How much does a Québec trip cost? Real CAD budgets
Updated:
Old Quebec City: Grand Walking Tour
Duration: 2 hours
How much does a trip to Québec cost per day?
Budget travellers spend around CAD 110-150 per day (hostel, transit, simple meals). Mid-range is CAD 200-320 per day (3-star hotel, car, sit-down restaurants). Luxury runs CAD 450-700 per day. All prices include Québec's combined 15% sales tax (TPS + TVQ) and the customary 15-18% restaurant tip.
The tax issue nobody warns you about
Before diving into budgets, here is the single most important thing to understand about spending money in Québec: prices listed on menus, price tags, and websites almost never include tax. And Québec has two taxes stacked on top of each other.
TPS (Taxe sur les produits et services): Canada’s federal Goods and Services Tax, 5%. TVQ (Taxe de vente du Québec): Québec’s provincial sales tax, 9.975%.
Combined: approximately 15%. On a CAD 200 hotel room, you will actually pay CAD 230 before any resort fees or service charges. On a CAD 30 restaurant meal, your bill will show roughly CAD 34.50 before tip — and you’re expected to add 15-18% on top of that.
Budget for 15% tax on virtually everything, plus 15-18% tip on restaurant meals and taxi fares. This is not optional — it’s the expected social contract in Québec.
| Budget | CAD 110–150/day |
| Mid-range | CAD 200–320/day |
| Luxury | CAD 450–700/day |
| Sales tax | ~15% (TPS + TVQ), rarely shown upfront |
| Tipping | 15–18% restaurants |
| Priciest period | Carnaval de Québec (late Jan–mid Feb) |
Budget tiers (per person per day)
Budget: CAD 110-150 per day
This assumes hostel dormitory or budget guesthouse accommodation, public transport within cities, and eating at local cafés, supermarkets, and poutineries rather than sit-down restaurants.
Accommodation: CAD 35-60 (hostel dorm: Montréal has several good ones around CAD 40-50/night; Québec City hostels around CAD 45-60) Food: CAD 30-50 (café breakfast CAD 8-12, lunch at épicerie or food hall CAD 12-16, dinner at budget restaurant or BYOB CAD 18-25, plus tax and tip) Transport: CAD 10-20 (STM metro day pass Montréal CAD 11, RTC bus in Québec City comparable) Activities: CAD 15-30 (mix of free activities — parks, markets, waterfront — and one paid activity every 2-3 days)
Real examples at this budget tier:
- A poutine at Chez Ashton (Québec City institution) costs around CAD 9-12 before tax
- Bagel at St-Viateur (Montréal) costs CAD 2 per bagel
- Parc national de la Jacques-Cartier entry: CAD 9.25 per adult
- STM monthly pass (Montréal): CAD 101 — if staying a full month
Mid-range: CAD 200-320 per day
This assumes a 3-star hotel or quality B&B, a rental car (shared between two people), and dinner at sit-down restaurants most evenings.
Accommodation: CAD 90-150 (3-star hotel Montréal: CAD 100-140/night; 3-star Québec City: CAD 110-160/night; auberges in regions CAD 90-130) Food: CAD 55-85 (café breakfast CAD 12-18, lunch CAD 18-25, dinner at restaurant CAD 35-55 including tax and 17% tip) Transport: CAD 35-60 (car rental: economy car CAD 60-80/day — divide by 2 if travelling as a couple; plus petrol CAD 1.60-1.80/litre in 2026) Activities: CAD 40-80 (one or two paid activities per day — a walking tour, national park entry, kayak rental)
Real examples:
- 3-star hotel Old Montréal: CAD 140-180/night in summer, CAD 110-140 in shoulder season
- Car rental economy (Discount Auto): CAD 55-70/day (before insurance — budget CAD 70-95/day with CDW)
- Old Québec food tour with tastings: CAD 80-100 per person
- Montmorency Falls with cable car: CAD 25 per adult
Luxury: CAD 450-700 per day
This assumes 4-5 star hotels or boutique inns, fine dining, and premium activities.
