Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Stratford, ON and Montreal

For one person, living is cheaper in Stratford, ON: $1,992 a month against $2,064 in Montreal, rent and utilities included – about $860 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

96

Cost of Living Index in Stratford, ON
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Stratford, ON Living Index
99

Cost of Living Index in Montreal
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Montreal Living Index

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Stratford, ON

🇨🇦 Canada

$1,992

/mo nomad

Montreal

🇨🇦 Canada

$2,064

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

A single person spends $1,992 per month in Stratford, ON vs $2,064 in Montreal, rent included.

Stratford, ON $1,992
Montreal $2,064

A couple spends around $3,189 per month in Stratford, ON vs $3,156 in Montreal, rent included.

Stratford, ON $3,189
Montreal $3,156

A family of three spends $4,387 per month in Stratford, ON vs $4,247 in Montreal, rent included.

Stratford, ON $4,387
Montreal $4,247

Stratford, ON is about 3% cheaper than Montreal, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

Both Stratford, ON and Montreal sit above the global median – Stratford, ON by 46%, Montreal by 52%.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$17.70 CA$24.84

$18.98 CA$26.64

-6.74%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$49.39 CA$69.3

$73.0 CA$102

-32.32%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$11.27 CA$15.82

$10.88 CA$15.27

3.58%

Cappuccino

$3.46 CA$4.85

$3.81 CA$5.35

-9.19%

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

$1.49 CA$2.09

$1.94 CA$2.72

-23.20%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.33 CA$1.86

$1.58 CA$2.22

-15.82%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$4.16 CA$5.84

$6.37 CA$8.94

-34.69%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.58 CA$6.43

$7.26 CA$10.20

-36.91%

Milk (1 liter)

$2.14 CA$3.00

$2.23 CA$3.13

-4.04%

White Bread (500g)

$2.90 CA$4.07

$3.17 CA$4.45

-8.52%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$3.75 CA$5.27

$3.31 CA$4.64

13.29%

Eggs

$3.04 CA$4.26

$3.63 CA$5.09

-16.25%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$10.42 CA$14.62

$13.16 CA$18.47

-20.82%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$11.60 CA$16.28

$11.56 CA$16.22

0.35%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$22.09 CA$30.99

$13.71 CA$19.25

61.12%

Apples (1kg)

$3.63 CA$5.09

$3.29 CA$4.62

10.33%

Banana (1kg)

$1.06 CA$1.49

$1.46 CA$2.05

-27.40%

Oranges (1kg)

$4.40 CA$6.18

$3.37 CA$4.73

30.56%

Tomato (1kg)

$4.55 CA$6.38

$3.15 CA$4.42

44.44%

Potato (1kg)

$3.46 CA$4.85

$1.89 CA$2.65

83.07%

Onion (1kg)

$2.30 CA$3.23

$1.79 CA$2.52

28.49%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.49 CA$3.50

$2.47 CA$3.47

0.81%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.47 CA$2.07

$1.58 CA$2.22

-6.96%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$11.13 CA$15.62

$11.28 CA$15.84

-1.33%

Wine (Bottle)

