Cost of Living Comparison Between Ottawa and Montreal Cost of Living Comparison Between Ottawa and Montreal

😐 Solo nomad: Ottawa is 0.5% more expensive than Montreal without rent, and 19.8% more expensive with rent.
😐 Family of 3: Ottawa is 2.4% more expensive than Montreal without rent, and 7.6% more expensive with rent.
Currency
🍽 Eating Out
Ottawa
Montreal
Difference
Meal at Budget Restaurant
$18.21 CA$24.78
$16.33 CA$22.23
11.51%
Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range
$73.2 CA$99.7
$73.7 CA$100
-0.69%
Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)
$11.37 CA$15.47
$10.99 CA$14.96
3.46%
Cappuccino
$3.98 CA$5.41
$3.82 CA$5.2
4.19%
Coke/Pepsi/Fanta/Sprite (0.33 liter bottle)
$2.14 CA$2.91
$2.1 CA$2.86
1.90%
Water (0.33 liter bottle)
$1.71 CA$2.33
$1.52 CA$2.07
12.50%
Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)
$5.84 CA$7.95
$5.92 CA$8.05
-1.35%
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$6.8 CA$9.26
$6.47 CA$8.8
5.10%
πŸ›’ Groceries & Markets
Ottawa
Montreal
Difference
Milk (1 liter)
$2.32 CA$3.15
$2.27 CA$3.09
2.20%
White Bread (500g)
$2.73 CA$3.71
$3.36 CA$4.58
-18.75%
Rice (white) (1kg)
$3.35 CA$4.56
$3.66 CA$4.98
-8.47%
Eggs
$3.54 CA$4.82
$3.43 CA$4.67
3.21%
Local Cheese (1kg)
$11.07 CA$15.07
$16.48 CA$22.43
-32.83%
Chicken Fillets (1kg)
$12.84 CA$17.48
$11.61 CA$15.8
10.59%
Beef Round Steak (1kg)
$16.08 CA$21.89
$15.19 CA$20.67
5.86%
Apples (1kg)
$4.41 CA$6
$3.61 CA$4.91
22.16%
Banana (1kg)
$1.41 CA$1.92
$1.68 CA$2.28
-16.07%
Oranges (1kg)
$3.54 CA$4.82
$4.12 CA$5.61
-14.08%
Tomato (1kg)
$3.68 CA$5.01
$4.44 CA$6.05
-17.12%
Potato (1kg)
$2.57 CA$3.49
$2.64 CA$3.59
-2.65%
Onion (1kg)
$3.08 CA$4.19
$2.6 CA$3.54
18.46%
Lettuce (1 head)
$2.17 CA$2.95
$2.17 CA$2.96
-
Water (1.5 liter bottle)
$1.56 CA$2.12
$1.78 CA$2.42
-12.36%
Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)
$13.88 CA$18.89
$13.27 CA$18.06
4.60%
Wine (Bottle)
$13.37 CA$18.2
$12.7 CA$17.29
5.28%
Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)
$2.52 CA$3.43
$3.11 CA$4.24
-18.97%
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$3.21 CA$4.36
$3.6 CA$4.89
-10.83%
🚌 Getting Around
Ottawa
Montreal
Difference
One-way Ticket (Public Transport)
$2.88 CA$3.92
$2.69 CA$3.66
7.06%
Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)
$98.4 CA$134
$73.1 CA$99.5
34.56%
Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)
$2.75 CA$3.75
$3.53 CA$4.81
-22.10%
Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)
$1.44 CA$1.96
$1.4 CA$1.9
2.86%
Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)
$19.5 CA$26.55
$34.13 CA$46.45
-42.87%
Gasoline (1 liter)
$1.15 CA$1.56
$1.23 CA$1.68
-6.50%
Midsize Hatchback 1.4l (Volkswagen Golf, Toyota Prius, Honda Civic, etc)
$24.7K CA$33.7K
$25.2K CA$34.3K
-1.84%
Compact Sedan 1.6l (Toyota Corolla, Mazda3, Kia K4, Hyundai Elantra, etc)
$22.2K CA$30.2K
$21.6K CA$29.4K
2.72%
🧾 Monthly Utilities & Internet
Ottawa
Montreal
Difference
Utilities for 2 People in 2-bedroom Apartment (Heating, Electricity, Gas, Water, Garbage) (85m2)
$158 CA$216
$75.3 CA$102
110.48%
SIM Card Monthly Plan (Calls and 10GB+ Data)
$42.16 CA$57.4
$36.75 CA$50
14.72%
Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)
$51.4 CA$70
$44.37 CA$60.4
15.82%
πŸŽ‰ Sport & Entertainment
Ottawa
Montreal
Difference
Gym Membership (Monthly)
$47.57 CA$64.8
$43.45 CA$59.1
9.48%
Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)
$15.85 CA$21.58
$17.07 CA$23.24
-7.15%
Cinema Ticket
$11.01 CA$14.99
$11.17 CA$15.2
-1.43%
🧸 Childcare & Education
Ottawa
Montreal
Difference
Preschool or Kindergarten, Full Day, Private, 1 Child (Monthly)
$916 CA$1,247
$621 CA$845
47.56%
International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)
$16K CA$21.7K
$5,850 CA$7,963
172.91%
πŸ‘•πŸ‘Ÿ Clothing & Footwear
Ottawa
Montreal
Difference
Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)
$53 CA$72.2
$62.9 CA$85.6
-15.65%
Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)
$40.34 CA$54.9
$45.2 CA$61.5
-10.75%
Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)
$91.5 CA$124
$103 CA$140
-11.15%
Men's Leather Business Shoes
$95.6 CA$130
$122 CA$166
-21.43%
🏠 Accommodation & Living
Ottawa
Montreal
Difference
1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$1,508 CA$2,052
$1,197 CA$1,629
25.96%
1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$1,258 CA$1,712
$944 CA$1,285
33.21%
3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$2,320 CA$3,158
$2,069 CA$2,816
12.14%
3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$1,874 CA$2,551
$1,558 CA$2,120
20.30%
Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)
$4,905 CA$6,677
$6,154 CA$8,377
-20.30%
Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)
$3,178 CA$4,326
$4,461 CA$6,072
-28.76%
πŸ’΅ Salaries & Financials
Ottawa
Montreal
Difference
Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)
$3,290 CA$4,479
$2,940 CA$4,002
11.91%
20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)
5.48
5.01
9.38%

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

Last update for Ottawa: October 28, 2025

Last update for Montreal: October 29, 2025

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