Being a Montrealer myself, it’s kind of hard to explain the things I have known ever since I was born, and taken for granted ever since I was old enough to live by myself (in my case, 16 years old). But I figured that considering just how popular Montreal is on the expat list, and how great a city it is, I could share my tips and insight on what it’s like to live in Montreal, and what you should know before moving there.While Canada isn’t known for its short travel distances, Montreal, on the other hand, is. A mere 8 hour-drive away from New York City, Boston and Toronto, 2 hours away from Ottawa, the capital, and a 3 hour-drive from the magical city of Quebec. Plus, there are tons of things to do in the countryside nearby, whether you opt for the English-looking villages of the Eastern Townships or the remote cabins of the Laurentians Mountains up north. There’s something for everyone!Montreal is actually a pretty cheap city to live in, whether you opt to rent or buy. For a central apartment, you can expect to pay between $600 and $800 for a two-bedroom, or $250,000 for a quality one-bedroom condo  – which, when compared to Vancouver or Toronto, is extremely cheap!

Electricity costs are also pretty low, thanks to our powerful hydroelectricity installations in the Bay James up north. This especially comes in handy when winter decides to send -35 degree weather our way…That’s the national rule of thumb. Strolling through the streets of Montreal on that particular day is a unique sight! There are moving trucks everywhere, tons of pots&pans, couches, ovens, mattresses, all over the sidewalks! Some apartments will be available throughout the year, but more often than not, it’s a case of sublet or end of lease. This July 1st tradition goes back a long way, and was meant to facilitate the children’s life by not switching schools in the middle of the year.By the way, when looking for an apartment in Montreal, here’s a few facts you should know:Montreal is a wonderfully bilingual city (some might argue that it’s a bit too anglophone, but that’s a whole other debate). Most people speak both French and English fluently, and will be happy to assist you in both languages.

While there is a law that protects French and makes sure that French is predominant on everything (bill 101), English is never very far, making it easy to understand for all non-French speakers. Montreal IS the perfect place to learn French!Canada is only ranked average among the OECD countries, but I do feel like we pay a hell of a lot of taxes. We pay taxes on both the provincial and federal sides, as well as having quite onerous sales tax (about 14% at the moment). So yes, a lot of money goes out our pocket before it even made its way there. But, on the other hand, we don’t have to pay a cent for a lot of things. As I always said, there might be downsides to living in Quebec, but not having to worry about paying for basic rights like health care and education, makes up for everything else.In Quebec, public education is free from kinder garden until college,  public health care is free of charge, woman can get up to 52 weeks of maternity leave paid at an average of 70% of their annual salary, and so much more.

Remember though that those benefits are mostly provincial and exclusive to the province of Quebec – it might be different in Ontario and BC.Pictures Of Windows With Faux Wood BlindsThat’s one of the most popular reasons why people come to Montreal, either to live or to visit. Types Of Toilet Seat FinishesWe have Arcade Fire. Best Gaming Laptop DeskOne half of Tegan and Sara. And SO much more! With over a hundred festivals every year, and a dozen of amazing museums spread throughout the city, the cultural life in Montreal is absolutely vibrant, and has nothing to envy of mega cities like New York or London.That’s the problem with islands. There are only so many ways in and out! 15 bridges and a tunnel, in all directions, and yet there are huge traffic jams every rush hour.

Don’t bother living in the suburbs – to me it’s not even worth it. Living on the island is the best way to avoid traffic, since you can go just about anywhere with public transit. It’ll save you loads of time, and white hair!Montreal is filled with charming, quaint, tree-lined streets, which make for great-looking neighborhoods. But these streets are also very narrow, and can only fit a few cars. Finding a parking after 7PM anywhere on the island will be a challenge, that is for sure! There are two types of parking spaces: public, and vignettes. Both will be a piece of work, because there are only a handful of them (again with the cute narrow streets).Ditch the expensive car and opt for user-friendly Car2Go or better yet, ride with Uber!Readers of To Europe and Beyond are entitled to a free $20 ride with Uber! Use Marie’s code 869mf upon signing up. Valid for first-time users only.Moving to Montreal can be scary – moving anywhere abroad  is, really! But if you’re seriously considering it, I can only encourage you that way, and say that Montreal, all in all, is one of the best places in the world.

I love Montreal dearly and no matter how many cities I visit… I always come back home.Have you considering moving to Montreal in the past? Is this something you would do in the future? Do you have additional tips to add? Nous pouvons aller vous! One of our most common long distance moving routes is Toronto to Montreal! We are Toronto to Montreal movers that you can depend on! Voted Best Mover in Toronto, we are your go to professional moving resource. Our Toronto to Montreal movers will get your new life in Montreal started off the right way! We have been moving Toronto residents to Montreal for 13 years. Going the other way? Well that is great! Because, we always have movers running from Montreal to Toronto too. Trust the pro's with your next move to and from Ottawa. We Are Always Moving People to Montreal Our trucks are on the road regularly moving household goods from Toronto to Montreal One Stop Moving Shop Need more than just movers? Rent-a-Son offers packing, storage, moving supplies and much more!

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The estimate was reasonable but what was outstanding was the ability to reach them. I had a personal contact number and they ALWAYS called back - wonderful. Plus, on moving day, they were punctual, efficient, and courteous. They were particularly careful and attentive with my things - love that. Next time I move I will only seek one quote and I'll go with Rent-A-Son again! We enjoyed terrific service from Rent-a-Son. The movers were professional and genuinely nice people. Their interactions with us and our kids made the entire moving experience much less stressful. Highly recommended these Toronto to Montreal Movers I can't say enough about this moving company. The moving coordinator, Hussain, was excellent and very communicative with us to ensure that the move went off without issue. The movers themselves were on time, efficient, considerate and very very fast. You could tell they meant business when they came. Our move went awesome and I couldn't think of it going any smoother.

Definitely an awesome choice for our recent move and I would highly recommend them as a Montreal to Toronto Moving company without hesitation. Moving from Toronto to Montreal? Then you should consider Rent-a-Son and northAmerican van lines for your relocation. Going with our Toronto to Montreal moving service means you have a determined team of movers, people and resources set on making your move a success! We also have the support and resources of our van line to make sure your experience is stress free and executed properly. Do your Toronto to Montreal movers offer that? If you need packing services, storage or any other ancillary moving service, let us know. We are connected to a network of moving companies and related moving services that allow us to be the number one Toronto to Montreal moving company for any move, big or small. We also move from Montreal to Toronto and Toronto to Montreal regularly so we always have trucks and movers on the road along this route. Some facts about Montreal, Canada: