Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between St. John's, Newfoundland and Labrador and Montreal

For one person, living is cheaper in Montreal: $2,064 a month against $2,128 in St. John’s, Newfoundland and Labrador, rent and utilities included – about $770 less a year. The total is higher in St. John’s, Newfoundland and Labrador despite lower rent and utilities.

102

Cost of Living Index in St. John's, Newfoundland and Labrador
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St. John's, Newfoundland and Labrador Living Index
99

Cost of Living Index in Montreal
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Montreal Living Index

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St. John's, Newfoundland and Labrador

🇨🇦 Canada

$2,128

/mo nomad

Montreal

🇨🇦 Canada

$2,064

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

A single person spends $2,128 per month in St. John’s, Newfoundland and Labrador vs $2,064 in Montreal, rent included.

St. John's, Newfoundland and Labrador $2,128
Montreal $2,064

A couple spends around $3,149 per month in St. John’s, Newfoundland and Labrador vs $3,156 in Montreal, rent included.

St. John's, Newfoundland and Labrador $3,149
Montreal $3,156

A family of three spends $4,170 per month in St. John’s, Newfoundland and Labrador vs $4,247 in Montreal, rent included.

St. John's, Newfoundland and Labrador $4,170
Montreal $4,247

St. John’s, Newfoundland and Labrador costs about 3% more than Montreal, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Both St. John’s, Newfoundland and Labrador and Montreal sit above the global median – St. John’s, Newfoundland and Labrador by 56%, Montreal by 52%.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$17.60 CA$24.62

$18.98 CA$26.55

-7.27%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$72.0 CA$101

$73.0 CA$102

-1.32%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$11.73 CA$16.41

$10.88 CA$15.22

7.81%

Cappuccino

$4.03 CA$5.64

$3.81 CA$5.34

5.77%

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

$2.59 CA$3.62

$1.94 CA$2.71

33.51%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.20 CA$3.08

$1.58 CA$2.21

39.24%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$4.87 CA$6.82

$6.37 CA$8.91

-23.55%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$5.43 CA$7.59

$7.26 CA$10.16

-25.21%

Milk (1 liter)

$2.77 CA$3.88

$2.23 CA$3.11

24.22%

White Bread (500g)

$3.07 CA$4.30

$3.17 CA$4.44

-3.15%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$4.28 CA$5.99

$3.31 CA$4.63

29.31%

Eggs

$3.87 CA$5.42

$3.63 CA$5.08

6.61%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$11.53 CA$16.13

$13.16 CA$18.40

-12.39%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$13.32 CA$18.63

$11.56 CA$16.17

15.22%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$11.81 CA$16.53

$13.71 CA$19.18

-13.86%

Apples (1kg)

$4.85 CA$6.78

$3.29 CA$4.60

47.42%

Banana (1kg)

$3.09 CA$4.33

$1.46 CA$2.04

111.64%

Oranges (1kg)

$4.80 CA$6.71

$3.37 CA$4.71

42.43%

Tomato (1kg)

$3.08 CA$4.30

$3.15 CA$4.40

-2.22%

Potato (1kg)

$2.65 CA$3.70

$1.89 CA$2.64

40.21%

Onion (1kg)

$2.31 CA$3.23

$1.79 CA$2.51

29.05%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.86 CA$4.00

$2.47 CA$3.46

15.79%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$2.02 CA$2.82

$1.58 CA$2.21

27.85%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$13.80 CA$19.30

$11.28 CA$15.78

22.34%

Wine (Bottle)

