Toronto vs. Montreal: Which Canadian City Should You Visit First?
Toronto and Montreal are Canada's two cultural heavyweights.
I've spent serious time in both cities — four trips to Toronto, three to Montreal — and I'm done with the diplomatic "they're both great in different ways" answer that travel writers default to. They ARE both great. But they're great in completely different ways, and which one deserves your limited vacation time depends on who you are.
Let's fight about it.
First Impressions: The Vibe
Toronto feels like a polished global city that happens to be in Canada. Glass towers reflecting Lake Ontario. The CN Tower punctuating a glittering skyline. Clean streets, efficient transit, and a multicultural energy that comes from hosting 200+ ethnic groups. It's orderly. It works. It's impressive.
Montreal feels like someone took a French city, dropped it in North America, and let it develop its own personality for 400 years. Cobblestone streets in Old Montreal. Massive murals covering Plateau buildings. A perpetual smell of bagels and poutine drifting from somewhere. It's messier. It's more romantic. It has more personality per square kilometer.
First impression verdict: Montreal. It feels genuinely unlike anywhere else in North America.
Food: Toronto's Diversity vs. Montreal's Character
Toronto's food scene is defined by its immigrant communities. Over 200 ethnic groups means you can eat Sri Lankan hoppers in Scarborough, Somali in Etobicoke, dim sum in Chinatown (Rol San, $15-20 per person), Jamaican patties at Randy's in Kensington ($3 CAD), and Ethiopian on the Danforth — all in the same day.
St. Lawrence Market (rated world's best food market by National Geographic) anchors the scene. Peameal bacon sandwiches at Carousel Bakery ($8 CAD) are the quintessential Toronto breakfast.
Montreal fights back with cultural specificity. The city owns three iconic foods:
Bagels: Wood-fired, honey-sweetened, denser than New York bagels. Fairmount (open 24/7 since 1919) vs. St-Viateur (also 24/7) is a debate locals take personally. $8-10 CAD/dozen.
Poutine: Fries, cheese curds, brown gravy. La Banquise on the Plateau does 30 varieties, open 24/7. Classic: $10 CAD. Never accept shredded cheese — curds must squeak.
Smoked meat: Schwartz's Deli on Saint-Laurent has been doing it since 1928. $12 CAD for a smoked meat sandwich. The line moves fast.
Montreal also has BYO restaurants (apportez votre vin) — bring your own wine with no corkage fee. This is a uniquely Montreal tradition and it makes mid-range dining dramatically cheaper.
Category
Toronto
Montreal
Diversity of cuisines
200+ ethnic cuisines
Strong French, deli, and Quebecois
Budget meal
$8-15 CAD
$8-12 CAD
Mid-range dinner
$35-55 CAD
$30-45 CAD (BYO saves $$$)
Signature dish
Peameal bacon sandwich
Poutine / smoked meat
Food verdict: Toronto for variety. Montreal for character and value.
Culture and Nightlife
Toronto has the Royal Ontario Museum ($23 CAD, Daniel Libeskind's crystal addition is striking), the AGO ($25 CAD, Frank Gehry redesign), TIFF (Toronto International Film Festival in September), and the Distillery District — Victorian industrial buildings converted to galleries, craft breweries (Mill Street, flights $12 CAD), and restaurants.
Montreal has the Montreal Museum of Fine Arts (free permanent collection), the world's largest jazz festival (late June-early July, 75% of shows free), MURAL Festival, and a street art scene that rivals Berlin. The Plateau's Boulevard Saint-Laurent is an outdoor gallery. The tam-tam drum circles on Mount Royal every Sunday are genuinely magical.
Nightlife: Montreal wins decisively. Bars stay open until 3AM. The drinking age is 18. The Mile End and Plateau have a concentration of dive bars, cocktail spots, and live music venues that Toronto can't match. Toronto's nightlife is good but more spread out and closes earlier (2AM).
Culture verdict: Tie for museums. Montreal for nightlife and street culture.
Budget Comparison
Expense
Toronto
Montreal
Hotel (mid-range)
$180-280 CAD
$120-180 CAD
Daily food
$40-65 CAD
$30-50 CAD
Transit day pass
$13.50 CAD
$11 CAD
Beer at a bar
$8-12 CAD
$6-10 CAD
Museum admission
$20-35 CAD
Many free
Montreal is significantly cheaper across the board. The BYO restaurant culture alone saves $30-50 per dinner compared to Toronto.
Budget verdict: Montreal, clearly.
Getting Around
Toronto's TTC (subway, streetcars, buses) covers the city well. Single ride $3.35 CAD. The UP Express from Pearson Airport to Union Station ($12.35, 25 minutes) is excellent. Bike Share Toronto works May-October.
Montreal's Metro (4 lines) is efficient and covers all tourist areas. Single ride $3.50 CAD. BIXI bike-share ($6.25/ride or $21/day) is the best way to explore in summer — 900+ km of bike paths. The city is more compact and bikeable than Toronto.
Getting around verdict: Montreal for bikeability. Toronto for airport connection.
Weather Reality Check
Both cities have brutal winters. But Montreal's are worse — -15 to -25°C with windchill from December through March. Toronto's lake-effect winter is cold (-10 to -15°C windchill) but slightly more moderate.
Both cities are gorgeous in summer. Montreal's festival season (June-August) gives it an edge.
Both have solutions for winter: Toronto has the PATH underground city (30 km of tunnels). Montreal has the RESO (33 km of underground tunnels connecting malls, hotels, and Metro stations).
Weather verdict: Neither wins. Summer is the move for both.
The Bottom Line
Choose Toronto if you:
Love multicultural food diversity
Want a polished, global-city experience
Are interested in day trips (Niagara Falls is 90 minutes away)
Prefer a cleaner, more organized urban experience
Are visiting with family (CN Tower EdgeWalk, Ripley's Aquarium, Ontario Science Centre)
Choose Montreal if you:
Want something that feels genuinely different from American cities
Love street art, music festivals, and nightlife
Are on a budget
Enjoy a European vibe in North America
Want to practice your French (or at least try)
My honest recommendation for a first-time Canada visitor? Start with Montreal. It's more distinctive, more affordable, and more memorable as a travel experience. Then visit Toronto for its own considerable merits.
