Montreal vs Ottawa — Digital Nomad Comparison 2026

At a glance

At a glance
	CA Montreal	CA Ottawa
Country	Canada	Canada
Nomad score	7.3 / 10	6.5 / 10
Cost of living	$3,481 / mo	$4,348 / mo
Internet speed	Data unavailable	Data unavailable
Weather now	13° / 4°C	12° / 3°C
Air quality (AQI)	33 Good	28 Good
Community votes	0 0	0 0

Climate averages

Yearly averages of monthly climate data

Climate averages
	CA Montreal	CA Ottawa
Average high	12.3°C	12.3°C
Average low	3.8°C	3.2°C
Precipitation	93 mm / mo	89 mm / mo
Sunshine	243 h / mo	241 h / mo
Humidity	73%	74%
Rain days	11.3 / mo	11.1 / mo
Wind speed	18.7 km/h	16.2 km/h

CA Montreal · average high by month

J -5 F -3 M 4 A 12 M 20 J 25 J 26 A 26 S 22 O 15 N 6 D -1

CA Ottawa · average high by month

J -4 F -2 M 5 A 12 M 19 J 24 J 26 A 26 S 22 O 15 N 6 D -1

Air quality

Air quality
	CA Montreal	CA Ottawa
US AQI	33	28
PM2.5	0.9 µg/m³	2.1 µg/m³
PM10	0.9 µg/m³	2.9 µg/m³
Ozone	74 µg/m³	63 µg/m³
UV index	0	2.9

Business & Economy

Scores out of 10

Business & Economy
	CA Montreal	CA Ottawa
Blockchain & Crypto Adoption	5.4	5.5
Local Payment Services	8.6	8.9
Startup Scene	7.7	7.6

Climate & Environment

Scores out of 10

Climate & Environment
	CA Montreal	CA Ottawa
Air Conditioning	7.3	8.0
Green Spaces	7.5	8.4
Natural Disaster Risk	8.4	8.1
Noise Pollution	5.9	6.9
Seasonal Variety	8.2	8.5
Weather	6.9	6.1

Connectivity

Scores out of 10

Connectivity
	CA Montreal	CA Ottawa
Mobile Network Coverage	8.7	8.8
Power Grid Reliability	9.0	9.0
Public WiFi Availability	7.0	7.5
VPN Reliability	9.0	9.0

Cost & Affordability

Scores out of 10

Cost & Affordability
	CA Montreal	CA Ottawa
Accommodation Cost	5.1	3.4
Cost of Living	5.7	3.8
Currency Stability	8.5	9.0
Entertainment Cost	5.8	5.0
Food & Groceries	5.8	4.9
Gym Membership Cost	5.7	5.3
Transportation Cost	6.1	5.7

Culture & Entertainment

Scores out of 10

Culture & Entertainment
	CA Montreal	CA Ottawa
Culture	8.2	7.7
Indoors Fun	7.4	7.3
Language Learning Opportunities	8.1	7.1
Local Experiences & Tours	7.5	7.1
Nightlife	7.8	5.6
Outdoors & Nature	7.2	8.3

Digital Nomad Community

Scores out of 10

Digital Nomad Community
	CA Montreal	CA Ottawa
Nomad Events & Meetups	7.7	4.5
Nomad Friendly	7.9	6.0
Online Community Presence	7.3	4.5

Digital Nomad Essentials

Scores out of 10

Digital Nomad Essentials
	CA Montreal	CA Ottawa
Cafes with WiFi	8.1	7.6
Coworking Spaces Availability	8.3	6.9
Digital Nomad Friendly Cafes	7.7	6.1
Digital Nomad Popularity	6.3	3.7
Internet Speed	8.6	8.5
Local SIM Card Availability	8.5	7.5

Food & Fitness

Scores out of 10

Food & Fitness
	CA Montreal	CA Ottawa
Fitness Facilities	7.5	7.1
Food Scene	8.1	7.0
Healthy Food Options	7.3	7.3
Yoga Studios	7.0	6.6

Healthcare

Scores out of 10

Healthcare
	CA Montreal	CA Ottawa
Healthcare	7.7	7.1
Healthcare Affordability	7.0	5.3
Healthcare Quality	8.3	8.3

Legal & Administrative

Scores out of 10

Legal & Administrative
	CA Montreal	CA Ottawa
Digital Nomad Visa Availability	3.8	0.9
Ease of Business Registration	6.6	5.9
Ease of Opening Bank Account	5.7	4.2
Freedom of Speech	8.8	9.1
Political Stability	8.8	8.9
Tax Friendliness	4.6	3.9
Visa Ease	7.2	7.1

Quality of Life

Scores out of 10

Quality of Life
	CA Montreal	CA Ottawa
Air Quality	7.2	8.2
Cleanliness	7.3	8.3
Environmental Quality	7.4	8.0
Family Friendly	7.8	8.5
Language Barrier	7.4	9.0
Work-Life Balance	7.8	7.8

