Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Surrey, Canada and Montreal

For one person, living is cheaper in Montreal: $2,064 a month against $2,338 in Surrey, rent and utilities included – about $3,300 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

112

Cost of Living Index in Surrey
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Surrey Living Index
99

Cost of Living Index in Montreal
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Montreal Living Index

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Surrey

🇨🇦 Canada

$2,338

/mo nomad

Montreal

🇨🇦 Canada

$2,064

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

A single person spends $2,338 per month in Surrey vs $2,064 in Montreal, rent included.

Surrey $2,338
Montreal $2,064

A couple spends around $3,564 per month in Surrey vs $3,156 in Montreal, rent included.

Surrey $3,564
Montreal $3,156

A family of three spends $4,791 per month in Surrey vs $4,247 in Montreal, rent included.

Surrey $4,791
Montreal $4,247

Surrey costs about 13% more than Montreal, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in transport.

Both Surrey and Montreal sit above the global median – Surrey by 72%, Montreal by 52%.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$18.11 CA$25.31

$18.98 CA$26.53

-4.58%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$57.5 CA$80.3

$73.0 CA$102

-21.24%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$10.06 CA$14.06

$10.88 CA$15.20

-7.54%

Cappuccino

$3.52 CA$4.92

$3.81 CA$5.33

-7.61%

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

$2.01 CA$2.81

$1.94 CA$2.71

3.61%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.50 CA$2.10

$1.58 CA$2.21

-5.06%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$6.01 CA$8.40

$6.37 CA$8.90

-5.65%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$5.63 CA$7.87

$7.26 CA$10.15

-22.45%

Milk (1 liter)

$2.47 CA$3.46

$2.23 CA$3.11

10.76%

White Bread (500g)

$2.10 CA$2.94

$3.17 CA$4.44

-33.75%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$3.64 CA$5.09

$3.31 CA$4.62

9.97%

Eggs

$3.22 CA$4.50

$3.63 CA$5.07

-11.29%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$9.77 CA$13.65

$13.16 CA$18.39

-25.76%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$10.57 CA$14.78

$11.56 CA$16.15

-8.56%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$20.34 CA$28.42

$13.71 CA$19.16

48.36%

Apples (1kg)

$3.33 CA$4.65

$3.29 CA$4.60

1.22%

Banana (1kg)

$1.30 CA$1.82

$1.46 CA$2.04

-10.96%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.94 CA$4.10

$3.37 CA$4.71

-12.76%

Tomato (1kg)

$3.02 CA$4.23

$3.15 CA$4.40

-4.13%

Potato (1kg)

$2.59 CA$3.62

$1.89 CA$2.64

37.04%

Onion (1kg)

$2.15 CA$3.01

$1.79 CA$2.51

20.11%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.00 CA$2.80

$2.47 CA$3.45

-19.03%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.83 CA$2.56

$1.58 CA$2.21

15.82%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$14.11 CA$19.72

$11.28 CA$15.77

25.09%

Wine (Bottle)

