A Travel Price Comparison for Families, Couples, and Backpackers Aspen vs. Montreal for Vacations, Tours, and Honeymoons

Should you visit Aspen or Montreal?

Which is cheaper to visit? Which is more expensive for vacation?

Trying to figure out where to travel next? This travel comparison between Aspen and Montreal can help. It includes a travel cost comparison in addition to other factors. For many travelers, the cost of a destination is a primary consideration when choosing where to go.

Where Should I go: Aspen or Montreal?

Aspen

Aspen is a famous, and notably expensive travel destination. The town is one of the country's most famous and recognizable ski destinations, and prices can climb high during the ski season. Although still expensive, you can often find better deals during the summer months or shoulder seasons. For visitors who want to enjoy the area's hiking, natural beauty, and charm, these are the times to visit.

Montreal

While Quebec City is the political capital of Quebec Province, Montreal is the economic and cultural capital. It's also the second largest city in Canada, with a population of about 1.9 million and 4 million in the metropolitan area. It's the second largest French speaking city in the world behind Paris.

Montreal is a very trendy and vibrant city with an active nightlife and countless activities to enjoy. It's located on an island in the St. Lawrence River and has a humid continental climate. There are four distinct seasons. Summers are warm or hot and humid. Spring and fall are mild and winters are cold and snowy. You can expect about 2 meters of snow every year, but there are also more than 2,000 hours of sunshine annually.

For some great organized tour ideas, see The Best Bicycle Tours in United States of America, Tours for Outdoor and Nature Lovers in United States of America, The Best Train & Rail Tours in Canada, and The Best Sightseeing Tours in Canada.


Which place is cheaper, Montreal or Aspen?

These are the overall average travel costs for the two destinations.

The average daily cost (per person) in Aspen is $293, while the average daily cost in Montreal is $209. These costs include accommodation (assuming double occupancy, so the traveler is sharing the room), food, transportation, and entertainment. While every person is different, these costs are an average of past travelers in each destination. What follows is a categorical breakdown of travel costs for Aspen and Montreal in more detail.



Accommodation
  • Accommodation Hotel or hostel for one person
    Aspen $170
    Montreal $131
  • Accommodation Typical double-occupancy room
    Aspen $340
    Montreal $262
Compare Hotels in Aspen and Montreal

Looking for a hotel in Aspen or Montreal? Prices vary by location, date, season, and the level of luxury. See below for options and compare which is best for your budget and travel style.

Hotels in Aspen


Hotels in Montreal


Kayak helps you find the best prices for hotels, flights, and rental cars for destinations around the world. Compare prices for multiple destinations when planning your next trip.


Our Analysis
We've analyzed the average and typical hotel prices based on guest reviews, star ratings, and hotel amenities here: Aspen Hotel Prices and Montreal Hotel Prices.

Local Transportation
  • Local Transportation Taxis, local buses, subway, etc.
    Aspen $56
    Montreal $20

Hired Cars and Shuttles in Aspen

Some specific examples of transportation prices in Aspen:

  • Aspen/Pitkin County Airport (ASE) - Private Transfer Arrival or Departure: $269
  • Aspen hotel or address to Denver Airport (DEN) - Departure Private Transfer: $218

Hired Cars and Shuttles in Montreal

Also for Montreal, here are a few examples of actual transportation services:

  • 8 Passengers Transfer from or to Montreal Airport YUL to Montreal City Center : $223
  • Departure Private Transfer: Montreal to Montreal Airport YUL in Business Car: $117
  • Departure Private Transfer: Montreal to Montreal Airport YUL in Luxury SUV: $163
  • Departure Transfer Montreal to Montreal Airport by Limos or Bus: $153
  • Downtown Direct: Montreal's Exclusive Airport Transfer: $79
  • Le Terminal Cruise Port to Québec Airport YQB Departure Transfer: $57
  • Montreal Best Private Transfer services : $82
  • Montreal Private Transfer to Montreal Airport YUL in Business Car: $117
  • Montreal Private Transfer to Montreal Airport YUL in Luxury SUV: $163
  • Arrival Transfer from International Airport: $65
  • Private Departure Transfer to Montreal Airport YUL: $116
  • Private One-way Montreal Airport Transfer To/From Montreal: $58

Is it cheaper to fly into Aspen or Montreal?

