I met my ex boyfriend when I used to live in Granby. He lived in Montreal, he always has been a big city guy, while I prefer the peaceful setting of the country life. I was still going to school and he was working, and living with his dad and sister, in an apartment in Montreal. It was exciting for me to go visit him on the weekend. He would pay for my bus ticket since I wasn’t working and I was always excited to go see him, and go to Montreal. Montreal was impressive to the younger me. I was always amazed to see how big it was and how tall the buildings in the city center were. At night it was beautiful and so cool, to see the lights and tall buildings, in the distance as my bus was getting closer when I would leave in the late evening. I enjoyed riding the bus to go visit him, it was a nice, peaceful time for me.
Montreal is a big island, with a few million people living on it. Almost 1 million people commute everyday from all the surrounding cities. The public transport was awesome back when I lived there ! I would buy a monthly pass for 25$, and I could go almost anywhere, on the island. That included the subway transit as well. A lot of people, like us, who didn’t have a car at that time, would rely on public transport, and it was fun to go to different places. It’s SUPER confusing at first because it’s so big ! It took me a while to learn which way to go, in the subway. Montreal has a lot of shops, boutiques, restaurants, parks, churches, and night clubs. It also has a huge amusement park, on Ste-Helen island, that I went to a few times. In high school we had a choice of a few picks, to where we would want to spend our last high school day. It was kind of a vacation with our friends. The amusement park is now owned by Six Flags.
Montreal gets a lot of tourism during the summer for good reasons. There are a lot of things to do, places to go. Ste-Catherine street in downtown Montreal is the most popular street. Montreal also has a lot of history, if you are into that. You would love our old, beautiful churches, old Montreal where the port of Montreal is. It’s very lively in the summer. People are very friendly and welcoming. It has a lot of diversity and people of different races, makes it very welcoming and warm. Most people speak French but there are also a lot of English speaking people.
My favorite restaurant to go in Montreal were :
- Amir (Super good Lebanese/Mediterranean food)
- Casa Grecque (Greek Food)
- St-Hubert BBQ (They have super good BBQ chicken!)
- Schwartz’s (Best Smoked meat sandwich by far !!!)
There is so much to do it’s hard to get bored.
When I used to live there, when I was young, we lived a very active life. We would go to nightclubs until late in the morning, eat a slice of Pizza for 2$, after dancing for hours. We would then take the bus back home, and go to sleep. I found jobs really easily there. It’s even easier if you speak French & English. What is nice is the public transport available, that makes it a lot easier for people who don’t have cars, to get to work. It’s also very friendly to cyclists. If you want to go back to school later in your life, because for some reason, you had to quit, there are programs available, that help you. With monthly rent, transport, bills, to get a work certificate in a certain specialization, and obtain a job after you are done.
I have a lot of great memories of my life, from when I used to live in Montreal. It’s a big, busy city, but also, it seem that in bigger cities, comes with it, a lot of people who are stressed, live at a fast pace. It was very different from living in my hometown in Granby. We lived in the Rosemont area, St-Michel, Montreal Nord, we moved a few times. My ex had a lot of friends, so we went out a lot with them. If you like big cities, then Montreal totally IS for you, if you are looking to relocate in Quebec. It has everything you could possibly need. The main language is French, but there are a lot of English speaking people. It is the second most Populous city in Quebec. Montreal is one of the most bilingual cities in Quebec and Canada, with 58.5% of the population able to speak both English and French!
Montreal remains an important Centre of art, culture, literature, film and television, music, commerce, aerospace, transport, finance, pharmaceuticals, technology, design, education, tourism, food, fashion, video game development, and world affairs. It is home to the Montreal Canadiens of the National Hockey League, who have won the Stanley Cup, more times than any other team.
Montreal Fireworks Festival is the world’s largest annual fireworks festival. The city hosts a number of festivals annually from a lot of different countries.
Montreal also has a Casino, which I went to, that was a lot of fun ! There are so many good things about living in Montreal. If you are planning to immigrate to Quebec, Canada and want to slowly integrate yourself in the French culture, and you speak English, Montreal is a great place to start. You can learn French through immersion. There are also places, where you can learn French or English, for a very low cost.
