If you’re deciding between Calgary vs Montréal, you’re really choosing between two very different “best versions” of Canada. Calgary is a fast-growing, English-first prairie city with big-sky sunshine, mountains next door, and a reputation for higher incomes and lower sales tax. Montréal is a dense, culture-heavy, bilingual (often French-first) metropolis with older neighbourhood charm, stronger transit coverage, and a very different housing + tax reality.
Below is a data-backed comparison focused on what actually affects day-to-day life: taxes, rent, buying a home, safety, growth, and “how it feels” to live there.
Calgary vs Montréal at a Glance
| Category | Calgary | Montréal |
|---|---|---|
| Sales tax on most purchases | 5% | 14.975% |
| “High life satisfaction” (8–10) | 38.1% | 57.3% |
| “Low life satisfaction” (0–5) | 29.1% | 14.8% |
| Purpose-built rental vacancy (2025) | 5.0% | 2.9% |
| Avg 2-bedroom rent (purpose-built, 2025) | $1,914 | $1,346 |
| Crime Severity Index (2024) | 62.3 | 61.7 |
| CMA growth (to Jul 1, 2024) | +6.0% | +2.9% |
| Population (CMA, Jul 1, 2024) | 1,778,881 | 4,615,154 |
Taxes: The Everyday “Hidden Cost” Difference
This is the most immediate, unavoidable difference in the Calgary vs Montréal debate.
- Calgary (Alberta): You generally pay 5% GST on most goods and services.
- Montréal (Québec): You generally pay 5% GST + 9.975% QST, which is 14.975% combined.
What that means in real life: if you spend $2,000/month on taxable items (restaurants, clothes, electronics, services), Montréal can add roughly $200 more per month in sales taxes compared to Calgary. That won’t decide everything—but it quietly stacks up.
Renting: Vacancy, Competition, and What “Average Rent” Really Means
When people compare rent online, they often mix “new listing asking rent” with “average rent paid by all tenants.” The official survey numbers below are based on the purpose-built rental market, which can be lower than the newest listing prices you see on ads.
Calgary renting reality
- Vacancy is higher (more breathing room when searching).
- The official average 2-bedroom rent is higher.
In practice, Calgary can feel like: more choice, but at higher asking prices—especially in newer buildings.
Montréal renting reality
- Vacancy is lower (more competition).
- The official average 2-bedroom rent is lower.
In practice, Montréal can feel like: more competition, but a bigger pool of older rentals—often with different norms (older buildings, smaller layouts, fewer in-suite amenities).
Bottom line:
- If you value more availability and newer supply, Calgary often wins.
- If you value lower average rent (especially in established stock), Montréal can win—if you can actually secure a place you like.
Buying a Home: Price Levels and What You Get for the Money
A clean “apples-to-apples” comparison is hard because different real-estate systems publish different headline metrics (benchmark vs median, different property mixes). Still, the official market snapshots give a clear directional story.
Montréal (CMA) median prices — November 2025
- Single-family home: $635,000
- Condominium: $425,000
- Plex (2–5 units): $855,000
Montréal’s “plex culture” is its own category: duplex/triplex living, rental income, and multi-unit ownership are far more normal there than in Calgary.
Calgary (benchmark) — November 2025
Calgary’s benchmark price sits around $559,000.
How it feels in real life
- Calgary: more modern suburban housing stock, newer builds, more space-per-dollar in many areas, but rising prices tied to strong in-migration.
- Montréal: more older homes, more density, more “walk-to-everything” neighbourhoods, and a unique multi-unit ownership ladder (plexes).
If your dream is a walkable life in a historic neighbourhood, Montréal is unusually strong in Canada. If your dream is space, sunlight, and faster access to nature, Calgary is hard to beat.
Jobs and Income: Different Economies, Different “Ladders”
This is where Calgary vs Montréal becomes very personal.
Calgary’s “fast ladder”
Calgary is known for industries where income jumps can be dramatic (energy, engineering, corporate services), and for being a magnet for newcomers chasing a reset: “move, level up, buy later.”
