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

Should you visit Sydney or Montreal?

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

If you're trying to decide where to visit between Sydney or Montreal, this travel comparison, which includes costs, can help. The overall cost of travel is usually a consideration when deciding where to go next, and the cost comparison down below can help you decide based on the average prices from other travelers along with your own travel budget.

Where Should I go: Sydney or Montreal?

Sydney

Sydney, known as the harbour city, is the most famous and frequently visited city in Australia. It is at the economical and cultural heart of the country, and is one of the most beautiful and livable cities in the world. It's situated on the water with stunning views of the famous harbour throughout the city. It's most famous landmarks include the Sydney Opera House and the Sydney Harbour Bridge. It is also very close wonderful beaches, parks, and nature.

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 Family-Friendly Tours to Australia, The Best Hiking & Trekking Tours in Australia, The Best Train & Rail Tours in Canada, and The Best Sightseeing Tours in Canada.


Which place is cheaper, Montreal or Sydney?

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

The average daily cost (per person) in Sydney is $278, while the average daily cost in Montreal is $210. 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 Sydney and Montreal in more detail.



Accommodation
  • Accommodation Hotel or hostel for one person
    Sydney $104
    Montreal $132
  • Accommodation Typical double-occupancy room
    Sydney $208
    Montreal $264
Compare Hotels in Sydney and Montreal

Looking for a hotel in Sydney 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 Sydney


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: Sydney Hotel Prices and Montreal Hotel Prices.

Local Transportation
  • Local Transportation Taxis, local buses, subway, etc.
    Sydney $15
    Montreal $21
Typical Local Transportation Prices in Sydney

Here are some examples of typical transportation prices from actual travelers in Sydney:


  • Taxi Ride
    $13
  • Taxi to Airport
    $17

Hired Cars and Shuttles in Sydney

Some specific examples of transportation prices in Sydney:

  • Limoroo, Luxe Private Transfers to The Blue Mountains Australia: $297
  • Airport Transfer From Sydney Airport to Hotels and Home: $295
  • Private Transfer from Sydney Hotels to Airport: $255
  • Tandem Skydive with Optional Transfers: $251
  • Premium Private Transfer FROM Sydney Airport to Sydney CBD/Downtown 1-11 people: $238
  • Premium Private Transfer FROM Sydney Airport to Sydney CBD/Downtown 1-13 people: $215
  • Sydney Airport (SYD): Private Transfer to Sydney hotels: $207
  • Airport transfers and shuttle bus - home/hotels: $198
  • From Sydney Hotels - Hotel Transfer to Airport: $195
  • Airport Transfer From Sydney Airport to Hotels and Home: $165
  • Sydney Airport Departure Transfer (Sydney Central Business District to Airport): $164
  • Sydney Airport Private Car Departure Transfer: $162

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 Sydney or Montreal?

Prices for flights to both Montreal and Sydney 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
    Sydney $45
    Montreal $36
Typical Food Prices in Sydney

Below are a few samples from actual travelers for food and meal costs in Sydney:


  • Tea
    $2.64
  • Lunch Special
    $9.91
  • Food/Drink Coogie Beach
    $9.91
  • Meat Pies
    $3.30

Food Tours and Cooking Classes in Sydney

Also, here are some specific examples of food and dining related activities in Sydney.

  • Vivid Lights Festival Pizza Cruise Tour in Vivid Sydney: $16
  • VIVID Dinner Cruise with Complimentary Drink on Arrival: $36
  • Admission to Vivid Dinner Cruise in Sydney : $46
  • Vivid Sydney Harbor Cruise with Buffet Dinner: $46
  • Sydney's Little Italy Food Tour: $50
  • Sydney Street Art & Food Tour: $53
  • Christmas in July Dinner Cruise on Sydney Harbour: $56
  • Twilight Dinner Cruise on Coral Trekker: $59
  • Twilight Dinner Cruise (1.5 hour): $59
  • Twilight Dinner Cruise on Coral Trekker: $59
  • Harbor Sunset Cruise with Dinner: $59
  • Sydney Harbour: Tall Ship Vivid Dinner Cruise: $59

Typical Food Prices in Montreal

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


  • Tim Hortons breakfast and coffee
    $9.04

Food Tours and Cooking Classes in Montreal

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

  • Le Bateau-Mouche À La Carte Menu Dinner Cruise: $59
  • 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
  • Cooking Class and Tasting Menu with Michelin Chef: $130
  • Montréal: 5-Course Dinner Cruise with Music & VIP Option: $160
  • Personalized Private Food Tour with a Local Foodie: $207
  • Cooking Class in Montreal with a Michelin-Star Trained Chef: $224