Prices for flights to both Montreal and Aspen change regularly based on dates and travel demand. We suggest you find the best prices for your next trip on Kayak, because you can compare the cost of flights across multiple airlines for your prefered dates.





Food
  • Food Meals for one day
    Aspen $85
    Montreal $36

Typical Food Prices in Montreal

Here are some examples of typical meal expenses from previous travelers to Montreal:


  • Tim Hortons breakfast and coffee
    $8.97

Food Tours and Cooking Classes in Montreal

For Montreal, here are some samples of tours and activities related to meals and dining experiences:

  • Cooking Class and Tasting Menu with Michelin Chef: $50
  • Le Bateau-Mouche À La Carte Menu Dinner Cruise: $58
  • No Diet Club: Walking food Tour with many tastings: $59
  • Beyond the Market Food Tour by Spade & Palacio: $74
  • Montreal Walking Food Tour With Secret Food Tours: $74
  • Old Montreal Food & Drink Tour by Local Montreal Food Tours: $103
  • Montréal: 5-Course Dinner Cruise with Music & VIP Option: $160
  • Personalized Private Food Tour with a Local Foodie: $206
  • Cooking Class in Montreal with a Michelin-Star Trained Chef: $224

Entertainment
  • Entertainment Entrance tickets, shows, etc.
    Aspen $45
    Montreal $21

Tours and Activities in Aspen

Here are a few actual costs in Aspen for available activities, ticket prices, and tours:

  • Aspen Puzzling Adventure: $35
  • Aspen's DarkSide Ghost Tour: $40
  • Aspen's Off the Beaten Path Scenic Walking Tour: $40
  • Aspen's Off the Beaten Path Tour: $40
  • Aspen's Past to Present Historic Tour: $40
  • City Highlights Walking Tour: $40
  • Dark History Ghost-Themed Guided Walking Tour: $40
  • From Past to Present History Walking Tour: $40
  • Highlights of Aspen Tour: $40

Typical Entertainment Prices in Montreal

For Montreal, here are some examples of average entertainment and activity prices from previous travelers:


  • Botanical Gardens (family of 4)
    $53

Tours and Activities in Montreal

Also, here are some specific examples of entertainment, tickets, and activities for Montreal.

  • First Discovery Walk and Reading Walking Tour: $3.21
  • Montreal self-guided tour App - multilingual AudioGuide: $4.28
  • Montréal's Mile End to Outremont: A Self-Guided Audio Tour: $5.20
  • Highlights Self-Guided Scavenger Hunt & Tour: $7.49
  • Escape Game and Tour: $8.56
  • APP Self-Guided Tours Montreal with Audioguide: $8.74
  • Montreal Art Center & Museum Audio Guided Tour: $10
  • McCord Stewart Museum : Entry Ticket: $15
  • Montreal Zipline Adventure: $15
  • Self-Guided Old Town Scavenger Hunt Walking Tour: $15
  • Montreal Old Port: Urban Zipline Ticket: $16
  • Making Their Mark: Montreal Jewish History Walking Tour: $22

Alcohol
  • Alcohol Drinks for one day
    Aspen $20
    Montreal $16

Typical Alcohol Prices in Montreal

Below are a few samples from actual travelers for alcohol and nightlife costs in Montreal:


  • Vodka
    $18

Sample the Local Flavors in Montreal

Here are a few nightlife and alcohol tours and activities from local tour providers in Montreal:

  • Haunted Montreal Pub Crawl: $22
  • Guided Bar Crawl with Free Shots and Club Entry: $42


When we compare the travel costs of actual travelers between Aspen and Montreal, we can see that Aspen is more expensive. And not only is Montreal much less expensive, but it is actually a significantly cheaper destination. So, traveling to Montreal would let you spend less money overall. Or, you could decide to spend more money in Montreal and be able to afford a more luxurious travel style by staying in nicer hotels, eating at more expensive restaurants, taking tours, and experiencing more activities. The same level of travel in Aspen would naturally cost you much more money, so you would probably want to keep your budget a little tighter in Aspen than you might in Montreal.

If you're trying to decide if either of these two destinations are within your price range, also see Is Aspen Expensive? and Is Montreal Expensive?.


Which is Bigger, Aspen or Montreal?

Montreal has a larger population, and is about 570 times larger than the population of Aspen. When comparing the sizes of Aspen and Montreal, keep in mind that a larger population does not always imply the destination has more attractions or better activities. So, always research the type of place that you want to visit along with the activities and attractions that interest you.