Montréal’s “wide creative + tech ecosystem”
Montréal is one of Canada’s major hubs for:
- tech and AI ecosystems,
- gaming/VFX/film production,
- aerospace,
- universities and research culture,
- arts, festivals, nightlife and hospitality.
Reality check: Montréal can offer a bigger variety of “interesting careers,” while Calgary often wins on the “earn more + pay less sales tax” equation—depending on your field.
Safety: Very Similar on Official Crime Severity
If you want one quick number for Calgary vs Montréal safety: they’re surprisingly close in official crime severity.
- Calgary CSI (2024): 62.3
- Montréal CSI (2024): 61.7
That doesn’t mean every neighbourhood feels the same—but at the metro level, they’re essentially in the same range.
Growth and Vibe: A City Expanding vs a City Evolving
Growth affects everything: rents, traffic, construction, and how “settled” a city feels.
- Montréal CMA: 4,615,154 people, +2.9% growth (to Jul 1, 2024)
- Calgary CMA: 1,778,881 people, +6.0% growth
Calgary’s growth is the kind that changes neighbourhoods quickly (new towers, new suburbs, pressure on rentals). Montréal’s growth is steadier, and the city feels more “layered” and historically continuous.
Happiness: Is There an Index?
Yes—Canada has an official, recurring measure of life satisfaction (0–10 scale). It’s not “city happiness,” but it’s a reliable way to compare provinces.
For Q2 2025:
- Québec: 57.3% reported high life satisfaction (8–10)
- Alberta: 38.1% reported high life satisfaction (8–10)
And on the other end:
- Alberta: 29.1% reported low life satisfaction (0–5)
- Québec: 14.8% reported low life satisfaction (0–5)
Important nuance: this doesn’t prove Montréal is “happier than Calgary.” It shows that, in recent official survey results, Québec respondents report higher life satisfaction than Alberta respondents—and that’s a meaningful signal when comparing the lifestyle “fit.”
Transportation and Daily Life: Car City vs Transit City
Calgary
- Strong downtown + event corridor, but a lot of life is built around driving.
- Big advantage: easy escapes—day trips, hikes, and mountain weekends are part of local culture.
Montréal
- Denser neighbourhood life, more “walk outside and the city is already happening.”
- Transit and bike culture tend to feel more integrated into everyday routines.
If you want a city where you can live well without a car, Montréal is usually the easier choice. If you want a city where owning a car feels like freedom (not a burden), Calgary often fits.
Who Wins Calgary vs Montréal?
Choose Calgary if you want:
- lower sales tax and simpler tax feel on everyday spending,
- faster-growing job market energy and a “newcomer reset” vibe,
- more availability in rentals (higher vacancy),
- mountains as your weekend default.
Choose Montréal if you want:
- a city that feels like a cultural capital (food, festivals, arts),
- stronger transit + walkability as the default lifestyle,
- lower average rent in the official purpose-built data (with more competition),
- bilingual or French-forward living (or you’re excited to learn).
FAQ: Calgary vs Montréal
Is Montréal cheaper than Calgary?
On official averages for purpose-built rentals, Montréal’s average 2-bedroom rent is lower. But Montréal also has higher sales tax, and the rental market can be more competitive depending on neighbourhood and timing.
Is Calgary safer than Montréal?
Official crime severity is extremely similar at the CMA level. Neighbourhood choice matters more than the headline city comparison.
Where is it easier to find a rental?
Calgary’s vacancy rate is higher in the official survey, which usually translates into more choice and slightly less competition.
Is there an official happiness index?
Canada uses an official “life satisfaction” measure (0–10). In the latest published quarter used here, Québec reports a higher share of high life satisfaction than Alberta.
Conclusion
Calgary vs Montréal isn’t just a cost-of-living comparison—it’s a lifestyle identity choice.
- Calgary is the “sunny, growth, space, mountains” city with a lower sales tax reality and a faster-changing urban landscape.
- Montréal is the “culture, neighbourhood life, transit, historic density” city with higher sales tax but a unique housing culture and a different rhythm of daily living.
If your priority is economic efficiency + nature access, Calgary often wins. If your priority is urban culture + walkability + city texture, Montréal is hard to beat.
