Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Saint John's and Montreal

For one person, living is cheaper in Saint John’s: $1,811 a month against $2,067 in Montreal, rent and utilities included – about $3,100 less a year. Other living expenses account for most of the difference.

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Cost of Living Index in Montreal
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Montreal Living Index

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Saint John's

🇦🇬 Antigua and Barbuda

$1,811

/mo nomad

Montreal

🇨🇦 Canada

$2,067

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

A single person spends $1,811 per month in Saint John’s vs $2,067 in Montreal, rent included.

Saint John's $1,811
Montreal $2,067

A couple spends around $2,821 per month in Saint John’s vs $3,179 in Montreal, rent included.

Saint John's $2,821
Montreal $3,179

A family of three spends $3,831 per month in Saint John’s vs $4,291 in Montreal, rent included.

Saint John's $3,831
Montreal $4,291

Saint John’s is about 12% cheaper than Montreal, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in clothing.

Both Saint John’s and Montreal sit above the global median – Saint John’s by 34%, Montreal by 53%.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$16.46 EC$44.45

$18.89 CA$26.48

-12.86%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$56.1 EC$152

$72.6 CA$102

-22.67%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$9.45 EC$25.51

$10.79 CA$15.13

-12.42%

Cappuccino

$3.68 EC$9.93

$3.98 CA$5.58

-7.54%

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

$1.90 EC$5.14

$2.02 CA$2.83

-5.94%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.19 EC$3.21

$1.63 CA$2.29

-26.99%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.47 EC$6.67

$6.32 CA$8.86

-60.92%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.43 EC$11.96

$7.06 CA$9.90

-37.25%

Milk (1 liter)

$2.24 EC$6.05

$2.33 CA$3.27

-3.86%

White Bread (500g)

$2.76 EC$7.44

$3.25 CA$4.55

-15.08%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.81 EC$4.89

$3.26 CA$4.58

-44.48%

Eggs

$6.54 EC$17.67

$3.48 CA$4.87

87.93%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$8.69 EC$23.46

$13.73 CA$19.25

-36.71%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$7.97 EC$21.53

$11.48 CA$16.09

-30.57%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$12.23 EC$33.01

$14.26 CA$19.99

-14.24%

Apples (1kg)

$6.36 EC$17.19

$3.52 CA$4.94

80.68%

Banana (1kg)

$2.50 EC$6.76

$1.46 CA$2.04

71.23%

Oranges (1kg)

$8.34 EC$22.52

$3.41 CA$4.78

144.57%

Tomato (1kg)

$8.35 EC$22.55

$3.20 CA$4.49

160.94%

Potato (1kg)

$2.81 EC$7.60

$1.94 CA$2.71

44.85%

Onion (1kg)

$2.88 EC$7.78

$1.78 CA$2.50

61.80%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.64 EC$7.11

$2.52 CA$3.53

4.76%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.59 EC$4.30

$1.58 CA$2.22

0.63%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$11.51 CA$16.13

Wine (Bottle)

$5.65 EC$15.25

$10.57 CA$14.82

-46.55%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.91 EC$5.15

$2.35 CA$3.29

-18.72%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.34 EC$9.03

$2.90 CA$4.06

15.17%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.61 CA$3.66

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$78.5 CA$110

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.17 CA$4.45

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.49 CA$2.09

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$33.49 CA$46.94

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.65 EC$4.44

$1.36 CA$1.91

21.32%

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

$28.0K CA$39.3K

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

$21.1K CA$29.6K

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

$259 EC$701

$77.6 CA$109

234.44%

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

$41.21 EC$111

$35.63 CA$49.94

15.66%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$82.4 EC$222

$43.73 CA$61.3

88.31%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$64.9 EC$175

$30.07 CA$42.16

115.93%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$19.97 CA$27.99

Cinema Ticket

$6.12 EC$16.53

$11.27 CA$15.80

-45.70%

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

$188 EC$508

$522 CA$732

-63.99%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$1,842 EC$4,972

$17.8K CA$24.9K

-89.65%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$50.4 EC$136

$59.0 CA$82.7

-14.53%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$39.01 CA$54.7

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$74.9 EC$202

$99.8 CA$140

-24.98%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$110 CA$154

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,039 EC$2,805

$1,298 CA$1,820

-19.99%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$678 EC$1,830

$970 CA$1,360

-30.16%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,684 EC$4,547

$2,323 CA$3,257

-27.52%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,455 EC$3,927

$1,689 CA$2,368

-13.89%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$5,004 CA$7,014

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$3,736 CA$5,237

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,366 EC$3,688

$2,943 CA$4,125

-53.59%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

5.5

4.51

21.95%

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

Last update for Saint John's: October 31, 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's

–

Montreal

$970 47%

Groceries & Markets

Saint John's

–

Montreal

$357 17.3%

Eating Out

Saint John's

–

Montreal

$292 14.1%

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Saint John's

–

Montreal

$157 7.6%

Clothing & Footwear

Saint John's

–

Montreal

$138 6.7%

Getting Around

Saint John's

–

Montreal

$100 4.8%

Sport & Entertainment

Saint John's

–

Montreal

$53 2.6%

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $1,039 in Saint John’s 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 in Montreal are about 2.2 times higher. Purchasing power depends on which expenses matter most to you.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $56 in Saint John’s versus $73 in Montreal. Groceries tell a different story – $379 in Saint John’s vs $357 in Montreal – so Montreal wins on supermarket bills even if dining out costs more.

Good to know

🇦🇬 Saint John's

🇨🇦 Montreal

🕒 Local time

04:30 4:30 AM

03:30 3:30 AM

1 h behind Saint John's

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

21,926 Capital

1,762,949

💱 Currency

East Caribbean Dollar XCD $

Canadian Dollar CAD $

📈 Exchange rate

1 XCD = 0.37 USD

1 XCD = 0.33 EUR

1 CAD = 0.713 USD

1 CAD = 0.635 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

CAD, USD, EUR to XCD – East Caribbean Dollar Converter

🇺🇸 United States Dollar ($)

🌐 East Caribbean Dollar ($)

East Caribbean Dollar exchange rates as of November 6, 2026: 1 USD = 2.7 XCD (1 XCD = 0.37 USD). 1 EUR = 3.03 XCD (1 XCD = 0.33 EUR).

Canadian Dollar exchange rates as of November 6, 2026: 1 USD = 1.4 CAD (1 CAD = 0.713 USD). 1 EUR = 1.57 CAD (1 CAD = 0.635 EUR).

USD to XCD in detail →

On the map

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Between locations

Saint John's Montreal 3,340 km ≈ 4 h 45 min nonstop flight

From you

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

Montreal costs about 14% more than Saint John’s, 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 $2,717 per month in Saint John’s 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 Saint John’s, especially for central apartments: a one-bedroom in the center costs $1,039 there versus $1,298 in Montreal.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $56 in Saint John’s and $73 in Montreal. That’s a good indicator of the overall restaurant and café pricing gap between the two cities.

Interestingly, groceries are about 6% cheaper in Montreal – one category where the pricier city actually offers better value.

$2,500 covers both cities comfortably – all-in costs are $1,811 in Saint John’s and $2,067 in Montreal, leaving budget for savings and extras in both cases.

For digital nomads, it depends on budget. Saint John’s costs $1,811 versus $2,067 in Montreal. Both appeal to remote workers, and the cost gap matters when income varies month to month.

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