Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Windsor, NS and Montreal

For one person, living is cheaper in Montreal: $2,064 a month against $2,212 in Windsor, NS, rent and utilities included – about $1,800 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

112

Cost of Living Index in Windsor, NS
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Windsor, NS Living Index
99

Cost of Living Index in Montreal
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Montreal Living Index

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Windsor, NS

🇨🇦 Canada

$2,212

/mo nomad

Montreal

🇨🇦 Canada

$2,064

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

A single person spends $2,212 per month in Windsor, NS vs $2,064 in Montreal, rent included.

Windsor, NS $2,212
Montreal $2,064

A couple spends around $3,268 per month in Windsor, NS vs $3,156 in Montreal, rent included.

Windsor, NS $3,268
Montreal $3,156

A family of three spends $4,324 per month in Windsor, NS vs $4,247 in Montreal, rent included.

Windsor, NS $4,324
Montreal $4,247

Windsor, NS costs about 7% more than Montreal, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Both Windsor, NS and Montreal sit above the global median – Windsor, NS by 62%, Montreal by 52%.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$18.93 CA$26.46

$18.98 CA$26.53

-0.26%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$35.52 CA$49.63

$73.0 CA$102

-51.33%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$10.82 CA$15.12

$10.88 CA$15.20

-0.55%

Cappuccino

$3.65 CA$5.10

$3.81 CA$5.33

-4.20%

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

$2.06 CA$2.88

$1.94 CA$2.71

6.19%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.87 CA$2.61

$1.58 CA$2.21

18.35%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$4.39 CA$6.13

$6.37 CA$8.90

-31.08%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$5.59 CA$7.81

$7.26 CA$10.15

-23.00%

Milk (1 liter)

$2.94 CA$4.11

$2.23 CA$3.11

31.84%

White Bread (500g)

$2.84 CA$3.97

$3.17 CA$4.44

-10.41%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$3.54 CA$4.95

$3.31 CA$4.62

6.95%

Eggs

$3.74 CA$5.23

$3.63 CA$5.07

3.03%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$13.70 CA$19.15

$13.16 CA$18.39

4.10%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$15.31 CA$21.39

$11.56 CA$16.15

32.44%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$13.21 CA$18.46

$13.71 CA$19.16

-3.65%

Apples (1kg)

$5.76 CA$8.05

$3.29 CA$4.60

75.08%

Banana (1kg)

$1.54 CA$2.16

$1.46 CA$2.04

5.48%

Oranges (1kg)

$4.75 CA$6.64

$3.37 CA$4.71

40.95%

Tomato (1kg)

$5.79 CA$8.10

$3.15 CA$4.40

83.81%

Potato (1kg)

$2.07 CA$2.90

$1.89 CA$2.64

9.52%

Onion (1kg)

$2.15 CA$3.00

$1.79 CA$2.51

20.11%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.49 CA$3.48

$2.47 CA$3.45

0.81%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$2.10 CA$2.94

$1.58 CA$2.21

32.91%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$14.17 CA$19.80

$11.28 CA$15.77

25.62%

Wine (Bottle)

$14.35 CA$20.05

$10.49 CA$14.66

36.80%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$3.27 CA$4.57

$2.34 CA$3.26

39.74%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.94 CA$5.51

$2.91 CA$4.07

35.40%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.54 CA$3.55

$2.61 CA$3.65

-2.68%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$64.0 CA$89.4

$79.1 CA$111

-19.11%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$2.87 CA$4.01

$3.26 CA$4.56

-11.96%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.40 CA$1.95

$1.44 CA$2.01

-2.78%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$21.04 CA$29.39

$33.43 CA$46.71

-37.06%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.22 CA$1.70

$1.33 CA$1.86

-8.27%

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

$26.7K CA$37.4K

$28.6K CA$40.0K

-6.64%

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

$21.3K CA$29.7K

$21.1K CA$29.5K

0.89%

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

$125 CA$175

$80.1 CA$112

56.72%

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

$31.80 CA$44.44

$34.30 CA$47.93

-7.29%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$36.09 CA$50.4

$42.85 CA$59.9

-15.78%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$36.05 CA$50.4

$31.14 CA$43.52

15.77%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$17.45 CA$24.39

$19.41 CA$27.12

-10.10%

Cinema Ticket

$12.92 CA$18.06

$11.23 CA$15.69

15.05%

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

$379 CA$529

$525 CA$734

-27.88%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$13.7K CA$19.2K

$16.3K CA$22.8K

-15.93%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$59.9 CA$83.7

$58.0 CA$81.0

3.31%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$35.29 CA$49.30

$38.11 CA$53.3

-7.40%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$103 CA$144

$93.4 CA$131

10.44%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$117 CA$164

$110 CA$154

6.45%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,265 CA$1,767

$1,285 CA$1,796

-1.58%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,025 CA$1,432

$977 CA$1,365

4.92%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,834 CA$2,562

$2,271 CA$3,173

-19.25%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,749 CA$2,443

$1,665 CA$2,326

5.03%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$4,604 CA$6,433

$5,139 CA$7,181

-10.42%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$3,447 CA$4,817

$3,834 CA$5,358

-10.10%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$940 CA$1,314

$3,002 CA$4,195

-68.68%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

4.6

4.48

2.68%

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

Last update for Windsor, NS: 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

Windsor, NS

$1K 46.3%

Montreal

$977 47.3% 4.7% $48

Groceries & Markets

Windsor, NS

$429 19.4%

Montreal

$351 17% 18.1% $78

Eating Out

Windsor, NS

$277 12.5%

Montreal

$291 14.1% 5.1% $14

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Windsor, NS

$193 8.7%

Montreal

$157 7.6% 18.7% $36

Clothing & Footwear

Windsor, NS

$142 6.4%

Montreal

$135 6.5% 5.1% $7.2

Getting Around

Windsor, NS

$84 3.8%

Montreal

$100 4.9% 19.1% $16

Sport & Entertainment

Windsor, NS

$62 2.8%

Montreal

$54 2.6% 13.4% $8.3

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $1,265 in Windsor, NS 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 in Montreal are about 3.2 times higher, 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 $36 in Windsor, NS versus $73 in Montreal. Groceries tell a different story – $429 in Windsor, NS vs $351 in Montreal – so Montreal wins on supermarket bills even if dining out costs more.

Good to know

🇨🇦 Windsor, NS

🇨🇦 Montreal

🕒 Local time

17:30 5:30 PM

16:30 4:30 PM

1 h behind Windsor, NS

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

217,188

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

Windsor, NS Montreal 740 km ≈ 1 h 30 min nonstop flight

From you

Windsor, NS
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, NS vs Montreal: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Windsor, NS costs about 7% 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 $3,317 per month in Windsor, NS and $3,096 in Montreal. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

A central 1-bedroom goes for about $1,265 in Windsor, NS and $1,285 in Montreal. The gap holds across neighborhoods – outer areas show a similar spread, just at lower price points.

Groceries cost about 22% more in Windsor, NS, though the gap depends on what you buy.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $36 in Windsor, NS 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 $2,212 in Windsor, NS and $2,064 in Montreal. You’ll need shared housing and careful budgeting no matter which city you pick.

It depends on your priorities. Montreal has an edge in some lifestyle areas, with costs from $2,064 in Montreal to $2,212 in Windsor, NS. Climate, culture, job market, and personal taste all factor in.