Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Sault Ste. Marie and Montreal

For one person, living costs are similar in Sault Ste. Marie and in Montreal: $2,059 and $2,059 a month, rent and utilities included.

100

Cost of Living Index in Sault Ste. Marie
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Sault Ste. Marie Living Index
99

Cost of Living Index in Montreal
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Montreal Living Index

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Sault Ste. Marie

🇨🇦 Canada

$2,059

/mo nomad

Montreal

🇨🇦 Canada

$2,059

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

A single person spends $2,059 per month in Sault Ste. Marie vs $2,059 in Montreal, rent included.

Sault Ste. Marie $2,059
Montreal $2,059

A couple spends around $3,008 per month in Sault Ste. Marie vs $3,123 in Montreal, rent included.

Sault Ste. Marie $3,008
Montreal $3,123

A family of three spends $3,956 per month in Sault Ste. Marie vs $4,187 in Montreal, rent included.

Sault Ste. Marie $3,956
Montreal $4,187

Sault Ste. Marie and Montreal have comparable living costs – the differences are in the details.

Both Sault Ste. Marie and Montreal sit above the global median – Sault Ste. Marie by 52%, Montreal by 52%.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$17.17 CA$24.28

$18.84 CA$26.63

-8.86%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$70.6 CA$99.8

$73.2 CA$104

-3.56%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$10.23 CA$14.46

$10.54 CA$14.90

-2.94%

Cappuccino

$3.47 CA$4.90

$3.97 CA$5.61

-12.59%

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

$1.64 CA$2.32

$1.94 CA$2.74

-15.46%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.35 CA$1.91

$1.57 CA$2.22

-14.01%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$4.68 CA$6.62

$6.42 CA$9.08

-27.10%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$5.00 CA$7.07

$7.20 CA$10.19

-30.56%

Milk (1 liter)

$2.42 CA$3.43

$2.32 CA$3.28

4.31%

White Bread (500g)

$2.14 CA$3.02

$3.19 CA$4.51

-32.92%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$3.27 CA$4.63

$3.19 CA$4.50

2.51%

Eggs

$2.98 CA$4.22

$3.68 CA$5.20

-19.02%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$8.32 CA$11.76

$13.24 CA$18.72

-37.16%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$9.97 CA$14.10

$11.69 CA$16.53

-14.71%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$10.51 CA$14.86

$13.98 CA$19.76

-24.82%

Apples (1kg)

$3.14 CA$4.43

$3.14 CA$4.44

Banana (1kg)

$0.99 CA$1.40

$1.45 CA$2.05

-31.72%

Oranges (1kg)

$3.06 CA$4.33

$3.38 CA$4.78

-9.47%

Tomato (1kg)

$3.54 CA$5.01

$3.11 CA$4.40

13.83%

Potato (1kg)

$1.97 CA$2.79

$1.93 CA$2.72

2.07%

Onion (1kg)

$1.69 CA$2.39

$1.83 CA$2.58

-7.65%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.77 CA$3.92

$2.36 CA$3.34

17.37%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.27 CA$1.79

$1.50 CA$2.12

-15.33%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$15.75 CA$22.26

$11.12 CA$15.73

41.64%

Wine (Bottle)

