Which place is cheaper, Montreal or Columbia?
These are the overall average travel costs for the two destinations.
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Should you visit Columbia or Montreal?
Which is cheaper to visit? Which is more expensive for vacation?
Should I visit Columbia or Montreal? This is a common question asked by many travelers. By figuring out which city has activities that align with your interests along with knowing which is more affordable, you'll understand where you can get more bang for your buck. So, let's dive into the details and the data, which all comes from actual travelers.
Where Should I go: Columbia or Montreal?
Columbia
Both the largest and capital city of South Carolina, Columbia is literally the center of everything. Geographically it is located in the middle of the state, and it is the home to the University of South Carolina, the Army's Fort Jackson, as well as a variety of museums that celebrate the city's art, history, and culture.
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 2-Week Tours in United States of America, The Best 3-Week Tours in United States of America, The Best Train & Rail Tours in Canada, and The Best Sightseeing Tours in Canada.
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Average Daily Cost Per person, per dayColumbia $0.00Montreal $209
The average daily cost (per person) in Columbia is $0.00, 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 Columbia and Montreal in more detail.
Accommodation
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Accommodation Hotel or hostel for one personColumbia -Montreal $131
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Accommodation Typical double-occupancy roomColumbia $0.00Montreal $262
Compare Hotels in Columbia and Montreal
Looking for a hotel in Columbia 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.
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: Columbia Hotel Prices and Montreal Hotel Prices.
Local Transportation
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Local Transportation Taxis, local buses, subway, etc.Columbia -Montreal $20
Hired Cars and Shuttles in Montreal
Also for Montreal, here are a few examples of actual transportation services:
- Private Transfer from Montreal Cruise Port to Montreal City: $36
- Private Transfer: Montreal City Center to Pierre E.T. Airport-YUL: $48
- Le Terminal Cruise Port to Québec Airport YQB Departure Transfer: $57
- Private One-way Montreal Airport Transfer To/From Montreal: $58
- Arrival Transfer from International Airport: $65
- Transfer in private vehicle from Montreal CityCenter- to Montreal Airport (YUL): $67
- Downtown Direct: Montreal's Exclusive Airport Transfer: $79
- Montreal Best Private Transfer services : $82
- Private Transfer: Montreal to Montréal-Pierre Elliott Trudeau Airport (YUL): $87
- Private Departure Transfer to Montreal Airport YUL: $116
- Montreal Private Transfer to Montreal Airport YUL in Business Car: $117
- Departure Private Transfer: Montreal to Montreal Airport YUL in Business Car: $117
Is it cheaper to fly into Columbia or Montreal?
Prices for flights to both Montreal and Columbia 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
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Food Meals for one dayColumbia $5.03Montreal $36
Typical Food Prices in Montreal
Here are some examples of typical meal expenses from previous travelers to Montreal:
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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
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Entertainment Entrance tickets, shows, etc.Columbia -Montreal $21
Tours and Activities in Columbia
Some specific costs of activities, tours, and entrance tickets for Columbia are as follows:
- Soda City: A Self-Guided Audio Tour in Columbia: $12
Typical Entertainment Prices in Montreal
For Montreal, here are some examples of average entertainment and activity prices from previous travelers:
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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
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Alcohol Drinks for one dayColumbia $88Montreal $16
Typical Alcohol Prices in Montreal
Below are a few samples from actual travelers for alcohol and nightlife costs in Montreal:
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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 Columbia and Montreal, we can see that Montreal is more expensive. And not only is Columbia much less expensive, but it is actually a significantly cheaper destination. So, traveling to Columbia would let you spend less money overall. Or, you could decide to spend more money in Columbia 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 Montreal would naturally cost you much more money, so you would probably want to keep your budget a little tighter in Montreal than you might in Columbia.
If you're trying to decide if either of these two destinations are within your price range, also see Is Columbia Expensive? and Is Montreal Expensive?.
Which is Bigger, Columbia or Montreal?
Montreal has a larger population, and is about 30 times larger than the population of Columbia. When comparing the sizes of Columbia 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.
When is the best time to visit Columbia or Montreal?
Both places have a temperate climate with four distinct seasons. As both cities are in the northern hemisphere, summer is in July and winter is in January.
Should I visit Columbia or Montreal in the Summer?
The summer brings many poeple to Columbia as well as Montreal. The family-friendly experiences are the main draw to Columbia this time of year.
In the summer, Columbia is a little warmer than Montreal. Typically, the summer temperatures in Columbia in July average around 82°F (28°C), and Montreal averages at about 21°C (69°F).
The sun comes out a lot this time of the year in Montreal. People are often attracted to the plentiful sunshine in Columbia this time of the year. In the summer, Columbia often gets around the same amount of sunshine as Montreal. Columbia gets 293 hours of sunny skies this time of year, while Montreal receives 276 hours of full sun.
