Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Tofino and Montreal

For one person, living is cheaper in Montreal: $2,018 a month against $2,360 in Tofino, rent and utilities included – about $4,100 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

115

Cost of Living Index in Tofino
Learn more

Tofino Living Index
99

Cost of Living Index in Montreal
Learn more

Montreal Living Index

Jump to prices

Tofino

🇨🇦 Canada

$2,360

/mo nomad

Montreal

🇨🇦 Canada

$2,018

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

A single person spends $2,360 per month in Tofino vs $2,018 in Montreal, rent included.

Tofino $2,360
Montreal $2,018

A couple spends around $4,067 per month in Tofino vs $3,085 in Montreal, rent included.

Tofino $4,067
Montreal $3,085

A family of three spends $5,775 per month in Tofino vs $4,152 in Montreal, rent included.

Tofino $5,775
Montreal $4,152

Tofino costs about 17% more than Montreal, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in utilities.

Both Tofino and Montreal sit above the global median – Tofino by 75%, Montreal by 49%.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$19.03 CA$26.91

$18.82 CA$26.61

1.12%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$69.3 CA$97.9

$70.3 CA$99.4

-1.47%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$10.89 CA$15.40

$10.66 CA$15.06

2.16%

Cappuccino

$4.41 CA$6.23

$3.84 CA$5.43

14.84%

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

$2.23 CA$3.15

$1.92 CA$2.71

16.15%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.87 CA$2.64

$1.54 CA$2.18

21.43%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$5.72 CA$8.09

$6.23 CA$8.81

-8.19%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$5.46 CA$7.72

$7.10 CA$10.03

-23.10%

Milk (1 liter)

$2.15 CA$3.04

$2.31 CA$3.27

-6.93%

White Bread (500g)

$2.92 CA$4.13

$3.14 CA$4.44

-7.01%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$4.13 CA$5.84

$3.21 CA$4.54

28.66%

Eggs

$4.16 CA$5.88

$3.52 CA$4.97

18.18%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$9.71 CA$13.72

$12.81 CA$18.11

-24.20%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$7.20 CA$10.19

$11.46 CA$16.20

-37.17%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$10.33 CA$14.60

$13.39 CA$18.92

-22.85%

Apples (1kg)

$3.83 CA$5.42

$3.14 CA$4.43

21.97%

Banana (1kg)

$1.42 CA$2.01

$1.44 CA$2.03

-1.39%

Oranges (1kg)

$3.90 CA$5.51

$3.47 CA$4.91

12.39%

Tomato (1kg)

$4.07 CA$5.75

$3.07 CA$4.34

32.57%

Potato (1kg)

$3.39 CA$4.79

$1.90 CA$2.69

78.42%

Onion (1kg)

$2.95 CA$4.17

$1.77 CA$2.50

66.67%

Lettuce (1 head)

$3.17 CA$4.48

$2.34 CA$3.31

35.47%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$2.46 CA$3.48

$1.55 CA$2.19

58.71%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$14.45 CA$20.42

$11.38 CA$16.09

26.98%

Wine (Bottle)

$14.96 CA$21.15

$10.63 CA$15.03

40.73%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$3.83 CA$5.41

$2.27 CA$3.21

68.72%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.62 CA$5.11

$2.82 CA$3.99

28.37%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.21 CA$3.13

$2.66 CA$3.76

-16.92%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$61.5 CA$87.0

$77.3 CA$109

-20.39%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$2.77 CA$3.91

$3.20 CA$4.53

-13.44%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.52 CA$2.15

$1.48 CA$2.09

2.70%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$34.11 CA$48.21

$32.88 CA$46.48

3.74%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.36 CA$1.92

$1.34 CA$1.90

1.49%

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

$27.6K CA$39.0K

$28.2K CA$39.8K

-1.99%

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

$18.1K CA$25.5K

$19.6K CA$27.8K

-7.98%

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

$99.1 CA$140

$76.0 CA$107

30.44%

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

$43.98 CA$62.2

$33.95 CA$48.00

29.54%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$60.9 CA$86.1

$42.31 CA$59.8

44.03%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$40.69 CA$57.5

$29.76 CA$42.07

36.73%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$19.60 CA$27.71

$20.28 CA$28.67

-3.35%

Cinema Ticket

$10.43 CA$14.74

$11.15 CA$15.77

-6.46%

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

$907 CA$1,282

$507 CA$717

78.77%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$22.9K CA$32.4K

$16.1K CA$22.7K

42.65%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$52.1 CA$73.7

$57.6 CA$81.4

-9.42%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$44.32 CA$62.7

$37.58 CA$53.1

17.94%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$91.1 CA$129

$91.9 CA$130

-0.87%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$108 CA$152

$110 CA$155

-1.62%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,265 CA$1,788

$1,260 CA$1,782

0.36%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,228 CA$1,737

$948 CA$1,340

29.64%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$3,366 CA$4,758

$2,137 CA$3,021

57.51%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$3,184 CA$4,501

$1,614 CA$2,281

97.32%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,651 CA$5,161

$4,960 CA$7,011

-26.39%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$3,550 CA$5,019

$3,838 CA$5,425

-7.49%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,254 CA$1,772

$2,827 CA$3,997

-55.66%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

4.31

4.48

-3.79%

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

Last update for Tofino: October 10, 2026

Last update for Montreal: October 12, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Tofino

$1.2K 52.1%

Montreal

$948 47% 22.9% $281

Groceries & Markets

Tofino

$358 15.2%

Montreal

$346 17.2% 3.3% $12

Eating Out

Tofino

$294 12.5%

Montreal

$288 14.3% 2% $5.9

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Tofino

$204 8.7%

Montreal

$152 7.5% 25.4% $52

Clothing & Footwear

Tofino

$133 5.6%

Montreal

$133 6.6% 0.4% $0.6

Getting Around

Tofino

$81 3.4%

Montreal

$99 4.9% 22% $18

Sport & Entertainment

Tofino

$62 2.6%

Montreal

$52 2.6% 15.4% $9.5

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $1,265 in Tofino 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.

Salaries run about 126% 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 $69.0 in Tofino versus $70.0 in Montreal. Groceries tell a different story – $358 in Tofino vs $346 in Montreal – so Montreal wins on supermarket bills even if dining out costs more.

Good to know

🇨🇦 Tofino

🇨🇦 Montreal

🕒 Local time

18:42 6:42 PM

21:42 9:42 PM

3 h ahead of Tofino

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

2,200

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

Lowest

Highest

Between locations

Tofino Montreal 3,890 km ≈ 5 h nonstop flight

From you

Tofino
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

Tofino vs Montreal: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Tofino costs about 17% more than Montreal, and outside of rent the gap comes mainly from utilities. That's enough to noticeably affect everyday spending and lifestyle for anyone choosing between the two.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $3,539 per month in Tofino 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.

Groceries cost about 3% more in Tofino, 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 $69.0 in Tofino 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 Tofino at $2,360. In Montreal it covers expenses comfortably, while in Tofino it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.

For digital nomads, it depends on budget. Montreal costs $2,018 versus $2,360 in Tofino. 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, Tofino makes more sense. Both are solid long-term options with distinct trade-offs.