Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Toronto and Montreal

For one person, living is cheaper in Montreal: $2,064 a month against $2,589 in Toronto, rent and utilities included – about $6,300 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

125

Cost of Living Index in Toronto
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Toronto Living Index
99

Cost of Living Index in Montreal
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Montreal Living Index

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Toronto

🇨🇦 Canada

$2,589

/mo nomad

Montreal

🇨🇦 Canada

$2,064

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

A single person spends $2,589 per month in Toronto vs $2,064 in Montreal, rent included.

Toronto $2,589
Montreal $2,064

A couple spends around $3,710 per month in Toronto vs $3,156 in Montreal, rent included.

Toronto $3,710
Montreal $3,156

A family of three spends $4,831 per month in Toronto vs $4,247 in Montreal, rent included.

Toronto $4,831
Montreal $4,247

Toronto costs about 25% more than Montreal, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in transport.

Both Toronto and Montreal sit above the global median – Toronto by 90%, Montreal by 52%.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$17.60 CA$24.73

$18.98 CA$26.67

-7.27%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$77.8 CA$109

$73.0 CA$103

6.62%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$10.59 CA$14.87

$10.88 CA$15.29

-2.67%

Cappuccino

$4.16 CA$5.84

$3.81 CA$5.36

9.19%

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

$2.04 CA$2.87

$1.94 CA$2.73

5.15%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.75 CA$2.46

$1.58 CA$2.22

10.76%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$6.58 CA$9.24

$6.37 CA$8.95

3.30%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$7.11 CA$9.99

$7.26 CA$10.21

-2.07%

Milk (1 liter)

$2.53 CA$3.56

$2.23 CA$3.13

13.45%

White Bread (500g)

$2.70 CA$3.80

$3.17 CA$4.46

-14.83%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.24 CA$3.15

$3.31 CA$4.65

-32.33%

Eggs

$3.48 CA$4.89

$3.63 CA$5.10

-4.13%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$9.38 CA$13.17

$13.16 CA$18.49

-28.72%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$11.60 CA$16.29

$11.56 CA$16.24

0.35%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$14.68 CA$20.63

$13.71 CA$19.27

7.08%

Apples (1kg)

$3.74 CA$5.26

$3.29 CA$4.62

13.68%

Banana (1kg)

$1.22 CA$1.72

$1.46 CA$2.05

-16.44%

Oranges (1kg)

$3.48 CA$4.89

$3.37 CA$4.73

3.26%

Tomato (1kg)

$4.32 CA$6.07

$3.15 CA$4.42

37.14%

Potato (1kg)

$1.85 CA$2.60

$1.89 CA$2.65

-2.12%

Onion (1kg)

$1.69 CA$2.38

$1.79 CA$2.52

-5.59%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.23 CA$3.13

$2.47 CA$3.47

-9.72%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.28 CA$1.79

$1.58 CA$2.22

-18.99%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$14.04 CA$19.73

$11.28 CA$15.85

24.47%

Wine (Bottle)

$14.43 CA$20.27

$10.49 CA$14.74

37.56%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.16 CA$3.03

$2.34 CA$3.28

-7.69%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.52 CA$3.55

$2.91 CA$4.09

-13.40%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.37 CA$3.33

$2.61 CA$3.67

-9.20%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$112 CA$158

$79.1 CA$111

42.12%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.04 CA$4.27

$3.26 CA$4.58

-6.75%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.24 CA$1.74

$1.44 CA$2.02

-13.89%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$22.55 CA$31.69

$33.43 CA$46.97

-32.55%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.24 CA$1.75

$1.33 CA$1.87

-6.77%

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

$26.9K CA$37.8K

$28.6K CA$40.2K

-6.04%

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

$21.4K CA$30.0K

$21.1K CA$29.6K

1.36%

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

$125 CA$175

$80.1 CA$112

55.68%

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

$33.05 CA$46.44

$34.30 CA$48.19

-3.64%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$47.96 CA$67.4

$42.85 CA$60.2

11.93%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$36.69 CA$51.6

$31.14 CA$43.76

17.82%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$23.67 CA$33.26

$19.41 CA$27.27

21.95%

Cinema Ticket

$13.08 CA$18.37

$11.23 CA$15.78

16.47%

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

$759 CA$1,066

$525 CA$738

44.53%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$23.8K CA$33.4K

$16.3K CA$22.9K

45.64%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$53.5 CA$75.2

$58.0 CA$81.5

-7.69%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$40.44 CA$56.8

$38.11 CA$53.5

6.11%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$100 CA$141

$93.4 CA$131

7.57%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$125 CA$176

$110 CA$155

13.66%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,630 CA$2,290

$1,285 CA$1,806

26.83%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,416 CA$1,989

$977 CA$1,372

44.96%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,694 CA$3,785

$2,271 CA$3,190

18.64%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,101 CA$2,952

$1,665 CA$2,339

26.20%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$7,551 CA$10.6K

$5,139 CA$7,221

46.92%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$6,674 CA$9,377

$3,834 CA$5,387

74.05%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$3,543 CA$4,978

$3,002 CA$4,218

18.03%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

4.45

4.48

-0.67%

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

Last update for Toronto: October 26, 2026

Last update for Montreal: October 25, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Toronto

$1.4K 54.7%

Montreal

$977 47.3% 31% $439

Groceries & Markets

Toronto

$345 13.3%

Montreal

$351 17% 1.8% $6.3

Eating Out

Toronto

$285 11%

Montreal

$291 14.1% 2.1% $6

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Toronto

$206 7.9%

Montreal

$157 7.6% 23.6% $48

Clothing & Footwear

Toronto

$144 5.6%

Montreal

$135 6.5% 6.3% $9

Getting Around

Toronto

$131 5.1%

Montreal

$100 4.9% 23.7% $31

Sport & Entertainment

Toronto

$63 2.4%

Montreal

$54 2.6% 14.7% $9.3

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $1,630 in Toronto 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 18% higher in Toronto, 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 $78 in Toronto versus $73 in Montreal. Groceries tell a different story – $345 in Toronto vs $351 in Montreal – so Toronto wins on supermarket bills even if dining out costs more.

Good to know

🇨🇦 Toronto

🇨🇦 Montreal

🕒 Local time

05:36 5:36 AM

Same time as Toronto

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

2,731,571

1,762,949

💱 Currency

Canadian Dollar CAD $

📈 Exchange rate

1 CAD = 0.712 USD

1 CAD = 0.64 EUR

1 CAD = 0.712 USD

1 CAD = 0.64 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

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Between locations

Toronto Montreal 500 km ≈ 1 h 15 min nonstop flight

From you

Toronto
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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

Toronto vs Montreal: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Toronto costs about 25% 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 $3,883 per month in Toronto 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 Montreal, especially for central apartments: a one-bedroom in the center costs $1,285 there versus $1,630 in Toronto.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $78 in Toronto 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 30% 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 $2,589 in Toronto 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, better infrastructure, or specific career opportunities are the priority, Toronto makes more sense. Both are solid long-term options with distinct trade-offs.