$10.88 CA$15.27

$10.49 CA$14.73

3.72%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$3.36 CA$4.72

$2.34 CA$3.28

43.59%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.16 CA$4.43

$2.91 CA$4.09

8.59%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.09 CA$2.93

$2.61 CA$3.66

-19.92%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$49.32 CA$69.2

$79.1 CA$111

-37.67%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$2.33 CA$3.26

$3.26 CA$4.57

-28.53%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.84 CA$2.59

$1.44 CA$2.02

27.78%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$24.43 CA$34.28

$33.43 CA$46.92

-26.92%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.08 CA$1.52

$1.33 CA$1.87

-18.80%

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

$27.7K CA$38.9K

$28.6K CA$40.2K

-3.21%

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

$22.8K CA$31.9K

$21.1K CA$29.6K

7.86%

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

$121 CA$170

$80.1 CA$112

51.25%

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

$39.64 CA$55.6

$34.30 CA$48.14

15.57%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$31.75 CA$44.55

$42.85 CA$60.1

-25.90%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$42.49 CA$59.6

$31.14 CA$43.71

36.45%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$19.24 CA$27.01

$19.41 CA$27.24

-0.88%

Cinema Ticket

$10.31 CA$14.47

$11.23 CA$15.76

-8.19%

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

$823 CA$1,155

$525 CA$737

56.79%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$17.0K CA$23.8K

$16.3K CA$22.9K

3.86%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$64.3 CA$90.3

$58.0 CA$81.4

10.91%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$37.14 CA$52.1

$38.11 CA$53.5

-2.55%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$86.1 CA$121

$93.4 CA$131

-7.79%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$126 CA$177

$110 CA$155

14.69%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,209 CA$1,697

$1,285 CA$1,803

-5.90%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$883 CA$1,239

$977 CA$1,371

-9.64%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,117 CA$2,971

$2,271 CA$3,187

-6.77%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,892 CA$2,655

$1,665 CA$2,336

13.63%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,782 CA$5,308

$5,139 CA$7,212

-26.41%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$3,834 CA$5,381

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$2,765 CA$3,881

$3,002 CA$4,213

-7.89%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

4.99

4.48

11.38%

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

Last update for Stratford, ON: October 27, 2026

Last update for Montreal: October 25, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Stratford, ON

$883 44.3%

Montreal

$977 47.3% 10.7% $94

Groceries & Markets

Stratford, ON

$385 19.4%

Montreal

$351 17% 8.9% $34

Eating Out

Stratford, ON

$258 13%

Montreal

$291 14.1% 12.6% $33

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Stratford, ON

$192 9.7%

Montreal

$157 7.6% 18.3% $35

Clothing & Footwear

Stratford, ON

$141 7.1%

Montreal

$135 6.5% 4.6% $6.4

Getting Around

Stratford, ON

$69 3.5%

Montreal

$100 4.9% 44.5% $31

Sport & Entertainment

Stratford, ON

$63 3.2%

Montreal

$54 2.6% 15.1% $9.5

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $1,209 in Stratford, ON 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 9% higher in Montreal. Purchasing power depends on which expenses matter most to you.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $49 in Stratford, ON versus $73 in Montreal. Groceries tell a different story – $385 in Stratford, ON vs $351 in Montreal – so Montreal wins on supermarket bills even if dining out costs more.

Good to know

🇨🇦 Stratford, ON

🇨🇦 Montreal

🕒 Local time

20:37 8:37 PM

Same time as Stratford, ON

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

31,465

1,762,949

💱 Currency

Canadian Dollar CAD $

📈 Exchange rate

1 CAD = 0.713 USD

1 CAD = 0.64 EUR

1 CAD = 0.713 USD

1 CAD = 0.64 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

On the map

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Between locations

Stratford, ON Montreal 630 km ≈ 1 h 15 min nonstop flight

From you

Stratford, ON
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

Stratford, ON vs Montreal: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Montreal costs about 4% more than Stratford, ON, 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 $2,988 per month in Stratford, ON and $3,096 in Montreal. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

A central 1-bedroom goes for about $1,209 in Stratford, ON and $1,285 in Montreal. The gap holds across neighborhoods – outer areas show a similar spread, just at lower price points.

Interestingly, groceries are about 9% cheaper in Montreal – one category where the pricier city actually offers better value.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $49 in Stratford, ON and $73 in Montreal. That’s a good indicator of the overall restaurant and café pricing gap between the two cities.

$3,000 covers both cities comfortably – all-in costs are $1,992 in Stratford, ON and $2,064 in Montreal, leaving budget for savings and extras in both cases.

It depends on your priorities. Montreal has an edge in some lifestyle areas, with costs from $1,992 in Stratford, ON to $2,064 in Montreal. Climate, culture, job market, and personal taste all factor in.

If budget matters most, go with Stratford, ON. If higher salaries or specific career opportunities are the priority, Montreal makes more sense. Both are solid long-term options with distinct trade-offs.