Is it cheaper to live in Montreal or Edmonton? We did the math

We’ve spent the past few months running Montreal’s cost of living against pretty much every major city in the country: Quebec City, Vancouver, Ottawa, and Toronto, and most recently, Calgary. Montreal came out ahead almost every time.

But what about Edmonton?

Using the latest data from Numbeo (updated September 2026), we broke down rent, groceries, utilities, transit, and everyday spending to see how the two cities stack up at the end of month.

Rent

Edmonton takes this one clearly. A one-bedroom downtown runs $1,539.25 there compared to $1,740.74 in Montreal, an 11.6% difference. Outside the core, it’s $1,285.14 versus $1,386.59.

The gap widens with bigger units. A three-bedroom apartment downtown costs $2,441.11 in Edmonton against $3,020 in Montreal, nearly a 20% difference, and outside the centre it’s $2,018.33 compared to $2,302.69.

Numbeo puts overall rent in Edmonton about 13.8% lower than in Montreal.

Buying a home

This is where things get lopsided. The price per square metre for an apartment in downtown Edmonton sits at $3,169, which is less than half of Montreal’s $6,911.58. Outside the centre, it’s $2,917.01 in Edmonton compared to $5,195.16 in Montreal.

If you’ve been priced out of buying anything in Montreal, Edmonton’s real estate market is definitely operating in a more comfortable bracket.

Groceries

A few staples still favour Edmonton here. Milk and bread both come in noticeably cheaper in Alberta’s capital, but produce and meat swing hard the other way:

• Apples (1 kg): $4.66 in Montreal vs $6.07 in Edmonton
• Tomatoes (1 kg): $4.19 vs $5.54
• Oranges (1 kg): $4.59 vs $6.08
• Beef round (1 kg): $20.10 vs $25.69

Still, Numbeo has overall grocery prices in Edmonton running about 7.7% higher than in Montreal.

Utilities

Basic monthly utilities for an 85-square-metre apartment, electricity, heating, cooling, water and garbage, cost $108.77 in Montreal compared to $314.60 in Edmonton, nearly triple.

That single line item alone wipes out most of what Edmontonians saves on rent.

Transit and driving

Public transit is close between the two. Edmonton’s monthly transit pass runs $102, just under Montreal’s $104.50, and a one-way ticket costs exactly the same $3.75 in both cities.

However, the STM offers vastly superior coverage, density, and ridership volume compared to Edmonton’s expanding network.

Where Edmonton pulls ahead is at the pump and in a cab. Gas averages $1.61 a litre there compared to Montreal’s $1.85, and taxis run cheaper across the board (an hour of taxi waiting time costs $30 in Edmonton versus $46.20 in Montreal).

Dining out

Montreal does slightly better on food, but Edmonton wins on drinks. An inexpensive meal costs $25.50 in Montreal compared to $28 in Edmonton, and a mid-range meal for two runs $100 versus $108.

At the bar, though, Edmonton is cheaper: a domestic draft beer runs $8 there compared to $9 in Montreal. That flips at the grocery store, where a domestic beer costs $3.21 in Montreal compared to $4.96 in Edmonton, more than 50% higher.

Overall, restaurant prices in Edmonton run about 4.4% higher than in Montreal.

Childcare

Private full-day preschool averages $768.91 a month in Montreal, thanks to Quebec’s subsidized system, compared to $1,077.40 in Edmonton.

The verdict

So how does it all add up?

Cost of Living in Edmonton is 7.2% higher than in Montreal (excluding rent). According to Numbeo’s Cost of Living Plus Rent Index, you’d need about $2,022 in Edmonton to match the standard of living $2,000 gets you in Montreal, putting Edmonton only about 1.1% more expensive overall once rent is factored in.

Salaries tip the scales, though. The average net monthly salary in Edmonton is $5,118.11, compared to $4,244.18 in Montreal, over 20% higher. Alberta also has no sales tax, while Quebec has a combined sales tax rate of 14.975%, making everyday items more expensive.

Once you weigh that against local prices, Numbeo puts purchasing power in Edmonton about 19.3% higher than in Montreal.

All in all, Edmonton wins on rent, home prices and take-home pay, while Montreal still holds the edge on groceries, dining and, unsurprisingly, subsidized childcare.