Which place is cheaper, Niagara Falls or Montreal?
These are the overall average travel costs for the two destinations.
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Should you visit Montreal or Niagara Falls?
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 Montreal and Niagara Falls can help you decide which place is right for you.
Where Should I go: Montreal or Niagara Falls?
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.
Niagara Falls
Niagara Falls, Ontario sits on the Canadian side of Niagara Falls, across the border from Niagara Falls, New York. Together these cities have claimed themselves to be the "Honeymoon Capital of the World" a status that is probably little more than a marketing ploy. That said, Niagara Falls, Ontario, is perhaps a quainter and more natural version of its American counterpart. The town has existed as a tourist destination for hundreds of years, with its main attraction, obviously, being Niagara Falls. Today, millions of visitors come to see the falls every year. It's truly an impressive sight, and there is no shortage of entertainment options while you're in the area.
For some great organized tour ideas, see The Best Train & Rail Tours in Canada, The Best Sightseeing Tours in Canada, The Best Camping Tours in Canada, and The Best Romantic Tours for Couples in Canada.
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Average Daily Cost Per person, per dayMontreal $209Niagara Falls $122
The average daily cost (per person) in Montreal is $209, while the average daily cost in Niagara Falls is $122. 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 Montreal and Niagara Falls in more detail.
Accommodation
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Accommodation Hotel or hostel for one personMontreal $131Niagara Falls $74
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Accommodation Typical double-occupancy roomMontreal $262Niagara Falls $148
Compare Hotels in Montreal and Niagara Falls
Looking for a hotel in Montreal or Niagara Falls? 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: Montreal Hotel Prices and Niagara Falls Hotel Prices.
Local Transportation
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Local Transportation Taxis, local buses, subway, etc.Montreal $20Niagara Falls $16
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
Hired Cars and Shuttles in Niagara Falls
Some specific examples of transportation prices in Niagara Falls:
- Round-Trip Private-Safe Transfer Between Buffalo Airport & Niagara Falls Canada: $262
- Buffalo Niagara Airport to Holiday Valley - Round-Trip Transfer: $262
- ROUNDTRIP Ground Transfer Buffalo Niagara Int Airport (BUF)-Niagara Falls Canada: $207
- Private Half Day Niagara Wine Tour Visit with Transfer Included: $199
- Private Transfer: Niagara Falls, ON to Toronto downtown: $198
- Departure Private Transfer: Niagara Falls to Toronto Airport YYZ in Luxury SUV: $195
- Transfer Niagara-on-the-Lake, Canada to Toronto, Canada (Downtown): $179
- Transfer Niagara Falls, Canada to Toronto, Canada (Downtown): $179
- Transfer Niagara-on-the-Lake Canada to Toronto Pearson International Airport YYZ: $161
- Transfer Niagara Falls, Canada to Toronto Pearson International Airport YYZ: $161
- Private Arrival Transfer: Buffalo Niagara International Airport to Niagara Falls, New York: $138
- Private Transfer: Niagara Falls, ON to Pearson Int’l Airport (YYZ): $134
Is it cheaper to fly into Montreal or Niagara Falls?
Prices for flights to both Niagara Falls and Montreal 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 dayMontreal $36Niagara Falls $28
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: $104
- Jewish Neighborhood Food Tour: $130
- 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: $216
Food Tours and Cooking Classes in Niagara Falls
Also, here are some specific examples of food and dining related activities in Niagara Falls.
