12.61%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.14 $4.14

$2.84 CA$4.01

45.77%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.48 $1.48

$2.62 CA$3.71

-43.51%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$30.34 $30.34

$79.1 CA$112

-61.66%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$6.08 $6.08

$3.23 CA$4.56

88.24%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.48 CA$2.10

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$32.22 CA$45.55

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.45 $1.45

$1.36 CA$1.92

6.62%

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

$29.1K $29.1K

$27.6K CA$39.1K

5.23%

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

$27.0K $27.0K

$21.2K CA$30.0K

27.47%

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

$215 $215

$77.0 CA$109

179.58%

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

$67.5 $67.5

$34.14 CA$48.26

97.69%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$63.0 $63.0

$42.19 CA$59.7

49.25%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$65.7 $65.7

$30.81 CA$43.56

113.37%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$29.47 $29.47

$19.66 CA$27.79

49.90%

Cinema Ticket

$17.92 $17.92

$11.47 CA$16.22

56.23%

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

$1,157 $1,157

$506 CA$716

128.52%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$16.2K CA$23.0K

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$57.6 $57.6

$57.3 CA$81.0

0.63%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$39.47 $39.47

$38.10 CA$53.9

3.60%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$93.9 $93.9

$91.9 CA$130

2.12%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$105 $105

$110 CA$155

-4.17%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,878 $1,878

$1,237 CA$1,748

51.89%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,487 $1,487

$977 CA$1,381

52.23%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,711 $2,711

$2,180 CA$3,082

24.37%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,608 CA$2,273

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$4,097 $4,097

$5,113 CA$7,228

-19.88%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$3,427 $3,427

$3,744 CA$5,293

-8.47%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$3,641 $3,641

$2,957 CA$4,180

23.14%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

6.39

4.48

42.63%

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

Last update for Ontario, CA: October 18, 2026

Last update for Montreal: October 20, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Ontario, CA

$1.5K 52.2%

Montreal

$977 47.4% 34.3% $510

Groceries & Markets

Ontario, CA

$394 13.8%

Montreal

$351 17.1% 11% $43

Eating Out

Ontario, CA

$346 12.1%

Montreal

$290 14.1% 16.1% $56

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Ontario, CA

$346 12.1%

Montreal

$153 7.5% 55.7% $192

Clothing & Footwear

Ontario, CA

$133 4.7%

Montreal

$134 6.5% 0.3% $0.4

Sport & Entertainment

Ontario, CA

$102 3.6%

Montreal

$54 2.6% 47.1% $48

Getting Around

Ontario, CA

$42 * 1.5%

Montreal

$100 4.9% 137% $58

Categories marked with * are only partly priced – their share counts the items that do have prices.

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $1,878 in Ontario, CA versus $1,237 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 23% higher in Ontario, CA, 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 $77.0 in Ontario, CA versus $73.0 in Montreal. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $394 vs $351 – making Montreal the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇺🇸 Ontario, CA

🇨🇦 Montreal

🕒 Local time

04:38 4:38 AM

07:38 7:38 AM

3 h ahead of Ontario, CA

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

185,000

1,762,949

💱 Currency

United States Dollar USD $

Canadian Dollar CAD $

📈 Exchange rate

1 USD = 0.89 EUR

1 CAD = 0.707 USD

1 CAD = 0.629 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

CAD, EUR to USD – United States Dollar Converter

🇨🇦 Canadian Dollar ($)

🇺🇸 United States Dollar ($)

United States Dollar exchange rates as of October 20, 2026: 1 EUR = 1.12 USD (1 USD = 0.89 EUR).

Canadian Dollar exchange rates as of October 20, 2026: 1 USD = 1.41 CAD (1 CAD = 0.707 USD). 1 EUR = 1.59 CAD (1 CAD = 0.629 EUR).

CAD to USD in detail →

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Between locations

Ontario, CA Montreal 3,920 km ≈ 5 h nonstop flight

From you

Ontario, CA
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

Ontario, CA vs Montreal: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Ontario, CA costs about 38% more than Montreal, and outside of rent the gap comes mainly from transport. That's enough to noticeably affect everyday spending and lifestyle for anyone choosing between the two.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $4,275 per month in Ontario, CA and $3,089 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. Housing is actually the single biggest factor behind the overall cost gap between these two cities.

Groceries cost about 12% more in Ontario, CA, though it depends on what you buy. Local produce may be comparable; imported and premium items show the biggest price gap.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $77.0 in Ontario, CA and $73.0 in Montreal. 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 Ontario, CA at $2,850. In Montreal it covers expenses comfortably, while in Ontario, CA it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.

For digital nomads, it depends on budget. Montreal costs $2,059 versus $2,850 in Ontario, CA. 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, Ontario, CA makes more sense. Both are solid long-term options with distinct trade-offs.