Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Oshawa and Montreal

For one person, living is cheaper in Montreal: $2,067 a month against $2,370 in Oshawa, rent and utilities included – about $3,600 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

113

Cost of Living Index in Oshawa
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Oshawa Living Index
100

Cost of Living Index in Montreal
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Montreal Living Index

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Oshawa

🇨🇦 Canada

$2,370

/mo nomad

Montreal

🇨🇦 Canada

$2,067

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

A single person spends $2,370 per month in Oshawa vs $2,067 in Montreal, rent included.

Oshawa $2,370
Montreal $2,067

A couple spends around $3,414 per month in Oshawa vs $3,179 in Montreal, rent included.

Oshawa $3,414
Montreal $3,179

A family of three spends $4,457 per month in Oshawa vs $4,291 in Montreal, rent included.

Oshawa $4,457
Montreal $4,291

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

Both Oshawa and Montreal sit above the global median – Oshawa by 75%, Montreal by 53%.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$14.25 CA$19.98

$18.89 CA$26.48

-24.56%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$63.6 CA$89.1

$72.6 CA$102

-12.40%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$8.33 CA$11.67

$10.79 CA$15.13

-22.80%

Cappuccino

$3.54 CA$4.97

$3.98 CA$5.58

-11.06%

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

$1.77 CA$2.48

$2.02 CA$2.83

-12.38%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.36 CA$1.91

$1.63 CA$2.29

-16.56%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$4.86 CA$6.81

$6.32 CA$8.86

-23.10%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$6.04 CA$8.47

$7.06 CA$9.90

-14.45%

Milk (1 liter)

$2.91 CA$4.08

$2.33 CA$3.27

24.89%

White Bread (500g)

$2.91 CA$4.07

$3.25 CA$4.55

-10.46%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$4.12 CA$5.77

$3.26 CA$4.58

26.38%

Eggs

$2.97 CA$4.16

$3.48 CA$4.87

-14.66%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$10.14 CA$14.21

$13.73 CA$19.25

-26.15%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$13.74 CA$19.27

$11.48 CA$16.09

19.69%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$16.60 CA$23.27

$14.26 CA$19.99

16.41%

Apples (1kg)

$4.20 CA$5.89

$3.52 CA$4.94

19.32%

Banana (1kg)

$1.22 CA$1.71

$1.46 CA$2.04

-16.44%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.94 CA$4.12

$3.41 CA$4.78

-13.78%

Tomato (1kg)

$3.84 CA$5.39

$3.20 CA$4.49

20.00%

Potato (1kg)

$3.36 CA$4.71

$1.94 CA$2.71

73.20%

Onion (1kg)

$2.57 CA$3.60

$1.78 CA$2.50

44.38%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.35 CA$3.29

$2.52 CA$3.53

-6.75%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.73 CA$2.42

$1.58 CA$2.22

9.49%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$14.29 CA$20.03

$11.51 CA$16.13

24.15%

Wine (Bottle)

$12.63 CA$17.70

$10.57 CA$14.82

19.49%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$3.53 CA$4.94

$2.35 CA$3.29

50.21%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.49 CA$4.89

$2.90 CA$4.06

20.34%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.82 CA$3.95

$2.61 CA$3.66

8.05%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$87.1 CA$122

$78.5 CA$110

11.06%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$2.74 CA$3.84

$3.17 CA$4.45

-13.56%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.44 CA$2.01

$1.49 CA$2.09

-3.36%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$19.58 CA$27.44

$33.49 CA$46.94

-41.53%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.24 CA$1.74

$1.36 CA$1.91

-8.82%

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

$28.8K CA$40.3K

$28.0K CA$39.3K

2.71%

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

$22.9K CA$32.1K

$21.1K CA$29.6K

8.40%

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

$139 CA$195

$77.6 CA$109

79.09%

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

$37.94 CA$53.2

$35.63 CA$49.94

6.48%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$54.3 CA$76.2

$43.73 CA$61.3

24.26%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$22.91 CA$32.11

$30.07 CA$42.16

-23.81%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$29.28 CA$41.05

$19.97 CA$27.99

46.62%

Cinema Ticket

$10.86 CA$15.23

$11.27 CA$15.80

-3.64%

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

$922 CA$1,292

$522 CA$732

76.59%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$8,083 CA$11.3K

$17.8K CA$24.9K

-54.58%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$58.3 CA$81.7

$59.0 CA$82.7

-1.12%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$57.7 CA$80.8

$39.01 CA$54.7

47.83%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$107 CA$150

$99.8 CA$140

7.35%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$129 CA$181

$110 CA$154

17.54%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,400 CA$1,963

$1,298 CA$1,820

7.84%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,207 CA$1,692

$970 CA$1,360

24.40%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,003 CA$2,807

$2,323 CA$3,257

-13.80%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,824 CA$2,556

$1,689 CA$2,368

7.96%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$5,158 CA$7,230

$5,004 CA$7,014

3.08%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$10.3K CA$14.5K

$3,736 CA$5,237

176.50%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$3,049 CA$4,274

$2,943 CA$4,125

3.60%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

4.53

4.51

0.44%

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

Last update for Oshawa: October 31, 2026

Last update for Montreal: November 3, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Oshawa

$1.2K 50.9%

Montreal

$970 47% 19.6% $237

Groceries & Markets

Oshawa

$390 16.5%

Montreal

$357 17.3% 8.4% $33

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Oshawa

$231 9.8%

Montreal

$157 7.6% 32.1% $74

Eating Out

Oshawa

$230 9.7%

Montreal

$292 14.1% 26.5% $61

Clothing & Footwear

Oshawa

$158 6.7%

Montreal

$138 6.7% 12.7% $20

Getting Around

Oshawa

$108 4.6%

Montreal

$100 4.8% 8.1% $8.8

Sport & Entertainment

Oshawa

$45 1.9%

Montreal

$53 2.6% 17.9% $8

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $1,400 in Oshawa versus $1,298 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 Oshawa, 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 $64 in Oshawa versus $73 in Montreal. Groceries tell a different story – $390 in Oshawa vs $357 in Montreal – so Montreal wins on supermarket bills even if dining out costs more.

Good to know

🇨🇦 Oshawa

🇨🇦 Montreal

🕒 Local time

21:09 9:09 PM

Same time as Oshawa

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

159,458

1,762,949

💱 Currency

Canadian Dollar CAD $

📈 Exchange rate

1 CAD = 0.713 USD

1 CAD = 0.635 EUR

1 CAD = 0.713 USD

1 CAD = 0.635 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

Oshawa vs Montreal: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Oshawa 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 $3,555 per month in Oshawa and $3,100 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 $1,400 in Oshawa and $1,298 in Montreal. The gap holds across neighborhoods – outer areas show a similar spread, just at lower price points.

Groceries cost about 9% more in Oshawa, though the gap depends on what you buy.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $64 in Oshawa 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 $2,370 in Oshawa and $2,067 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.

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