Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Saanich and Montreal

For one person, living is cheaper in Montreal: $2,018 a month against $2,548 in Saanich, rent and utilities included – about $6,400 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

123

Cost of Living Index in Saanich
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Saanich Living Index
99

Cost of Living Index in Montreal
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Montreal Living Index

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Saanich

🇨🇦 Canada

$2,548

/mo nomad

Montreal

🇨🇦 Canada

$2,018

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

A single person spends $2,548 per month in Saanich vs $2,018 in Montreal, rent included.

Saanich $2,548
Montreal $2,018

A couple spends around $3,593 per month in Saanich vs $3,085 in Montreal, rent included.

Saanich $3,593
Montreal $3,085

A family of three spends $4,638 per month in Saanich vs $4,152 in Montreal, rent included.

Saanich $4,638
Montreal $4,152

Saanich costs about 26% more than Montreal, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Both Saanich and Montreal sit above the global median – Saanich by 89%, Montreal by 49%.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$17.52 CA$24.77

$18.82 CA$26.61

-6.91%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$70.4 CA$99.6

$70.3 CA$99.4

0.21%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$11.02 CA$15.58

$10.66 CA$15.06

3.38%

Cappuccino

$4.38 CA$6.19

$3.84 CA$5.43

14.06%

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

$2.20 CA$3.11

$1.92 CA$2.71

14.58%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.77 CA$2.51

$1.54 CA$2.18

14.94%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$5.52 CA$7.80

$6.23 CA$8.81

-11.40%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$6.82 CA$9.65

$7.10 CA$10.03

-3.94%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.97 CA$2.79

$2.31 CA$3.27

-14.72%

White Bread (500g)

$3.04 CA$4.30

$3.14 CA$4.44

-3.18%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.97 CA$4.19

$3.21 CA$4.54

-7.48%

Eggs

$4.18 CA$5.90

$3.52 CA$4.97

18.75%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$11.35 CA$16.05

$12.81 CA$18.11

-11.40%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$12.78 CA$18.07

$11.46 CA$16.20

11.52%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$16.94 CA$23.94

$13.39 CA$18.92

26.51%

Apples (1kg)

$4.53 CA$6.41

$3.14 CA$4.43

44.27%

Banana (1kg)

$1.41 CA$2.00

$1.44 CA$2.03

-2.08%

Oranges (1kg)

$4.18 CA$5.91

$3.47 CA$4.91

20.46%

Tomato (1kg)

$5.67 CA$8.02

$3.07 CA$4.34

84.69%

Potato (1kg)

$3.50 CA$4.95

$1.90 CA$2.69

84.21%

Onion (1kg)

$2.89 CA$4.08

$1.77 CA$2.50

63.28%

Lettuce (1 head)

$3.17 CA$4.48

$2.34 CA$3.31

35.47%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$2.17 CA$3.06

$1.55 CA$2.19

40.00%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$13.81 CA$19.52

$11.38 CA$16.09

21.35%

Wine (Bottle)

$15.12 CA$21.37

$10.63 CA$15.03

42.24%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.69 CA$3.80

$2.27 CA$3.21

18.50%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.48 CA$4.92

$2.82 CA$3.99

23.40%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.31 CA$3.27

$2.66 CA$3.76

-13.16%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$78.5 CA$111

$77.3 CA$109

1.58%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$2.78 CA$3.93

$3.20 CA$4.53

-13.13%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.54 CA$2.17

$1.48 CA$2.09

4.05%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$27.67 CA$39.12

$32.88 CA$46.48

-15.85%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.38 CA$1.95

$1.34 CA$1.90

2.99%

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

$27.4K CA$38.7K

$28.2K CA$39.8K

-2.68%

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

$19.2K CA$27.1K

$19.6K CA$27.8K

-2.29%

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

$120 CA$170

$76.0 CA$107

58.33%

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

$40.21 CA$56.9

$33.95 CA$48.00

18.44%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$65.8 CA$93.0

$42.31 CA$59.8

55.54%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$68.6 CA$96.9

$29.76 CA$42.07

130.34%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$20.28 CA$28.67

Cinema Ticket

$11.39 CA$16.10

$11.15 CA$15.77

2.15%

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

$905 CA$1,280

$507 CA$717

78.51%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$12.9K CA$18.2K

$16.1K CA$22.7K

-19.92%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$52.2 CA$73.8

$57.6 CA$81.4

-9.30%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$35.03 CA$49.53

$37.58 CA$53.1

-6.79%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$90.0 CA$127

$91.9 CA$130

-2.07%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$107 CA$151

$110 CA$155

-2.23%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,413 CA$1,998

$1,260 CA$1,782

12.12%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,311 CA$1,854

$948 CA$1,340

38.40%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,005 CA$2,834

$2,137 CA$3,021

-6.18%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,844 CA$2,606

$1,614 CA$2,281

14.25%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$4,960 CA$7,011

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$3,748 CA$5,298

$3,838 CA$5,425

-2.34%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$2,951 CA$4,173

$2,827 CA$3,997

4.39%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

4.72

4.48

5.36%

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

Last update for Saanich: October 11, 2026

Last update for Montreal: October 12, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Saanich

$1.3K 51.5%

Montreal

$948 47% 27.7% $364

Groceries & Markets

Saanich

$409 16.1%

Montreal

$346 17.2% 15.4% $63

Eating Out

Saanich

$283 11.1%

Montreal

$288 14.3% 1.7% $4.9

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Saanich

$226 8.9%

Montreal

$152 7.5% 32.7% $74

Clothing & Footwear

Saanich

$128 5%

Montreal

$133 6.6% 4.3% $5.5

Getting Around

Saanich

$98 3.9%

Montreal

$99 4.9% 0.3% $0.3

Sport & Entertainment

Saanich

$91 3.6%

Montreal

$52 2.6% 43% $39

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $1,413 in Saanich 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 4% higher in Saanich, 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 $70.0 in Saanich versus $70.0 in Montreal. Groceries tell a different story – $409 in Saanich vs $346 in Montreal – so Montreal wins on supermarket bills even if dining out costs more.

Good to know

🇨🇦 Saanich

🇨🇦 Montreal

🕒 Local time

10:55 10:55 AM

13:55 1:55 PM

3 h ahead of Saanich

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

117,735

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

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Between locations

Saanich Montreal 3,730 km ≈ 5 h nonstop flight

From you

Saanich
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

Saanich vs Montreal: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Saanich costs about 26% 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 $3,821 per month in Saanich 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 18% more in Saanich, 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 $70.0 in Saanich 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 Saanich at $2,548. In Montreal it covers expenses comfortably, while in Saanich it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.

For digital nomads, it depends on budget. Montreal costs $2,018 versus $2,548 in Saanich. 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, Saanich makes more sense. Both are solid long-term options with distinct trade-offs.