A Guide to Coworking in Montreal

Coworking in Montreal can help companies, startups, and entrepreneurs alike scale their ventures. From its low cost of living to its high quality of life, Montreal offers a prime location to position a business.

Once a missionary settlement and then a fur trading center, the city in southwest Quebec now boasts many fruitful sectors. These industries include tech, tourism, and transport, each underpinning the city’s booming economy.

As Canada’s second most populated city, Montreal houses around two million people, many of whom work for local companies. Numerous coworking spaces provide environments for these companies’ teams to work productively.

These coworking spaces are available in offices of all sizes, from boutique to corporate centers. Many local businesses are integrating flexible office space into their work models to embrace flexibility, innovation, and collaboration.

As such, demand for office space in the city is high. Canada’s flexible office space market is projected to grow to USD 1.75 billion in 2029. This growth would represent a compound annual growth rate (CAGR) of 7.58%.

Geography of Montreal

Montreal makes up three-quarters of Montreal Island, which is the largest of the Hochelaga Archipelago’s 234 islands. Excellent road, rail, and air connections make this location a convenient base for many businesses.

The city has enjoyed economic growth over recent years, rising in 2021, 2022, and 2023. Its vibrant culture, lucrative sectors, and affordable cost of living have all contributed to this growth.

Montreal is the biggest French-Canadian city, and 57.4% of its population speaks both English and French. By extension, Montreal is the second-largest primary French-speaking city on the planet after Paris. With so many multilingual professionals living in the city, it’s easy to do business with other French-speaking countries.

When choosing your coworking office space in Montreal, it’s essential to select the right shared office for your needs. Here, we’ll explore how your business can grow in the city and showcase eight Montreal coworking offices where you can scale your venture.

9 benefits of establishing your company in Montreal

Coworking in Montreal appeals to organizations of all shapes and sizes, and it’s easy to understand why. On average, it costs less to do business here than any other major city in Canada or the United States.

Plus, there’s a huge level of support for startups and those seeking international connections. Not to mention high-profile investment opportunities and a buzzing culture.

1. International business opportunities

International trade is pivotal to Montreal’s strong economy and multicultural environment. Canada enjoys free-trade agreements with neighbors in North America, Europe, and elsewhere globally.

Because of these agreements, Montreal boasts access to over 50 economies representing around 1.5 billion consumers. As such, businesses can leverage a wealth of opportunities to do business on an international scale.

An entrance to the wider world, Montreal is easily accessible by road, rail, water, and air. YUL – Montréal Trudeau Airport transports passengers to 145 destinations, of which over 80 are international. What’s more, the city holds Canada’s second-largest port, which transported 36 million tons of cargo in 2022.

Montreal also holds North America’s third-biggest concentration of international organizations. More than 65 international organizations reside here, including The International Civil Aviation Organization, The International Air Transport Association, and The UNESCO Institute for Statistics.

On top of this, Montreal is home to four United Nations (UN) agencies. The city is one of just nine in the world to host a permanent delegation from the UN. It’s also the top destination in North America for international conferences.

2. Connected startup community

Coworking in Montreal is especially popular with startups. The city’s close-knit startup community offers innumerable networking sessions. There are also several collaboration opportunities and funding streams from six of Canada’s 10 most active investment funds.

Local support organizations and events include:

• Montreal NewTech: This non-profit creates connections and collaboration opportunities for startups
• StartupFest: This event provides startups with learning, networking, and prize-winning opportunities
• Founder Fuel: This accelerator offers a four-month intensive program that helps tech founders turn their startup visions into world-changing enterprises
• SAJE: This consultancy provides coaching services to help businesses get off the ground and access grants so they can grow
• Investissement Quebec: This company teams financial capital with strategic guidance, helping startups reach their growth visions
• Inovia: This venture capital firm partners with startup founders to develop and fund impactful companies

Montreal’s thriving startups include the software company Korbit Technologies, social commerce partner Livescale, and long-shelf-life food manufacturer Smart Gourmet.

The city’s startup-focused business world sets entrepreneurs up for success. Entrepreneurs can meet others to bounce ideas off, learn from, and fuel their inspiration.

3. Supportive business ecosystem

Incubators, accelerators, and venture capital firms provide support for businesses across Montreal. Further to this, Montreal offers an attractive corporate tax incentive program.

This program makes refundable tax credits available in sectors relating to multimedia production and e-commerce. Businesses can recover up to 30% of their annual wage costs to a total of around CAD 20,000.

There are additional tax incentives for businesses in Montreal’s prospering movie and TV production space. This industry is the second biggest after the city’s aerospace sector (based on annual turnover and employment numbers).

