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Montreal vs Tokyo cost of living 2026
Which is cheaper, what exactly is cheaper, and how it feels on your money ยท Updated October 2026
๐จ๐ฆ Montreal
๐ฏ๐ต Tokyo
At a glance
- Where Tokyo is clearly cheaper: Street food (62%โ), Local meal (54%โ), Scooter rental (54%โ)
- Where Montreal is clearly cheaper: Laundry (35%โ), Taxi (23%โ)
By category
Salary equivalence
Travel difficulty
Both cities are about equally easy to travel. Biggest gap: language โ Montreal 2 vs Tokyo 3. Closer to 1 is easier. Difficulty ranking โบ
Item by item
| Item | Montreal | Tokyo | Cheaper |
|---|---|---|---|
| Local mealper person | C$ 22$16.2 | ยฅ 1,100$7.43 | Tokyo โ54% |
| Street food1 item | C$ 12$8.82 | ยฅ 500$3.38 | Tokyo โ62% |
| Restaurant dinnerper person | C$ 45$33.1 | ยฅ 4,000$27 | Tokyo โ18% |
| Coffeeone cup | C$ 5.5$4.04 | ยฅ 600$4.05 | similar |
| Beerone bottle | C$ 9$6.62 | ยฅ 650$4.39 | Tokyo โ34% |
| Cocktail & wineone cup | C$ 20$14.7 | ยฅ 1,500$10.1 | Tokyo โ31% |
| Bottled water | C$ 2.3$1.69 | ยฅ 130$0.88 | Tokyo โ48% |
| Convenience store1 snack or drink | C$ 2.8$2.06 | ยฅ 180$1.22 | Tokyo โ41% |
| Taxi5 km in town | C$ 17$12.5 | ยฅ 2,400$16.2 | Montreal โ23% |
| Tuk-tuk / moto taxishort hop | C$ 10$7.35 | ยฅ 1,000$6.76 | Tokyo โ8% |
| Transitone ride | C$ 3.75$2.76 | ยฅ 210$1.42 | Tokyo โ49% |
| Scooter rentalper day | C$ 40$29.4 | ยฅ 2,000$13.5 | Tokyo โ54% |
| Hotel night3-star | C$ 190$140 | ยฅ 16,000$108 | Tokyo โ23% |
| Studio rent (month) | C$ 1,680$1,235 | ยฅ 150,000$1,014 | Tokyo โ18% |
| Laundry | C$ 6$4.41 | ยฅ 1,000$6.76 | Montreal โ35% |
| SIM card1 week data | C$ 35$25.7 | ยฅ 2,500$16.9 | Tokyo โ34% |
| Haircutcut | C$ 32$23.5 | ยฅ 4,000$27 | Montreal โ13% |
| Massage1 hour | C$ 95$69.9 | ยฅ 5,500$37.2 | Tokyo โ47% |
| Half-day tourper person | C$ 100$73.5 | ยฅ 9,000$60.8 | Tokyo โ17% |
| Entry ticketTourist town | C$ 24$17.6 | ยฅ 2,000$13.5 | Tokyo โ23% |
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, Montreal or Tokyo?
Tokyo is 21% cheaper than Montreal. Daily budget $266 vs $212; a month $4,773 vs $3,723.
Which is easier to travel, Montreal or Tokyo?
About the same: Montreal 1.6/5, Tokyo 1.6/5 (average of rip-offs, language, transport, payments and safety).
How do monthly costs compare between Montreal and Tokyo?
With a short-term studio and living costs, Montreal is about $4,773 and Tokyo about $3,723 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.