The Press noted in June that Montreal was now at 118e rank in the new Mercer ranking of the 226 least affordable cities on the planet, a jump of 17 positions compared to 2023. If the local daily notes that “the cost of living in Montreal is less affordable… than last year,” he adds that“fortunately it’s a good place to live”, noting that the Canadian city “is among the cities with the lowest cost of living and the highest quality of life, alongside Warsaw, Budapest and Kuala Lumpur”.
A “magnificent” city…
A Montreal collaborator of the New York site Business Insider However, there is a significant drawback for those who might be tempted to settle there: “I adore [cette ville]but that doesn’t mean moving here is a good idea.”
Helen Wolkowicz first hands out the good points: “Montreal is a beautiful city: it’s safe and walkable, with a vibrant nightlife and a cultural calendar full of events […]. I love wandering around its different neighborhoods, each with its own history, charm, architecture and distinctive culinary delights.” The woman who has lived in the Quebec metropolis with her family for over fifty years adds: “It’s also one of the fastest growing cities in Canada, so why not take advantage of that?”
…which has its share of problems
More “This notion of a magical, miraculous city where ‘everyone should move’ is a mirage,” Helen Wolkowicz tempers. She addresses some of Montreal’s less attractive factors. First, finding housing can be a challenge “extremely difficult”. Before the pandemic, says real estate broker Michael Fadulto, you could find a luxury condo for about €1,000 a month. Today, for the same price, he says, you can get a two-bedroom apartment, and the price of a first home there has jumped 40% since 2020.
Another pitfall, according to Helen Wolkowicz: the new Quebec law that stipulates that starting in June 2025, businesses must give French twice as much space on their storefronts as other languages. This linguistic pressure discourages young, qualified professionals who do not speak French but who would be tempted to settle in the city.
[…] - Courrier international
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