In the winter, Montreal offers a lot of various activities to do as well. I myself, never really was a winter/snow/cold person, so I never really participated, in those kinds of activities, but there are a lot of people, who enjoy ice skating, snow boarding etc. I think you will like our culture, our sense of humor, and our friendliness. When I lived there, I was always able to ask for help, if I got lost or I was looking for something. We like to help people. I think that is a big benefit of living in a big city, where people immigrate, from all around the world. It makes it so much more interesting and it really helps create, a fun environment for everyone.
Living in Canada can feel quite different, from living in other parts of the world, as it has its own unique culture, history and language, especially in the province of Quebec. The official language of Quebec is French, which is spoken by the majority of residents. English is also widely spoken, especially in bigger cities, but it is not as common as French. The culture in Quebec is heavily influenced by French, and First Nations cultures, which can be seen in the food, art and architecture. The province also has a strong sense of nationalism and distinct political views, which can also, make it feel different, from other parts of Canada.
Overall, living in Montreal, can be a unique and rich experience, with a lot of history and culture to explore. People are proud of their culture, and who they are. June 24th is a very important date and a big deal of celebration for us, like the 4th of July is, in the United States. We are loud, we love drinking, having fun, celebrating with friends, people, with music and French Quebec bands. I think we have a pretty good sense of humor also. It’s never dull to hang out with a French Canadian 😉
Montreal is flourishing, quite safe for such a big city, and open to diversity, making it a perfect place for newcomers to thrive. This city is beautiful, and offers all the advantages of big cities. Many career opportunities, are available, while the quality of life is pretty good.
There are tons of outdoor activities to do. Cycling is very popular. There are many miles of bike paths, with beautiful nature around. The nature enthusiast in you, will most certainly fall in love with Québec! The region is bordered, with the lush Laurentian mixed forest, with abundant lakes and mountains, the ideal environment for outdoors activities and getaways: hiking, skiing, biking, snowmobile, boating, hunting, fishing, dog sledding, being very popular activities.
Several parks and outdoor recreational areas are available for family activities, all year round. In Montreal, there is always something beautiful to discover, something exciting to experience! It’s a great place to take pictures.
You can enjoy life to the fullest, without fear of walking along the streets, and facing violence, as is the case with some other big cities. You will discover the advantages of a calm place to live. Montreal is known for its safety, for being such a big city. Of course it has bad areas that should be avoided, like any other big cities. I never felt scared when I used to walk alone late at night. My husband, who is a United States citizen, said the same thing when visiting.
A mix of history, modern culture and nature, Montreal is the reflection of its citizens. Safe, dynamic, innovative, welcoming, active: it has a thriving economy and an unmet quality of life, with festivals and major events, coexisting and succeeding one another, season after season.
Are you anglophone, francophone, or allophone (neither French nor English as a maternal tongue)? If you don’t speak French and want to live in Montreal, it would be a good idea to learn it. It’s not that hard to get to a functional level. I was fluent in English after three months of immersion when I moved to the United States, and only kept improving after that. I also watched a lot of movies and tv shows in English to help me. That single accomplishment, will make you a fully-functioning resident, rather than a visitor, and open a lot of doors both professionally and socially.
It is possible to live entirely in English in some regions (like central or west Montreal) but I don’t suggest it, if you want a full experience. It’s almost impossible, to be unilingual in English, almost anywhere else in Quebec, and not feel isolated.
Montreal has a low cost of living, and high quality of life. Property prices are low. Restaurants of every ethnicity are cheap, and excellent, especially near the larger centers. Farmer’s markets and foreign imported food, are equally plentiful. The residents are friendly and fun-loving. You can get good music, good theater, good art, world-class skiing, camping, lakes, and almost anything else you require in large quantities, within a short driving distance.
Taxes ARE high, but social programs are well-funded. The politics tend to be somewhat more to the left, than some other places in Canada, but not exclusively. And despite what you hear on the news, things are neither as bad as they say nor as good, but somewhere in the middle.
My family is both French and English speaking. I was educated in Québec until the age of 18, at which point I chose to leave to go to Montreal.
