Surrounded by rivers, islands, and charming architectural harmony, Montreal has become Canada’s quintessential university city. Join us on this journey where you’ll discover the magic of the most cosmopolitan city, which has managed to perfectly combine the best of France and England, and all the hidden opportunities it has for all the students who choose to live in Montreal.
Located in southern Quebec, Montreal and its 1,704,000 inhabitants peacefully occupy the position of the second most populated city in Canada. Montreal and its cosmopolitan air are considered the perfect city by many, thanks to the quality of life offered by a city with good job and study opportunities and excellent living standards. Maybe that’s why every year, it’s chosen by hundreds of students to attend university and by young professionals to continue their careers.
Its streets, unique thanks to its rich French heritage, are a delight to stroll through and admire the architecture. In addition, the city is full of beautiful theaters, concert halls, and museums showcasing works of worldwide prestige.
The French heritage not only left beautiful architecture, but also French as an official language alongside English, making it perfect for those who speak this language.
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Although it’s considered the ideal city for many, not everything suits everyone’s taste, not even in Montreal. Let’s take a look at the pros and cons of living in Montreal. That way you can decide for yourself if this city is for you.
There are all kinds of neighborhoods to start your life in Montreal, depending on whether you like to be where everything happens, your lifestyle, or whether you’re a student or a young professional. Join us for a quick visit through the 12 best neighborhoods to live in Montreal.
This is the downtown district and corresponds to the area where most multinational company offices, businesses, universities, and shopping streets are located, so it’s a noisy area with lots of people. Ville Marie is also home to Mount Royal Park and the islands of Saint Helen’s Island and Île Notre Dame.
Griffintown is Montreal’s Irish neighborhood and a gastronomic paradise where you’ll find restaurants of world-renowned chefs. Located just minutes from St-Catherine Street, it is said that this neighborhood was established after the famine, when many Irish immigrants arrived by boat to the city and settled in this area.
A very cozy neighborhood, perfect for Italian food lovers: in Petite Patrie you’ll find the best pizzas and pasta dishes in all of Montreal. It’s also home to the famous Jean Talon Market.
Don’t worry, McGill Ghetto doesn’t live up to the popular meaning of the word. In fact, it’s one of the best areas to live in Montreal in terms of location, as it’s very close to McGill University and the Plateau, and just a 15-minute walk from almost everything you’ll want to do in Montreal, like strolling through St-Laurent, grabbing a coffee in Ville Marie, going to class, unwinding in Mount Royal Park, or enjoying a show in Place des Spectacles in the summer.
Mile End is the trendiest neighborhood in all of Montreal. Here you’ll find the cafés where everyone wants to be seen, the coolest bars with live music, and the most exclusive vintage shops
Vieux-Montreal, as the name suggests, is the old town. Here you’ll find the city’s main museums, such as the acclaimed Pointe à Callière.
This neighborhood also has its own Notre Dame Basilica, which is open for visits.
Chinatown is a very colorful neighborhood built in traditional Chinese architectural style. Here you’ll find almost all of the city’s Asian restaurants and shops.
Quartier Latin stands out as one of the neighborhoods with the highest concentration of students, and also as the neighborhood where you’ll never get bored, since there is always a show or cultural event scheduled for your enjoyment.
La Salle is one of Montreal’s largest neighborhoods, home to around 75,000 residents. Being so large, its population is very diverse: some speak only English, others only French. But for your peace of mind, most La Salle residents are bilingual.
Lachine is the ideal neighborhood for young families, as rent is cheaper than in downtown Montreal, the lifestyle is more relaxed, and there’s a wide variety of bilingual public schools.
The neighborhood for those who want to have a good time. It’s the gay district, one of the most fun in all of Montreal, with a wide variety of shops, restaurants, museums, and a very lively nightlife. Every night you’ll find a party or another good reason to go to bed late.
Plateau Mont-Royal is one of the most beautiful neighborhoods in Montreal, thanks to its traditional architecture. In summer, its restaurants set up large terraces that fill with locals and tourists enjoying the sun.
Montreal has a humid continental climate with four well-defined seasons and large temperature fluctuations.
Due to the humidity, winters feel colder and summers hotter.
