Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Sydney, NS and Montreal

For one person, living is cheaper in Sydney, NS: $1,614 a month against $2,059 in Montreal, rent and utilities included – about $5,300 less a year. Rent and utilities account for about half of the difference.

78

Cost of Living Index in Sydney, NS
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Sydney, NS Living Index
99

Cost of Living Index in Montreal
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Montreal Living Index

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Sydney, NS

🇨🇦 Canada

$1,614

/mo nomad

Montreal

🇨🇦 Canada

$2,059

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

A single person spends $1,614 per month in Sydney, NS vs $2,059 in Montreal, rent included.

Sydney, NS $1,614
Montreal $2,059

A couple spends around $2,535 per month in Sydney, NS vs $3,123 in Montreal, rent included.

Sydney, NS $2,535
Montreal $3,123

A family of three spends $3,456 per month in Sydney, NS vs $4,187 in Montreal, rent included.

Sydney, NS $3,456
Montreal $4,187

Sydney, NS is about 22% cheaper than Montreal, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

Both Sydney, NS and Montreal sit above the global median – Sydney, NS by 19%, Montreal by 52%.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$11.13 CA$15.74

$18.84 CA$26.63

-40.92%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$62.3 CA$88.0

$73.2 CA$104

-14.95%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$7.16 CA$10.12

$10.54 CA$14.90

-32.07%

Cappuccino

$2.87 CA$4.06

$3.97 CA$5.61

-27.71%

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

$2.33 CA$3.30

$1.94 CA$2.74

20.10%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.07 CA$2.92

$1.57 CA$2.22

31.85%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$6.42 CA$9.08

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$7.20 CA$10.19

Milk (1 liter)

$2.15 CA$3.04

$2.32 CA$3.28

-7.33%

White Bread (500g)

$2.56 CA$3.61

$3.19 CA$4.51

-19.75%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.41 CA$3.41

$3.19 CA$4.50

-24.45%

Eggs

$3.32 CA$4.69

$3.68 CA$5.20

-9.78%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$6.27 CA$8.87

$13.24 CA$18.72

-52.64%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$8.23 CA$11.63

$11.69 CA$16.53

-29.60%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$12.99 CA$18.36

$13.98 CA$19.76

-7.08%

Apples (1kg)

$7.01 CA$9.91

$3.14 CA$4.44

123.25%

Banana (1kg)

$1.16 CA$1.63

$1.45 CA$2.05

-20.00%

Oranges (1kg)

$3.38 CA$4.78

Tomato (1kg)

$1.38 CA$1.95

$3.11 CA$4.40

-55.63%

Potato (1kg)

$0.84 CA$1.18

$1.93 CA$2.72

-56.48%

Onion (1kg)

$1.90 CA$2.68

$1.83 CA$2.58

3.83%

Lettuce (1 head)

$6.30 CA$8.90

$2.36 CA$3.34

166.95%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.50 CA$2.12

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$17.78 CA$25.14

$11.12 CA$15.73

59.89%

Wine (Bottle)

$10.60 CA$14.98

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.22 CA$3.14

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.18 CA$5.92

$2.84 CA$4.01

47.18%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.08 CA$1.53

$2.62 CA$3.71

-58.78%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$48.48 CA$68.5

$79.1 CA$112

-38.74%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$4.15 CA$5.87

$3.23 CA$4.56

28.48%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.48 CA$2.10

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$32.22 CA$45.55

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.20 CA$1.70

$1.36 CA$1.92

-11.76%

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

$25.7K CA$36.4K

$27.6K CA$39.1K

-6.87%

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

$19.1K CA$27.1K

$21.2K CA$30.0K

-9.64%

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

$86.3 CA$122

$77.0 CA$109

12.01%

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

$36.04 CA$51.0

$34.14 CA$48.26

5.57%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$73.3 CA$104

$42.19 CA$59.7

73.83%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$49.94 CA$70.6

$30.81 CA$43.56

62.09%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$3.45 CA$4.88

$19.66 CA$27.79

-82.45%

Cinema Ticket

$7.04 CA$9.96

$11.47 CA$16.22

-38.62%

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

$721 CA$1,020

$506 CA$716

42.52%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$16.2K CA$23.0K

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$68.1 CA$96.3

$57.3 CA$81.0

18.98%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$67.2 CA$95.1

$38.10 CA$53.9

76.46%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$99.7 CA$141

$91.9 CA$130

8.44%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$105 CA$148

$110 CA$155

-4.34%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$893 CA$1,262

$1,237 CA$1,748

-27.83%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$724 CA$1,024

$977 CA$1,381

-25.86%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,753 CA$2,479

$2,180 CA$3,082

-19.57%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,374 CA$1,943

$1,608 CA$2,273

-14.53%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$5,113 CA$7,228

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$3,744 CA$5,293

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$2,527 CA$3,573

$2,957 CA$4,180

-14.54%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

5.8

4.48

29.46%

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

Last update for Sydney, NS: October 17, 2026

Last update for Montreal: October 20, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Sydney, NS

$724 44.9%

Montreal

$977 47.4% 34.9% $253

Groceries & Markets

Sydney, NS

$258 * 16%

Montreal

$351 17.1% 36.3% $93

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Sydney, NS

$196 12.1%

Montreal

$153 7.5% 21.6% $42

Eating Out

Sydney, NS

$163 * 10.1%

Montreal

$290 14.1% 78.6% $128

Clothing & Footwear

Sydney, NS

$153 9.5%

Montreal

$134 6.5% 12.6% $19

Sport & Entertainment

Sydney, NS

$64 4%

Montreal

$54 2.6% 16% $10

Getting Around

Sydney, NS

$57 * 3.5%

Montreal

$100 4.9% 76.1% $43

Categories marked with * are only partly priced – their share counts the items that do have prices.

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $893 in Sydney, NS 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 17% higher in Montreal, 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 $62.0 in Sydney, NS versus $73.0 in Montreal. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $258 vs $351 – making Sydney, NS the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇨🇦 Sydney, NS

🇨🇦 Montreal

🕒 Local time

18:35 6:35 PM

17:35 5:35 PM

1 h behind Sydney, NS

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

30,960

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

Sydney, NS Montreal 1,040 km ≈ 1 h 45 min nonstop flight

From you

Sydney, NS
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

Sydney, NS vs Montreal: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Montreal costs about 28% more than Sydney, NS, 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 $2,421 per month in Sydney, NS 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 Sydney, NS, especially for central apartments. Housing is actually the single biggest factor behind the overall cost gap between these two cities.

Groceries cost about 36% more in Montreal, though it depends on what you buy. Local produce may be comparable; imported and premium items show the biggest price gap.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $62.0 in Sydney, NS and $73.0 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 Sydney, NS, where all-in costs run around $1,614, than in Montreal at $2,059. In Sydney, NS it covers expenses comfortably, while in Montreal it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.

For digital nomads, it depends on budget. Sydney, NS costs $1,614 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 Sydney, NS. 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.