4. Gateway to North America

Montreal’s strategic location positions the city as a gateway to North America and the rest of the world. Toronto, New York City, and Boston are just over an hour away by plane. Washington is a two-hour flight away and Chicago is a 2 and a half hour flight away.

When it comes to sea travel, the Port of Montreal is one of the globe’s busiest inland ports. It provides some of the quickest, most direct routes between Mediterranean and European ports and North American markets.

Booking a Montreal coworking space can bring your organization into this well-connected, business-forward environment. Given its transportation advantages, the city is especially attractive for commerce businesses.

5. Robust economy

Renowned for its highly diversified economy, Montreal thrives across a spectrum of dynamic sectors. These include aerospace, finance, and technology.

There is also a flourishing art and culture scene here, alongside an innovative video game development industry. These are other key players in Montreal’s economic landscape.

In a bid to continue supporting its bustling economy, Montreal has pledged to invest over CAD 365 million into the city. The government has allocated this funding as part of the Montreal 2030 strategic plan, ensuring sustained growth and investment in key areas that define the city's future.

6. Vibrant investment climate

As the vibrant heart of Canada's French province, Montreal attracts a high level of foreign direct investment. Its strong reputation as a business-friendly city has caught the attention of major investors. These include Google, Microsoft, Facebook, Samsung, and several foreign investors.

Over the six months leading up to January 2023, non-Quebec businesses in Montreal made investments worth CAD 1.74 billion alone. These investments spanned 57 projects that together created 4,700 jobs.

It’s no surprise that Montreal magnetizes so many investors. The city’s talented workforce makes Montreal especially attractive.

Montreal is Canada’s top university capital and is known for being one of North America’s best university cities. Around 320,000 post-secondary students study in the city every year across 11 universities and more than 60 colleges.

7. Technology and data center hub

Quebec generates 94% of its electricity from hydroelectric plants. Thanks to this affordable, renewable electricity, Montreal is a leading data center and cloud computing hub. Its electricity rates are the lowest in North America, attracting many tech-related businesses to the city.

Multiple niches make up Montreal’s flourishing tech sector. These range from IT and AI to aerospace and engineering. Then there’s life sciences, health technology, video gaming, visual effects, and animation. Montreal is a global leader in each of these spaces.

With so many fast-growing tech niches in the city, Montreal has one of North America’s five top-highest tech job concentrations.

Montreal also has the third-largest aviation/aerospace sector after Seattle and Toulouse. The city is home to either the headquarters or the manufacturing and research and development facilities of Airbus, Bombardier, and Pratt & Whitney, amongst many others.

All these aviation industry leaders contribute to the city’s reputation as a hub of innovation and manufacturing.

When it comes to gaming technology, Montreal is one of the world’s top five video game development hubs. More than 200 gaming studios operate here, including Gameloft, WB Games, Eidos, Electronic Arts (EA), and Ubisoft.

To further expand tech innovation in Montreal, the government has created the Scale AI supercluster. This initiative aims to open more tech jobs while challenging companies to create AI solutions.

Coworking in Montreal can be a strategic move for tech companies to become part of this world-leading innovation.

8. Sustainability initiatives

Montreal plays a key role in global sustainability networks, making the city a hub for eco-friendly initiatives. Sustainability-focused bodies in the city include:

• The Centre for International Sustainable Development Law
• The Secretariat of the UN Convention on Biological Diversity
• The Global Sustainable Electricity Partnership
• The International Secretariat for Water

Additionally, over 1,000 organizations in Quebec and Montreal specialize in cleantech. These organizations employ a total of 85,000 people and generate annual revenues of around CAD eight billion.

Montreal also ranks fourth globally for offering sustainable transport. The city and wider Quebec focus on green mobility as part of their decarbonization efforts. By extension, many investors provide capital for clean technologies in the transportation field.

Contributing yet further to its eco credentials, Montreal has 19 parks covering 2,000 hectares. There are an additional 1,200 parks throughout the city’s neighborhoods. These parks make up 26% of Montreal's land, 6% more than Seattle and Toronto’s green space, and double London’s green space.

9. Montreal culture

Montreal is the safest city in North America, an attractive prospect for entrepreneurs who plan to live in the city with their families. The city accommodates a diverse, inclusive community that speaks more than 140 languages. As such, Montreal is Canada’s most functionally bilingual and trilingual city.

Montreal holds more than 120 festivals, countless concerts and shows, and numerous other attractions. There are also thousands of restaurants, more per capita than in any other comparable city worldwide.

Coworking in Montreal instantly brings professionals into this welcoming city with plenty to see and do. Setting up or relocating a business here provides endless options for entertaining clients and teams. The city also offers a quality of life that promotes mental well-being and happiness.