Accommodation: CAD 200-350 (Château Frontenac rooms: CAD 280-450/night in summer; Auberge Saint-Antoine (Québec City): CAD 250-380; Hôtel Nelligan (Montréal): CAD 200-320) Food: CAD 120-200 (fine dining tasting menus CAD 80-150 per person + wine + tax + tip) Transport: CAD 50-80 (premium car rental or private transfers) Activities: CAD 80-150 (helicopter tour, private guided experiences, spa days)
Real examples:
- Hôtel de Glace overnight experience: CAD 250 per person
- Scenic helicopter tour Quebec City (15 minutes): CAD 160 per person
- 5-course gourmet food tour Old Québec: CAD 100 per person
- Strøm Nordic Spa, Sherbrooke: CAD 60-90 per person
- Île d’Orléans e-bike tasting tour: CAD 80 per person
Budget by category (mid-range baseline)
Accommodation costs
| Type | Montréal | Québec City | Regions |
|---|---|---|---|
| Hostel dorm | CAD 40-55 | CAD 45-65 | CAD 35-50 |
| Budget hotel (2*) | CAD 80-110 | CAD 90-130 | CAD 70-100 |
| Mid-range hotel (3*) | CAD 120-160 | CAD 130-180 | CAD 100-140 |
| Boutique hotel | CAD 160-250 | CAD 180-300 | CAD 140-220 |
| Luxury hotel (4-5*) | CAD 220-400 | CAD 250-450 | CAD 200-350 |
Summer (July-August) adds 10-20% to these prices. Carnaval period in Québec City adds 30-50%.
Food costs
| Meal type | Cost range (CAD, incl. tax) |
|---|---|
| Coffee + croissant (café) | CAD 6-10 |
| Breakfast at café | CAD 10-18 |
| Poutine (takeaway) | CAD 10-15 |
| Lunch (local resto, BYOB) | CAD 18-28 |
| Dinner (mid-range restaurant, incl. tip) | CAD 40-65 |
| Fine dining dinner (incl. wine, tip) | CAD 100-180 |
| Grocery shop (self-catering day) | CAD 15-25 |
| Beer at bar | CAD 7-10 |
| Wine (restaurant, BYOB markup) | CAD 15-30 per bottle |
Transport costs
| Item | Cost (CAD) |
|---|---|
| Montréal metro single ticket | CAD 3.75 |
| Montréal STM day pass | CAD 11 |
| 747 Express bus YUL → downtown | CAD 11 |
| Airport taxi (flat rate to downtown Montréal) | CAD 41 |
| Economy car rental (per day, no insurance) | CAD 55-75 |
| CDW/LDW insurance (per day) | CAD 15-25 |
| Via Rail Montréal → Québec City | CAD 45-110 |
| Petrol | CAD 1.60-1.80/litre |
| Parking (Old Montréal per day) | CAD 20-35 |
| Uber (airport to central Montréal) | CAD 35-55 |
Activities
| Activity | Cost per person (CAD) |
|---|---|
| Walking tour Old Québec (2h) | CAD 30-40 |
| Walking tour Old Montréal | CAD 25-35 |
| National park entry (per day) | CAD 8-10 |
| Montmorency Falls cable car | CAD 25 |
| Whale watching Tadoussac (3h) | CAD 75-120 |
| Hôtel de Glace entry (self-guided) | CAD 40 |
| Dogsledding (1.5-2h) | CAD 130-150 |
| E-bike tour Île d’Orléans | CAD 80 |
| Saguenay Fjord cruise (3h) | CAD 36 |
| Helicopter tour Québec City (15 min) | CAD 160 |
Seasonal price adjustments
| Period | Hotels | Activities |
|---|---|---|
| July-August peak | +15-25% | No change |
| Carnaval (late Jan to mid-Feb, Québec City) | +30-50% | +10-15% for Carnaval events |
| Christmas-New Year | +15-20% | +10% |
| June, September | Baseline | Baseline |
| October | -15-20% | Baseline |
| April-May | -30-40% | Some activities closed |
Common budget mistakes
Underestimating the 15% tax. Build it into every price you see. A hotel advertised at CAD 150/night costs CAD 172.50 before any city tax or resort fee.
Not budgeting for tipping. In Québec restaurants, the tip is culturally obligatory for table service (15-18%). Forgetting this will make your meal cost 15-18% more than planned. See our tipping guide.
Car rental shock. Economy cars start around CAD 55-70/day before insurance. Adding CDW/LDW (recommended — your home credit card’s rental insurance may not cover Canada), regional surcharges, winter tyre compliance, and one-way fees can double the base price. Budget CAD 80-120/day all-in for a reliable mid-range estimate.
One-way rental penalties. Picking up a car in Montréal and dropping it in Québec City (or vice versa) triggers a one-way fee that can add CAD 100-250 to the total rental cost, depending on the company and season. If your itinerary allows a round trip back to the original pickup city, it is worth comparing the fuel and time cost of driving back against the one-way fee before assuming the one-way option is more convenient.