Day to day, it doesn’t feel much different. The French language is much more present than in the rest of Canada. Road/highway signage is only in French in Québec, but it’s still pretty easy to figure out. For the most part you see the same stores, fast food joints, etc in Montreal, as in the rest of Canada.
If we look at a more large scale comparison, then the differences become more noticeable:
Higher taxes
Québec has the highest sales tax, tied with the Atlantic provinces (15%). More importantly, Québec has the highest income taxes in Canada. If your income is under 50 000$ a year it won’t hit you too hard, but individuals with higher incomes, will feel the pinch, paying easily 4–7% more of their income in taxes, than elsewhere in Canada. Also, Québec is the only province with its own provincial tax agency, Revenu Québec. This means that residents of Québec must file TWO income tax forms, one for the federal government and one for the province. Residents of all other provinces file only a federal income tax form (the feds then redistribute funds to the provinces).
than in the other major provinces. The prices of most consumer goods vary. Beer for example is cheap, but gas prices are among the highest in Canada. Electricity in Québec is cheaper, than in the rest of Canada. As a consequence, most people heat with electricity.
Education
In Québec high school ends in the 11th grade. Students then typically attend college, called Cégep, for two or three years. (2 year programs for those who wish to attend university and 3 years for professional programs, like a “community college”, which lead to work). In the rest of Canada, high school extends to the 12th grade and students can then go on to community college or university.
Loi 101: the (in)famous “Law 101” dictates that only families, in which at least one parent was educated in English, in Canada, have the right to enroll their children, in English public schools. If neither the father nor mother, were educated in English in Canada, they will have to enroll their children in French schools. The only alternative is to choose an English private school, which are not particularly common, in most regions.
Life in Montreal doesn’t feel drastically different, the biggest difference being linguistic. A huge benefit to living in Montreal, is the simple fact that most people are bilingual, something that can’t be said about the rest of Canada. I feel that Montreal, is at least slightly more bureaucratic, than the rest of Canada, which can rub people the wrong way.
The spectrum of acceptable political opinion is much narrower in Quebec, than in the rest of Canada. In Quebec, that doesn’t necessarily follow: the mentality is still bad. It’s less bad in Montreal, but it’s still bad. In Quebec, if your opinion is not in that narrow spectrum of opinion, it’s not allowed any kind of airing. People are afraid of having opinions, that others do not share, and there’s a great discomfort, with that level of individuality. It’s self-reinforcing because the media operates with this mentality as well. For example: in Quebec, it is poorly viewed to really love Canada. Not just as an economic union, but to say: I’m Canadian, I love this country, and not just for the benefits it provides.
There is a lot less “marking” of people for their opinions. You can believe all kinds of things politically, and there won’t be this sense of public shaming or weirdness about you. In Montreal, there are a lot of opinions, you cannot publicly have. We are constantly deceived by our politicians, as the environment is a key issue for us, and it is never treated according to our priority. However, we have mixed feelings, about the law that forbids us, to use the resources we like very much: fishing, hunting, gathering, etc.
There were stories in the past of people that could not go see their dying relatives, because of the distance, it was a many day trip. Today it is a matter of hours. We don’t measure the distance in kilometers nor in miles, we measure in hours. Rivière-du-loup is 2 hours from Québec. Québec and Montreal are 2 hours apart.
Young peoples are more independent, children leave parents sooner, you have more young and poor couples starting their life from scratch. Young people don’t save, until they start their life. In fact they jump into it, without preparation and money. Liberty being a key value.
Quebecers are a menaced species, believe it or not. We do realize it and act accordingly. We are not racist but feel the introduction of that out of control amount of immigration (1% population per year) is like an attempt to end us. This population flux had been organized by federalists supported by the English communities, that is politically leagued against the French community. We fight back by saying we want to choose who comes here, trying to get those who love us, and want to live like us.
I am genetically adapted to this climate but I seem to be unable to endure it year after year. It is less true in Montreal than elsewhere, but the coldness is another key element that shapes our life. A big part of our life is spent figuring out, how not to freeze in the winter. House insulation, clothing, transports, etc. Your life can be reduced to something like shoveling morning, and evening, all the time. Then people discuss the best options for removing the snow.
