It’s official: you get more for your money in Montréal. Mercer’s Cost of Living Survey provides extensive data on the relative affordability of cities worldwide, and Montréal has once again made the list. The city sits at No. 135 among the most affordable big cities in the whole wide world, and 20th in North America. Montréal is an affordable destination where your investments in your event go further — and here’s how.
Montréal makes it more
Meetings are made easy in Montréal. We’ve got the world-class facilities at reasonable rates to make events of any size pop, including a convention centre that just won’t quit. We’ve got affordable food, entertainment and endless hospitality. We got a unique charm money just can’t buy… but more than that, we’ve got deals! Whether it’s hotel rebates for third-party planners, association and corporate groups or a sustainability incentive at the convention centre, we want you to save when you organize your meetings here.
A competitive business context
Montréal is HQ to an impressive number of globally operating businesses because of its highly competitive costs. It costs less, on average, to operate a business in Montréal than in any other large metropolitan region in Canada and the United States (over 26% less in high-tech sectors), without even counting the very attractive incentives available. In addition to the highly competitive salaries that attract quality workers, businesses that set up here can benefit from up to a 30% tax credit on R&D costs and sectoral tax credits of up to 43%.
Accessible cost of living
One of the draws to Montréal is its appealing cost of living: Montréal housing prices are 20-40% lower than other large Canadian cities and because it has compact, walkable neighbourhoods paired good public transit, residents can minimize their transportation costs too. Montrealers enjoy buying power that’s superior to that of residents of other large cities in North America and western Europe, thanks to its affordable rents, generous family allowances, free health care, the lowest tuition fees in North America and inexpensive daycare. It’s an alluringly livable city.
Endless affordable entertainment
Yes, it’s great to live in and do business in, but Montréal is also so easy to visit! There’s so much affordable entertainment. From free things you can squeeze into your free time between meetings or conference sessions to live entertainment, it’s all priced cheaper than in neighbouring cities and certainly than in other global destinations. The city is filled with small clubs and bars where you can enjoy live music most nights of the week for a cover charge ranging from $10 to $20, plus the fine dining scene is extremely accessible: even the city’s award-winning restaurants (sure to impress your VIPS) will set you back a fraction of, say, New York’s equivalent. Consider the exchange rate, too, and it’s win, win, win.
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