Cost of Living in Montreal, Canada
How much it cost to live in Quebec, a province that is still affordable in Canada?
Today, I will write about how much living in Montreal, Canada, costs. It all started on X / Twitter when Augusto Galego, who lives in Italy, shared how much it costs to live there. Spoiler alert: We have a podcast episode already recorded, and he shares his life with us. It will be released soon.
If you want to see the full discussion and costs, I invite you to access the posts on X here. For our newsletter post, I will be direct to the point and write it down almost in a budget style.
Costs:
PS: all the prices are in Canadian dollars.
Rent: You can find a studio for between $ 700 to $ 1200, depending on the structure of the building and the area. Some buildings offer pools, saunas, jacuzzi, and BBQ areas; others just offer a studio or apartment. You can also find a 1-bedroom apartment between $ 900 to $ 1600 and a 2-bedroom apartment between $ 1500 to $ 2500.
Utilities: An electricity bill every 2 months could cost between $ 50 and $ 100; during the winter, it could be as expensive as $ 300. Mobile, you can just have a basic plan for $ 25, but you can find good plans that are not expensive for $50. This is what I have spent since I arrived here with mobile plans. If you want to have a device included on your bill, you can choose an iPhone/android and finance it 24x with zero interest.
Market: It depends on every person; I spend a lot on the market since I buy local and organic. If you want to have an idea of how much each product costs, you have it here.
My costs with the market are $ 600 for Lufa, the link I just shared, and $ 600 with Costco. It is the cost for a couple, and we buy all the best quality. You could spend much less if you choose to go for basic products.
Transport: You have a monthly pass allowing you to use public transport, which costs only $ 97 / month. Also, we have a Honda Civic as a car, and we spend $ 200 every 2 weeks to pay for the car. You also need car insurance, and it depends on your profile. It can cost from $ 100 to $ 200 per month. Costs with gasoline: $ 50 every 2 to 3 weeks.
Dining Out: We don't dine out frequently, but when we do, the cost and nuances of dining here are worth mentioning. Dining costs can be higher than expected due to taxes and tips. For instance, two meals at a top-notch sushi place cost us back $150. It's essential to note that menu prices do not include taxes (around 15%) and an additional 15-20% for tips. Therefore, the amount you see on the menu isn't what you'll see on the final bill.
For more casual options like fast food or inexpensive eateries, you're looking at a minimum of $10 CAD, inclusive of taxes and tips. Even a decent pizza at an Italian restaurant will cost you at least $25 in the final bill. The same applies to coffee; an espresso might start at $3.50, but it's often more economical to brew it at home after taxes. I find making my coffee more cost-effective, and I spend $20 on a 350g coffee package, which would cost much less in Brazil.
Fitness:
A significant portion of my budget goes into fitness, particularly CrossFit. Weekly sessions alone cost me $55, and additional expenses on recovery, supplements like whey, and multivitamins bring my monthly fitness expenditure to around $400.
It's worth noting that when I first arrived, I lived on a maximum budget of $1900, cutting costs wherever possible, using public transport, and even waking up at 6 am to catch a bus in -20°C weather for training. I also had debts in Brazil, so I was sending a lot of money back home to pay all my debts. Today, I am debt-free and have a much better salary; I can save a good part of my salary and still live comfortably.
I hope this post is helpful to you, and I wish you a great weekend!
Sponsorship:
This newsletter is sponsored by Playbook DPI - Desenvolvimento Profissional Internacional. The product is in Portuguese, and the price is in R$.
It is a practical guide with everything you need to get a job abroad based on my experience. Also, it includes a goal and habits tracker to help you in 2024.
You can access it right now by clicking here.
Podcast:
The last episode of Tech & Accent Podcast:
EP 02 - The Life of a QA Engineer in Montreal with Alekson Fortes
New Episode Every 2 Weeks, Listen now on:
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Here is one thing I've enjoyed in the past few days:
This video helped me in the past, and I rewatched it again this week to help me even more. Don’t worry, everything is out of control:
Job to share with you this week:
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