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Live in Montreal

Montreal is not only one of the twenty most important cities in the world, but also one of the most affordable to live in.

As a general guideline, you should plan for a minimum of 15,000$ for your subsistence during the year, in addition to your tuition fees.

Here are some price examples :

  • Bread, 1.50 - 4.00 $
  • Milk, 1.50 $ le litre
  • Taxi, 2.50 $, initial price, plus 1.20 $ per kilometre
  • Cinema, 8.00 $ - 15.00 $
  • Cigarettes, 10.00 $/pack
  • Post, 0.57 $ (inside Canada) - 1.70 $ (international) per letter lighter than 30g

Weather

Montreal enjoys four different seasons, all as beautiful as they are unique. Sunny all year-round, the city has warm springs, hot summers, colourful falls and cold winters.

The winter climate in Montreal demands warm clothing during a period that can last up to five months, from November to March inclusively. During these months, temperatures can fluctuate easily from 10 to -30 degrees Celsius.

Students from tropical or semi-tropical countries would benefit from buying their clothes in Montreal, to make sure that there are adapted to our rigorous climate. Newcomers should plan to get one winter coat, one warm hat, hood or Canadian « tuque », one scarf, a pair of stuffed gloves or mittens and one pair of winter boots.

Weather forecast website

Accomodation

The NAD Centre doesn't offer student accommodations or apartment renting. We however suggest you carefully consult this section, which will give you some practical advices to find a convenient place to live in Montreal.

The lease

Quebec relations between the landlords and the tenants are regulated via a lease of the "Régie du logement", a governmental organization.

The lease is a contract in which the responsibilities and rights of both the property owner and the renter are clearly stated. It is compulsory to use the standard form provided by the "Régie" since September 1st 1996, and it has to be used for each new rental, whether it's a room, an apartment, a condominium, a house, etc.

The forms are sold in the offices of the "Régie", and in various bookshops, drugstores, etc.

Few notes on the lease

A vast majority of Montrealers sign one-year leases, starting July 1st and ending June 30th, and all move out at once July 1st (a unique sight in North America!). Since tenants have until March 1st to notify their landlords of their intention to move out of the accommodation, the great majority of apartments available for renting are advertised between January and March. Yet, shorter-term leases or covering other periods are also available.

Unlike in many countries, tenants in Quebec are not required to pay a 3 months security deposit before entering their apartment; however, 1 full month has to be paid at the lease signing. Many students in Quebec live with roommates to split the costs. It is possible to write down two, or even more tenants at the same address on one single lease, which implies that all of them share the legal responsibilities bound to the rent. If your name doesn't appear on the lease, you are free from some responsibilities, but on the other hand you are not protected if the titular decides to evict you without notice.

In short, stay alert and carefully read the regulations written on the lease since they may differ significantly from the ones enforced in your country.

Cost

Montreal has a vacancy rate of less than 1%; and, as usual of rentals, rarity means raise of the prices. Despite all this, the cost of lodging in Montreal is still one of the lowest in North America. The cost of rent fluctuates greatly depending of its location, the age of the building and the lease conditions (with or without furniture, heating included or not, etc.)

In general, apartments don't come with complete furniture, but a good proportion comes with a refrigerator and an oven. The rent sometimes includes heating, electricity and hot water. If electricity isn't included, you will have to plan for the cost of this service.

Average prices for a non furnished apartment in Montreal

  • Single bedroom : 250 $ to 350 $ per month (the kitchen et/or the bathroom is shared with other tenants)
  • 1 ½ or 2 ½ (one or two rooms, including a kitchen and a bathroom) : 300 $ to 350 $ per month
  • 3 ½, (three rooms, including a kitchen and a bathroom): 400 $ to 500 $
  • 4 ½ (four rooms): 500 $ to 800 $ (including a kitchen and a bathroom)
  • 5 ½ and more (five rooms and more, including a kitchen and a bathroom): 700 $ and more
These figures are for apartment located outside the downtown, the "Plateau Mont-Royal", and Outremont, areas very much in demand. In these neighborhoods, the cost can sometimes double...

How to find an apartment in Montreal?

There are of course some agencies, but they can prove to be quite costly. The most common way used by Montrealers to find a rent is to consult the sections « to rent » and « to share » in the classified ads of various local newspapers and websites. You can also walk around in the areas you like in search of the distinctive « to rent » cardboards that landlords often post near the entrance of their building. Note that this last case is less recommended outside the peak period of January to March.

Some questions to ask a landlord when you visit an apartment:

  • Are the oven and refrigerator included ?
  • How much cost the rent per month ?
  • When is the lease starting/ending ?
  • Are heating and electricity included ? - What is the actual tenants' monthly bill?*
  • Is the apartment located near the public transportation system ?
  • Are there any drugstore, grocery store and/or convenient store nearby?
* You can inquire the monthly electric consumption about any Quebec address by phoning directly Hydro-Québec.

Links to online classifieds ads

Public transportation

Montreal is equipped with an efficient bus and subway network. No matters where you come from or where you are going, there is a bus stop or a station nearby. Among the safest in the world, Montreal's public transportation system is also very affordable.

Regular fare*

  • One way : $2.75
  • Six tickets strip : $12.00
  • Weekly pass : $19.25
  • Monthly pass : $66.25

Full-time students have access to an Opus card registered with photo ID, which gives them reduced fares. To get this pass, you have to complete and print the OPUS card request form and go to the Personalized OPUS card service centre to take a photo. Make sure that you have all the resqueted documents including a proof of school attendance that you can ask to the NAD Centre administration.

To get all the information regarding the Opus card, please visit the Opus Card Website.

* Fares are subject to change; check the latest update on the STM website.

Food

The city has a great variety of shops where you can buy food, from supermarket to neighbourhood grocery and specialised shops (butcher, baker, fish shop, etc.). There are also four public markets (Atwater, Jean-Talon, Lachine & Maisonneuve). At almost every corner, you can also find a small convenient store, appreciated by Montrealers for last minute shopping and because they are open late, sometimes even 24 hours ad day. The weekly food expenditure for an adult, depending on his consumption habits, varies from 80$ to 120$.

Although each retailer has its own policy, the majority follow this schedule:

  • Monday to Wednesday : open from 9h00 to 18h00
  • Thursday and Friday : open from 9h00 to 21h00
  • Saturday and Sunday : open from 9h00 to 17h00

Services

Phone
In Québec, the only local phone supplier is Bell Canada. If you need to connect a new line, you will have contact this company, although you may choose a different company for your international calls. Note that Bell will charge you an installation fees. In public phones, you can make a local call for 0.50$. You can also use coins of 1$, 0.25$, 0.10$ or 0.05$, or use a phone card (much cheaper) if you want to make an international call. If you want to communicate with the operator, press the "0", which is free in public phones.

Electricity
The electricity service in Quebec is a state monopoly, controlled by the society Hydro-Quebec. Your electricity bill can either be paid monthly, on the basis of previous tenants' annual consumption, or on the basis of your actual consumption billed every two months. Note that if you chose the latter, you will have to plan more money for the winter period, since the bill can double during the cold months, especially with an electric heating system. Hydro Québec will also charge you fees for the opening of any new account.

Television and Internet
If you want to watch more than what the local TV can offer, you will have to subscribe to one of the various package deals offered by different companies, such as Videotron (cable), Bell (satellite), and Star Choice (satellite). Many of these suppliers also offer Internet connections or even mobile phones (see also Coop-UQAM for Internet alone).