What is the estimated monthly cost of living in Montreal?

The latest single-person Market Basket Measure is about CAD 2,095.33 per month. Advertised rent is shown separately when published.

What salary is typically needed in Montreal?

A balanced planning estimate is around CAD 43,200 gross per year.

Are these exact prices?

No. These are planning baselines and should be adjusted to your neighborhood and lifestyle.

City snapshot

Cost of living in Montreal

Montreal blends European charm with affordable living and world-renowned culture.

Planning baseline refreshed: May 2026Montréal CMA

3-category planning baseline

$1,619

Total annual: $19,428

Balanced salary needed

$43,200

Balanced

Population

4,597,837

2025 · Montréal (CMA), Quebec · Statistics Canada

Crime Severity Index

61.7

Montréal CMA

Official Basic-Needs Budgets

1 person$2,095

2 people$2,963

Family of 4$4,191

Market Basket Measure totals and advertised rent answer different questions. Rent is not added to the budget total because the MBM already includes a shelter component.

Data coverage: 97% (A) · 2025

Advertised Rent

Bachelor apartment$1,270

2026-01 · Montréal, Census metropolitan area (CMA)

1-bedroom apartment$1,530

2026-01 · Montréal, Census metropolitan area (CMA)

2-bedroom apartment$1,900

2026-01 · Montréal, Census metropolitan area (CMA)

3+ bedroom apartment$2,390

2026-01 · Montréal, Census metropolitan area (CMA)

Full-time centre-based childcare$348

2025 · Quebec

Local Indicators

Employed people2,409,900

Median after-tax income$70,100

Crime Severity Index61.7

Montréal, Census metropolitan area (CMA)

3-category planning baseline

Planning rent estimate (1bd)$1,131

Groceries$388

Transport$100

Total monthly$1,619

Compact estimated baseline for cross-city planning. The observed advertised rent above is the canonical market-rent value.

Move-in costs

First month of rent$1,530

Generic deposit assumption (1x rent)$1,530

Furniture for a 1-bedroom$2,500

Basic household setup$600

Estimated setup total$6,160

Generic planning assumption only. Provincial rules and your lease may permit a different deposit.

Plan the next step

Run income calculator See salary needed Rent affordability Mortgage affordability Compare cities Car costs Province tax calculator After-tax income guide

City profile

GeographyMontréal CMA

Common languagesFrench, English, Arabic

Community contextBlack, Arab, Latin American

Housing and rent

Lower than Toronto/Vancouver but rising quickly in central and transit-rich areas.

Planning rent estimate (1bd): $1,131 · Total monthly: $1,619

Commute and daily life

Metro, REM, bus, commuter rail and dense urban neighbourhoods

Safety context

Montreal's safety snapshot uses the Crime Severity Index for Montréal CMA. CSI compares police-reported crime volume and seriousness; it is not a neighbourhood-level risk score.

Crime Severity Index: 61.7
Violent CSI: 91.5
Non-violent CSI: 50.3

How this city compares

Montreal ranks #42 of 47 tracked cities by the 3-category planning baseline and is -$545 versus the cross-city average.

Average city baseline$2,164

Largest cost driverPlanning rent estimate (1bd)

Salary guide for this city

Use these gross salary ranges as planning targets before running a detailed after-tax scenario for Montreal.

Essentials$32,000

Balanced$43,200

Comfortable$55,200

Best for

Montreal is strongest for most affordable major city and a lower baseline than the tracked-city average.

Watch out for

Planning rent estimate (1bd) is the largest cost driver in the baseline. Plan around $1,619 per month before discretionary spending, plus about $6,160 for a basic move-in setup.

Local reality check

Rent represents about 70% of the baseline essentials shown here. Compared with the tracked-city average, this city is -$545.

Living in Montreal: what to budget for

Use this page as a starting point for Montreal: monthly essentials, move-in cash, salary targets, local population context, housing notes and safety data are shown together so you can move from research to a concrete budget.

Montreal is Quebec's largest city, offering a unique blend of North American and European lifestyles.

The city boasts affordable housing costs compared to Toronto and Vancouver, plus excellent public transit.

French is the official language, though English is widely spoken in most neighborhoods and businesses.

Montreal's cultural scene includes world-class festivals, cuisine, and a vibrant arts community.

Highlights

Most affordable major city
Extensive metro system
Bilingual environment
Festival capital of Canada
Historic Old Montreal

Common questions

What is included in Montreal's monthly baseline?: The baseline includes a 1-bedroom rent estimate, groceries and transport for one adult. It is a planning baseline, not a quote.
Why do some metrics use a CMA or province?: National public datasets often publish city data by census metropolitan area, census agglomeration, province or territory. The geography is shown beside each metric.
How should I use the Montreal salary estimate?: Use it as a gross-income target, then run the income calculator with your province, city and real costs.

Sources and methodology

Population: Statistics Canada table 17-10-0148-01, latest annual estimate; Census Profile fallback when noted.
Crime Severity Index: Statistics Canada table 35-10-0026-01, latest published year.
Basic-needs budgets: MBM tables 11-10-0066-01 and 11-10-0104-01. Advertised rent: Quarterly Rent Statistics table 46-10-0092-01.

Sources and methodology

Cost transparency

Data used on this page

Advertised rent, basic-needs budgets, and local indicators each retain their own period, geography, and method.

Advertised rent

January 2026 · Montréal, Census metropolitan area (CMA)

Planning baseline

Estimated rent + groceries + local transport

Not used

Tax rules and mortgage rates do not determine these costs

Advertised rent and the MBM answer different questions and are not added together.

Sources and methodology