Safety & Tolerance

Scores out of 10

Safety & Tolerance
	CA Montreal	CA Ottawa
Female Friendly	8.3	8.6
Racial Tolerance	7.7	8.3
Safety	8.3	8.7

Transportation

Scores out of 10

Transportation
	CA Montreal	CA Ottawa
Airport Connectivity	8.4	7.9
Cycling	7.4	7.3
Intercity Travel Options	7.7	6.7
Public Transit	7.8	7.2
Ride-sharing Services	7.8	7.7
Scooter/Bike Rental Availability	7.5	5.9
Walkability	7.5	6.8

Work Environment

Scores out of 10

Work Environment
	CA Montreal	CA Ottawa
Coworking Quality	7.9	7.3
Freelance Ecosystem	6.9	5.6
Networking Opportunities	7.9	6.2
Remote Job Opportunities	7.5	6.9
Time Zone Favorability	7.5	7.3

Clothing

Local prices in US dollars

Clothing
	CA Montreal	CA Ottawa
Jeans	$62 per pair	$69 per pair
Summer Dress	$44 per dress	$42 per dress
Running Shoes	$98 per pair	$102 per pair

Dining Out

Local prices in US dollars

Dining Out
	CA Montreal	CA Ottawa
Dining Out	$131 per month	$146 per month

Entertainment

Local prices in US dollars

Entertainment
	CA Montreal	CA Ottawa
Cinema Ticket	$13 per ticket	$13 per ticket

Food & Dining

Local prices in US dollars

Food & Dining
	CA Montreal	CA Ottawa
Coffee	$3.83 per cup	$4.19 per cup
Beer	$6.93 per pint	$6.93 per pint
Meal (Inexpensive)	$16 per meal	$18 per meal
Meal (Mid-range, 2 people)	$84 per meal	$84 per meal
Fast Food Combo	$11 per meal	$11 per meal
Apples	$3.61 per kg	$3.83 per kg
Bread	$3.10 per loaf	$3.03 per loaf
Water (1.5L bottle)	$1.82 per bottle	$2.08 per bottle
Milk	$2.08 per liter	$4.45 per liter
Rice	$3.28 per kg	$3.57 per kg
Chicken Fillets	$13 per kg	$13 per kg
Beef	$16 per kg	$15 per kg
Wine (Mid-range)	$15 per bottle	$16 per bottle

Groceries

Local prices in US dollars

Groceries
	CA Montreal	CA Ottawa
Groceries	$328 per month	$328 per month

Healthcare

Local prices in US dollars

Healthcare
	CA Montreal	CA Ottawa
Doctor Visit (GP)	$109 per visit	$66 per visit
Pharmacy (basic meds)	$11 per purchase	$11 per purchase

Housing

Local prices in US dollars

Housing
	CA Montreal	CA Ottawa
Housing	$911 per month	$1,276 per month
Apartment (1 bedroom)	$1,421 per month	$1,713 per month
Airbnb (1 month)	$2,260 per month	$2,770 per month
Coworking Space	$237 per month	$310 per month
Coliving Space	$1,166 per month	$1,166 per month

Internet & Mobile

Local prices in US dollars

Internet & Mobile
	CA Montreal	CA Ottawa
Internet & Mobile	$69 per month	$80 per month

Leisure Activities

Local prices in US dollars

Leisure Activities
	CA Montreal	CA Ottawa
Leisure Activities	$87 per month	$73 per month

Personal Care

Local prices in US dollars

Personal Care
	CA Montreal	CA Ottawa
Haircut	$33 per visit	$33 per visit
Laundry	$4.74 per kg	$5.47 per kg

Services

Local prices in US dollars

Services
	CA Montreal	CA Ottawa
Mobile Plan	$40 per month	$47 per month
Internet (60 Mbps+)	$54 per month	$67 per month
SIM Card (Tourist, prepaid)	$33 one-time	$40 one-time
Gym Membership	$47 per month	$50 per month
Tennis Court (Weekend)	$20 per hour	$22 per hour

Transportation

Local prices in US dollars

Transportation
	CA Montreal	CA Ottawa
Transportation	$73 per month	$93 per month
Taxi Start	$3.28 per trip	$3.28 per trip
Taxi per km	$1.53 per km	$1.53 per km
Monthly Transport Pass	$74 per month	$97 per month
Ride-hailing (5km)	$13 per trip	$13 per trip
Gasoline	$1.30 per liter	$1.30 per liter
Scooter Rental	$8.75 per month	$8.75 per month

Utilities

Local prices in US dollars

Utilities
	CA Montreal	CA Ottawa
Utilities	$80 per month	$117 per month