People with money are the ‘flybird’, as they go to Florida, for the winter to avoid all this. I think that in Florida there are more of us, than anybody else. It is caused by the hard winter.
Roads
The roads are badly maintained, but it is not a priority. Roads are not separated from the environment, like in France, it just goes through. Sometimes the curves, are unbelievable. But the most shocking thing about the driving experience, are the truckers, especially the truckers that drive too fast. They go 30 km/hour faster than the limit and almost push into your car, if you don’t go as fast as they go. Roads are scary here, winter and summer too, because people are more aggressive in the summers.
Pros of Living in Montreal, Quebec
Quebec has three national parks. These are Forillon, Mingan Archipelago, and La Mauricie.
In total, these parks cover 927 km² (358 sq. miles). These parks are renowned for their camping sites, hiking trails, and wildlife observation opportunities. Whether you live in a city center or a rural community, Quebec offers you easy access to pristine areas of nature through its National Parks.
Affordable Electricity
The cost of residential electricity in Montreal, is the lowest in Canada, and by some accounts, the lowest in all of North America.
The average cost per kWh is $0.073. This can be compared to the national average in Canada, which is $0.174. Depending on what American city is used for comparison, the cost of residential electricity is one-quarter to one-half of that in the United States.
This low price holds steady whether you reside in Montreal, Quebec City, or any of the rural communities across the province. In terms of how the electricity is sourced in Quebec, the majority is generated with hydroelectric dams. This qualifies the electricity used in Quebec to be labeled as coming from a renewable source.
Lower Housing Costs
Across both city and rural environments, real estate and housing rental prices in Montreal are considered low. Montreal, has an average home price of 72 percent of the Canadian average. The differential in monthly rent is also comparative. Overall, Montreal is ranked as the fourth least expensive city out of 68 top cities in North America.
Real estate prices outside of the major two cities, are even lower. It is not uncommon to find homes in the 1,200 to 1,500 sq. foot in rural communities, for sale below the USD $120,000 range.
Weather
With the vast majority of the population living in Montreal, occupying an area with a humid continental climate, residents can enjoy four distinct seasons, each year. The summers are comfortably warm, without being excessively hot. The winters are harsher than those accustomed to more southerly climates, but for some, they bring the scenic wonders of having the joys of snow, during the Holiday season. Metropolitan areas and the immediate suburbs, are the ones that are most inconvenienced by heavy snowfalls.
Outdoor Sports
Montreal weather also allows those who enjoy outdoor activities and sports, to partake in a wide spectrum of options. Summer through mid-autumn allows for hiking, cycling as well as kayaking and canoeing. Mid-autumn through early-spring allows for winter sports, such as skiing, snowboarding, outdoor hockey, etc. to be enjoyed. Both cities and rural residents take advantage of this variety of summer and winter activities.
Cons of Living in Montreal
Weather
While the weather was also listed as a pro for living in Montreal, the harshness of the winters could be daunting for some individuals.
While some enjoy wintery scenes and winter sports, others may find the cold temperatures uncomfortable. People who are older or suffer from muscle and bone ailments might find Montreal winters too harsh for their liking. During harsh winter storms, travel on the road and via air can also be interrupted. This can create slowdowns in the cities and potentially isolate more rural communities for days at a time.
Potentially Higher Heating Bills
Harsh winters require increased use of residential heating across Montreal. With the price of natural gas, being on average 63% higher than in the province of Ontario, and other parts of Canada, the use of natural gas for this type of constant and frequent heating, could be seen as cost-prohibitive.
This is why only an estimated 14 percent of households in Quebec rely on gas furnaces for heating. The remaining 86 percent of households use electric furnaces. Considering that Quebec has the lowest residential electrical costs in North America, this makes for a logical and practical decision.
However, as low as electricity prices are in Quebec, studies indicate that in homes that consume 20 percent above the average for heating will experience electrical bills that are close to being on par with the combined electrical and gas bills of other parts of Canada — negating the advantage of lower electricity costs.
