Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Whistler and Montreal

For one person, living is cheaper in Montreal: $2,064 a month against $2,744 in Whistler, rent and utilities included – about $8,200 less a year. Higher rent and utilities in Whistler outweigh lower spending on other living expenses.

133

Cost of Living Index in Whistler
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Whistler Living Index
99

Cost of Living Index in Montreal
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Montreal Living Index

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Whistler

🇨🇦 Canada

$2,744

/mo nomad

Montreal

🇨🇦 Canada

$2,064

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

A single person spends $2,744 per month in Whistler vs $2,064 in Montreal, rent included.

Whistler $2,744
Montreal $2,064

A couple spends around $4,233 per month in Whistler vs $3,156 in Montreal, rent included.

Whistler $4,233
Montreal $3,156

A family of three spends $5,722 per month in Whistler vs $4,247 in Montreal, rent included.

Whistler $5,722
Montreal $4,247

Whistler costs about 33% more than Montreal, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in leisure.

Both Whistler and Montreal sit above the global median – Whistler by 102%, Montreal by 52%.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$19.66 CA$27.48

$18.98 CA$26.53

3.58%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$86.7 CA$121

$73.0 CA$102

18.80%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$12.33 CA$17.22

$10.88 CA$15.20

13.33%

Cappuccino

$3.62 CA$5.05

$3.81 CA$5.33

-4.99%

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

$2.38 CA$3.32

$1.94 CA$2.71

22.68%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.91 CA$2.66

$1.58 CA$2.21

20.89%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$5.88 CA$8.22

$6.37 CA$8.90

-7.69%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$6.56 CA$9.16

$7.26 CA$10.15

-9.64%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.84 CA$2.57

$2.23 CA$3.11

-17.49%

White Bread (500g)

$2.99 CA$4.18

$3.17 CA$4.44

-5.68%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.99 CA$4.18

$3.31 CA$4.62

-9.67%

Eggs

$3.88 CA$5.41

$3.63 CA$5.07

6.89%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$10.44 CA$14.59

$13.16 CA$18.39

-20.67%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$12.96 CA$18.11

$11.56 CA$16.15

12.11%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$17.81 CA$24.89

$13.71 CA$19.16

29.91%

Apples (1kg)

$3.84 CA$5.36

$3.29 CA$4.60

16.72%

Banana (1kg)

$1.22 CA$1.71

$1.46 CA$2.04

-16.44%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.86 CA$4.00

$3.37 CA$4.71

-15.13%

Tomato (1kg)

$4.07 CA$5.69

$3.15 CA$4.40

29.21%

Potato (1kg)

$2.11 CA$2.95

$1.89 CA$2.64

11.64%

Onion (1kg)

$2.18 CA$3.04

$1.79 CA$2.51

21.79%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.25 CA$3.15

$2.47 CA$3.45

-8.91%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.41 CA$1.97

$1.58 CA$2.21

-10.76%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$14.87 CA$20.78

$11.28 CA$15.77

31.83%

Wine (Bottle)

$15.56 CA$21.74

$10.49 CA$14.66

48.33%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.36 CA$3.30

$2.34 CA$3.26

0.85%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.10 CA$2.93

$2.91 CA$4.07

-27.84%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.73 CA$2.41

$2.61 CA$3.65

-33.72%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$38.94 CA$54.4

$79.1 CA$111

-50.79%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$2.09 CA$2.92

$3.26 CA$4.56

-35.89%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.40 CA$1.96

$1.44 CA$2.01

-2.78%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$31.79 CA$44.43

$33.43 CA$46.71

-4.91%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.21 CA$1.69

$1.33 CA$1.86

-9.02%

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

$28.2K CA$39.4K

$28.6K CA$40.0K

-1.55%

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

$17.8K CA$24.9K

$21.1K CA$29.5K

-15.53%

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

$109 CA$152

$80.1 CA$112

36.27%

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

$37.58 CA$52.5

$34.30 CA$47.93

9.56%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$52.2 CA$73.0

$42.85 CA$59.9

21.87%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$52.1 CA$72.8

$31.14 CA$43.52

67.28%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$10.75 CA$15.01

$19.41 CA$27.12

-44.62%

Cinema Ticket

$10.73 CA$14.99

$11.23 CA$15.69

-4.45%

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

$726 CA$1,015

$525 CA$734

38.29%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$10.8K CA$15.1K

$16.3K CA$22.8K

-34.01%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$63.3 CA$88.5

$58.0 CA$81.0

9.16%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$29.00 CA$40.52

$38.11 CA$53.3

-23.90%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$81.0 CA$113

$93.4 CA$131

-13.24%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$71.0 CA$99.2

$110 CA$154

-35.58%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,864 CA$2,604

$1,285 CA$1,796

45.04%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,642 CA$2,294

$977 CA$1,365

68.11%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$3,231 CA$4,514

$2,271 CA$3,173

42.27%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$3,092 CA$4,320

$1,665 CA$2,326

85.70%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$10.4K CA$14.5K

$5,139 CA$7,181

101.72%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$7,099 CA$9,919

$3,834 CA$5,358

85.13%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$3,105 CA$4,338

$3,002 CA$4,195

3.42%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

4.62

4.48

3.12%

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

Last update for Whistler: 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

Whistler

$1.6K 59.8%

Montreal

$977 47.3% 40.5% $665

Groceries & Markets

Whistler

$367 13.4%

Montreal

$351 17% 4.4% $16

Eating Out

Whistler

$297 10.8%

Montreal

$291 14.1% 2.2% $6.6

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Whistler

$199 7.3%

Montreal

$157 7.6% 21% $42

Clothing & Footwear

Whistler

$110 4%

Montreal

$135 6.5% 22.7% $25

Sport & Entertainment

Whistler

$74 2.7%

Montreal

$54 2.6% 27.1% $20

Getting Around

Whistler

$55 2%

Montreal

$100 4.9% 82% $45

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $1,864 in Whistler 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 3% higher in Whistler, 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 $87 in Whistler versus $73 in Montreal. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $367 vs $351 – making Montreal the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇨🇦 Whistler

🇨🇦 Montreal

🕒 Local time

13:24 1:24 PM

15:24 3:24 PM

2 h ahead of Whistler

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

14,000

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

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Between locations

Whistler Montreal 3,650 km ≈ 5 h nonstop flight

From you

Whistler
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

Whistler vs Montreal: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Whistler costs about 33% more than Montreal, and outside of rent the gap comes mainly from leisure. That’s enough to noticeably affect everyday spending and lifestyle for anyone choosing between the two.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $4,116 per month in Whistler 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 $1,864 in Whistler.

Groceries cost about 5% more in Whistler, though the gap depends on what you buy.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $87 in Whistler and $73 in Montreal. That’s a good indicator of the overall restaurant and café pricing gap between the two cities.

$2,000 is a stretch for both – monthly costs hit $2,744 in Whistler 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, Whistler makes more sense. Both are solid long-term options with distinct trade-offs.