Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Smithers and Montreal

For one person, living is cheaper in Montreal: $2,018 a month against $2,340 in Smithers, rent and utilities included – about $3,900 less a year. Higher rent and utilities in Smithers outweigh lower spending on other living expenses.

108

Cost of Living Index in Smithers
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Smithers Living Index
99

Cost of Living Index in Montreal
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Montreal Living Index

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Smithers

🇨🇦 Canada

$2,340

/mo nomad

Montreal

🇨🇦 Canada

$2,018

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

A single person spends $2,340 per month in Smithers vs $2,018 in Montreal, rent included.

Smithers $2,340
Montreal $2,018

A couple spends around $3,213 per month in Smithers vs $3,085 in Montreal, rent included.

Smithers $3,213
Montreal $3,085

A family of three spends $4,086 per month in Smithers vs $4,152 in Montreal, rent included.

Smithers $4,086
Montreal $4,152

Smithers costs about 16% more than Montreal, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

Both Smithers and Montreal sit above the global median – Smithers by 73%, Montreal by 49%.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$17.65 CA$24.95

$18.82 CA$26.61

-6.22%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$64.1 CA$90.7

$70.3 CA$99.4

-8.76%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$10.80 CA$15.27

$10.66 CA$15.06

1.31%

Cappuccino

$3.57 CA$5.05

$3.84 CA$5.43

-7.03%

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

$1.97 CA$2.79

$1.92 CA$2.71

2.60%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.56 CA$2.21

$1.54 CA$2.18

1.30%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$5.40 CA$7.63

$6.23 CA$8.81

-13.32%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$5.31 CA$7.51

$7.10 CA$10.03

-25.21%

Milk (1 liter)

$2.06 CA$2.91

$2.31 CA$3.27

-10.82%

White Bread (500g)

$2.52 CA$3.57

$3.14 CA$4.44

-19.75%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$3.34 CA$4.72

$3.21 CA$4.54

4.05%

Eggs

$3.36 CA$4.75

$3.52 CA$4.97

-4.55%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$9.57 CA$13.54

$12.81 CA$18.11

-25.29%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$11.02 CA$15.58

$11.46 CA$16.20

-3.84%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$14.76 CA$20.87

$13.39 CA$18.92

10.23%

Apples (1kg)

$3.77 CA$5.33

$3.14 CA$4.43

20.06%

Banana (1kg)

$1.26 CA$1.78

$1.44 CA$2.03

-12.50%

Oranges (1kg)

$3.56 CA$5.03

$3.47 CA$4.91

2.59%

Tomato (1kg)

$3.73 CA$5.27

$3.07 CA$4.34

21.50%

Potato (1kg)

$2.41 CA$3.41

$1.90 CA$2.69

26.84%

Onion (1kg)

$2.20 CA$3.11

$1.77 CA$2.50

24.29%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.46 CA$3.47

$2.34 CA$3.31

5.13%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.55 CA$2.20

$1.55 CA$2.19

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$12.79 CA$18.08

$11.38 CA$16.09

12.39%

Wine (Bottle)

$12.64 CA$17.86

$10.63 CA$15.03

18.91%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.65 CA$3.75

$2.27 CA$3.21

16.74%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.66 CA$3.77

$2.82 CA$3.99

-5.67%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.30 CA$3.26

$2.66 CA$3.76

-13.53%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$65.1 CA$92.0

$77.3 CA$109

-15.80%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$2.93 CA$4.15

$3.20 CA$4.53

-8.44%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.23 CA$1.73

$1.48 CA$2.09

-16.89%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$20.08 CA$28.38

$32.88 CA$46.48

-38.93%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.14 CA$1.61

$1.34 CA$1.90

-14.93%

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

$30.4K CA$43.0K

$28.2K CA$39.8K

7.93%

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

$20.1K CA$28.4K

$19.6K CA$27.8K

2.48%

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

$119 CA$168

$76.0 CA$107

56.33%

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

$36.58 CA$51.7

$33.95 CA$48.00

7.75%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$45.68 CA$64.6

$42.31 CA$59.8

7.97%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$37.18 CA$52.6

$29.76 CA$42.07

24.93%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$18.51 CA$26.17

$20.28 CA$28.67

-8.73%

Cinema Ticket

$10.81 CA$15.28

$11.15 CA$15.77

-3.05%

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

$642 CA$908

$507 CA$717

26.67%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$11.6K CA$16.4K

$16.1K CA$22.7K

-27.70%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$53.8 CA$76.0

$57.6 CA$81.4

-6.60%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$38.56 CA$54.5

$37.58 CA$53.1

2.61%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$85.7 CA$121

$91.9 CA$130

-6.79%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$94.8 CA$134

$110 CA$155

-13.47%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,240 CA$1,753

$1,260 CA$1,782

-1.62%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,262 CA$1,784

$948 CA$1,340

33.17%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,967 CA$2,781

$2,137 CA$3,021

-7.94%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,619 CA$2,288

$1,614 CA$2,281

0.31%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,672 CA$5,192

$4,960 CA$7,011

-25.95%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$3,113 CA$4,400

$3,838 CA$5,425

-18.89%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$2,827 CA$3,997

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

4.66

4.48

4.02%

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

Last update for Smithers: 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

Smithers

$1.3K 53.9%

Montreal

$948 47% 24.9% $314

Groceries & Markets

Smithers

$344 14.7%

Montreal

$346 17.2% 0.7% $2.5

Eating Out

Smithers

$268 11.5%

Montreal

$288 14.3% 7.3% $20

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Smithers

$201 8.6%

Montreal

$152 7.5% 24.3% $49

Clothing & Footwear

Smithers

$123 5.3%

Montreal

$133 6.6% 8.7% $11

Getting Around

Smithers

$83 3.6%

Montreal

$99 4.9% 18.2% $15

Sport & Entertainment

Smithers

$59 2.5%

Montreal

$52 2.6% 11.4% $6.7

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $1,240 in Smithers 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.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $64.0 in Smithers versus $70.0 in Montreal. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $344 vs $346 – making Smithers the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇨🇦 Smithers

🇨🇦 Montreal

🕒 Local time

12:24 12:24 PM

15:24 3:24 PM

3 h ahead of Smithers

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

5,400

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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Between locations

Smithers Montreal 3,850 km ≈ 5 h nonstop flight

From you

Smithers
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

Smithers vs Montreal: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Smithers costs about 16% more than Montreal, 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 $3,510 per month in Smithers 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 Montreal, especially for central apartments. Housing is actually the single biggest factor behind the overall cost gap between these two cities.

Interestingly, groceries are about 1% cheaper in Smithers – one category where the pricier city actually offers better value, probably thanks to stronger retail competition or local farming.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $64.0 in Smithers 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 Montreal, where all-in costs run around $2,018, than in Smithers at $2,340. In Montreal it covers expenses comfortably, while in Smithers it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.

For digital nomads, it depends on budget. Montreal costs $2,018 versus $2,340 in Smithers. 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 Montreal. If higher salaries, better infrastructure, or specific career opportunities are the priority, Smithers makes more sense. Both are solid long-term options with distinct trade-offs.