Montréal
About 1.76 million (city) / 4.3 million (greater area)
Living and working in Montréal
The metropolis is home to most of Quebec's tech and AI ecosystem — MILA, corporate head offices, video game studios, multinational offices — and remains the number one entry point for economic immigration. It's also where the rental market weighs heaviest on the budget, even as the vacancy rate slowly recovers (2.9% in 2025).
Typical employers and sectors: corporate head offices (finance, transportation, aerospace), video game studios, AI/tech, healthcare, culture and tourism.
Points of interest in Montréal
Old Montreal & Old Port
cobblestone historic district, horse-drawn carriages, and Notre-Dame Basilica's spectacular blue-and-gold interior
Mount Royal
Frederick Law Olmsted's (also behind Central Park) great urban park, with city-wide views from the Kondiaronk lookout
Jean-Talon Market
one of the largest open-air public markets in North America, in the heart of Little Italy
Space for Life
Canada's largest natural science museum complex — Biodôme, Botanical Garden, Insectarium and Planetarium combined
The most opportunity, but housing costs weigh heaviest on the budget.
Sources: Canada Mortgage and Housing Corporation (2025 Rental Market Report), Institut de recherche et d'informations socioéconomiques (Livable Income 2025), Statistics Canada and Employment and Social Development Canada. This English page is a translated summary of our full French-language city profile, which is updated more frequently.