Fall and spring are milder and where the most unusual weather phenomena occur, such as auroras, Indian summers, and geomagnetic storms, due to sudden temperature changes
De septiembre a noviembre, Montreal se viste de amarillo, naranjas y rojos para recibir al otoño. En esta estación podrás disfrutar paseando por la ciudad viendo los colores cambiar, los árboles desnudos y escuchando el crujir de las hojas caídas bajo tus botas.
Los días son frescos y conforme avanza el invierno serán indudablemente fríos.
La temperatura media varía entre los 14.5ºC y los 2,5ºC, con lo que es recomendable tener buena ropa de abrigo y waterproof.
From December to March, winter falls over Montreal, covering everything with a thick layer of snow.
January is the coldest month of the season, and temperatures rarely rise above -6ºC and can drop to -19ºC during moments when it’s best to stay cozy inside.
To make the most of this season and enjoy outdoor winter activities, typical in Canada, we recommend wearing suitable clothing for the cold and snow.
In spring, from March to May, temperatures slowly begin to rise, returning to the positive side of the thermometer, ranging between 2.5ºC and 16ºC.
During this time, snow begins to melt, bringing nature back to life. The first green shoots appear on trees and small wildflowers start dotting the forests.
Rain is common in spring, so to enjoy Montreal’s great outdoors we recommend a warm, waterproof jacket and shoes.
Summer is here! Montreal dresses in a lustrous green that you can enjoy on long summer afternoons.
The average temperature is 18.5ºC and can reach 26.5ºC. This pleasant heat usually comes with clear skies and packed terraces. But don’t get too confident—summers are humid and occasional showers are common.
For this season, forget about coats and bring out your most summery clothes. And of course, don’t forget the sunscreen!
Montreal is one of the 10 cities with the best quality of life. And also one of the cities where the cost of living is higher. While it’s true that if you come to study and work in Montreal you might not have access to great luxuries, you’ll definitely be able to live a simple and fun life.
In Montreal, a person will spend around $300 CAD per month on basic groceries.
To stick to this budget, your shopping should include basic necessities like eggs, rice, pasta, and some chicken. If you’re a bit picky or your taste buds crave more sophisticated flavors, your grocery bill will increase substantially.
Montreal has a well-connected and efficient transportation system with a metro and bus network that you can use interchangeably with the same ticket. A single ticket costs $3.50 CAD and a day pass is $10 CAD. You can also get an Opus Card, a rechargeable transport card. It costs $6 CAD and saves you from buying a ticket every time you take the bus or metro.
A person who frequently uses public transportation spends an average of $80 CAD per month.
In Montreal, there are many types of housing designed to meet the needs of all kinds of students, professionals, and travelers who want to study, live, and work in Montreal, whether permanently or temporarily.
Usually, in your first days in Montreal, you’ll stay in a backpacker. This type of accommodation costs around $30 CAD per night.
From there, you’ll decide where you want to live. If you opt for a studio outside the city center, the price is around $550 CAD.
If you want to live in a studio downtown, the price can easily go up to $1,000 CAD.
A three-bedroom apartment can cost between $1,000 CAD and $2,000 CAD, depending on the condition and location of the property.
The best way to save on rent is to live in a shared flat with other students or young professionals like you. This way, expenses are shared and the total cost is divided among everyone. Not to mention the fun stories and moments you’ll experience together.
There are tons of things to do in Montreal, many of them free. Even so, if you feel like dining out, going to the movies, visiting a museum, or seeing a show, be ready to spend some money.
On average, someone who goes out a couple of weekends a month spends about $200 CAD.
If you want access to the best leisure plans in Montreal, check out Facebook groups. Lots of meetups are organized and you’ll meet other international students who are also spending time in Montreal. Plus, it’s a great way to connect with Spanish-speaking people in Canada.
In Montreal, you can get a mobile line and internet for about $60 CAD per month.
And when it comes to household expenses like electricity and water, the monthly cost for a home is around $125 CAD.
Finally, you’ll have to face typical extra expenses, like getting a haircut or buying some clothes. On average, you’ll spend about $110 CAD per month on these.
If you’re thinking about living abroad for a while to improve your English, deepen your studies, and maybe perfect or learn a skill while living an experience outside your comfort zone, we’ve got the destination for you: Canada!