$16.10 CA$22.52

$10.49 CA$14.68

53.48%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$4.19 CA$5.87

$2.34 CA$3.27

79.06%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.33 CA$6.06

$2.91 CA$4.07

48.80%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.83 CA$2.56

$2.61 CA$3.65

-29.89%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$55.7 CA$77.9

$79.1 CA$111

-29.63%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.22 CA$4.51

$3.26 CA$4.56

-1.23%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.75 CA$2.45

$1.44 CA$2.01

21.53%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$28.39 CA$39.71

$33.43 CA$46.76

-15.08%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.39 CA$1.94

$1.33 CA$1.86

4.51%

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

$28.6K CA$40.1K

$28.6K CA$40.0K

0.06%

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

$23.8K CA$33.4K

$21.1K CA$29.5K

13.03%

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

$182 CA$255

$80.1 CA$112

127.47%

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

$41.72 CA$58.4

$34.30 CA$47.98

21.63%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$76.6 CA$107

$42.85 CA$59.9

78.72%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$68.1 CA$95.3

$31.14 CA$43.56

118.82%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$19.14 CA$26.77

$19.41 CA$27.14

-1.39%

Cinema Ticket

$10.63 CA$14.87

$11.23 CA$15.71

-5.34%

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

$535 CA$748

$525 CA$734

1.89%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$9,862 CA$13.8K

$16.3K CA$22.8K

-39.61%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$66.9 CA$93.6

$58.0 CA$81.1

15.40%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$51.5 CA$72.0

$38.11 CA$53.3

35.06%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$81.7 CA$114

$93.4 CA$131

-12.55%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$96.2 CA$135

$110 CA$154

-12.69%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,041 CA$1,457

$1,285 CA$1,797

-18.96%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$836 CA$1,169

$977 CA$1,366

-14.41%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,540 CA$2,153

$2,271 CA$3,176

-32.20%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,322 CA$1,849

$1,665 CA$2,329

-20.59%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$2,435 CA$3,405

$5,139 CA$7,188

-52.62%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,776 CA$2,484

$3,834 CA$5,363

-53.69%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$2,823 CA$3,949

$3,002 CA$4,199

-5.96%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

4.57

4.48

2.01%

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

Last update for St. John's, Newfoundland and Labrador: October 24, 2026

Last update for Montreal: October 25, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

St. John's, Newfoundland and Labrador

$836 39.3%

Montreal

$977 47.3% 16.8% $141

Groceries & Markets

St. John's, Newfoundland and Labrador

$415 19.5%

Montreal

$351 17% 15.4% $64

Monthly Utilities & Internet

St. John's, Newfoundland and Labrador

$300 14.1%

Montreal

$157 7.6% 47.7% $143

Eating Out

St. John's, Newfoundland and Labrador

$279 13.1%

Montreal

$291 14.1% 4.3% $12

Clothing & Footwear

St. John's, Newfoundland and Labrador

$133 6.3%

Montreal

$135 6.5% 1.1% $1.5

Sport & Entertainment

St. John's, Newfoundland and Labrador

$89 4.2%

Montreal

$54 2.6% 40.1% $36

Getting Around

St. John's, Newfoundland and Labrador

$75 3.5%

Montreal

$100 4.9% 33.4% $25

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $1,041 in St. John’s, Newfoundland and Labrador versus $1,285 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 6% higher in Montreal, 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 $72 in St. John’s, Newfoundland and Labrador versus $73 in Montreal. Groceries tell a different story – $415 in St. John’s, Newfoundland and Labrador vs $351 in Montreal – so Montreal wins on supermarket bills even if dining out costs more.

Good to know

🇨🇦 St. John's, Newfoundland and Labrador

🇨🇦 Montreal

🕒 Local time

22:35 10:35 PM

21:05 9:05 PM

1 h 30 min behind St. John's, Newfoundland and Labrador

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

110,525

1,762,949

💱 Currency

Canadian Dollar CAD $

📈 Exchange rate

1 CAD = 0.715 USD

1 CAD = 0.642 EUR

1 CAD = 0.715 USD

1 CAD = 0.642 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

On the map

Lowest

Highest

Between locations

St. John's, Newfoundland and Labrador Montreal 1,610 km ≈ 2 h 30 min nonstop flight

From you

St. John's, Newfoundland and Labrador
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

St. John's, Newfoundland and Labrador vs Montreal: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

St. John’s, Newfoundland and Labrador costs about 3% 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 $3,192 per month in St. John’s, Newfoundland and Labrador and $3,096 in Montreal. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

Rent is clearly cheaper in St. John’s, Newfoundland and Labrador, especially for central apartments: a one-bedroom in the center costs $1,041 there versus $1,285 in Montreal.

Public transport costs about 30% less in St. John’s, Newfoundland and Labrador. For daily commuters, that gap adds up to noticeable savings over a year.

Groceries cost about 18% more in St. John’s, Newfoundland and Labrador, though the gap depends on what you buy.

$2,000 is a stretch for both – monthly costs hit $2,128 in St. John’s, Newfoundland and Labrador and $2,064 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 $2,064 in Montreal to $2,128 in St. John’s, Newfoundland and Labrador. Climate, culture, job market, and personal taste all factor in.