Cost of Living in the Greater Montreal Area

2006 Housing Prices
The average price of a detached house in Montreal is $219,433
Source: Canadian Mortgage and Housing Corporation

Average Rent for Two-Bedroom Apartments in 2004
$594.00 per month
Source: Canadian Housing Observer. 2005

Public Transportation

	Ticket	Monthly Pass
Regular	$2.50	$63.00
Reduced	$1.50	$33.75
Source: Societe de transport de Montreal (STM). 2006

2004 Average expenditure per household

Concept	Annual Amount
Food	$7,021
Shelter	$10,520
Household Operation	$2,535
Personal Income Taxes	$12,893
Source: Statistics Canada. 2004.

2006 Minimum Wage
$7.75 per hour

Consumption Taxes
In Montreal, two different taxes are applied to products and services. The federal Goods and Services Tax (GST) is 6%, while the Quebec Sales Tax (QST) is set at 7.5% and applies to the selling price including the GST. Some items including groceries, restaurant meals, and books are PST exempt.

2006 Federal Personal Income Tax

Net Income	Tax
Basic Personal Amount	0%
Up to $36,378	15.25%
Up to $72,756	22%
Up to $118,285	26%
Over $118,285	29%
Source: Canada Revenue Agency. 2006

2006 Provincial Income Tax

Net Income	Tax
Basic Personal Amount	0%
Up to $28,710	16%
Up to $57,430	20%
Over $57,430	24%
Source: Quebec Government. 2006

Alcohol & Cigarettes
Cigerettes range between 8-10$ + taxes. Alcohol varies, can only be bought at SAQ, corner stores, and grocery stores before 11 pm.