How much does coworking in Montreal cost?

It can be more cost-effective to rent Montreal coworking offices than coworking offices in other North American cities.

The average desk price in a Montreal coworking office is CAD 469 per month. Our coworking spaces in Montreal come in below this, ranging from CAD 235 to CAD 405 per person per month. These prices cover a desk in one of our ergonomic shared offices over a 24-month contract.

These coworking prices are more cost-effective than those in many similar cities. For example, coworking spaces in Toronto, the largest city in Canada, varies between CAD 149 and CAD 545.

The best coworking spaces in Montreal

Regus provides various fully outfitted coworking offices in Montreal. Each offers comfortable workspaces with state-of-the-art equipment in a shared office. You can rent as many or as few desks as you need, scaling up or down in line with your evolving business needs.

Coworking spaces aside, our office centers also feature additional amenities. Whenever you need to hold a meeting, our meeting rooms are available to book via our app. Many office centers also offer break-out areas, a business lounge, eateries, or outdoor communal spaces.

Here are eight of our coworking office spaces in Montreal.

1. 5455 De Gaspe Avenue

5455 De Gaspe Avenue offers a suite of coworking spaces in Montreal’s Mile End neighborhood. These creative workspaces suit businesses of all kinds, from startups to Fortune 500 companies. In particular, the loft-style office attracts art, media, and technology businesses.

Highlights include:

• Collaborative break-out areas
• Fully equipped meeting rooms
• On-site parking

Information about 5455 De Gaspe Avenue

• Location: 5455 De Gaspe Avenue, Montreal, QC, H2T 3B3
• Starting costs: From CAD 523 per month
• Opening hours: 24/7 for Private Offices and Dedicated Desks, reception hours for other members
• Nearby transport links: Rosemont Underground Station (a four-minute walk away), Beaubien Underground Station (a six-minute walk away), and De Castelnau Underground Station (a six-minute walk away)

2. Rue du Square Victoria

Coworking in Montreal is easy at Rue du Square Victoria. This office center provides several flexible workspaces in Montreal’s central business district. Professionals can take breaks in the on-site garden or at the many local cafes and restaurants.

RESO, Montreal’s underground city, is easily accessible, as is the old Port of Montreal ferry terminal. Ferries connect professionals with the Réal Bouvier Marina in Longueuil and Saint Helen's Island.

Highlights include:

• Collaborative break-out areas
• Fully equipped meeting rooms
• On-site garden

Information about Rue du Square Victoria

• Location: 747 Rue du Square-Victoria, Montréal, QC, H2Y 3Y9
• Starting costs: From CAD 339 per month
• Opening hours: 24/7 for Private Offices and Dedicated Desks, reception hours for other members
• Nearby transport links: Square Victoria-OACI Underground Station (a one-minute walk away), Station Gare Centrale Light Rail Station (a two-minute walk away), and Bonaventure Underground Station (a three-minute walk away)

3. 1250 Rene-Levesque

Those looking for coworking spaces in Downtown Montreal should consider 1250 Rene-Levesque. This location is home to companies from a blend of all Montreal’s sectors. Built with sustainability in mind, the LEED Gold-certified offices also offer colorful decor, ideal for productivity.

Highlights include:

• On-site dry cleaning
• Business lounge
• Fully equipped meeting rooms

Information about 1250 Rene-Levesque

• Location: 1250 René Lévesque Boulevard West, Montreal, QC, H3B 4W8
• Starting costs: From CAD 339 per month
• Opening hours: 24/7 for Private Offices and Dedicated Desks, reception hours for other members
• Nearby transport links: Station Gare Centrale Light Rail Station (a five-minute walk away), Bonaventure Underground Station (a six-minute walk away), and Lucien L’Allier Underground Station (a six-minute walk away)

4. IA Tower

Coworking in Montreal doesn’t get more prestigious than at IA Tower. This 23-story office center impresses clients and is easy to find on one of Montreal’s most famous streets. Modern interiors and business-grade facilities make the shared offices into productive spaces to enjoy.

Meet like-minded professionals not only in the offices but also in the on-site cafe and business lounge. There are also local bars, restaurants, and shops to explore together after work.

Highlights include:

• On-site lunch restaurant
• Bicycle storage
• Secure underground parking

Information about IA Tower

• Location: IA, 2000 McGill College Avenue Tower, Montreal, QC, H3A 3H3
• Starting costs: From CAD 279 per month
• Opening hours: 24/7 for Private Offices and Dedicated Desks, reception hours for other members
• Nearby transport links: Peel Underground Station (a two-minute walk away), McGill Underground Station (a two-minute walk away), and Guy-Concordia Underground Station (a three-minute walk away)

5. 75 Queen Street

75 Queen Street’s shared workspaces in Montreal welcome professionals to a dynamic business community. Based in the Old Port of Montreal, many creatives and innovators flourish here. Here, you’re a five-minute walk from Downtown, where myriad business opportunities await.

