How much cheaper is it to live in Montreal vs Calgary? We did the math

By this point, we’ve made a habit of comparing Montreal’s cost of living to pretty much everywhere else in the country. We’ve lined the city up against Quebec City, Vancouver, Ottawa, and Toronto, and Montreal has come out ahead on affordability nearly every time.

Now it’s Calgary’s turn.

Before getting into the numbers, it’s worth mentioning something the data doesn’t capture: taxes.

Alberta charges only the 5% federal GST, with no provincial sales tax at all, while Quebec adds its own 9.975% QST, for a combined rate of nearly 15% on most purchases. As for income tax, Alberta’s brackets start at 8% and top out at 15% for income over $370,220, while Quebec’s climb from 14% up to a top marginal rate of 25.75%, one of the highest tax burdens in North America.

With that in mind, here’s how the two cities compare using the latest data from Numbeo (updated September 2026).

Rent

Rent is one of the closer categories this time around. A one-bedroom apartment in downtown Montreal averages $1,742, which is just about even with Calgary’s $1,751. Outside the core, Calgary edges slightly higher, at $1,438 compared to Montreal’s $1,375.

Where Montreal loses ground is on bigger units. A three-bedroom apartment downtown runs $3,050 in Montreal versus $2,710 in Calgary, and outside the centre, Calgary’s $2,390 comes in a bit above Montreal’s $2,278.

Overall, Numbeo puts rent in Calgary about 1.9% lower than in Montreal, which gives the Prairie city a slight edge.

Buying a home

The price per square metre for an apartment in downtown Calgary averages $4,971, well below Montreal’s $7,002. Outside the centre, it’s $4,712 in Calgary compared to $5,128 in Montreal.

If owning property in Montreal has started to feel out of reach, Calgary’s real estate market still has noticeably more room to breathe.

Groceries

Grocery prices are up everywhere, but a few staples cost more in Montreal, including eggs, lettuce, and bottled water, but the bigger-ticket items tip the scale toward Calgary:

• Beef (1 kg): $20.10 in Montreal vs $26.23 in Calgary
• Apples (1 kg): $4.66 vs $6.83
• Bottle of wine (mid-range): $15.00 vs $21.55

Milk and bread are the rare exceptions that favour Calgary, at $2.62 and $3.76 respectively, compared to $3.26 and $4.45 in Montreal. Those savings don’t offset the rest of the cart, though. Numbeo puts overall grocery prices in Calgary about 15.4% higher than in Montreal.

Utilities

This is where the gap gets dramatic. Basic monthly utilities for an 85-square-metre apartment cost $108.54 in Montreal, thanks largely to Hydro-Québec’s low rates, compared to $251.95 in Calgary (more than double).

Internet and mobile plans follow the same pattern, if less severely. Broadband runs $59.42 in Montreal versus $71.24 in Calgary, and mobile plans come in at $48.53 compared to $54.02.

Transit

Public transit riders get more for their money in Montreal. A monthly STM pass costs $104.50, compared to $126 for Calgary Transit, a gap of about 20.6%. Single fares aren’t far off either, at $3.75 here versus $4.00 there.

Calgary picks up a small win at the pump, though, with gas averaging $1.71 a litre against Montreal’s $1.85.

Dining out

Eating out splits fairly evenly between the two cities. A meal at an inexpensive restaurant costs the same $25 in both, and a three-course dinner for two is cheaper in Calgary, at $97.30 versus Montreal’s $100.

Drinks are where Montreal loses its edge. A domestic draft beer costs $9.00 in Montreal compared to just $7.00 in Calgary. Numbeo puts overall restaurant prices in Calgary about 2.6% lower than in Montreal.

Childcare

Thanks to Quebec’s subsidized daycare system, private full-day preschool or kindergarten averages $768.91 a month in Montreal, compared to $1,131.83 in Calgary, a difference of about 47%.

The grand total

So what does it all add up to?

According to Numbeo’s Cost of Living Plus Rent Index, you’d need about $7,809 a month in Calgary to match the standard of living $7,300 gets you in Montreal, assuming you’re renting in both cities. That works out to Calgary being roughly 7% more expensive overall once rent is factored in.

Salaries help close some of that gap. The average after-tax monthly salary in Calgary is $4,509.10, compared to $4,224.48 in Montreal, about 6.7% higher, which tracks with Alberta’s lighter overall tax load.

So while Calgary comes out ahead on rent, home prices, and taxes, Montreal still wins on utilities, groceries, and childcare, plus it comes with a metro system Calgary can’t match.