Which place is cheaper, Montreal or Edmonton?
These are the overall average travel costs for the two destinations.
Jump to 
Should you visit Edmonton or Montreal?
Which is cheaper to visit? Which is more expensive for vacation?
Which city is more affordable and which is best for your travel style? If you're trying to figure out where to go next, comparing the travel costs between Edmonton and Montreal can help you decide which place is right for you.
Where Should I go: Edmonton or Montreal?
Edmonton
The capital of Alberta, Canada, Edmonton has a population of just over one million people in its metropolitan area. It is also North America's northernmost city of this large size. It's a beautiful place to visit because of the North Saskatchewan River Valley which has over one hundred kilometers of hiking trails, wildlife spotting, and overlooks. The valley has a string of parks which are wonderful to visit. In addition to the beautiful outdoor setting and activities, Edmonton also offers the largest shopping mall in North America, West Edmonton Mall. It's also a city with a lot of culture including a lively theater scene, many different festivals, and no shortage of sporting events that you could attend.
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 Contiki Tours to Canada, The Best G Adventures Tours to Canada, The Best 3-Day Tours from Vancouver, and The Best One-Week (7-Day) Tours from Vancouver.
-
Average Daily Cost Per person, per dayEdmonton $179Montreal $209
The average daily cost (per person) in Edmonton is $179, 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 Edmonton and Montreal in more detail.
Accommodation
-
Accommodation Hotel or hostel for one personEdmonton $101Montreal $131
-
Accommodation Typical double-occupancy roomEdmonton $202Montreal $262
Compare Hotels in Edmonton and Montreal
Looking for a hotel in Edmonton 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: Edmonton Hotel Prices and Montreal Hotel Prices.
Local Transportation
-
Local Transportation Taxis, local buses, subway, etc.Edmonton $79Montreal $20
Hired Cars and Shuttles in Edmonton
Some specific examples of transportation prices in Edmonton:
- Private Departure Transfer from Hotels to Edmonton Airport: $43
- Edmonton to Edmonton Airport (YEG) - Departure Private Transfer: $42
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 from Montreal city to Montreal Cruise Port: $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
- One Way Private transfer from Montreal Airport to/ from Montreal: $84
- Private Transfer: Montreal to Montréal-Pierre Elliott Trudeau Airport (YUL): $87
- Private Departure Transfer to Montreal Airport YUL: $116
- Departure Private Transfer: Montreal to Montreal Airport YUL in Business Car: $117
Is it cheaper to fly into Edmonton or Montreal?
Prices for flights to both Montreal and Edmonton 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 dayEdmonton $16Montreal $36
Typical Food Prices in Edmonton
Some typical examples of dining costs in Edmonton are as follows:
-
Snacks$7.26
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: $49
- 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: $104
- Jewish Neighborhood Food Tour: $130
- Montréal: 5-Course Dinner Cruise with Music & VIP Option: $159
- Personalized Private Food Tour with a Local Foodie: $204
- Cooking Class in Montreal with a Michelin-Star Trained Chef: $216
Entertainment
-
Entertainment Entrance tickets, shows, etc.Edmonton $91Montreal $21
Tours and Activities in Edmonton
Some specific costs of activities, tours, and entrance tickets for Edmonton are as follows:
- Discover the Early History of Strathcona with Historic Walking Tour: $4.48
- Edmonton Oilers Ice Hockey Game Ticket at Rogers Place: $259
- Edmonton River Valley 60-Minute Segway Adventure: $45
- Edmonton River Valley 90-Minute Segway Adventure: $63
- Edmonton Self-Guided Audio Tour: $9.00
- 1-Hour Segway Adventure in Louise McKinney Park: $44
- Edmonton Oilers Ice Hockey Game Ticket: $232
- Self-Guided Audio Tour: $11
- Romantic Tour Around Edmonton For Couples: $223
- Scavenger Hunt Adventure in Edmonton by Crazy Dash: $10
- Summer Sunset Cruise (2Hr Tour): $89
- The Best of Edmonton Walking Tour: $224
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: $3.20
- Montreal self-guided tour App - multilingual AudioGuide: $4.27
- Montréal's Mile End to Outremont: A Self-Guided Audio Tour: $5.20
- Highlights Self-Guided Scavenger Hunt & Tour: $7.46
- Escape Game and Tour: $8.53
- APP Self-Guided Tours Montreal with Audioguide: $8.73
- 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
- Haunted Griffintown Ghost Walking Tour: $22
Alcohol
-
Alcohol Drinks for one dayEdmonton -Montreal $16
Sample the Local Flavors in Edmonton
Some specific costs for nightlife related activities in Edmonton:
- Edmonton Brewery Tour: $104
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 Edmonton and Montreal, we can see that Montreal is more expensive. And not only is Edmonton much less expensive, but it is actually a significantly cheaper destination. So, traveling to Edmonton would let you spend less money overall. Or, you could decide to spend more money in Edmonton 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 Edmonton.
If you're trying to decide if either of these two destinations are within your price range, also see Is Edmonton Expensive? and Is Montreal Expensive?.
Which is Bigger, Edmonton or Montreal?
Montreal has a larger population, and is about 5 times larger than the population of Edmonton. When comparing the sizes of Edmonton 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.
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.