75 Queen Street also holds various events. The networking potential at this office center is endless. Professionals can also enjoy the common areas, courtyard, cafe, and coffee bar. There are many restaurants and cafes in the waterfront location, too.

Highlights include:

• Collaborative break-out areas
• Mezzanine meeting rooms
• Outside seating area

Information about 75 Queen Street

• Location: 75 Queen St., Montreal, QC, H3C 2N6
• Starting costs: From CAD 359 per month
• Opening hours: 24/7 for Private Offices and Dedicated Desks, reception hours for other members
• Nearby transport links: Gare Centrale Train Station (a three-minute walk away), Station Gare Centrale Light Rail Station (a three-minute walk away), and Square Victoria-OACI Underground Station (a three-minute walk away)

6. 2001 Boulevard Robert Bourassa

2001 Boulevard Robert Bourassa is a prominent commercial center that sits amidst Montreal’s skyscrapers. Professionals working here enjoy corporate surroundings that impress clients and partners.

Natural light fills the coworking spaces through floor-to-ceiling windows, which offer city views. With Downtown on the doorstep, immersive activities to fill the evenings await.

Highlights include:

• On-site sandwich/coffee bar
• On-site lunch restaurant
• Vending machines

Information about 2001 Boulevard Robert Bourassa

• Location: 2001 Boulevard Robert Bourassa, Montreal, QC, H3A 2A6
• Starting costs: From CAD 279 per month
• Opening hours: 24/7 for Private Offices and Dedicated Desks, reception hours for other members
• Nearby transport links: McGill Underground Station (a one-minute walk away), Places-des-Arts Underground Station (a two-minute walk away), and Peel Underground Station (a three-minute walk away)

7. 500 Place d'Armes

500 Place d'Armes offers shared offices in Montreal with beautiful interiors and plenty of natural light. Nestled in the historic Old Montreal, those who work here enjoy the charm of cobblestoned streets and Parisian buildings. The local area is bursting with bars, restaurants, and entertainment venues, perfect for meeting clients.

Highlights include:

• Collaborative break-out areas
• Fully equipped meeting rooms
• Secure underground parking

Information about 500 Place d'Armes

• Location: 500 Place d'Armes, Montreal, QC, H2Y 2W2
• Starting costs: From CAD 405 per month
• Opening hours: 24/7 for Private Offices and Dedicated Desks, reception hours for other members
• Nearby transport links: Square Victoria-OACI Underground Station (a two-minute walk away), Station Gare Centrale Light Rail Station (a four-minute walk away), and Place-des-Arts Underground Station (a six-minute walk away)

8. Cathcart and McGill

Those seeking shared office spaces in Montreal will find a compelling choice in Downtown’s Cathcart and McGill. Coworking in Montreal’s Downtown brings workers into a melting pot of burgeoning industries.

The sought-after location hosts big players like Google and the Québec-Florida Chamber of Commerce. As a result, larger companies looking to develop credibility may strategically position themselves here.

The office center offers stylish coworking spaces, a comfortable lounge, and restaurants serving international dishes.

Highlights include:

• On-site parking
• Business lounge
• Fully equipped meeting rooms

Information about Cathcart and McGill

• Location: 1200 McGill College Avenue, Montreal, QC, H3B 4G7
• Starting costs: From CAD 279 per month
• Opening hours: 24/7 for Private Offices and Dedicated Desks, reception hours for other members
• Nearby transport links: Peel Underground Station (a two-minute walk away), McGill Underground Station (a two-minute walk away), and Station Gare Central Light Rail Station (a two-minute walk away)

Discover coworking offices in Montreal with Regus

Coworking in Montreal offers extensive benefits for businesses looking to scale. Solopreneurs may prefer to rent hot desks in an open-plan office, which you can rent by the hour or by the day.

Teams may prefer dedicated desks in a shared office, which are available 24/7. Dedicated desk packages also include a business address and storage options.

Those who want to hot desk regularly may find that our coworking memberships are the best fit for them. These memberships allow you to rent a desk for 5, 10, or unlimited days each month.

Whichever approach is best for you, all of our coworking offices in Montreal include high-speed WiFi and the furnishings you need to be productive. A friendly reception team will also be on hand to welcome you to your workspace and provide support whenever you need it.