- I live in the beautiful Canadian city of Montreal, Quebec, known as the Paris of North America.
- A typical weekend day for me involves good food, shopping and chatting with friends.
- My partner and I often enjoy a peaceful evening here after a day of wandering the pedestrianised streets.
When you think of a world-class city where most of the locals speak French, Paris is probably the first thing that comes to mind.
But on the other side of the Atlantic, in the Canadian province of Quebec, you'll find another unique city filled with French culture, fine cuisine, art and history: Montreal.
Plus, unlike Paris, one of the most expensive cities to live in, Montreal strikes the perfect balance between low cost of living and high quality of life: It's one of only eight cities out of 226 to achieve that goal, according to Mercer's 2024 cost of living data.
I was fortunate to grow up just outside of Montreal until I moved there for university at age 19. After seven years in Toronto, I returned to Montreal last summer and have spent the past year rediscovering the city.
Here's what a typical summer Sunday is like in Montreal.
