Last update: Nov 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Saint John Island and Montreal

For one person, living is cheaper in Montreal: $2,067 a month against $6,163 in Saint John Island, rent and utilities included – about $49,200 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

293

Cost of Living Index in Saint John Island
Learn more

Saint John Island Living Index
100

Cost of Living Index in Montreal
Learn more

Montreal Living Index

Jump to prices

Saint John Island

🇻🇮 U.S. Virgin Islands

$6,163

/mo nomad

Montreal

🇨🇦 Canada

$2,067

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

A single person spends $6,163 per month in Saint John Island vs $2,067 in Montreal, rent included.

Saint John Island $6,163
Montreal $2,067

A couple spends around $8,359 per month in Saint John Island vs $3,179 in Montreal, rent included.

Saint John Island $8,359
Montreal $3,179

A family of three spends $10.6K per month in Saint John Island vs $4,291 in Montreal, rent included.

Saint John Island $10.6K
Montreal $4,291

Saint John Island costs about 198% more than Montreal, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Both Saint John Island and Montreal sit above the global median – Saint John Island by 356%, Montreal by 53%.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$69.6 $69.6

$18.89 CA$26.57

268.40%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$152 $152

$72.6 CA$102

109.73%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$15.22 $15.22

$10.79 CA$15.18

41.06%

Cappuccino

$8.97 $8.97

$3.98 CA$5.60

125.38%

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

$3.52 $3.52

$2.02 CA$2.84

74.26%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.42 $3.42

$1.63 CA$2.29

109.82%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$4.95 $4.95

$6.32 CA$8.89

-21.68%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$7.15 $7.15

$7.06 CA$9.93

1.27%

Milk (1 liter)

$3.13 $3.13

$2.33 CA$3.28

34.33%

White Bread (500g)

$7.88 $7.88

$3.25 CA$4.57

142.46%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$12.02 $12.02

$3.26 CA$4.59

268.71%

Eggs

$12.04 $12.04

$3.48 CA$4.89

245.98%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$32.35 $32.35

$13.73 CA$19.31

135.62%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$33.61 $33.61

$11.48 CA$16.14

192.77%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$23.89 $23.89

$14.26 CA$20.05

67.53%

Apples (1kg)

$22.07 $22.07

$3.52 CA$4.95

526.99%

Banana (1kg)

$3.94 $3.94

$1.46 CA$2.05

169.86%

Oranges (1kg)

$17.98 $17.98

$3.41 CA$4.80

427.27%

Tomato (1kg)

$11.96 $11.96

$3.20 CA$4.50

273.75%

Potato (1kg)

$7.55 $7.55

$1.94 CA$2.72

289.18%

Onion (1kg)

$7.91 $7.91

$1.78 CA$2.50

344.38%

Lettuce (1 head)

$5.07 $5.07

$2.52 CA$3.54

101.19%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$3.60 $3.60

$1.58 CA$2.22

127.85%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$8.89 $8.89

$11.51 CA$16.18

-22.76%

Wine (Bottle)

$22.65 $22.65

$10.57 CA$14.87

114.29%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$4.52 $4.52

$2.35 CA$3.30

92.34%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$6.15 $6.15

$2.90 CA$4.07

112.07%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$7.13 $7.13

$2.61 CA$3.68

173.18%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$152 $152

$78.5 CA$110

93.27%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$29.91 $29.91

$3.17 CA$4.46

843.53%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.49 CA$2.10

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$49.06 $49.06

$33.49 CA$47.10

46.49%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.55 $1.55

$1.36 CA$1.92

13.97%

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

$46.6K $46.6K

$28.0K CA$39.4K

66.39%

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

$52.3K $52.3K

$21.1K CA$29.7K

147.42%

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

$306 $306

$77.6 CA$109

294.02%

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

$101 $101

$35.63 CA$50.1

182.40%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$104 $104

$43.73 CA$61.5

138.19%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$30.07 CA$42.29

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$19.97 CA$28.08

Cinema Ticket

$11.27 CA$15.85

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

$522 CA$734

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$17.8K CA$25.0K

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$79.0 $79.0

$59.0 CA$82.9

33.90%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$50.9 $50.9

$39.01 CA$54.9

30.40%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$84.8 $84.8

$99.8 CA$140

-14.99%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$99.2 $99.2

$110 CA$154

-9.56%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$3,925 $3,925

$1,298 CA$1,826

202.33%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$3,534 $3,534

$970 CA$1,365

264.17%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$4,921 $4,921

$2,323 CA$3,267

111.83%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$4,464 $4,464

$1,689 CA$2,376

164.27%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$5,004 CA$7,037

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$3,736 CA$5,255

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$4,523 $4,523

$2,943 CA$4,139

53.70%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

4.51

55.21%

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

Last update for Saint John Island: November 1, 2026

Last update for Montreal: November 3, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Saint John Island

$3.5K 57.3%

Montreal

$970 47% 72.5% $2.6K

Groceries & Markets

Saint John Island

$991 16.1%

Montreal

$357 17.3% 63.9% $634

Eating Out

Saint John Island

$777 12.6%

Montreal

$292 14.1% 62.5% $485

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Saint John Island

$510 8.3%

Montreal

$157 7.6% 69.3% $354

Getting Around

Saint John Island

$210 * 3.4%

Montreal

$100 4.8% 52.6% $111

Clothing & Footwear

Saint John Island

$141 2.3%

Montreal

$138 6.7% 2% $2.9

Sport & Entertainment

Saint John Island

- * 0%

Montreal

$53 2.6%

Categories marked with * are only partly priced – their share counts the items that do have prices.

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $3,925 in Saint John Island versus $1,298 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 54% higher in Saint John Island, 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 $152 in Saint John Island versus $73 in Montreal. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $991 vs $357 – making Montreal the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇻🇮 Saint John Island

🇨🇦 Montreal

🕒 Local time

14:50 2:50 PM

13:50 1:50 PM

1 h behind Saint John Island

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

4,170

1,762,949

💱 Currency

United States Dollar USD $

Canadian Dollar CAD $

📈 Exchange rate

1 USD = 0.89 EUR

1 CAD = 0.711 USD

1 CAD = 0.633 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

CAD, EUR to USD – United States Dollar Converter

🇨🇦 Canadian Dollar ($)

🇺🇸 United States Dollar ($)

United States Dollar exchange rates as of November 6, 2026: 1 EUR = 1.12 USD (1 USD = 0.89 EUR).

Canadian Dollar exchange rates as of November 6, 2026: 1 USD = 1.41 CAD (1 CAD = 0.711 USD). 1 EUR = 1.58 CAD (1 CAD = 0.633 EUR).

CAD to USD in detail →

On the map

Lowest

Highest

Between locations

Saint John Island Montreal 3,130 km ≈ 4 h 30 min nonstop flight

From you

Saint John Island
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

Saint John Island vs Montreal: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Saint John Island costs about 198% 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 $9,245 per month in Saint John Island and $3,100 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 $1,298 there versus $3,925 in Saint John Island.

Public transport costs about 48% less in Montreal. For daily commuters, that gap adds up to noticeable savings over a year.

Groceries cost about 177% more in Saint John Island, though the gap depends on what you buy.

$2,000 is a stretch for both – monthly costs hit $6,163 in Saint John Island and $2,067 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 $2,067 in Montreal to $6,163 in Saint John Island. 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.

If budget matters most, go with Montreal. If higher salaries or specific career opportunities are the priority, Saint John Island makes more sense. Both are solid long-term options with distinct trade-offs.