This added use of electricity can come from homes that are not properly insulated, inefficient heating systems, or households with family members inside the home throughout the day. An example of the latter would be households made up of retired couples or homes with young infants.
Rural areas, where older structures are present or larger floor layouts require more heating, may feel more of a burden in this regard.
Language Barrier
If you are not fluent or functionally familiar with the French language, living in Montreal might present a language obstacle for you.
Nearly 80 percent of the residents of Montreal speak French as their first language. As a consequence, signage is entirely in French without a requirement for English translations to be posted. This can be cumbersome for those who only speak English.
This impacts your ability to understand street signs and the process involved with filling out official forms. While official forms at the federal Canadian level are bilingual, forms at the provincial level — including most day-to-day operations, such as banking — are only in French.
High Taxes
Quebec is infamous for having the highest tax exposure for its residents in North America.
When measuring income tax rates in Quebec, starting at a net income of CAD $31,000 per annum, your tax exposure would be 23.39%, the highest in Canada for that amount of income. This top rank in income tax rates holds steady as the income per annum increases. At the CAD $500,000 per annum income bracket, the income tax rate tops out at 48.87%.
It should also be noted that in Quebec, you will also have to pay two types of sales taxes in addition to income tax. First, is the 5 percent Goods and Service Tax charged by the federal government of Canada. Additionally, you also have to pay 9.975% in a Quebec Sales Tax.
This means that for non-exempt goods, in Quebec, you must pay a combined sales tax rate of 14.975%.
To purchase most wine and all spirits, you need to go to an official SAQ store.
In general, living in Canada is a LOT harder than in the USA.
The differences between the US and Canada are compounded due to :
– We typically earn less
– Our provincial sales tax rates are a lot higher
– Our provincial income taxes are higher
– Our homes are more expensive
Nearly everything costs more, often due to taxes. It cost me HALF to fill my car in the US vs Canada. Most of the price of gas in Canada is one form of tax or another. Then they tax this, so a tax on a tax? We had police being caught smuggling CHEESE into Canada… We tax clothing, including winter coats/boots, yet this country is COLD in the winters. Unlike many US states, we have very few sales tax exemptions. No “back to school tax savings day” here. We tax food. Our government decides what you “should” eat and anything not on that list is taxed. Even car warranties are often substantially lower vs US.
Canada warranty
5 years
100,000 KM
Comprehensive Limited Warranty
100,000 KM
Powertrain Warranty
100,000 KM
Emission Warranty
US warranty
Powertrain Warranty
10-Year / 100,000-Mile
Powertrain Limited Warranty
New Vehicle Warranty
5-Year / 60,000-Mile
New Vehicle Limited Warranty
Anti Perforation Warranty
7-Year / Unlimited Miles
Anti-Perforation Warranty
24 Hour Roadside Assistance
5-Year / Unlimited Miles
24-Hour Roadside Assistance
So.. no perforation warranty, and 100,000 KM is only 62,000 miles?
I mostly talk about Quebec, Ontario because those are about the only provinces I have visited as a Canadian or lived in. Basically, like everywhere else, the place you pick to live, will determine your cost of living. Big cities like Montreal, Toronto, Calgary, Vancouver etc, will likely cost more to live in, because of the convenience you get by living in a big city, and the demand.
As a Canadian, I absolutely find it more expensive to live in Canada than the USA, after having experienced both. My husband was nagging me to move to Canada, but frankly, we make a lot more money in the USA, and the cost of life in general, is a lot less in the USA as well.
Canada is a very beautiful place to live, but it’s not cheap. It’s a big country, with a lot to do and discover. I appreciate going back to visit my family, but I would not move back to Canada. Like my husband, we did feel it was safer being in Canada as well. Taking a walk late at night in Canada, felt much safer, than in the USA, for sure. All in all, you should move where you feel you will be the happiest.
After all, we only have one life, and we should make the most of it, if possible, and be happy, where we live. I think it’s very important to pick a place and be happy, where you live. Otherwise, it might just be very boring, with nothing to do, to see or visit. Unless you are like us, we love to visit new places, drive a lot, take pictures and hike. It is up to you and the choices you make, to be happy in life 🙂