Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Saguenay and Montreal

For one person, living is cheaper in Saguenay: $1,386 a month against $2,018 in Montreal, rent and utilities included – about $7,600 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

68

Cost of Living Index in Saguenay
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Saguenay Living Index
99

Cost of Living Index in Montreal
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Montreal Living Index

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Saguenay

🇨🇦 Canada

$1,386

/mo nomad

Montreal

🇨🇦 Canada

$2,018

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

A single person spends $1,386 per month in Saguenay vs $2,018 in Montreal, rent included.

Saguenay $1,386
Montreal $2,018

A couple spends around $2,232 per month in Saguenay vs $3,085 in Montreal, rent included.

Saguenay $2,232
Montreal $3,085

A family of three spends $3,078 per month in Saguenay vs $4,152 in Montreal, rent included.

Saguenay $3,078
Montreal $4,152

Saguenay is about 31% cheaper than Montreal, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

Both Saguenay and Montreal sit above the global median – Saguenay by 3%, Montreal by 49%.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$14.93 CA$21.11

$18.82 CA$26.61

-20.67%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$41.47 CA$58.6

$70.3 CA$99.4

-41.00%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$10.97 CA$15.50

$10.66 CA$15.06

2.91%

Cappuccino

$3.64 CA$5.15

$3.84 CA$5.43

-5.21%

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

$1.47 CA$2.08

$1.92 CA$2.71

-23.44%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.20 CA$1.69

$1.54 CA$2.18

-22.08%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$5.33 CA$7.53

$6.23 CA$8.81

-14.45%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$5.21 CA$7.37

$7.10 CA$10.03

-26.62%

Milk (1 liter)

$2.11 CA$2.98

$2.31 CA$3.27

-8.66%

White Bread (500g)

$2.81 CA$3.97

$3.14 CA$4.44

-10.51%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$4.07 CA$5.75

$3.21 CA$4.54

26.79%

Eggs

$2.74 CA$3.88

$3.52 CA$4.97

-22.16%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$8.71 CA$12.32

$12.81 CA$18.11

-32.01%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$7.11 CA$10.06

$11.46 CA$16.20

-37.96%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$10.34 CA$14.61

$13.39 CA$18.92

-22.78%

Apples (1kg)

$4.23 CA$5.98

$3.14 CA$4.43

34.71%

Banana (1kg)

$1.38 CA$1.95

$1.44 CA$2.03

-4.17%

Oranges (1kg)

$3.73 CA$5.27

$3.47 CA$4.91

7.49%

Tomato (1kg)

$3.99 CA$5.64

$3.07 CA$4.34

29.97%

Potato (1kg)

$2.91 CA$4.11

$1.90 CA$2.69

53.16%

Onion (1kg)

$2.76 CA$3.91

$1.77 CA$2.50

55.93%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.51 CA$3.55

$2.34 CA$3.31

7.26%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.79 CA$1.11

$1.55 CA$2.19

-49.03%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$12.10 CA$17.11

$11.38 CA$16.09

6.33%

Wine (Bottle)

$11.01 CA$15.56

$10.63 CA$15.03

3.57%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$3.10 CA$4.38

$2.27 CA$3.21

36.56%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.21 CA$4.54

$2.82 CA$3.99

13.83%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.57 CA$3.64

$2.66 CA$3.76

-3.38%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$55.7 CA$78.8

$77.3 CA$109

-27.92%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$2.79 CA$3.94

$3.20 CA$4.53

-12.81%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.47 CA$2.08

$1.48 CA$2.09

-0.68%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$26.85 CA$37.96

$32.88 CA$46.48

-18.34%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.18 CA$1.67

$1.34 CA$1.90

-11.94%

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

$27.6K CA$39.0K

$28.2K CA$39.8K

-1.93%

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

$19.2K CA$27.2K

$19.6K CA$27.8K

-2.03%

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

$62.2 CA$87.9

$76.0 CA$107

-18.13%

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

$31.75 CA$44.88

$33.95 CA$48.00

-6.48%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$45.05 CA$63.7

$42.31 CA$59.8

6.48%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$24.65 CA$34.85

$29.76 CA$42.07

-17.17%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$18.94 CA$26.77

$20.28 CA$28.67

-6.61%

Cinema Ticket

$9.03 CA$12.77

$11.15 CA$15.77

-19.01%

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

$688 CA$973

$507 CA$717

35.68%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$8,989 CA$12.7K

$16.1K CA$22.7K

-44.00%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$55.5 CA$78.5

$57.6 CA$81.4

-3.54%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$34.41 CA$48.65

$37.58 CA$53.1

-8.44%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$83.4 CA$118

$91.9 CA$130

-9.23%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$106 CA$151

$110 CA$155

-2.85%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$612 CA$866

$1,260 CA$1,782

-51.43%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$447 CA$632

$948 CA$1,340

-52.81%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,186 CA$1,677

$2,137 CA$3,021

-44.50%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$962 CA$1,360

$1,614 CA$2,281

-40.40%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$5,677 CA$8,026

$4,960 CA$7,011

14.47%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$3,370 CA$4,764

$3,838 CA$5,425

-12.19%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$2,555 CA$3,612

$2,827 CA$3,997

-9.64%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

4.44

4.48

-0.89%

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

Last update for Saguenay: October 12, 2026

Last update for Montreal: October 12, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Saguenay

$447 32.3%

Montreal

$948 47% 112% $500

Groceries & Markets

Saguenay

$311 22.5%

Montreal

$346 17.2% 11.4% $35

Eating Out

Saguenay

$244 17.6%

Montreal

$288 14.3% 18.1% $44

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Saguenay

$139 10%

Montreal

$152 7.5% 9.5% $13

Clothing & Footwear

Saguenay

$126 9.1%

Montreal

$133 6.6% 6% $7.6

Getting Around

Saguenay

$76 5.5%

Montreal

$99 4.9% 29.4% $22

Sport & Entertainment

Saguenay

$43 3.1%

Montreal

$52 2.6% 21.9% $9.3

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $612 in Saguenay 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 11% higher in Montreal, 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 $41.00 in Saguenay versus $70.0 in Montreal. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $311 vs $346 – making Saguenay the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇨🇦 Saguenay

🇨🇦 Montreal

🕒 Local time

13:12 1:12 PM

Same time as Saguenay

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

144,723

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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Saguenay Montreal 370 km

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Saguenay
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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

Saguenay vs Montreal: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Montreal costs about 46% more than Saguenay, and outside of rent the gap comes mainly from eating out. That's enough to noticeably affect everyday spending and lifestyle for anyone choosing between the two.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $2,079 per month in Saguenay 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 Saguenay, especially for central apartments. Housing is actually the single biggest factor behind the overall cost gap between these two cities.

Groceries cost about 11% more in Montreal, 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 $41.00 in Saguenay 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 Saguenay, where all-in costs run around $1,386, than in Montreal at $2,018. In Saguenay it covers expenses comfortably, while in Montreal it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.

For digital nomads, it depends on budget. Saguenay costs $1,386 versus $2,018 in Montreal. 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 Saguenay. If higher salaries, better infrastructure, or specific career opportunities are the priority, Montreal makes more sense. Both are solid long-term options with distinct trade-offs.