Grocery Prices in Montreal, QC

GroceryPulse tracks grocery prices across 5 stores in Montreal, QC, including Provigo, Maxi, Giant Tiger, Wholesale Club, IGA. Our daily price comparison shows that Provigo is currently the cheapest option at $245.57 for a standardized basket of 50 essential grocery items. Shopping at Provigo instead of IGA saves you $137.93 per trip.

Prices are collected daily at 6:00 AM ET from publicly available retailer websites. Our comparison uses a weighted Jevons methodology for fair, unbiased ranking. You can also compare individual product prices side-by-side or check price trends over time.

The Grocery Market in Montreal

Montreal's grocery market is distinct from the rest of Canada in several ways. Quebec's consumer protection laws, French-language requirements, and unique supply chains create a market where pricing patterns often diverge from national trends. Maxi (Loblaw's Quebec discount banner) and Super C (Metro's Quebec discount banner) are the dominant discount options, while IGA (Empire's Quebec banner) occupies the premium space that Sobeys holds in English Canada. Grocery costs in Montreal run slightly below Toronto but above Quebec City.

Montreal's market is a two-company race between Loblaw (Maxi, Provigo) and Metro (Metro, Super C), with Empire's IGA as the premium third option. Notably absent are English-Canadian banners like No Frills, Sobeys, FreshCo, and Food Basics — their Quebec equivalents (Maxi, IGA, Super C) fill the same niches. Voilà offers online delivery with a product selection that mirrors IGA's, while Giant Tiger has a limited but growing presence in suburban areas.

How to Save on Groceries in Montreal

• ✓Maxi is Montreal's undisputed discount grocery champion — its prices consistently match or beat No Frills and Food Basics on equivalent products, and its Quebec-specific product selection (local cheeses, Quebec-made prepared foods) is unmatched by any discount competitor.
• ✓IGA runs a loyalty program (IGA Extra) that offers meaningful savings for regular shoppers. Unlike some loyalty programs that offer trivial discounts, IGA Extra frequently provides $10-15 off per visit for members who hit spending thresholds.
• ✓Shop at Jean-Talon Market or Atwater Market for seasonal produce — Montreal's public markets offer farm-direct pricing that beats any chain retailer on in-season fruits and vegetables from Quebec growers.
• ✓Super C (Metro's discount banner) tends to be cheapest on packaged goods and canned items, while Maxi wins on fresh categories. Splitting your shop between the two can save $10-15 per week versus shopping at either exclusively.

Regional Insight: Montreal

Quebec's grocery market operates under different rules than the rest of Canada. The province's agricultural marketing boards, especially for dairy and poultry, create pricing floors that don't exist in other provinces. Additionally, Quebec retailers stock a wider selection of locally produced foods — from cheese curds to tourtière to maple products — that are genuinely cheaper here than in other provinces simply because of proximity to producers. Montrealers who cook with local ingredients can maintain a grocery budget 10-15% below what the same diet would cost in Toronto.

Frequently Asked Questions — Montreal