Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Vancouver and Montreal

For one person, living is cheaper in Montreal: $2,064 a month against $2,725 in Vancouver, rent and utilities included – about $7,900 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

130

Cost of Living Index in Vancouver
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Vancouver Living Index
99

Cost of Living Index in Montreal
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Montreal Living Index

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Vancouver

🇨🇦 Canada

$2,725

/mo nomad

Montreal

🇨🇦 Canada

$2,064

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

A single person spends $2,725 per month in Vancouver vs $2,064 in Montreal, rent included.

Vancouver $2,725
Montreal $2,064

A couple spends around $4,039 per month in Vancouver vs $3,156 in Montreal, rent included.

Vancouver $4,039
Montreal $3,156

A family of three spends $5,352 per month in Vancouver vs $4,247 in Montreal, rent included.

Vancouver $5,352
Montreal $4,247

Vancouver costs about 32% more than Montreal, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Both Vancouver and Montreal sit above the global median – Vancouver by 100%, Montreal by 52%.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$17.65 CA$24.80

$18.98 CA$26.67

-7.01%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$72.4 CA$102

$73.0 CA$103

-0.78%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$10.84 CA$15.23

$10.88 CA$15.29

-0.37%

Cappuccino

$3.91 CA$5.50

$3.81 CA$5.36

2.62%

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

$2.10 CA$2.95

$1.94 CA$2.73

8.25%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.64 CA$2.30

$1.58 CA$2.22

3.80%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$5.74 CA$8.06

$6.37 CA$8.95

-9.89%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$6.36 CA$8.94

$7.26 CA$10.21

-12.40%

Milk (1 liter)

$2.21 CA$3.11

$2.23 CA$3.13

-0.90%

White Bread (500g)

$2.64 CA$3.71

$3.17 CA$4.46

-16.72%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$4.68 CA$6.57

$3.31 CA$4.65

41.39%

Eggs

$4.24 CA$5.95

$3.63 CA$5.10

16.80%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$11.92 CA$16.75

$13.16 CA$18.49

-9.42%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$13.12 CA$18.44

$11.56 CA$16.24

13.49%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$20.40 CA$28.66

$13.71 CA$19.27

48.80%

Apples (1kg)

$4.10 CA$5.76

$3.29 CA$4.62

24.62%

Banana (1kg)

$1.38 CA$1.94

$1.46 CA$2.05

-5.48%

Oranges (1kg)

$3.83 CA$5.38

$3.37 CA$4.73

13.65%

Tomato (1kg)

$3.92 CA$5.50

$3.15 CA$4.42

24.44%

Potato (1kg)

$2.77 CA$3.90

$1.89 CA$2.65

46.56%

Onion (1kg)

$2.84 CA$3.98

$1.79 CA$2.52

58.66%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.60 CA$3.65

$2.47 CA$3.47

5.26%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.59 CA$2.24

$1.58 CA$2.22

0.63%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$15.87 CA$22.29

$11.28 CA$15.85

40.69%

Wine (Bottle)

$14.00 CA$19.66

$10.49 CA$14.74

33.46%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.57 CA$3.61

$2.34 CA$3.28

9.83%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.01 CA$4.24

$2.91 CA$4.09

3.44%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.55 CA$3.59

$2.61 CA$3.67

-2.30%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$84.1 CA$118

$79.1 CA$111

6.32%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$2.67 CA$3.75

$3.26 CA$4.58

-18.10%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.58 CA$2.23

$1.44 CA$2.02

9.72%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$32.19 CA$45.23

$33.43 CA$46.97

-3.71%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.45 CA$2.04

$1.33 CA$1.87

9.02%

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

$27.5K CA$38.6K

$28.6K CA$40.2K

-4.00%

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

$21.3K CA$30.0K

$21.1K CA$29.6K

1.07%

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

$82.5 CA$116

$80.1 CA$112

3.01%

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

$37.46 CA$52.6

$34.30 CA$48.19

9.21%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$51.7 CA$72.6

$42.85 CA$60.2

20.63%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$40.52 CA$56.9

$31.14 CA$43.76

30.12%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$12.69 CA$17.83

$19.41 CA$27.27

-34.62%

Cinema Ticket

$12.66 CA$17.79

$11.23 CA$15.78

12.73%

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

$1,080 CA$1,517

$525 CA$738

105.62%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$20.1K CA$28.3K

$16.3K CA$22.9K

23.37%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$58.5 CA$82.1

$58.0 CA$81.5

0.78%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$34.10 CA$47.91

$38.11 CA$53.5

-10.52%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$96.9 CA$136

$93.4 CA$131

3.76%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$97.4 CA$137

$110 CA$155

-11.61%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,813 CA$2,547

$1,285 CA$1,806

41.09%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,576 CA$2,214

$977 CA$1,372

61.32%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$3,217 CA$4,519

$2,271 CA$3,190

41.65%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,651 CA$3,725

$1,665 CA$2,339

59.25%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$8,590 CA$12.1K

$5,139 CA$7,221

67.14%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$6,649 CA$9,342

$3,834 CA$5,387

73.40%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$3,733 CA$5,245

$3,002 CA$4,218

24.34%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

4.28

4.48

-4.46%

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

Last update for Vancouver: 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

Vancouver

$1.6K 57.8%

Montreal

$977 47.3% 38% $599

Groceries & Markets

Vancouver

$401 14.7%

Montreal

$351 17% 12.4% $50

Eating Out

Vancouver

$277 10.2%

Montreal

$291 14.1% 5% $14

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Vancouver

$172 6.3%

Montreal

$157 7.6% 8.4% $14

Clothing & Footwear

Vancouver

$129 4.7%

Montreal

$135 6.5% 4.5% $5.8

Getting Around

Vancouver

$105 3.9%

Montreal

$100 4.9% 4.7% $4.9

Sport & Entertainment

Vancouver

$66 2.4%

Montreal

$54 2.6% 18.6% $12

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $1,813 in Vancouver 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 24% higher in Vancouver, 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 $72 in Vancouver versus $73 in Montreal. Groceries tell a different story – $401 in Vancouver vs $351 in Montreal – so Montreal wins on supermarket bills even if dining out costs more.

Good to know

🇨🇦 Vancouver

🇨🇦 Montreal

🕒 Local time

23:40 11:40 PM

02:40 2:40 AM

3 h ahead of Vancouver

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

631,486

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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Vancouver Montreal 3,690 km ≈ 5 h nonstop flight

From you

Vancouver
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City Median Internet Speeds Comparison (Updated April 2026)

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Digital Nomad Cost of Living Index

Vancouver vs Montreal: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Vancouver costs about 32% more than Montreal, and outside of rent the gap comes mainly from groceries. That’s enough to noticeably affect everyday spending and lifestyle for anyone choosing between the two.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $4,087 per month in Vancouver 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 $1,813 in Vancouver.

Public transport costs about 6% less in Montreal. For daily commuters, that gap adds up to noticeable savings over a year.

Groceries cost about 14% more in Vancouver, though it depends on what you buy. Local produce may be comparable; imported and premium items show the biggest price gap.

$2,000 is a stretch for both – monthly costs hit $2,725 in Vancouver 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, Vancouver makes more sense. Both are solid long-term options with distinct trade-offs.