Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Pickering, ON and Montreal

For one person, living is cheaper in Montreal: $2,064 a month against $2,590 in Pickering, ON, rent and utilities included – about $6,300 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

126

Cost of Living Index in Pickering, ON
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Pickering, ON Living Index
99

Cost of Living Index in Montreal
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Montreal Living Index

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Pickering, ON

🇨🇦 Canada

$2,590

/mo nomad

Montreal

🇨🇦 Canada

$2,064

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

A single person spends $2,590 per month in Pickering, ON vs $2,064 in Montreal, rent included.

Pickering, ON $2,590
Montreal $2,064

A couple spends around $3,662 per month in Pickering, ON vs $3,156 in Montreal, rent included.

Pickering, ON $3,662
Montreal $3,156

A family of three spends $4,733 per month in Pickering, ON vs $4,247 in Montreal, rent included.

Pickering, ON $4,733
Montreal $4,247

Pickering, ON costs about 25% more than Montreal, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in transport.

Both Pickering, ON and Montreal sit above the global median – Pickering, ON by 90%, Montreal by 52%.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$14.17 CA$19.89

$18.98 CA$26.64

-25.34%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$57.9 CA$81.2

$73.0 CA$102

-20.72%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$10.80 CA$15.16

$10.88 CA$15.27

-0.74%

Cappuccino

$1.97 CA$2.76

$3.81 CA$5.35

-48.29%

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

$1.69 CA$2.38

$1.94 CA$2.72

-12.89%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.58 CA$2.22

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$4.72 CA$6.63

$6.37 CA$8.94

-25.90%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.56 CA$6.40

$7.26 CA$10.20

-37.19%

Milk (1 liter)

$2.14 CA$3.00

$2.23 CA$3.13

-4.04%

White Bread (500g)

$2.21 CA$3.11

$3.17 CA$4.45

-30.28%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$4.40 CA$6.17

$3.31 CA$4.64

32.93%

Eggs

$3.65 CA$5.13

$3.63 CA$5.09

0.55%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$9.81 CA$13.77

$13.16 CA$18.47

-25.46%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$11.38 CA$15.97

$11.56 CA$16.22

-1.56%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$14.15 CA$19.86

$13.71 CA$19.25

3.21%

Apples (1kg)

$3.12 CA$4.37

$3.29 CA$4.62

-5.17%

Banana (1kg)

$0.59 CA$0.82

$1.46 CA$2.05

-59.59%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.54 CA$3.57

$3.37 CA$4.73

-24.63%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.08 CA$2.92

$3.15 CA$4.42

-33.97%

Potato (1kg)

$2.20 CA$3.08

$1.89 CA$2.65

16.40%

Onion (1kg)

$2.72 CA$3.81

$1.79 CA$2.52

51.96%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.75 CA$3.87

$2.47 CA$3.47

11.34%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.26 CA$1.77

$1.58 CA$2.22

-20.25%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$13.49 CA$18.93

$11.28 CA$15.84

19.59%

Wine (Bottle)

$12.98 CA$18.21

$10.49 CA$14.73

23.74%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.75 CA$2.46

$2.34 CA$3.28

-25.21%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.39 CA$3.35

$2.91 CA$4.09

-17.87%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.74 CA$3.85

$2.61 CA$3.66

4.98%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$161 CA$227

$79.1 CA$111

104.01%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$2.89 CA$4.06

$3.26 CA$4.57

-11.35%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.25 CA$3.16

$1.44 CA$2.02

56.25%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$22.27 CA$31.26

$33.43 CA$46.92

-33.38%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.11 CA$1.56

$1.33 CA$1.87

-16.54%

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

$25.0K CA$35.0K

$28.6K CA$40.2K

-12.84%

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

$22.2K CA$31.2K

$21.1K CA$29.6K

5.33%

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

$107 CA$150

$80.1 CA$112

33.28%

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

$34.45 CA$48.34

$34.30 CA$48.14

0.44%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$48.19 CA$67.6

$42.85 CA$60.1

12.46%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$59.9 CA$84.0

$31.14 CA$43.71

92.20%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$26.56 CA$37.27

$19.41 CA$27.24

36.84%

Cinema Ticket

$11.21 CA$15.73

$11.23 CA$15.76

-0.18%

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

$503 CA$706

$525 CA$737

-4.17%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$28.4K CA$39.9K

$16.3K CA$22.9K

74.08%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$74.4 CA$104

$58.0 CA$81.4

28.22%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$54.1 CA$75.9

$38.11 CA$53.5

41.83%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$82.6 CA$116

$93.4 CA$131

-11.60%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$77.2 CA$108

$110 CA$155

-29.90%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,658 CA$2,326

$1,285 CA$1,803

28.99%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,465 CA$2,056

$977 CA$1,371

50.00%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,504 CA$3,515

$2,271 CA$3,187

10.29%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,194 CA$3,079

$1,665 CA$2,336

31.79%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$4,334 CA$6,083

$5,139 CA$7,212

-15.66%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$3,903 CA$5,478

$3,834 CA$5,381

1.79%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$3,072 CA$4,311

$3,002 CA$4,213

2.33%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

4.22

4.48

-5.80%

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

Last update for Pickering, ON: 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

Pickering, ON

$1.5K 56.6%

Montreal

$977 47.3% 33.3% $488

Groceries & Markets

Pickering, ON

$322 12.4%

Montreal

$351 17% 9.1% $29

Eating Out

Pickering, ON

$215 8.3%

Montreal

$291 14.1% 35.1% $76

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Pickering, ON

$189 7.3%

Montreal

$157 7.6% 17% $32

Getting Around

Pickering, ON

$187 7.2%

Montreal

$100 4.9% 46.4% $87

Clothing & Footwear

Pickering, ON

$130 5%

Montreal

$135 6.5% 4% $5.2

Sport & Entertainment

Pickering, ON

$82 3.2%

Montreal

$54 2.6% 34.8% $29

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $1,658 in Pickering, ON 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.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $58 in Pickering, ON versus $73 in Montreal. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $322 vs $351 – making Pickering, ON the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇨🇦 Pickering, ON

🇨🇦 Montreal

🕒 Local time

18:11 6:11 PM

Same time as Pickering, ON

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

91,771

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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Pickering, ON Montreal 470 km

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Pickering, ON
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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

Pickering, ON vs Montreal: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Pickering, ON costs about 25% 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 $3,885 per month in Pickering, ON 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 $1,658 in Pickering, ON.

Interestingly, groceries are about 8% cheaper in Pickering, ON – one category where the pricier city actually offers better value.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $58 in Pickering, ON 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 $2,590 in Pickering, ON and $2,064 in Montreal. You’ll need shared housing and careful budgeting no matter which city you pick.

It depends on your priorities. Montreal has an edge in some lifestyle areas, with costs from $2,064 in Montreal to $2,590 in Pickering, ON. Climate, culture, job market, and personal taste all factor in.

Both cities have a reputation for safety. In either place, the choice of neighborhood matters more than the choice between the two cities.