Canada has a very prosperous economy and a growing job market that have made it the perfect country to go and work for a while, whether you want to grow professionally or simply find a job to cover your expenses while studying.
Canada is one of the countries with the highest quality of life in the world. Its landscapes will leave you speechless, and its people’s friendliness—known worldwide—will put a smile on your face that will be hard to wipe away during your stay in the country. Ready to live the Canadian dream?
There are many visas that allow you to stay in Canada, and at Dingoos we know them all. That’s why we’ll be happy to advise you so you can choose the visa that suits you best. Plus, we help you with all the visa procedures for free so you don’t have to worry about a thing.
Montreal is the most university-spirited city in all of Canada. Its cosmopolitan atmosphere and its strong half-British, half-French heritage have put it on the map for thousands of students.
If you come to Montreal intending to work to cover your stay while studying, you can choose a vocational or university course. And if you don’t have the required language level yet, you can take an English or French course.
Whatever you choose, you’ll find it in Montreal. Also, if you’ve chosen the right course and school, you’ll be able to apply for the Post Graduation Work Permit once you finish your studies.That way, you can stay in the country for a bit longer working full-time and who knows—maybe even get Canadian residency.
Get in touch with us and a Dingoos Guide will advise you on your best options to come study in Montreal.
The first thing you’ll need to do to meet the requirements to live in Montreal while working is get a visa that allows it. The good news is that the student visa is one of them, and at Dingoos we help you get it. However, you’ll need to enroll in a vocational or university course, as language students in Canada are not allowed to work.
With the student visa, you’ll be able to work part-time (20 hours per week) during the school term and full-time (40 hours per week) during vacation periods and internships (if your course includes them).
The province of Quebec is a favorite for many to live in and has many charms—but salary is not one of them. The average salary in Quebec is among the lowest in Canada, at $52,000 CAD per year. This can vary depending on the job you do.
Skilled trades usually have higher monthly incomes. For example, the minimum wage in Canada is $13.10 CAD per hour, unless you’re a waiter or have another job that receives tips. In those cases, your hourly wage will be a little lower, $10.45 CAD, but to that you must add tips, which are mandatory in the country and range from 10% to 15% of the bill.
If you’re doing a course in Montreal and need to work to cover your stay in Canada, with a student visa you’ll be able to legally access many part-time job opportunities. Take a look at the list of most in-demand jobs:
Hospitality
Montreal is full of museums, and with its beautiful architecture, it’s a work of art in itself. Here’s a list of top places you can’t miss in Montreal:
Enjoy the spectacular views of the entire city of Montreal from the Chalet de Mont Royal viewpoint.
It’s the most important church in Montreal and is located in the Ville-Marie district, the heart of the city. Inside, you’ll see beautiful historical treasures in the form of colorful stained-glass windows, wood carvings, paintings, and a valuable collection of sacred art.
European influence is evident in this wonderful Catholic basilica. It was completed in 1904 and its architectural design is a journey through different styles.
If you like art, you can’t miss this museum, considered one of the top 100 museums in the world.
Every year it is visited by thousands of tourists, making it the most visited historical site in Montreal… and it’s no wonder, because it’s truly beautiful.
Walking through Montreal’s Old Port, you’ll come across this famous clock with a special charm that has been captured by thousands of photographers from around the world. If you love fun facts, you’ll love to know that the clock’s mechanism was made in England and is very similar to the one that moves the hands of the world-famous Big Ben and the Palace of Westminster.
At 165 meters, it is the tallest inclined building in the world. The best part is that you can visit it. The photos from the top are amazing!
This is a large Ferris wheel where you can take a ride and admire Montreal’s beautiful night skyline from above.
If you’re thinking about living in Montreal for a while, don’t miss the following video to see what it would be like in 2025. The moment is now or never. We’re waiting for you!
Toronto is the largest city in Canada, its financial capital, and the fifth-largest city in all of North America.
Its nature will leave you speechless, and its population is so multicultural that after living in Vancouver, you’ll feel like you’ve lived in many different places.
This small town in British Columbia is just 1.5 hours from Vancouver and receives over 3 million tourists from around the world every year.
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Virginia Periotti, Visa Expert at Dingoos, explains what the visa application process involves and why good advice can make all the difference.
