The cost of living in Montreal

Vous avez un projet d’expatriation Ă  MontrĂ©al, la plus grande ville francophone d’AmĂ©rique ? đŸ—ș Vous vous demandez quel est le coĂ»t de la vie dans cette mĂ©tropole dynamique ? Parfait, vous ĂȘtes au bon endroit !

Et si on vous disait que MontrĂ©al est LE choix parfait pour allier opportunitĂ©s professionnelles et qualitĂ© de vie ? La ville est reconnue comme un hub technologique majeur, notamment dans les secteurs des technologies de l’information (TI) et de la communication. L’essor du numĂ©rique est si important que de nombreuses entreprises montrĂ©alaises sont en pĂ©nurie de talents informatiques : dĂ©veloppeurs, ingĂ©nieurs logiciels, experts en IA
 Une aubaine pour dĂ©crocher votre futur job (ou comme on dit ici, « ta future job ») ! 😉

💡 Pourquoi choisir MontrĂ©al au Canada ? Non seulement la ville regorge d’opportunitĂ©s, mais son coĂ»t de la vie est plus abordable que celui de nombreuses grandes villes nord-amĂ©ricaines. Lisez la suite pour dĂ©couvrir toutes les astuces pour bien prĂ©parer votre budget et rĂ©ussir votre installation.

Example of a cost of living analysis in Montreal

Moving to Montreal to seize a professional opportunity is great, but increasing your purchasing power is even better! That's because the average salary for a developer with five years' experience is around $85,000 CA gross per year. The same applies to more junior profiles: salaries are undeniably more attractive in Montreal than in France for Tech profiles.

Let's take a look at how much it can cost to live in Montreal as a newcomer (you will find at the end of this article an example of a concrete budget for daily life as an expatriate in Montreal).

Summary:

Housing

Leisure activities

The charges

Have a drink

Telephone and internet

Transportation

The races

Medical care

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Le logement : Impact du coût de la vie à Montréal

Although the price of housing varies greatly depending on the neighborhood and the floor space, Montreal remains a relatively low-cost city compared to the rest of the country's major cities. If you move outside the downtown core, you can easily find a decent apartment or condo for between $1,200 and $1,600 a month (for a 3 Âœin France, a one-bedroom apartment). Downtown rents will be between 1600 $-1800 $. You'll need to add about $30 $ per month for minimum home insurance coverage.

â„č Note that there is no habitation tax for tenants in Montreal.

If you want to get an idea of what's available, don't hesitate to take a look at Canada's leading classifieds site: Kijiji as well as Centris Facebook's Marketplace platform is also widely used in Montreal. You'll also find a number of offers for roommates. As of March 2023, the average cost of home ownership in Montreal was approximately $535,000 . Here's a few tips for finding your future apartment in Montreal and choosing your future neighborhood.

Les charges à prévoir dans le son calcul du coût de la vie

Water is free in Quebec! For electricity, count on average $50 for a 3 Âœ. It all depends of course on your electricity consumption and the insulation of your apartment... In winter, the bill may increase a little 😉

â„č Please note that for some apartments, electricity is included in the rent.

Telephone and internet

Unfortunately, cell phone packages are more expensive in Quebec than in France. The same applies to Internet and cable TV packages. 

A word of advice: plan on spending around $60 a month for WiFi and a decent bit-rate. This amount can sometimes be included in the rent, depending on the landlord!

Concernant la téléphonie cellulaire, les prix sont trÚs variés. Tu peux trouver des forfaits aux alentours de 40 $ pour un téléphone intelligent chez Fizz avec appels illimités et de la data.

 

The Maplrs' trick:

Koodomobile ou Fizz proposent des prix trĂšs avantageux (parfois mĂȘme Ă  moins de 40 $) pour un forfait mobile avec plus de 20G0 de data!

The races

The average monthly cost of food for one person is estimated at between $350 and $550.

And don't forget to allow yourself a period of adjustment. If you're looking for brands you're used to buying in Europe, don't forget that these are exported products, and therefore more expensive than North American brands.

To find products at unbeatable prices, don't hesitate to shop far from the city center. Local markets and grocery stores offer products at very attractive prices. Would you like to save money while fighting food waste? Many Montreal merchants use applications such as FoodHero or Too Good to Go to sell their unsold products at reduced prices. 

Enough to lower the cost of your average basket!

When it comes to buying your own clothes, you'll find what you're looking for in outlets selling brand-name items on sale, and in Montreal's many thrift stores.

 

The Maplrs' trick:

For your shopping, check out Costco for discounts on bulk purchases!

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Leisure activities

Living in Montreal also means being able to enjoy many activities! In summer as well as in winter, the city often offers free activities for children and adults. Here are a few examples of prices for the most "classic" activities:

The cinema

Count $14. 50 for a regular ticket. On Tuesday evenings, at some of the city's Cineplex theaters, it's half price at $7.25.

The restaurant

For a two-course meal (starter with main course or main course with dessert, non-alcoholic) in an "Ă  la carte" restaurant, you can expect to pay around $50 per person. Don't forget to add taxes (15%) and tip (in Quebec, the norm is 15%). For a gourmet restaurant with a three-course meal, the bill will be closer to $100.