Entertainment
  • Entertainment Entrance tickets, shows, etc.
    Sydney $32
    Montreal $21
Typical Entertainment Prices in Sydney

Here are a few typical costs in Sydney for activities, ticket prices, and tours that come from previous visitors:


  • Theatre Show
    $30
  • Sydney Tower Visit (for 2)
    $30
  • Blue Mountain Tour/Featherdale Park (for 2)
    $126
  • Powerhouse Museum
    $9.94

Tours and Activities in Sydney

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

  • Small-Group Sydney's Northern Beaches and Ku-ring-gai National Park Bus Tour: $228
  • 2 Hours Sydney Harbour's True Crime Cruise Tour: $36
  • 2-Hour Guided Walking Tour in Sydney Harbour National Park : $36
  • 3 Hours Abba Tribute Cruise on Sydney Harbour: $65
  • 3 Hr Whale Watching Discovery Cruise in Sydney: $72
  • 3-Hour Private Bike Tour with a Local Sydney Guide: $227
  • 3.5 Hours Explore Bondi Beach and Sydney Sightseeing Tour: $195
  • 4-Hour Freediving Taster Experience at Shelly Beach, Manly: $182
  • Afternoon Discovery Cruise on Coral Trekker: $46
  • Allianz Stadium Guided Walking Tour: $17
  • Art Gallery of NSW: State of the Art Gallery Tour: $30
  • Art Gallery of NSW: Stories of Art and Place gallery tour: $30

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)
    $54

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: $3.23
  • Montreal self-guided tour App - multilingual AudioGuide: $4.31
  • Montréal's Mile End to Outremont: A Self-Guided Audio Tour: $5.20
  • Highlights Self-Guided Scavenger Hunt & Tour: $7.54
  • Escape Game and Tour: $8.61
  • APP Self-Guided Tours Montreal with Audioguide: $8.74
  • Montreal Art Center & Museum Audio Guided Tour: $10
  • Self-Guided Audio Tour: $11
  • 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

Alcohol
  • Alcohol Drinks for one day
    Sydney $15
    Montreal $16
Typical Alcohol Prices in Sydney

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


  • Wine
    $11

Sample the Local Flavors in Sydney

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

  • Haunted Pub Tour with Local Guide: $21
  • Night Out Pub Crawl with Local Guide: $30
  • Urban Winery Wine Tasting Tour with Cheese Platter: $56
  • Private Wine Tour and Tasting: $56
  • Beach and Brew - Hike and Brewery (Men and Women): $73
  • Balmain Pub Walking Tour: $76
  • Luxury Hunter Valley Wildlife & Wine Tasting Tour from Sydney: $83
  • Sydney Beer and Brewery Tour: $102
  • Brewery, Winery, and Distillery Tasting Tour: $112
  • Northern Beaches Brewery Tour and Tasting: $122
  • From Hunter Valley Wine Tour with Cheese Tasting: $145
  • Hunter Valley Wine Tour from Sydney with Lunch and 3 Cellar Door Tastings: $149

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 Sydney and Montreal, we can see that Sydney is more expensive. And not only is Montreal much less expensive, but it is actually a significantly cheaper destination. Since Sydney is in Pacific and Montreal is in North America, this is one of the main reasons why the costs are so different, as different regions of the world tend to have overall different travel costs. 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 Sydney would naturally cost you much more money, so you would probably want to keep your budget a little tighter in Sydney 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 Sydney Expensive? and Is Montreal Expensive?.


Which is Bigger, Sydney or Montreal?

Sydney has a larger population, and is about 34% larger than the population of Montreal. When comparing the sizes of Sydney 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 Sydney or Montreal?

Even though both destinations experience a temperate climate with four distinct seasons, they experience these seasons at different times of the year. Sydney is in the southern hemisphere and summer is in January and winter is in July, but Montreal has summer in [NORTHERNSUMMERMONTH] and winter in [NORTHERNWINTERMONTH].

Should I visit Sydney or Montreal in the Summer?

Both Montreal and Sydney during the summer are popular places to visit. Most visitors come to Sydney for the beaches, snorkeling, the hiking, the city activities, and the family-friendly experiences during these months.

Sydney is around the same temperature as Montreal in the summer. The daily temperature in Sydney averages around 23°C (73°F) in January, and Montreal fluctuates around 21°C (69°F)in July.

In Montreal, it's very sunny this time of the year. It's quite sunny in Sydney. In the summer, Sydney often gets less sunshine than Montrealin July. Sydney gets 236 hours of sunny skies this time of year, while Montreal receives 276 hours of full sun.