Tourist restaurant premium. Restaurants in the rue Saint-Louis area of Old Québec and along the main tourist streets of Old Montréal charge 40-60% more than equivalents in residential neighbourhoods. For quality and value, explore Saint-Roch (Québec City) and Plateau Mont-Royal or Mile End (Montréal).
Winter budget: Carnaval, Hôtel de Glace and dog sledding
Winter travel in and around Québec City carries its own cost logic, and it’s worth budgeting separately if your trip includes any of the season’s signature experiences. Carnaval de Québec (late January to mid-February) is the single biggest price spike of the year in the region — hotels in and near Vieux-Québec routinely add 30–50% to their normal rates, and the popular downtown properties sell out weeks ahead. Carnaval event passes (the “Bonhomme effigy”) cost around CAD 20–30 and grant access to most official sites; many outdoor activities on the Plains of Abraham are free to watch.
A Hôtel de Glace overnight stay runs approximately CAD 250 per person, including a welcome cocktail, sleeping bag rental and access to the ice bar — factor in a backup conventional hotel room nearby, since almost nobody sleeps a full week in the ice rooms. Dog sledding near Mont-Tremblant or the Québec City region costs roughly CAD 130–150 for a 1.5–2 hour session, and snowmobile day tours run higher, often CAD 150–250 depending on region and equipment included. If your trip is built around winter activities specifically, add a 20–30% contingency on top of the mid-range daily figures above to cover these one-off experiences.
Sample 7-day budget (mid-range, couple)
| Category | Total (CAD) | Per person |
|---|---|---|
| Accommodation (7 nights at CAD 150/night) | 1,050 | 525 |
| Food (7 days at CAD 70/day pp) | 980 | 490 |
| Car rental (7 days at CAD 90/day) | 630 | 315 |
| Petrol | 120 | 60 |
| Activities | 400 | 200 |
| Incidentals / gifts | 200 | 100 |
| Total | 3,380 | 1,690 |
At 2026 exchange rates, that’s approximately EUR 1,115 / USD 1,253 per person for the week — excluding flights.
Plan your trip
- Canadian dollar tips for Europeans — exchange rates, cards, ATMs
- Tipping in Québec — how much and when
- How to rent a car in Québec — costs, insurance, winter tyres
- Best time to visit Québec — seasonal pricing context
- 7-day Québec classic loop itinerary
- 5-day Montréal + Québec City
- Québec travel insurance — healthcare costs without coverage
- Québec public holidays and festival calendar — price impact dates
- Hôtel de Glace guide — full pricing and what to expect
- Charlevoix destination guide — regional cost context beyond the two main cities
Frequently asked questions about How much does a Québec trip cost? Real CAD budgets
Why do prices in Québec look lower than the final bill?
Québec adds two layers of sales tax to most purchases: the federal GST (TPS) at 5% and the provincial QST (TVQ) at 9.975%, totalling roughly 15%. These are almost never included in advertised prices. A CAD 20 meal will appear as CAD 23 before tip on your bill.How much should I budget for a week in Québec?
A week (7 nights) breaks down approximately as follows: budget CAD 770-1,050, mid-range CAD 1,400-2,240, luxury CAD 3,150-4,900 — all per person, excluding flights. Add 30-40% more if visiting during Carnaval (late January to mid-February) or peak summer (July to early August).Is Québec more expensive than other Canadian provinces?
Québec is generally mid-range for Canada. It's cheaper than Vancouver or Toronto but comparable to Ottawa. Accommodation in Montréal is cheaper than Toronto; Québec City is slightly cheaper than Montréal overall. The province has some of Canada's best value restaurants outside the tourist centres.What is the tipping norm in Québec restaurants?
15-18% is standard at sit-down restaurants. 15% is the minimum expected for normal service; 20% for exceptional service. For takeaway, 10% is generous but appreciated. See our full tipping guide for all situations.Are activities and tours expensive in Québec?
Tours range widely. A 2-hour walking tour of Old Québec runs CAD 30-40. A whale watching cruise from Tadoussac costs CAD 75-120. A dogsledding session near Mont-Tremblant costs CAD 130-150. Entry to national parks is CAD 8-10 per adult per day. Many free activities exist (hiking, cycling, beaches, markets).Is Québec expensive for food?
It depends where you eat. A good lunch at a local café in Saint-Roch (Québec City) or Plateau Mont-Royal (Montréal) costs CAD 15-20. Tourist-area restaurants in Old Québec or Old Montréal charge CAD 25-45 for a main course. Groceries at IGA or Metro are comparable to European supermarket prices.