Cost of Living in Montreal

Montreal is one of Canada’s most popular cities for students and professionals alike. The cost of living in Montreal is comparatively more affordable than in some other cities in the country. The city also offers a high quality of life for its residents. Here’s learning more about it below. 

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Location 

Montreal lies in the province of Quebec in the southeastern part of the country. It is the major metropolis of the province. The city takes up almost 3/4ths of the well-known Montreal Island, lying near the meeting point of St. Lawrence and Ottawa Rivers.

Climate

Montreal has continental climatic conditions throughout the year. Westerly winds and the city’s location near the Great Lakes contribute to its temperatures in both summers and winters. Average temperatures can slide down to -9 degrees Celsius in January, while they can rise up to 22 degrees Celsius in July. The city gets approximately 41 inches of precipitation on a yearly basis. 

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Major Attractions 

Montreal is home to several attractions for visitors. The Place Ville-Marie is a famous building that goes up to 40 storeys and contains underground restaurants, stores, and theatres. The downtown zone offers wonderful culinary, commercial, and artistic experiences for visitors. 1000 de la Gauchetiere became the city’s tallest building in 1992, while another tall building is the 1250 Rene-Levesque Ouest which was finished in 1992. The downtown area hosts numerous festivals, including the International Jazz Festival, Laughs Festival, and others. The Plateau Mont-Royal has sprawling Lafontaine Park, over 400,000 square meters, with its open-air theatre, ponds, trees, and biking pathways. The Latin Quarter is another famous neighborhood, along with the Village. 

Key Highlights/Rankings

• Montreal was ranked number 48 in the 2021 list of the world’s top 100 cities by Resonance. The report also ranked Montreal at number 25 for culture. 
• Montreal is also the world’s second-largest French-speaking city. 
• It also has the highest per capita restaurants in the country. 
• It was the first North American city to be listed as a UNESCO City of Design by the Global Alliance for Cultural Diversity back in 2006. 
• Montreal also has Canada’s second-biggest amusement park, over 146 acres. 

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Cost of Living in Montreal, Canada 

Here are the average Montreal living expenses each month. They are listed as per the findings at Numbeo. 

Food- 

• Milk (1 litre)- CAD2.79
• Rice (1 kg)- CAD3.85
• Bread (500g)- CAD3.79
• Cheese (1 kg)- CAD15.56
• Eggs (12)- CAD3.98
• Chicken Fillets (1 kg)- CAD15.27
• Apples (1 kg)- CAD4.26
• Oranges (1 kg)- CAD4.29
• Meal for Two (Mid-Range Restaurant)- CAD90
• Meal for Two (Cheap Restaurant)- CAD20

Transportation- 

• One-Way Ticket- CAD3.50
• Monthly Transportation Passes- CAD94

Utilities- 

• Electricity, Cooling, Heating, Garbage, Water- CAD104.43
• Internet- CAD61.45

Entertainment and Recreation- 

• Fitness Club- CAD39.67
• Movie Ticket- CAD15
• Tennis Court Rental- CAD18.56 per hour 

Housing- 

• One bedroom apartment- CAD1,433 in the city centre and CAD1,100.78 outside the city centre. 
• 3 bedroom apartment- CAD2,520 in the city centre and CAD1,839.13 outside the city centre.

Top Universities 

The cost of living in Montreal for students will encompass accommodation, tuition costs, books and supplies, health insurance, and so on. Here is a guide to the same at two of Montreal’s leading universities. 

Montreal offers reasonable housing costs for international students, as compared to many other global educational destinations. At the same time, food and other essentials are mostly on the reasonable side. Montreal is also known for its welcoming environment, its cosmopolitan population, and the high number of international student arrivals every year. It is one of the best Canadian cities for international students, without a doubt.