Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Sarnia and Montreal

For one person, living costs are similar in Sarnia and in Montreal: $2,002 and $2,018 a month, rent and utilities included.

96

Cost of Living Index in Sarnia
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Sarnia Living Index
99

Cost of Living Index in Montreal
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Montreal Living Index

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Sarnia

🇨🇦 Canada

$2,002

/mo nomad

Montreal

🇨🇦 Canada

$2,018

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

A single person spends $2,002 per month in Sarnia vs $2,018 in Montreal, rent included.

Sarnia $2,002
Montreal $2,018

A couple spends around $2,788 per month in Sarnia vs $3,085 in Montreal, rent included.

Sarnia $2,788
Montreal $3,085

A family of three spends $3,574 per month in Sarnia vs $4,152 in Montreal, rent included.

Sarnia $3,574
Montreal $4,152

Sarnia is about 1% cheaper than Montreal, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

Both Sarnia and Montreal sit above the global median – Sarnia by 48%, Montreal by 49%.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$13.54 CA$19.14

$18.82 CA$26.61

-28.06%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$45.30 CA$64.0

$70.3 CA$99.4

-35.55%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$9.77 CA$13.81

$10.66 CA$15.06

-8.35%

Cappuccino

$2.95 CA$4.17

$3.84 CA$5.43

-23.18%

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

$1.93 CA$2.73

$1.92 CA$2.71

0.52%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.37 CA$1.93

$1.54 CA$2.18

-11.04%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$4.26 CA$6.02

$6.23 CA$8.81

-31.62%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$5.72 CA$8.09

$7.10 CA$10.03

-19.44%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.25 CA$1.76

$2.31 CA$3.27

-45.89%

White Bread (500g)

$2.39 CA$3.38

$3.14 CA$4.44

-23.89%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.42 CA$3.43

$3.21 CA$4.54

-24.61%

Eggs

$2.77 CA$3.91

$3.52 CA$4.97

-21.31%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$11.04 CA$15.61

$12.81 CA$18.11

-13.82%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$11.18 CA$15.81

$11.46 CA$16.20

-2.44%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$13.68 CA$19.33

$13.39 CA$18.92

2.17%

Apples (1kg)

$3.51 CA$4.97

$3.14 CA$4.43

11.78%

Banana (1kg)

$1.17 CA$1.66

$1.44 CA$2.03

-18.75%

Oranges (1kg)

$3.48 CA$4.92

$3.47 CA$4.91

0.29%

Tomato (1kg)

$3.46 CA$4.90

$3.07 CA$4.34

12.70%

Potato (1kg)

$1.32 CA$1.86

$1.90 CA$2.69

-30.53%

Onion (1kg)

$1.80 CA$2.54

$1.77 CA$2.50

1.69%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.63 CA$2.31

$2.34 CA$3.31

-30.34%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.26 CA$1.78

$1.55 CA$2.19

-18.71%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$12.21 CA$17.27

$11.38 CA$16.09

7.29%

Wine (Bottle)

$9.98 CA$14.11

$10.63 CA$15.03

-6.11%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.42 CA$3.42

$2.27 CA$3.21

6.61%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.77 CA$3.91

$2.82 CA$3.99

-1.77%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.30 CA$3.25

$2.66 CA$3.76

-13.53%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$56.7 CA$80.2

$77.3 CA$109

-26.60%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$2.43 CA$3.44

$3.20 CA$4.53

-24.06%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.70 CA$2.41

$1.48 CA$2.09

14.86%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$27.85 CA$39.37

$32.88 CA$46.48

-15.30%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.17 CA$1.65

$1.34 CA$1.90

-12.69%

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

$27.4K CA$38.7K

$28.2K CA$39.8K

-2.70%

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

$18.8K CA$26.6K

$19.6K CA$27.8K

-4.10%

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

$138 CA$196

$76.0 CA$107

82.29%

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

$29.32 CA$41.45

$33.95 CA$48.00

-13.64%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$45.42 CA$64.2

$42.31 CA$59.8

7.35%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$23.76 CA$33.59

$29.76 CA$42.07

-20.16%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$17.73 CA$25.06

$20.28 CA$28.67

-12.57%

Cinema Ticket

$11.50 CA$16.26

$11.15 CA$15.77

3.14%

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

$349 CA$494

$507 CA$717

-31.11%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$15.8K CA$22.3K

$16.1K CA$22.7K

-1.55%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$55.3 CA$78.2

$57.6 CA$81.4

-3.84%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$29.75 CA$42.05

$37.58 CA$53.1

-20.84%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$74.0 CA$105

$91.9 CA$130

-19.52%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$73.0 CA$103

$110 CA$155

-33.36%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,342 CA$1,897

$1,260 CA$1,782

6.43%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,032 CA$1,459

$948 CA$1,340

8.89%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,432 CA$3,438

$2,137 CA$3,021

13.79%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,451 CA$2,052

$1,614 CA$2,281

-10.06%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$4,960 CA$7,011

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$3,838 CA$5,425

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$3,061 CA$4,327

$2,827 CA$3,997

8.26%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

5.09

4.48

13.62%

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

Last update for Sarnia: 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

Sarnia

$1K 51.5%

Montreal

$948 47% 8.2% $84

Groceries & Markets

Sarnia

$310 15.5%

Montreal

$346 17.2% 11.8% $37

Eating Out

Sarnia

$219 10.9%

Montreal

$288 14.3% 31.5% $69

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Sarnia

$213 10.7%

Montreal

$152 7.5% 28.6% $61

Clothing & Footwear

Sarnia

$104 5.2%

Montreal

$133 6.6% 27.8% $29

Getting Around

Sarnia

$77 3.8%

Montreal

$99 4.9% 28.2% $22

Sport & Entertainment

Sarnia

$47 2.3%

Montreal

$52 2.6% 11.3% $5.3

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $1,342 in Sarnia 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 8% higher in Sarnia, 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 Sarnia versus $70.0 in Montreal. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $310 vs $346 – making Sarnia the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇨🇦 Sarnia

🇨🇦 Montreal

🕒 Local time

03:20 3:20 AM

Same time as Sarnia

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

71,594

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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Highest

Between locations

Sarnia Montreal 760 km ≈ 1 h 30 min nonstop flight

From you

Sarnia
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

Sarnia vs Montreal: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Montreal costs about 1% more than Sarnia, 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 $3,003 per month in Sarnia 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 Sarnia, especially for central apartments. Housing is actually the single biggest factor behind the overall cost gap between these two cities.

Groceries cost about 12% 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 $45.00 in Sarnia and $70.0 in Montreal. That's a good indicator of the overall restaurant and café pricing gap between the two cities.

A $3,000 monthly budget goes further in Sarnia, where all-in costs run around $2,002, than in Montreal at $2,018. In Sarnia it covers expenses comfortably, while in Montreal it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.

For digital nomads, it depends on budget. Sarnia costs $2,002 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 Sarnia. 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.