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Edmonton vs Montreal cost of living 2026
Which is cheaper, what exactly is cheaper, and how it feels on your money ยท Updated October 2026
๐จ๐ฆ Edmonton
๐จ๐ฆ Montreal
At a glance
- Where Montreal is clearly cheaper: Street food (20%โ)
- Where Edmonton is clearly cheaper: Cocktail & wine (35%โ), Studio rent (month) (17%โ), Hotel night (16%โ)
By category
Salary equivalence
Travel difficulty
Both cities are about equally easy to travel. Biggest gap: language โ Edmonton 1 vs Montreal 2. Closer to 1 is easier. Difficulty ranking โบ
Item by item
| Item | Edmonton | Montreal | Cheaper |
|---|---|---|---|
| Local mealper person | C$ 23$16.9 | C$ 22$16.2 | similar |
| Street food1 item | C$ 15$11 | C$ 12$8.82 | Montreal โ20% |
| Restaurant dinnerper person | C$ 50$36.8 | C$ 45$33.1 | Montreal โ10% |
| Coffeeone cup | C$ 5.6$4.12 | C$ 5.5$4.04 | similar |
| Beerone bottle | C$ 8$5.88 | C$ 9$6.62 | Edmonton โ11% |
| Cocktail & wineone cup | C$ 13$9.56 | C$ 20$14.7 | Edmonton โ35% |
| Bottled water | C$ 2.3$1.69 | C$ 2.3$1.69 | similar |
| Convenience store1 snack or drink | C$ 3.1$2.28 | C$ 2.8$2.06 | Montreal โ10% |
| Taxi5 km in town | C$ 15$11 | C$ 17$12.5 | Edmonton โ12% |
| Tuk-tuk / moto taxishort hop | C$ 9$6.62 | C$ 10$7.35 | Edmonton โ10% |
| Transitone ride | C$ 3.75$2.76 | C$ 3.75$2.76 | similar |
| Scooter rentalper day | C$ 45$33.1 | C$ 40$29.4 | Montreal โ11% |
| Hotel night3-star | C$ 160$118 | C$ 190$140 | Edmonton โ16% |
| Studio rent (month) | C$ 1,400$1,029 | C$ 1,680$1,235 | Edmonton โ17% |
| Laundry | C$ 7$5.15 | C$ 6$4.41 | Montreal โ14% |
| SIM card1 week data | C$ 35$25.7 | C$ 35$25.7 | similar |
| Haircutcut | C$ 27$19.9 | C$ 32$23.5 | Edmonton โ16% |
| Massage1 hour | C$ 110$80.9 | C$ 95$69.9 | Montreal โ14% |
| Half-day tourper person | C$ 90$66.2 | C$ 100$73.5 | Edmonton โ10% |
| Entry ticketTourist town | C$ 25$18.4 | C$ 24$17.6 | similar |
Reference prices start as estimates from published price levels; items with 3+ traveler reports use the median of real reports. Hostels and local eateries cut both by 30%+.
FAQ
Which is cheaper, Edmonton or Montreal?
Edmonton is 8% cheaper than Montreal. Daily budget $246 vs $266; a month $4,342 vs $4,773.
Which is easier to travel, Edmonton or Montreal?
About the same: Edmonton 1.6/5, Montreal 1.6/5 (average of rip-offs, language, transport, payments and safety).
How do monthly costs compare between Edmonton and Montreal?
With a short-term studio and living costs, Edmonton is about $4,342 and Montreal about $4,773 per month.
Where do the numbers come from?
They start as estimates informed by published price levels; any item with 3+ traveler reports switches to the median of real reports. Live reports are in the app.