Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Windsor and Montreal

For one person, living is cheaper in Montreal: $2,018 a month against $2,233 in Windsor, rent and utilities included – about $2,600 less a year. Higher rent and utilities in Windsor outweigh lower spending on other living expenses.

109

Cost of Living Index in Windsor
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Windsor Living Index
99

Cost of Living Index in Montreal
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Montreal Living Index

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Windsor

🇨🇦 Canada

$2,233

/mo nomad

Montreal

🇨🇦 Canada

$2,018

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

A single person spends $2,233 per month in Windsor vs $2,018 in Montreal, rent included.

Windsor $2,233
Montreal $2,018

A couple spends around $3,072 per month in Windsor vs $3,085 in Montreal, rent included.

Windsor $3,072
Montreal $3,085

A family of three spends $3,910 per month in Windsor vs $4,152 in Montreal, rent included.

Windsor $3,910
Montreal $4,152

Windsor costs about 11% more than Montreal, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

Both Windsor and Montreal sit above the global median – Windsor by 65%, Montreal by 49%.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$14.24 CA$20.14

$18.82 CA$26.61

-24.34%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$63.9 CA$90.3

$70.3 CA$99.4

-9.11%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$10.66 CA$15.07

$10.66 CA$15.06

Cappuccino

$3.43 CA$4.84

$3.84 CA$5.43

-10.68%

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

$2.56 CA$3.62

$1.92 CA$2.71

33.33%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.71 CA$2.42

$1.54 CA$2.18

11.04%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$4.89 CA$6.91

$6.23 CA$8.81

-21.51%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$5.72 CA$8.09

$7.10 CA$10.03

-19.44%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.71 CA$2.41

$2.31 CA$3.27

-25.97%

White Bread (500g)

$2.05 CA$2.90

$3.14 CA$4.44

-34.71%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.88 CA$4.07

$3.21 CA$4.54

-10.28%

Eggs

$2.89 CA$4.09

$3.52 CA$4.97

-17.90%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$9.87 CA$13.96

$12.81 CA$18.11

-22.95%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$9.86 CA$13.94

$11.46 CA$16.20

-13.96%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$13.85 CA$19.58

$13.39 CA$18.92

3.44%

Apples (1kg)

$3.84 CA$5.43

$3.14 CA$4.43

22.29%

Banana (1kg)

$1.01 CA$1.43

$1.44 CA$2.03

-29.86%

Oranges (1kg)

$3.07 CA$4.34

$3.47 CA$4.91

-11.53%

Tomato (1kg)

$3.52 CA$4.97

$3.07 CA$4.34

14.66%

Potato (1kg)

$1.98 CA$2.80

$1.90 CA$2.69

4.21%

Onion (1kg)

$2.13 CA$3.01

$1.77 CA$2.50

20.34%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.20 CA$3.11

$2.34 CA$3.31

-5.98%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.23 CA$1.74

$1.55 CA$2.19

-20.65%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$12.36 CA$17.48

$11.38 CA$16.09

8.61%

Wine (Bottle)

$11.54 CA$16.32

$10.63 CA$15.03

8.56%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.85 CA$2.61

$2.27 CA$3.21

-18.50%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.21 CA$4.54

$2.82 CA$3.99

13.83%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.55 CA$3.61

$2.66 CA$3.76

-4.14%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$84.3 CA$119

$77.3 CA$109

9.11%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$2.38 CA$3.36

$3.20 CA$4.53

-25.63%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.93 CA$1.31

$1.48 CA$2.09

-37.16%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$14.17 CA$20.03

$32.88 CA$46.48

-56.90%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.22 CA$1.73

$1.34 CA$1.90

-8.96%

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

$28.2K CA$39.8K

0.08%

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

$19.3K CA$27.2K

$19.6K CA$27.8K

-1.93%

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

$178 CA$252

$76.0 CA$107

134.97%

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

$36.64 CA$51.8

$33.95 CA$48.00

7.92%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$56.5 CA$79.9

$42.31 CA$59.8

33.63%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$43.57 CA$61.6

$29.76 CA$42.07

46.40%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$27.49 CA$38.87

$20.28 CA$28.67

35.55%

Cinema Ticket

$10.30 CA$14.56

$11.15 CA$15.77

-7.62%

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

$495 CA$700

$507 CA$717

-2.41%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$4,280 CA$6,050

$16.1K CA$22.7K

-73.34%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$43.38 CA$61.3

$57.6 CA$81.4

-24.62%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$32.51 CA$45.97

$37.58 CA$53.1

-13.49%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$80.4 CA$114

$91.9 CA$130

-12.50%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$80.9 CA$114

$110 CA$155

-26.17%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,168 CA$1,651

$1,260 CA$1,782

-7.33%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,140 CA$1,611

$948 CA$1,340

20.29%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,760 CA$2,489

$2,137 CA$3,021

-17.62%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,492 CA$2,109

$1,614 CA$2,281

-7.54%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,003 CA$4,245

$4,960 CA$7,011

-39.45%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,943 CA$4,160

$3,838 CA$5,425

-23.31%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$2,962 CA$4,188

$2,827 CA$3,997

4.77%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

4.71

4.48

5.13%

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

Last update for Windsor: October 11, 2026

Last update for Montreal: October 12, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Windsor

$1.1K 51.1%

Montreal

$948 47% 16.9% $192

Groceries & Markets

Windsor

$309 13.8%

Montreal

$346 17.2% 12.2% $38

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Windsor

$272 12.2%

Montreal

$152 7.5% 44% $119

Eating Out

Windsor

$240 10.8%

Montreal

$288 14.3% 19.9% $48

Clothing & Footwear

Windsor

$107 4.8%

Montreal

$133 6.6% 25% $27

Getting Around

Windsor

$102 4.6%

Montreal

$99 4.9% 3% $3

Sport & Entertainment

Windsor

$64 2.9%

Montreal

$52 2.6% 18.9% $12

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $1,168 in Windsor 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 5% higher in Windsor, 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 $64.0 in Windsor versus $70.0 in Montreal. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $309 vs $346 – making Windsor the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇨🇦 Windsor

🇨🇦 Montreal

🕒 Local time

20:26 8:26 PM

Same time as Windsor

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

217,188

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

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Between locations

Windsor Montreal 840 km ≈ 1 h 30 min nonstop flight

From you

Windsor
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

Windsor vs Montreal: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Windsor costs about 11% more than Montreal, 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 $3,349 per month in Windsor 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.

Interestingly, groceries are about 12% cheaper in Windsor – one category where the pricier city actually offers better value, probably thanks to stronger retail competition or local farming.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $64.0 in Windsor 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 Windsor at $2,233. In Montreal it covers expenses comfortably, while in Windsor it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.

For digital nomads, it depends on budget. Montreal costs $2,018 versus $2,233 in Windsor. 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, Windsor makes more sense. Both are solid long-term options with distinct trade-offs.