Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Quesnel and Montreal

For one person, living is cheaper in Montreal: $2,018 a month against $2,330 in Quesnel, rent and utilities included – about $3,700 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

113

Cost of Living Index in Quesnel
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Quesnel Living Index
99

Cost of Living Index in Montreal
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Montreal Living Index

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Quesnel

🇨🇦 Canada

$2,330

/mo nomad

Montreal

🇨🇦 Canada

$2,018

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

A single person spends $2,330 per month in Quesnel vs $2,018 in Montreal, rent included.

Quesnel $2,330
Montreal $2,018

A couple spends around $3,279 per month in Quesnel vs $3,085 in Montreal, rent included.

Quesnel $3,279
Montreal $3,085

A family of three spends $4,227 per month in Quesnel vs $4,152 in Montreal, rent included.

Quesnel $4,227
Montreal $4,152

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

Both Quesnel and Montreal sit above the global median – Quesnel by 73%, Montreal by 49%.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$16.27 CA$23.00

$18.82 CA$26.61

-13.55%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$44.91 CA$63.5

$70.3 CA$99.4

-36.11%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$10.90 CA$15.41

$10.66 CA$15.06

2.25%

Cappuccino

$4.02 CA$5.69

$3.84 CA$5.43

4.69%

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

$2.38 CA$3.36

$1.92 CA$2.71

23.96%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.99 CA$2.81

$1.54 CA$2.18

29.22%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$4.50 CA$6.37

$6.23 CA$8.81

-27.77%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$5.74 CA$8.12

$7.10 CA$10.03

-19.15%

Milk (1 liter)

$2.27 CA$3.21

$2.31 CA$3.27

-1.73%

White Bread (500g)

$2.45 CA$3.46

$3.14 CA$4.44

-21.97%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$3.95 CA$5.59

$3.21 CA$4.54

23.05%

Eggs

$4.66 CA$6.59

$3.52 CA$4.97

32.39%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$11.82 CA$16.72

$12.81 CA$18.11

-7.73%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$16.49 CA$23.31

$11.46 CA$16.20

43.89%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$16.55 CA$23.40

$13.39 CA$18.92

23.60%

Apples (1kg)

$4.05 CA$5.72

$3.14 CA$4.43

28.98%

Banana (1kg)

$1.29 CA$1.82

$1.44 CA$2.03

-10.42%

Oranges (1kg)

$4.36 CA$6.17

$3.47 CA$4.91

25.65%

Tomato (1kg)

$4.27 CA$6.03

$3.07 CA$4.34

39.09%

Potato (1kg)

$3.04 CA$4.30

$1.90 CA$2.69

60.00%

Onion (1kg)

$3.64 CA$5.15

$1.77 CA$2.50

105.65%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.46 CA$3.48

$2.34 CA$3.31

5.13%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.72 CA$2.43

$1.55 CA$2.19

10.97%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$11.87 CA$16.78

$11.38 CA$16.09

4.31%

Wine (Bottle)

$10.46 CA$14.79

$10.63 CA$15.03

-1.60%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.55 CA$3.60

$2.27 CA$3.21

12.33%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.24 CA$4.58

$2.82 CA$3.99

14.89%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.22 CA$3.14

$2.66 CA$3.76

-16.54%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$55.6 CA$78.7

$77.3 CA$109

-28.01%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$2.49 CA$3.53

$3.20 CA$4.53

-22.19%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.15 CA$3.03

$1.48 CA$2.09

45.27%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$41.45 CA$58.6

$32.88 CA$46.48

26.06%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.24 CA$1.76

$1.34 CA$1.90

-7.46%

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

$28.6K CA$40.4K

$28.2K CA$39.8K

1.57%

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

$22.1K CA$31.2K

$19.6K CA$27.8K

12.59%

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

$172 CA$243

$76.0 CA$107

126.61%

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

$38.46 CA$54.4

$33.95 CA$48.00

13.28%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$69.1 CA$97.7

$42.31 CA$59.8

63.32%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$40.54 CA$57.3

$29.76 CA$42.07

36.22%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$18.31 CA$25.89

$20.28 CA$28.67

-9.71%

Cinema Ticket

$7.26 CA$10.26

$11.15 CA$15.77

-34.89%

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

$736 CA$1,041

$507 CA$717

45.14%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$12.4K CA$17.5K

$16.1K CA$22.7K

-22.95%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$36.45 CA$51.5

$57.6 CA$81.4

-36.66%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$45.75 CA$64.7

$37.58 CA$53.1

21.74%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$76.6 CA$108

$91.9 CA$130

-16.66%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$107 CA$151

$110 CA$155

-2.43%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$771 CA$1,089

$1,260 CA$1,782

-38.86%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,133 CA$1,601

$948 CA$1,340

19.53%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,910 CA$2,701

$2,137 CA$3,021

-10.60%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,664 CA$2,353

$1,614 CA$2,281

3.13%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,754 CA$5,306

$4,960 CA$7,011

-24.32%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$3,780 CA$5,344

$3,838 CA$5,425

-1.50%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$2,424 CA$3,427

$2,827 CA$3,997

-14.27%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

5.35

4.48

19.42%

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

Last update for Quesnel: October 10, 2026

Last update for Montreal: October 12, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Quesnel

$1.1K 48.6%

Montreal

$948 47% 16.3% $185

Groceries & Markets

Quesnel

$403 17.3%

Montreal

$346 17.2% 14% $57

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Quesnel

$280 12%

Montreal

$152 7.5% 45.6% $127

Eating Out

Quesnel

$263 11.3%

Montreal

$288 14.3% 9.6% $25

Clothing & Footwear

Quesnel

$120 5.1%

Montreal

$133 6.6% 11.6% $14

Getting Around

Quesnel

$78 3.3%

Montreal

$99 4.9% 26.7% $21

Sport & Entertainment

Quesnel

$55 2.4%

Montreal

$52 2.6% 5.4% $3

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $771 in Quesnel versus $1,260 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 17% higher in Montreal, which reinforces the cost advantage – you earn more and spend less. Purchasing power leans clearly in its favor.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $45.00 in Quesnel versus $70.0 in Montreal. Groceries tell a different story – $403 in Quesnel vs $346 in Montreal – so Montreal wins on supermarket bills even if dining out costs more.

Good to know

🇨🇦 Quesnel

🇨🇦 Montreal

🕒 Local time

12:17 12:17 PM

15:17 3:17 PM

3 h ahead of Quesnel

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

10,007

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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Between locations

Quesnel Montreal 3,570 km ≈ 5 h nonstop flight

From you

Quesnel
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

Quesnel vs Montreal: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Quesnel 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 $3,495 per month in Quesnel and $3,027 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 16% more in Quesnel, 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 $45.00 in Quesnel and $70.0 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 $2,018, than in Quesnel at $2,330. In Montreal it covers expenses comfortably, while in Quesnel it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.

For digital nomads, it depends on budget. Montreal costs $2,018 versus $2,330 in Quesnel. 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, Quesnel makes more sense. Both are solid long-term options with distinct trade-offs.