How Far is Vancouver from Montreal?
The quickest way from Vancouver to Montreal is through the US border, which makes it a 4,558km drive. In terms of drive length, this is 45 hours.
Especially right now, going through the US border presents some additional complications. In order to avoid the US border, it only adds an additional 5 km. However, because of the speed limit difference, it will tack on an additional 2 hours to the total drive time.
Moving From Vancouver to Montreal Average Cost
The biggest factor in cost is whether or not you are working with a reputable moving company. With a quality company, moving from Vancouver to Montreal will cost $6,250-$10,500+ from start to finish.
It is impossible to give an exact quote until you know about all of the different factors that will affect quote. If you want a quote, be sure to give us a call at (778) 885-4170.
Average Cost to Move a Studio
To move a studio, it will cost roughly $6,250.
Average Cost to Move a 2 Bedroom
If you live in a 2 bedroom home, you can expect this move to cost roughly $8,000.
Average Cost to Move a 4 Bedroom
And a 4 bedroom home will cost $10,500+ on average.
Doesn’t That Seem a Little High? I Just Got a Quote for $2,000.
Don’t be alarmed if you recently got a quote for just a few thousand dollars. Actually, scratch that. Do be alarmed!
You call around, get some quotes similar to the numbers we mentioned earlier, and then finally one that is just about $2,000. All the way to Montreal? Score!
Except for one issue. All of a sudden moving day rolls around and you come to find out that this quote was based on 1,000 pound of stuff.
Any additional cargo is, you guessed it, an additional charge.
And guess what, you have extra stuff. A lot of extra stuff.
This quote was based on, give or take, one room’s worth of stuff from your home. That’s right, you’ll typically have about 1,000 pounds worth of stuff per room of your house.
It is not hard to see how this “$2,000 quote” can very quickly turn into a $14,000 move.
With our estimated numbers above, that’s what you will pay, for real. No hidden fees, just a happy moving day.
Is it Smart to Move From Vancouver to Montreal?
Living Costs Compared
Montreal is the pure winner in terms of cost of living. According to Numbeo, the cost of living in Montreal is just about 23% lower than Vancouver’s. Considering this decreased cost of living in wage calculations is crucial.
However, the local purchasing power is actually stronger in Vancouver than Montreal, because people typically make much more money in Vancouver.
Crime Rates
Montreal is a safer city to live in than Vancouver, by a factor of about 11.8%. Keep in mind that both cities are “safe cities”, but Montreal is considered the safer city of the two.
Although Montreal takes the safety category, whether or not crime will play a role in your moving is more dependent on the neighborhood you are moving to, as well as from.
Cultural Differences
Although this likely goes without saying, there will be heavy cultural differences, moving from Vancouver to Montreal. Nearly 50% of Montrealers only speak French, so you’ll definitely learn a bit of French moving to Montreal.
Public Transportation
Vancouver and Montreal each have a similar transit system. They each have a vast network of buses which helps to keep you connected to the rest of the city.
Montreal has a metro, which consists of 4 lines that can take you just about anywhere in Montreal. This is the Montreal version of the Translink Skytrain system.
Vancouver and Montreal have a similar transit system, and which will work better for you is entirely dependent on the individual starting points, and ending points. Google is great to figure out estimated transit times.
Weather
If you enjoy warm weather, you’ll love Montreal. On average, it will be about 4 degrees celsius higher than Vancouver in the summer time. This, of course, does come with a few extra days of rain per month throughout those summer months. You win some, you lose some.
Here’s where you’ll take a bit of time to get used to. Montreal’s winters will commonly get into the negative double digits.
To put that into perspective, Vancouver will typically hover around 3 degrees celsius throughout the winter months.
Make sure that you’re investing in some warm winter gear. You won’t want to be stuck without a snow parka in the middle of January in Montreal.
I hope that your new job in Montreal is worth it!
Buying a Home in Montreal
Montreal has some beautiful neighbourhoods to move into. Here are some of the best ones according to TimeOut.
Plateau Mont-Royal
Here’s a beautiful, trendy neighbourhood with a nice mix of condos and single family homes. Plateau Mont-Royal is just 15 minutes from downtown, or a 20 minute transit ride, which makes it a great option for young professionals. You can secure a decent condo in this neighbourhood starting at about $300,000.
Verdun
Verdun is another fantastic neighbourhood that is very close to the Saint-Lawrence river. It is a little bit more rich than Plateau Mont-Royal, as you’ll need about $350,000 for a decent apartment in Verdun, but it sure is nice.
Old Montreal
Old Montreal is, as its name suggests, the oldest neighbourhood in Montreal. It features great cobble roads and replicates a European town. Old Montreal also features many beautiful boutiques, cafes, and restaurants. You should expect to pay north of $300,000 for a decent sized 1 bedroom apartment, or considerably north of $400,000 for a decent 2 bedroom apartment.
Selling Your Property in Vancouver
Now that you’re relocating across the country, you’ll want to find the help of a real estate agent to sell your property. I would strongly recommend Josh Kepkay, of Vancouver Real Estate Today. You can get ahold of him at (604) 313-9805. He can help you with getting the most money for your home, condo, apartment, or even acreage! When you have the power of a real estate agent behind you, you’ll typically get more out of your property.
Finding a Job in Montreal Before You Move There
The best thing you can do before moving to Montreal, is to get a job, or at least job prospects, secured. There are many different sources that you can find and apply for jobs in Montreal before even arriving. Here are some of the best ones.
City of Montreal Jobs
Montreal does not have anywhere that they are continually updating the positions that they are hiring for, but they do have a job application form, which you can find here. Keep in mind that the website and form is in French.
Indeed
Debatably the most important website for your job search, Indeed is the champion of jobs. There are nearly 32,000 open positions on Indeed in Montreal alone, as of September 2020.
Word of Mouth
Here’s an underutilized tactic. Talk to people. Obviously, if you have contacts in Quebec, then you should see if they know about any potential jobs. But even if you don’t have any contacts in Montreal, reach out to people in Vancouver. Maybe they know people in Montreal, who knows.
Full Checklist for Moving From Vancouver to Montreal
Come up with the exact budget that you will commit towards moving, and call around to find out who can work within it. Of course, make sure that it is realistic, but not having a budget at all will only lead to potentially overpaying, nothing good.
Call around to moving companies around you to get as many quotes as possible (remember that you need to get the quote for exactly how much stuff you have). If staying within your budget with a moving company turns out to be an impossible task, look into cheaper alternatives such as a portable moving container or U-Haul. Although these solutions will be much more work, if your budget will not allow a moving company, these alternatives will get the job done.
Whatever you do, get your housing sorted out before you get to Montreal. Especially if you have kids. Especially if you’re moving in the winter. You would not want to find yourself in -20 weather, without a home.
If you’re looking for a hand in trying to find your new home in Montreal, then you’re in luck. Marie Paule Lancup is one of the top agents in Montreal, and has a wide network of connections. You can contact her at (514) 243-1646, and she can speak French and English.
Another important thing to remember is your kids’ schools. Make sure you get ahold of their current schools, to let them know that you are headed to Montreal. Also, research schools in Montreal to find where your kids will go. Here’s a great resource of public schools.
If you are looking at sending your kids to a private school, you can do further research using this website.
Use this Government of Canada website for your guide to changing your moving address for most of your required address changes. Although this is important, it’s not where the road ends. For example, you will also need to change your address for many of your financial products.
Remember to reach out to your loved ones in Vancouver, so no one feels neglected when they find out that you moved to Montreal through other ways.
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