Columbia receives a lot of rain in the summer. Columbia usually gets more rain in July than Montreal. Columbia gets 4.6 inches (116 mm) of rain, while Montreal receives 91 mm (3.6 in) of rain this time of the year.
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Summer Average Temperatures JulyColumbia 82°F (28°C)Montreal 21°C (69°F)
Should I visit Columbia or Montreal in the Autumn?
Both Montreal and Columbia are popular destinations to visit in the autumn with plenty of activities. Many travelers come to Columbia for the shopping scene.
In October, Columbia is generally much warmer than Montreal. Daily temperatures in Columbia average around 64°F (18°C), and Montreal fluctuates around 8°C (47°F).
The sun comes out a lot this time of the year in Columbia. Columbia usually receives more sunshine than Montreal during autumn. Columbia gets 230 hours of sunny skies, while Montreal receives 141 hours of full sun in the autumn.
In October, Columbia usually receives around the same amount of rain as Montreal. Columbia gets 3 inches (75 mm) of rain, while Montreal receives 79 mm (3.1 in) of rain each month for the autumn.
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Autumn Average Temperatures OctoberColumbia 64°F (18°C)Montreal 8°C (47°F)
Should I visit Columbia or Montreal in the Winter?
Both Montreal and Columbia during the winter are popular places to visit. Many visitors come to Columbia in the winter for the museums, the shopping scene, and the cuisine.
Montreal can be very cold during winter. Columbia is much warmer than Montreal in the winter. The daily temperature in Columbia averages around 45°F (7°C) in January, and Montreal fluctuates around -10°C (14°F).
In the winter, Columbia often gets more sunshine than Montreal. Columbia gets 171 hours of sunny skies this time of year, while Montreal receives 103 hours of full sun.
Columbia usually gets more rain in January than Montreal. Columbia gets 3.7 inches (93 mm) of rain, while Montreal receives 74 mm (2.9 in) of rain this time of the year.
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Winter Average Temperatures JanuaryColumbia 45°F (7°C)Montreal -10°C (14°F)
Should I visit Columbia or Montreal in the Spring?
The spring attracts plenty of travelers to both Columbia and Montreal.
In the spring, Columbia is much warmer than Montreal. Typically, the spring temperatures in Columbia in April average around 64°F (18°C), and Montreal averages at about 6°C (43°F).
In Columbia, it's very sunny this time of the year. Columbia usually receives more sunshine than Montreal during spring. Columbia gets 273 hours of sunny skies, while Montreal receives 183 hours of full sun in the spring.
In April, Columbia usually receives less rain than Montreal. Columbia gets 2.8 inches (72 mm) of rain, while Montreal receives 78 mm (3.1 in) of rain each month for the spring.
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Spring Average Temperatures AprilColumbia 64°F (18°C)Montreal 6°C (43°F)
Typical Weather for Montreal and Columbia
| Columbia | Montreal | |||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Temp (°C) | Rain (mm) | Temp (°C) | Rain (mm) | |
| Jan | 45°F (7°C) | 3.7 inches (93 mm) | -10°C (14°F) | 74 mm (2.9 in) |
| Feb | 48°F (9°C) | 3.5 inches (88 mm) | -9°C (16°F) | 65 mm (2.6 in) |
| Mar | 56°F (13°C) | 3.7 inches (95 mm) | -2°C (28°F) | 74 mm (2.9 in) |
| Apr | 64°F (18°C) | 2.8 inches (72 mm) | 6°C (43°F) | 78 mm (3.1 in) |
| May | 72°F (22°C) | 3 inches (77 mm) | 13°C (55°F) | 75 mm (3 in) |
| Jun | 78°F (26°C) | 3.5 inches (89 mm) | 18°C (64°F) | 87 mm (3.4 in) |
| Jul | 82°F (28°C) | 4.6 inches (116 mm) | 21°C (69°F) | 91 mm (3.6 in) |
| Aug | 81°F (27°C) | 5.8 inches (147 mm) | 19°C (67°F) | 104 mm (4.1 in) |
| Sep | 75°F (24°C) | 3.3 inches (84 mm) | 14°C (58°F) | 90 mm (3.5 in) |
| Oct | 64°F (18°C) | 3 inches (75 mm) | 8°C (47°F) | 79 mm (3.1 in) |
| Nov | 56°F (13°C) | 2.1 inches (54 mm) | 2°C (35°F) | 101 mm (4 in) |
| Dec | 48°F (9°C) | 2.6 inches (67 mm) | -7°C (20°F) | 99 mm (3.9 in) |
Budget Your Trip is all about finding out how much everything costs so that you can travel cheaper and longer. Created by avid travelers Laurie and Bryan, our goal is to help you plan your next trip on the right budget. With average daily travel costs that are calculated from the budgets of real travelers, plus an analysis of hotel and tour prices, you can find out how much money you need to plan your next adventure. We also have plenty of travel advice, accommodation reviews, and activity suggestions.