$14.20 CA$19.85

$10.49 CA$14.66

35.37%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.45 CA$3.43

$2.34 CA$3.26

4.70%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.23 CA$4.51

$2.91 CA$4.07

11.00%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.55 CA$3.57

$2.61 CA$3.65

-2.30%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$110 CA$154

$79.1 CA$111

39.53%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$2.64 CA$3.69

$3.26 CA$4.56

-19.02%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.60 CA$2.23

$1.44 CA$2.01

11.11%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$28.02 CA$39.15

$33.43 CA$46.71

-16.18%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.38 CA$1.92

$1.33 CA$1.86

3.76%

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

$28.2K CA$39.3K

$28.6K CA$40.0K

-1.65%

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

$21.7K CA$30.3K

$21.1K CA$29.5K

2.89%

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

$187 CA$261

$80.1 CA$112

132.95%

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

$37.14 CA$51.9

$34.30 CA$47.93

8.28%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$65.7 CA$91.9

$42.85 CA$59.9

53.42%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$31.83 CA$44.48

$31.14 CA$43.52

2.22%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$25.35 CA$35.42

$19.41 CA$27.12

30.60%

Cinema Ticket

$12.18 CA$17.02

$11.23 CA$15.69

8.46%

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

$668 CA$934

$525 CA$734

27.30%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$12.1K CA$16.9K

$16.3K CA$22.8K

-26.09%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$55.0 CA$76.8

$58.0 CA$81.0

-5.22%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$61.1 CA$85.4

$38.11 CA$53.3

60.33%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$99.5 CA$139

$93.4 CA$131

6.51%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$90.8 CA$127

$110 CA$154

-17.63%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,376 CA$1,923

$1,285 CA$1,796

7.07%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,094 CA$1,528

$977 CA$1,365

11.97%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,606 CA$3,641

$2,271 CA$3,173

14.76%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,095 CA$2,927

$1,665 CA$2,326

25.83%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$6,631 CA$9,265

$5,139 CA$7,181

29.02%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$5,166 CA$7,218

$3,834 CA$5,358

34.72%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$3,156 CA$4,410

$3,002 CA$4,195

5.14%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

4.87

4.48

8.71%

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

Last update for Surrey: October 25, 2026

Last update for Montreal: October 25, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Surrey

$1.1K 46.8%

Montreal

$977 47.3% 10.7% $117

Groceries & Markets

Surrey

$357 15.3%

Montreal

$351 17% 1.6% $5.7

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Surrey

$289 12.4%

Montreal

$157 7.6% 45.7% $132

Eating Out

Surrey

$273 11.7%

Montreal

$291 14.1% 6.6% $18

Clothing & Footwear

Surrey

$138 5.9%

Montreal

$135 6.5% 2.2% $3

Getting Around

Surrey

$131 5.6%

Montreal

$100 4.9% 23.8% $31

Sport & Entertainment

Surrey

$56 2.4%

Montreal

$54 2.6% 4.6% $2.6

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $1,376 in Surrey 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 5% higher in Surrey, which partly offsets the higher cost of living there. Purchasing power depends on which expenses matter most to you.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $57 in Surrey versus $73 in Montreal. Groceries tell a different story – $357 in Surrey vs $351 in Montreal – so Montreal wins on supermarket bills even if dining out costs more.

Good to know

🇨🇦 Surrey

🇨🇦 Montreal

🕒 Local time

01:48 1:48 AM

03:48 3:48 AM

2 h ahead of Surrey

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

517,887

1,762,949

💱 Currency

Canadian Dollar CAD $

📈 Exchange rate

1 CAD = 0.716 USD

1 CAD = 0.641 EUR

1 CAD = 0.716 USD

1 CAD = 0.641 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

On the map

Lowest

Highest

Between locations

Surrey Montreal 3,670 km ≈ 5 h nonstop flight

From you

Surrey
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

Surrey vs Montreal: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Surrey costs about 13% more than Montreal, and outside of rent the gap comes mainly from transport. That’s enough to noticeably affect everyday spending and lifestyle for anyone choosing between the two.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $3,507 per month in Surrey 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 $1,376 in Surrey and $1,285 in Montreal. The gap holds across neighborhoods – outer areas show a similar spread, just at lower price points.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $57 in Surrey and $73 in Montreal. That’s a good indicator of the overall restaurant and café pricing gap between the two cities.

Public transport costs about 28% less in Montreal. For daily commuters, that gap adds up to noticeable savings over a year.

$2,000 is a stretch for both – monthly costs hit $2,338 in Surrey and $2,064 in Montreal. You’ll need shared housing and careful budgeting no matter which city you pick.

Families tend to lean toward Montreal – lower housing and cheaper childcare make a real difference, especially on a single income or when paying for private education.

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