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Ottawa vs Montreal Cost of Living 2026

Updated

Quick Comparison

Overall Costs

Category Ottawa Montreal Winner
Housing $$$$ $$$ Montreal
Rent $$$ $$ Montreal
Income tax $$$ $$$$ Ottawa
Sales tax $$$ $$$$ Ottawa
Groceries $$$ $$ Montreal
Childcare $$$ $ Montreal

Overall Verdict

Factor
Lower gross costs Montreal
Lower taxes Ottawa
Net difference Close (income dependent)

Housing Costs

Home Prices (2025-2026)

Property Type Ottawa Montreal
Detached house $750,000 $600,000
Semi-detached $600,000 $500,000
Townhouse $500,000 $425,000
Condo $450,000 $400,000

Average Prices

Metric Ottawa Montreal
Avg home price ~$650,000 ~$525,000
Difference ~20% cheaper

Neighborhoods Compared

Ottawa Area Avg Price Montreal Area Avg Price
Westboro $900,000 Westmount $1,500,000
Centretown $550,000 Plateau $750,000
Barrhaven $600,000 Villeray $650,000
Orleans $550,000 Verdun $550,000
Kanata $650,000 Rosemont $700,000

Property Taxes

City Rate On $500K Home
Ottawa ~1.1% ~$5,500
Montreal ~1.2% ~$6,000
Plus welcome tax - Montreal one-time

Rent Comparison

Monthly Rent (2025-2026)

Unit Type Ottawa Montreal
1-BR downtown $2,000 $1,600
2-BR downtown $2,500 $2,100
1-BR suburban $1,600 $1,300
2-BR suburban $2,000 $1,700

Rent Difference

Savings
1-BR $300-$400/month in Montreal
Annual $3,600-$4,800 less

Income & Taxes

Average Salaries

Role Ottawa Montreal
Government (federal) $85,000 -
Software developer $95,000 $85,000
Accountant $72,000 $65,000
Nurse (RN) $80,000 $75,000
Marketing manager $80,000 $72,000
Teacher $80,000 $65,000

Tax Comparison

Tax Type Ontario Quebec
Top income tax ~53.5% ~53.3%
Sales tax 13% (HST) 14.975% (GST+QST)
Health premium Varies None

Take-Home Pay Comparison

Gross Income Ottawa (Net) Montreal (Net)
$60,000 $46,500 $44,800
$80,000 $59,500 $56,500
$100,000 $71,800 $68,200
$120,000 $83,500 $78,900

At $80K

Factor Ottawa Montreal
Net income $59,500 $56,500
Difference Ottawa +$3,000/year

Childcare - Montreal’s Big Advantage

Childcare Costs

Type Ottawa Montreal
Infant (monthly) $1,500-$2,000 $200 ($10/day)
Toddler (monthly) $1,200-$1,600 $200
Preschool (monthly) $1,000-$1,400 $200

Annual Childcare Savings

Children Ottawa Cost Montreal Cost Savings
1 child $18,000 $2,400 $15,600
2 children $30,000+ $4,800 $25,000+

Impact on Family Finances

With 2 Kids
Childcare savings $25,000/year
Higher taxes -$3,500/year
Net savings ~$21,500/year in Montreal

Transportation

Public Transit

Factor OC Transpo STM
Monthly pass $125 $97
Coverage Good Excellent
Metro LRT Extensive metro
Quality Good Very good

Car Ownership

Cost Ottawa Montreal
Gas (per litre) $1.45-$1.55 $1.55-$1.65
Insurance (annual) $1,500-$2,400 $800-$1,500
Parking (downtown) $200-$350/mo $200-$400/mo

Insurance Difference

Factor
Quebec auto insurance Government-run (SAAQ)
Private portion Much cheaper
Annual savings $500-$1,000+

Groceries & Food

Monthly Grocery Costs

Item Ottawa Montreal
Milk (4L) $6.50 $6.00
Bread (loaf) $3.50 $3.25
Eggs (dozen) $4.50 $4.00
Chicken (kg) $14.00 $12.00
Cheese (500g) $8.00 $7.00
Monthly Budget Ottawa Montreal
Single person $375-$450 $325-$400
Family of 4 $1,100-$1,400 $950-$1,200

Dining Out

Factor Ottawa Montreal
Cheap meal $15-$20 $14-$18
Mid-range (2 people) $80-$110 $70-$100
Coffee (latte) $5.50 $4.75
Beer (pint) $8-$10 $7-$9
BYOB restaurants Rare Common (savings!)

Utilities

Monthly Costs

Utility Ottawa Montreal
Electricity $90-$130 $60-$90
Heating $80-$120 $40-$70
Internet $70-$100 $60-$90
Mobile $50-$80 $45-$70

Why Montreal Utilities Are Cheaper

Factor
Hydro-Québec Cheapest electricity in North America
Montreal savings $60-$100/month

Education

Post-Secondary

Institution Tuition (Quebec Resident)
McGill $3,000/year
Concordia $3,000/year
Université de Montréal $3,000/year
University of Ottawa $8,000/year
Carleton $8,000/year

Quebec Tuition Advantage

Factor
Quebec resident ~$3,000/year
Ontario resident ~$8,000/year
Must live in Quebec To qualify

Quality of Life

Lifestyle Comparison

Factor Ottawa Montreal
Nightlife Good Excellent
Restaurants Very good Excellent
Culture/arts Good Excellent
Festivals Good Excellent
Outdoor activities Excellent Very good
Winter sports Excellent Very good

Language

City Language Reality
Ottawa English dominant (Ontario side)
French useful (Gatineau nearby)
Montreal French essential for most jobs
English works in some sectors

Budget Comparison

Single Person Monthly Budget

Expense Ottawa Montreal
Rent (1-BR) $1,800 $1,500
Utilities $150 $100
Transit $125 $97
Groceries $400 $350
Dining out $200 $175
Phone/internet $130 $110
Entertainment $200 $175
Other $250 $225
Total $3,255 $2,732

Annual Comparison

Factor Ottawa Montreal
Expenses $39,060 $32,784
At $70K gross income
Net income ~$54,000 ~$51,500
Annual savings $14,940 $18,716

Family of 4 Monthly Budget

Expense Ottawa Montreal
Rent (3-BR) $2,500 $2,000
Utilities $250 $170
Car $600 $400 (cheap insurance)
Groceries $1,200 $1,050
Childcare (2 kids) $2,500 $400
Other $800 $700
Total $7,850 $4,720

Family Verdict

Factor
Childcare savings Massive
Montreal wins For families with young kids

Who Should Choose Which City?

Choose Ottawa If:

Factor
Career Federal government
Language Prefer English
Income High earner (>$100K)
Stability Job security priority

Choose Montreal If:

Factor
Family Young children (childcare)
Language Speak French or learning
Lifestyle Arts, culture, nightlife
Budget Lower costs priority
Students Lower tuition