Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Yellowknife and Montreal

For one person, living is cheaper in Montreal: $2,018 a month against $2,916 in Yellowknife, rent and utilities included – about $10,800 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

143

Cost of Living Index in Yellowknife
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Yellowknife Living Index
99

Cost of Living Index in Montreal
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Montreal Living Index

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Yellowknife

🇨🇦 Canada

$2,916

/mo nomad

Montreal

🇨🇦 Canada

$2,018

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

A single person spends $2,916 per month in Yellowknife vs $2,018 in Montreal, rent included.

Yellowknife $2,916
Montreal $2,018

A couple spends around $4,085 per month in Yellowknife vs $3,085 in Montreal, rent included.

Yellowknife $4,085
Montreal $3,085

A family of three spends $5,255 per month in Yellowknife vs $4,152 in Montreal, rent included.

Yellowknife $5,255
Montreal $4,152

Yellowknife costs about 44% more than Montreal, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Both Yellowknife and Montreal sit above the global median – Yellowknife by 116%, Montreal by 49%.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$19.32 CA$27.31

$18.82 CA$26.61

2.66%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$85.3 CA$121

$70.3 CA$99.4

21.28%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$8.63 CA$12.19

$10.66 CA$15.06

-19.04%

Cappuccino

$4.22 CA$5.97

$3.84 CA$5.43

9.90%

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

$2.27 CA$3.21

$1.92 CA$2.71

18.23%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.07 CA$2.93

$1.54 CA$2.18

34.42%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$6.12 CA$8.65

$6.23 CA$8.81

-1.77%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$6.89 CA$9.74

$7.10 CA$10.03

-2.96%

Milk (1 liter)

$2.83 CA$4.00

$2.31 CA$3.27

22.51%

White Bread (500g)

$2.65 CA$3.74

$3.14 CA$4.44

-15.61%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$4.65 CA$6.57

$3.21 CA$4.54

44.86%

Eggs

$3.26 CA$4.60

$3.52 CA$4.97

-7.39%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$6.93 CA$9.80

$12.81 CA$18.11

-45.90%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$16.17 CA$22.86

$11.46 CA$16.20

41.10%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$15.33 CA$21.67

$13.39 CA$18.92

14.49%

Apples (1kg)

$4.81 CA$6.80

$3.14 CA$4.43

53.18%

Banana (1kg)

$1.45 CA$2.04

$1.44 CA$2.03

0.69%

Oranges (1kg)

$5.05 CA$7.15

$3.47 CA$4.91

45.53%

Tomato (1kg)

$7.14 CA$10.10

$3.07 CA$4.34

132.57%

Potato (1kg)

$4.30 CA$6.08

$1.90 CA$2.69

126.32%

Onion (1kg)

$3.60 CA$5.08

$1.77 CA$2.50

103.39%

Lettuce (1 head)

$3.43 CA$4.84

$2.34 CA$3.31

46.58%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.05 CA$1.48

$1.55 CA$2.19

-32.26%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$17.03 CA$24.08

$11.38 CA$16.09

49.65%

Wine (Bottle)

$13.83 CA$19.55

$10.63 CA$15.03

30.10%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$4.09 CA$5.78

$2.27 CA$3.21

80.18%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$6.14 CA$8.68

$2.82 CA$3.99

117.73%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.13 CA$3.01

$2.66 CA$3.76

-19.92%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$51.7 CA$73.1

$77.3 CA$109

-33.08%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.07 CA$4.34

$3.20 CA$4.53

-4.06%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.37 CA$1.94

$1.48 CA$2.09

-7.43%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$32.88 CA$46.48

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.29 CA$1.82

$1.34 CA$1.90

-3.73%

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

$23.4K CA$33.1K

$28.2K CA$39.8K

-16.78%

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

$18.7K CA$26.5K

$19.6K CA$27.8K

-4.58%

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

$354 CA$501

$76.0 CA$107

366.60%

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

$56.9 CA$80.4

$33.95 CA$48.00

67.54%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$97.5 CA$138

$42.31 CA$59.8

130.51%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$72.3 CA$102

$29.76 CA$42.07

143.04%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$20.28 CA$28.67

Cinema Ticket

$9.69 CA$13.70

$11.15 CA$15.77

-13.09%

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

$575 CA$813

$507 CA$717

13.35%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$16.1K CA$22.7K

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$63.6 CA$89.9

$57.6 CA$81.4

10.46%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$34.39 CA$48.61

$37.58 CA$53.1

-8.49%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$98.7 CA$140

$91.9 CA$130

7.43%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$114 CA$161

$110 CA$155

3.85%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,408 CA$1,991

$1,260 CA$1,782

11.73%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,383 CA$1,955

$948 CA$1,340

45.95%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,100 CA$2,969

$2,137 CA$3,021

-1.73%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,050 CA$2,898

$1,614 CA$2,281

27.03%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$2,983 CA$4,217

$4,960 CA$7,011

-39.86%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,765 CA$3,909

$3,838 CA$5,425

-27.95%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$3,903 CA$5,518

$2,827 CA$3,997

38.04%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

5.32

4.48

18.75%

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

Last update for Yellowknife: October 13, 2026

Last update for Montreal: October 12, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Yellowknife

$1.4K 47.4%

Montreal

$948 47% 31.5% $435

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Yellowknife

$509 17.5%

Montreal

$152 7.5% 70.1% $357

Groceries & Markets

Yellowknife

$429 14.7%

Montreal

$346 17.2% 19.3% $83

Eating Out

Yellowknife

$293 10%

Montreal

$288 14.3% 1.7% $4.9

Clothing & Footwear

Yellowknife

$140 4.8%

Montreal

$133 6.6% 4.5% $6.3

Sport & Entertainment

Yellowknife

$92 3.2%

Montreal

$52 2.6% 43.2% $40

Getting Around

Yellowknife

$70 2.4%

Montreal

$99 4.9% 40.4% $28

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $1,408 in Yellowknife 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 38% higher in Yellowknife, 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 $85.0 in Yellowknife versus $70.0 in Montreal. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $429 vs $346 – making Montreal the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇨🇦 Yellowknife

🇨🇦 Montreal

🕒 Local time

10:40 10:40 AM

12:40 12:40 PM

2 h ahead of Yellowknife

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

19,234

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

Yellowknife Montreal 3,180 km ≈ 4 h 30 min nonstop flight

From you

Yellowknife
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

Yellowknife vs Montreal: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Yellowknife costs about 44% 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 $4,373 per month in Yellowknife 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.

Groceries cost about 24% more in Yellowknife, though it depends on what you buy. Local produce may be comparable; imported and premium items show the biggest price gap.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $85.0 in Yellowknife 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 Yellowknife at $2,916. In Montreal it covers expenses comfortably, while in Yellowknife it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.

For digital nomads, it depends on budget. Montreal costs $2,018 versus $2,916 in Yellowknife. 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, Yellowknife makes more sense. Both are solid long-term options with distinct trade-offs.