- The Wing Ride: The Hidden History of Chicken Wings Food Tour: $105
- Walking Food Tour in Niagara Falls: $108
- Sunset Wine Tour with Dinner Niagara On The Lake: $146
- Guided Night Tour w/ Dinner & Hotel Transfer: $149
- Light up The Falls Small Group Tour with Fallsview Dinner: $156
- Evening Lights Tour with Skylon Tower Dinner: $177
- Sunset Niagara-on-the-Lake Small Group Wine Tour with Dinner: $179
- Niagara Wine Tasting and three courses Dinner: $193
- Niagara Falls Evening Lights Tour With Skylon Tower Dinner: $193
- Night on Niagara Walking Tour with Fireworks Cruise + Dinner: $200
- Small Group Night Tour w/ Dinner & Light Show: $204
- Niagara Falls Canada: Small Group Night Tour w/Boat & Dinner: $219
Entertainment
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Entertainment Entrance tickets, shows, etc.Montreal $21Niagara Falls $20
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: $8.73
- 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
Typical Entertainment Prices in Niagara Falls
Some typical examples of activities, tours, and entrance ticket prices in Niagara Falls are as follows:
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Maid of the Mist$37
Tours and Activities in Niagara Falls
Some specific costs of activities, tours, and entrance tickets for Niagara Falls are as follows:
- Maid of the Mist, Cave of the Winds Made in America Tour: $92
- Niagara Falls USA Winter Tour Cave, Tower, winery & Much More : $90
- Private Custom Niagara Falls, Canada Winery Tour from Buffalo,NY: $299
- 1 Hour Private Vineyard Dome Experience in Niagara-on-the-Lake: $45
- 30 Minute Niagara Falls Airplane Tour: $157
- 7 Hour Niagara Falls USA Tour from Buffalo: $269
- All American Tour : $99
- All Attractions Niagara Falls American Tour with Boat Much More: $120
- All Inclusive Niagara Falls USA Tour W/Boat Ride,Cave & Much MORE: $126
- All Niagara Falls USA Tour Maid of Mist Boat & So Much More : $130
- All inclusive Niagara Evening Light Show, Boat Ride & Cave Tour: $140
- American and Canadian Niagara Falls Tour from Canada: $161
Alcohol
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Alcohol Drinks for one dayMontreal $16Niagara Falls $11
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
Sample the Local Flavors in Niagara Falls
Also in Niagara Falls, these are the prices for nightlife and alcohol related activities from various tour providers:
- Niagara Wine Tour and Tastings with Included Transportation : $56
- Small Group Niagara-on-the-Lake Wine Tasting Tour: $96
- Sip, Swirl and Savour Chocolate & Wine Tour : $104
- Niagara Craft Brewery Tour Niagara Falls: $110
- 3.5 Hours NOTL E-Bike Wine Tour: $111
- Niagara All American All inclusive Boutique Wine Tour : $114
- Half Day Wine & Cheese Tour - Niagara On The Lake Wine Tour: $120
- Luxury Winery, Distillery & Craft Beer Tour in Niagara Region : $123
- Full-Day Group Wine Tour (with cheese and charcuterie) in Niagara-on-the-Lake: $142
- Relaxing three courses Lunch & Wine Tour through Niagara's Wine Country: $149
- Luxury Buffalo Brewery Tour: $149
- Niagara-on-the-Lake Small Group Wine Tour with Picnic Lunch: $149
When we compare the travel costs of actual travelers between Montreal and Niagara Falls, we can see that Montreal is more expensive. And not only is Niagara Falls much less expensive, but it is actually a significantly cheaper destination. So, traveling to Niagara Falls would let you spend less money overall. Or, you could decide to spend more money in Niagara Falls 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 Niagara Falls.
If you're trying to decide if either of these two destinations are within your price range, also see Is Montreal Expensive? and Is Niagara Falls Expensive?.
Which is Bigger, Montreal or Niagara Falls?
Montreal has a larger population, and is about 40 times larger than the population of Niagara Falls. When comparing the sizes of Montreal and Niagara Falls, 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 Montreal or Niagara Falls?
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 Montreal or Niagara Falls in the Summer?
Both Niagara Falls and Montreal during the summer are popular places to visit.
In July, Montreal is generally cooler than Niagara Falls. Daily temperatures in Montreal average around 21°C (69°F), and Niagara Falls fluctuates around 23°C (74°F).
In Niagara Falls, it's very sunny this time of the year. It's quite sunny in Montreal. In the summer, Montreal often gets less sunshine than Niagara Falls. Montreal gets 276 hours of sunny skies this time of year, while Niagara Falls receives 306 hours of full sun.
Montreal usually gets more rain in July than Niagara Falls. Montreal gets 91 mm (3.6 in) of rain, while Niagara Falls receives 69 mm (2.7 in) of rain this time of the year.
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Summer Average Temperatures JulyMontreal 21°C (69°F)Niagara Falls 23°C (74°F)
Should I visit Montreal or Niagara Falls in the Autumn?
