Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Ottawa and Montreal

For one person, living is cheaper in Montreal: $2,059 a month against $2,416 in Ottawa, rent and utilities included – about $4,300 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

117

Cost of Living Index in Ottawa
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Ottawa Living Index
99

Cost of Living Index in Montreal
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Montreal Living Index

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Ottawa

🇨🇦 Canada

$2,416

/mo nomad

Montreal

🇨🇦 Canada

$2,059

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

A single person spends $2,416 per month in Ottawa vs $2,059 in Montreal, rent included.

Ottawa $2,416
Montreal $2,059

A couple spends around $3,537 per month in Ottawa vs $3,123 in Montreal, rent included.

Ottawa $3,537
Montreal $3,123

A family of three spends $4,658 per month in Ottawa vs $4,187 in Montreal, rent included.

Ottawa $4,658
Montreal $4,187

Ottawa costs about 17% more than Montreal, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Both Ottawa and Montreal sit above the global median – Ottawa by 78%, Montreal by 52%.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$17.62 CA$24.91

$18.84 CA$26.63

-6.48%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$78.6 CA$111

$73.2 CA$104

7.33%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$10.61 CA$15.00

$10.54 CA$14.90

0.66%

Cappuccino

$4.04 CA$5.71

$3.97 CA$5.61

1.76%

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

$2.08 CA$2.94

$1.94 CA$2.74

7.22%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.75 CA$2.48

$1.57 CA$2.22

11.46%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$5.71 CA$8.08

$6.42 CA$9.08

-11.06%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$6.47 CA$9.14

$7.20 CA$10.19

-10.14%

Milk (1 liter)

$2.40 CA$3.39

$2.32 CA$3.28

3.45%

White Bread (500g)

$2.96 CA$4.19

$3.19 CA$4.51

-7.21%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.88 CA$4.07

$3.19 CA$4.50

-9.72%

Eggs

$3.23 CA$4.57

$3.68 CA$5.20

-12.23%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$11.51 CA$16.27

$13.24 CA$18.72

-13.07%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$11.61 CA$16.41

$11.69 CA$16.53

-0.68%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$19.02 CA$26.90

$13.98 CA$19.76

36.05%

Apples (1kg)

$3.74 CA$5.29

$3.14 CA$4.44

19.11%

Banana (1kg)

$1.27 CA$1.79

$1.45 CA$2.05

-12.41%

Oranges (1kg)

$3.90 CA$5.52

$3.38 CA$4.78

15.38%

Tomato (1kg)

$3.61 CA$5.10

$3.11 CA$4.40

16.08%

Potato (1kg)

$2.57 CA$3.64

$1.93 CA$2.72

33.16%

Onion (1kg)

$2.39 CA$3.38

$1.83 CA$2.58

30.60%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.61 CA$3.69

$2.36 CA$3.34

10.59%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.47 CA$2.08

$1.50 CA$2.12

-2.00%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$14.45 CA$20.43

$11.12 CA$15.73

29.95%

Wine (Bottle)

$12.47 CA$17.63

$10.60 CA$14.98

17.64%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.61 CA$3.68

$2.22 CA$3.14

17.57%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.18 CA$4.50

$2.84 CA$4.01

11.97%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.93 CA$4.14

$2.62 CA$3.71

11.83%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$94.6 CA$134

$79.1 CA$112

19.54%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$2.68 CA$3.79

$3.23 CA$4.56

-17.03%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.53 CA$2.16

$1.48 CA$2.10

3.38%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$19.08 CA$26.98

$32.22 CA$45.55

-40.78%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.23 CA$1.74

$1.36 CA$1.92

-9.56%

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

$27.6K CA$39.0K

$27.6K CA$39.1K

-0.26%

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

$22.3K CA$31.5K

$21.2K CA$30.0K

5.11%

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

$139 CA$196

$77.0 CA$109

80.41%

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

$37.37 CA$52.8

$34.14 CA$48.26

9.46%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$51.1 CA$72.3

$42.19 CA$59.7

21.17%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$48.10 CA$68.0

$30.81 CA$43.56

56.12%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$27.89 CA$39.43

$19.66 CA$27.79

41.86%

Cinema Ticket

$12.68 CA$17.93

$11.47 CA$16.22

10.55%

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

$928 CA$1,311

$506 CA$716

83.26%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$16.1K CA$22.7K

$16.2K CA$23.0K

-1.14%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$57.3 CA$81.0

0.07%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$37.28 CA$52.7

$38.10 CA$53.9

-2.15%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$103 CA$146

$91.9 CA$130

12.17%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$97.5 CA$138

$110 CA$155

-11.16%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,437 CA$2,031

$1,237 CA$1,748

16.17%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,215 CA$1,717

$977 CA$1,381

24.36%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,310 CA$3,266

$2,180 CA$3,082

5.96%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,871 CA$2,645

$1,608 CA$2,273

16.37%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$4,326 CA$6,115

$5,113 CA$7,228

-15.40%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$4,547 CA$6,428

$3,744 CA$5,293

21.43%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$3,730 CA$5,274

$2,957 CA$4,180

26.15%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

4.16

4.48

-7.14%

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

Last update for Ottawa: October 20, 2026

Last update for Montreal: October 20, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Ottawa

$1.2K 50.3%

Montreal

$977 47.4% 19.6% $238

Groceries & Markets

Ottawa

$373 15.4%

Montreal

$351 17.1% 5.8% $21

Eating Out

Ottawa

$278 11.5%

Montreal

$290 14.1% 4.4% $12

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Ottawa

$227 9.4%

Montreal

$153 7.5% 32.6% $74

Clothing & Footwear

Ottawa

$133 5.5%

Montreal

$134 6.5% 0.6% $0.8

Getting Around

Ottawa

$117 4.8%

Montreal

$100 4.9% 14% $16

Sport & Entertainment

Ottawa

$73 3%

Montreal

$54 2.6% 26.8% $20

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $1,437 in Ottawa 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 26% higher in Ottawa, 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 $79.0 in Ottawa versus $73.0 in Montreal. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $373 vs $351 – making Montreal the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇨🇦 Ottawa

🇨🇦 Montreal

🕒 Local time

07:41 7:41 AM

Same time as Ottawa

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

1,000,000 Capital

1,762,949

💱 Currency

Canadian Dollar CAD $

📈 Exchange rate

1 CAD = 0.707 USD

1 CAD = 0.629 EUR

1 CAD = 0.707 USD

1 CAD = 0.629 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

On the map

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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

Ottawa vs Montreal: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Ottawa costs about 17% 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 $3,623 per month in Ottawa 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 6% more in Ottawa, 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 $79.0 in Ottawa 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 Ottawa at $2,416. In Montreal it covers expenses comfortably, while in Ottawa it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.

For digital nomads, it depends on budget. Montreal costs $2,059 versus $2,416 in Ottawa. 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, Ottawa makes more sense. Both are solid long-term options with distinct trade-offs.