☝ Tip from the Maplr team: don't hesitate to try a "bring your own wine" restaurant, a popular formula in Quebec, to save money on your drinks!

As far as fast food is concerned, the average cost is between $10 and $15 for a trio or a good poutine!

 

The gym

A gym membership costs around $50/month, depending on the type of membership. It's also worth noting that in Montreal, some apartments have a gym right in the building, and it's free for tenants to use!

Have a drink

A beer in a pub

Montreal is renowned for its many microbreweries and pubs. The price of a beer will vary according to its origin and size (a glass v.s. a pint). It's also cheaper during the famous "happy hour " for your 5@7 with colleagues. Prices range from $6 to $10 (without tip).

A drink with friends

You're invited to a colleague's home for a dinner ? As a good guest, don't forget to stop by the SAQ (Société des Alcools du Québec) to buy a nice bottle of wine! It will cost you between $14 and $18. More of a beer fan? You'll be looking at $18 for a six-pack.

A coffee in a restaurant

A coffee in a restaurant or neighborhood cafĂ© will cost you between $3 and $6 depending on whether you're more of a "filter" or cappuccino type (it's cheaper at Tim Hortons 😉 ).

Transportation

In Montreal, a monthly public transit pass (OPUS card) costs $94. This gives you unlimited use of the metro and bus. A single fare is $3.50. For more information, visit the STM (Société de transport de Montréal) website for a complete schedule of fares.

Other alternatives are also available! You can rent a car from Communauto if you want to explore Montreal's surroundings, or take advantage of the many bike paths via the Bixi program.

cout-de-la-vie-montreal

Medical care

In Quebec, the equivalent of Social Security is the Quebec Health Insurance Plan (RAMQ). Depending on your work permit, you may be eligible for RAMQ and basic medical expenses will be covered. Please note thats in France, some medical care is not covered by the RAMQ (dental care, eye care, etc.), but rather by your group insurance, the equivalent of the mutual insurance company in France.

The vast majority of Quebec employers offer group insurance (mutual insurance). If this is not the case, you can always subscribe to a basic private insurance.

About the health care system in Canadahere is a complete article to help you see more clearly !

Cost of living in Montreal: example of monthly budget for an expatriate

Below is an example of a budget for an expatriate in Montreal:

 

Recurring expenses

Apartment 3 œ in downtown 1 700$
Electricity 50 $
Home insurance 30 $
Internet 60 $
Telephone 60 $
TOTAL 1900 $

Daily life

Opus Card 94 $
Races 450 $
5 pints per week 160 $
1 "traditional" restaurant per month 50 $
1 Fast food per week 48 $
1 Restaurant with friends 90 $
2 Evenings with friends 32 $
2 cinemas per month 29 $

Sports hall

50 $

Some coffee (and donuts 😉 at Tim Hortons)

30 $
TOTAL EXCL. 1033 $
TOTAL with taxes (approx. 15%) 1187, 95 $

Monthly total (recurring expenses and daily living)

C$3,088

A very attractive cost of living in Montreal

With this example, an approximate monthly budget is $3088. A developer with 5 years' experience will earn a gross salary of approximately $85,000 annually, a gross income of about $7,083 per month. Once taxes have been deducted at source, the net monthly income is therefore approximately $4,781.

That's why the cost of living in Montreal is so attractive! We'll tell you all about it in this article.

Here's also an interesting site for examples of other expenses in Montreal.

Check out our other blog posts to help you prepare for your move to Montreal!

What is the salary of a computer developer in Montreal, Quebec, Canada?

When it comes to the cost of living, it's interesting to compare it to the salary you could expect. Discover our complete study on salaries for computer developers in Montreal, Quebec, Canada.

Developer-expatré-à-Montréal-Canada

Want to try your hand at an adventure in Montreal?

Chez Maplr, nous sommes lĂ  pour toi Ă  chaque Ă©tape de ton projet d’immigration et de carriĂšre en TI au Canada, et c’est entiĂšrement gratuit ! 🎉

Que tu sois au tout dĂ©but de tes dĂ©marches, que tu possĂšdes dĂ©jĂ  ton CSQ ou mĂȘme ta rĂ©sidence permanente, notre mission est de t’aider Ă  trouver l’emploi idĂ©al en TI Ă  MontrĂ©al et de t’accompagner dans toutes les phases de ton installation.

✹ Pourquoi choisir Maplr ?
Notre Ă©quipe te guide pas Ă  pas, en te fournissant toutes les informations et conseils nĂ©cessaires pour que ton arrivĂ©e Ă  MontrĂ©al soit une rĂ©ussite. De la recherche d’emploi Ă  l’intĂ©gration sur place, nous sommes Ă  tes cĂŽtĂ©s pour que tu dĂ©marres ta nouvelle vie en toute sĂ©rĂ©nitĂ©.

🌟 Rejoins notre communautĂ© maintenant et fais partie d’un rĂ©seau unique qui valorise le partage, l’entraide et l’innovation. Ensemble, faisons de ton projet une belle rĂ©ussite ! đŸ’Ș

Our team is here to guide you and give you all the information you need to start your new life in Montreal with peace of mind! Join our community now.

Télécharge notre livre blanc sur le coût de la vie à Montréal

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