It rains a lot this time of the year in Sydney. Sydney usually gets more rain in January than Montrealin July. Sydney gets 116 mm (4.6 in) of rain, while Montreal receives 91 mm (3.6 in) of rain this time of the year.


  • Summer Average Temperatures January and July
    Sydney 23°C (73°F) 
    Montreal 21°C (69°F)

Should I visit Sydney or Montreal in the Autumn?

The autumn attracts plenty of travelers to both Sydney and Montreal. The autumn months attract visitors to Sydney because of the hiking trails, the city's sights and attractions, the shopping scene, and the natural beauty of the area.

In the autumn, Sydney is much warmer than Montreal. Typically, the autumn temperatures in Sydney in April average around 19°C (65°F), and Montreal averages at about 8°C (47°F)in October.

Sydney usually receives more sunshine than Montreal during autumn. Sydney gets 195 hours of sunny skies, while Montreal receives 141 hours of full sun in the autumn.

Sydney gets a good bit of rain this time of year. In April, Sydney usually receives more rain than Montrealin October. Sydney gets 120 mm (4.7 in) of rain, while Montreal receives 79 mm (3.1 in) of rain each month for the autumn.


  • Autumn Average Temperatures April and October
    Sydney 19°C (65°F) 
    Montreal 8°C (47°F)

Should I visit Sydney or Montreal in the Winter?

The winter brings many poeple to Sydney as well as Montreal. The museums, the shopping scene, and the cuisine are the main draw to Sydney this time of year.

Be prepared for some very cold days in Montreal. In July, Sydney is generally much warmer than Montrealin January. Daily temperatures in Sydney average around 12°C (53°F), and Montreal fluctuates around -10°C (14°F).

People are often attracted to the plentiful sunshine in Sydney this time of the year. In the winter, Sydney often gets more sunshine than Montrealin January. Sydney gets 208 hours of sunny skies this time of year, while Montreal receives 103 hours of full sun.

Sydney usually gets less rain in July than Montrealin January. Sydney gets 54 mm (2.1 in) of rain, while Montreal receives 74 mm (2.9 in) of rain this time of the year.


  • Winter Average Temperatures July and January
    Sydney 12°C (53°F) 
    Montreal -10°C (14°F)

Should I visit Sydney or Montreal in the Spring?

Both Montreal and Sydney are popular destinations to visit in the spring with plenty of activities. Many travelers come to Sydney for the beaches, the activities around the city, and the natural beauty.

Sydney is much warmer than Montreal in the spring. The daily temperature in Sydney averages around 18°C (64°F) in October, and Montreal fluctuates around 6°C (43°F)in April.

The sun comes out a lot this time of the year in Sydney. Sydney usually receives more sunshine than Montreal during spring. Sydney gets 240 hours of sunny skies, while Montreal receives 183 hours of full sun in the spring.

In October, Sydney usually receives around the same amount of rain as Montrealin April. Sydney gets 79 mm (3.1 in) of rain, while Montreal receives 78 mm (3.1 in) of rain each month for the spring.


  • Spring Average Temperatures October and April
    Sydney 18°C (64°F) 
    Montreal 6°C (43°F)

Typical Weather for Montreal and Sydney

Sydney Montreal
Temp (°C) Rain (mm) Temp (°C) Rain (mm)
Jan 23°C (73°F) 116 mm (4.6 in) -10°C (14°F) 74 mm (2.9 in)
Feb 23°C (73°F) 113 mm (4.4 in) -9°C (16°F) 65 mm (2.6 in)
Mar 21°C (70°F) 148 mm (5.8 in) -2°C (28°F) 74 mm (2.9 in)
Apr 19°C (65°F) 120 mm (4.7 in) 6°C (43°F) 78 mm (3.1 in)
May 15°C (60°F) 88 mm (3.5 in) 13°C (55°F) 75 mm (3 in)
Jun 13°C (55°F) 128 mm (5 in) 18°C (64°F) 87 mm (3.4 in)
Jul 12°C (53°F) 54 mm (2.1 in) 21°C (69°F) 91 mm (3.6 in)
Aug 13°C (55°F) 90 mm (3.5 in) 19°C (67°F) 104 mm (4.1 in)
Sep 15°C (59°F) 60 mm (2.4 in) 14°C (58°F) 90 mm (3.5 in)
Oct 18°C (64°F) 79 mm (3.1 in) 8°C (47°F) 79 mm (3.1 in)
Nov 20°C (67°F) 101 mm (4 in) 2°C (35°F) 101 mm (4 in)
Dec 22°C (71°F) 81 mm (3.2 in) -7°C (20°F) 99 mm (3.9 in)