The autumn attracts plenty of travelers to both Montreal and Niagara Falls.
Montreal is cooler than Niagara Falls in the autumn. The daily temperature in Montreal averages around 8°C (47°F) in October, and Niagara Falls fluctuates around 12°C (54°F).
Montreal usually receives around the same amount of sunshine as Niagara Falls during autumn. Montreal gets 141 hours of sunny skies, while Niagara Falls receives 148 hours of full sun in the autumn.
In October, Montreal usually receives more rain than Niagara Falls. Montreal gets 79 mm (3.1 in) of rain, while Niagara Falls receives 61 mm (2.4 in) of rain each month for the autumn.
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Autumn Average Temperatures OctoberMontreal 8°C (47°F)Niagara Falls 12°C (54°F)
Should I visit Montreal or Niagara Falls in the Winter?
The winter brings many poeple to Montreal as well as Niagara Falls.
Be prepared for some very cold days in Niagara Falls. It's quite cold in Montreal in the winter. In the winter, Montreal is much colder than Niagara Falls. Typically, the winter temperatures in Montreal in January average around -10°C (14°F), and Niagara Falls averages at about -4°C (26°F).
In the winter, Montreal often gets more sunshine than Niagara Falls. Montreal gets 103 hours of sunny skies this time of year, while Niagara Falls receives 89 hours of full sun.
Montreal usually gets more rain in January than Niagara Falls. Montreal gets 74 mm (2.9 in) of rain, while Niagara Falls receives 52 mm (2 in) of rain this time of the year.
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Winter Average Temperatures JanuaryMontreal -10°C (14°F)Niagara Falls -4°C (26°F)
Should I visit Montreal or Niagara Falls in the Spring?
Both Niagara Falls and Montreal are popular destinations to visit in the spring with plenty of activities.
In April, Montreal is generally much colder than Niagara Falls. Daily temperatures in Montreal average around 6°C (43°F), and Niagara Falls fluctuates around 10°C (49°F).
It's quite sunny in Niagara Falls. Montreal usually receives less sunshine than Niagara Falls during spring. Montreal gets 183 hours of sunny skies, while Niagara Falls receives 203 hours of full sun in the spring.
In April, Montreal usually receives more rain than Niagara Falls. Montreal gets 78 mm (3.1 in) of rain, while Niagara Falls receives 63 mm (2.5 in) of rain each month for the spring.
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Spring Average Temperatures AprilMontreal 6°C (43°F)Niagara Falls 10°C (49°F)
Typical Weather for Niagara Falls and Montreal
| Montreal | Niagara Falls | |||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Temp (°C) | Rain (mm) | Temp (°C) | Rain (mm) | |
| Jan | -10°C (14°F) | 74 mm (2.9 in) | -4°C (26°F) | 52 mm (2 in) |
| Feb | -9°C (16°F) | 65 mm (2.6 in) | -3°C (28°F) | 48 mm (1.9 in) |
| Mar | -2°C (28°F) | 74 mm (2.9 in) | 2°C (36°F) | 60 mm (2.4 in) |
| Apr | 6°C (43°F) | 78 mm (3.1 in) | 10°C (49°F) | 63 mm (2.5 in) |
| May | 13°C (55°F) | 75 mm (3 in) | 15°C (59°F) | 67 mm (2.6 in) |
| Jun | 18°C (64°F) | 87 mm (3.4 in) | 20°C (68°F) | 68 mm (2.7 in) |
| Jul | 21°C (69°F) | 91 mm (3.6 in) | 23°C (74°F) | 69 mm (2.7 in) |
| Aug | 19°C (67°F) | 104 mm (4.1 in) | 22°C (72°F) | 81 mm (3.2 in) |
| Sep | 14°C (58°F) | 90 mm (3.5 in) | 18°C (65°F) | 75 mm (3 in) |
| Oct | 8°C (47°F) | 79 mm (3.1 in) | 12°C (54°F) | 61 mm (2.4 in) |
| Nov | 2°C (35°F) | 101 mm (4 in) | 6°C (43°F) | 70 mm (2.8 in) |
| Dec | -7°C (20°F) | 99 mm (3.9 in) | -0°C (31°F) | 75 mm (2.9 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.