$10.67 CA$15.08

$10.60 CA$14.98

0.66%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.84 CA$2.60

$2.22 CA$3.14

-17.12%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.28 CA$3.23

$2.84 CA$4.01

-19.72%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.24 CA$3.16

$2.62 CA$3.71

-14.50%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$57.5 CA$81.2

$79.1 CA$112

-27.41%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.47 CA$4.91

$3.23 CA$4.56

7.43%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.31 CA$3.26

$1.48 CA$2.10

56.08%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$22.97 CA$32.47

$32.22 CA$45.55

-28.71%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.08 CA$1.52

$1.36 CA$1.92

-20.59%

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

$26.5K CA$37.5K

$27.6K CA$39.1K

-4.17%

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

$20.3K CA$28.6K

$21.2K CA$30.0K

-4.38%

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

$174 CA$246

$77.0 CA$109

126.17%

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

$44.36 CA$62.7

$34.14 CA$48.26

29.94%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$76.7 CA$108

$42.19 CA$59.7

81.73%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$50.3 CA$71.0

$30.81 CA$43.56

63.10%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$17.62 CA$24.90

$19.66 CA$27.79

-10.38%

Cinema Ticket

$11.18 CA$15.80

$11.47 CA$16.22

-2.53%

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

$506 CA$716

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$4,984 CA$7,046

$16.2K CA$23.0K

-69.30%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$45.63 CA$64.5

$57.3 CA$81.0

-20.31%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$35.58 CA$50.3

$38.10 CA$53.9

-6.61%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$74.8 CA$106

$91.9 CA$130

-18.66%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$120 CA$170

$110 CA$155

9.53%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$893 CA$1,262

$1,237 CA$1,748

-27.80%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$931 CA$1,316

$977 CA$1,381

-4.66%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,325 CA$1,873

$2,180 CA$3,082

-39.24%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,455 CA$2,057

$1,608 CA$2,273

-9.52%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$1,868 CA$2,640

$5,113 CA$7,228

-63.47%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$5,432 CA$7,679

$3,744 CA$5,293

45.06%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$3,049 CA$4,310

$2,957 CA$4,180

3.10%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

5.53

4.48

23.44%

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

Last update for Sault Ste. Marie: October 20, 2026

Last update for Montreal: October 20, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Sault Ste. Marie

$931 45.2%

Montreal

$977 47.4% 4.9% $45

Groceries & Markets

Sault Ste. Marie

$299 14.5%

Montreal

$351 17.1% 17.3% $52

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Sault Ste. Marie

$295 14.3%

Montreal

$153 7.5% 48.1% $142

Eating Out

Sault Ste. Marie

$255 12.4%

Montreal

$290 14.1% 13.9% $35

Clothing & Footwear

Sault Ste. Marie

$124 6%

Montreal

$134 6.5% 7.5% $9.4

Getting Around

Sault Ste. Marie

$81 4%

Montreal

$100 4.9% 23.2% $19

Sport & Entertainment

Sault Ste. Marie

$73 3.5%

Montreal

$54 2.6% 26% $19

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $893 in Sault Ste. Marie versus $1,237 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 3% higher in Sault Ste. Marie. Purchasing power depends on which expenses matter most to you.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $71.0 in Sault Ste. Marie versus $73.0 in Montreal. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $299 vs $351 – making Sault Ste. Marie the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇨🇦 Sault Ste. Marie

🇨🇦 Montreal

🕒 Local time

09:12 9:12 AM

Same time as Sault Ste. Marie

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

73,368

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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Between locations

Sault Ste. Marie Montreal 840 km ≈ 1 h 30 min nonstop flight

From you

Sault Ste. Marie
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

Sault Ste. Marie vs Montreal: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

For a comfortable life, plan on about $3,089 per month in Sault Ste. Marie and $3,089 in Montreal. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

Rent is clearly cheaper in Sault Ste. Marie, especially for central apartments. Housing is actually the single biggest factor behind the overall cost gap between these two cities.

Groceries cost about 17% more in Montreal, though it depends on what you buy. Local produce may be comparable; imported and premium items show the biggest price gap.

Public transport costs about 38% less in Sault Ste. Marie. For daily commuters, that gap adds up to noticeable savings over a year.

A $2,500 monthly budget goes further in Sault Ste. Marie, where all-in costs run around $2,059, than in Montreal at $2,059. In Sault Ste. Marie it covers expenses comfortably, while in Montreal it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.

For digital nomads, it depends on budget. Sault Ste. Marie costs $2,059 versus $2,059 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 Sault Ste. Marie. 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.