Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Alexandria, MN and Montreal

For one person, living is cheaper in Montreal: $2,003 a month against $2,122 in Alexandria, MN, rent and utilities included – about $1,400 less a year. Other living expenses account for most of the difference.

105

Cost of Living Index in Alexandria, MN
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Alexandria, MN Living Index
99

Cost of Living Index in Montreal
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Montreal Living Index

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Alexandria, MN

🇺🇸 United States

$2,122

/mo nomad

Montreal

🇨🇦 Canada

$2,003

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Alexandria, MN and in Montreal

Real prices from locals and on-the-ground checks – rent, groceries, transit and the daily extras. Here's what a month in Alexandria, MN and in Montreal actually costs, broken down by who's living it.

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $2,122 in Alexandria, MN versus $2,003 in Montreal.

Alexandria, MN $2,122
Montreal $2,003

Estimated couple costs with rent: $3,258 in Alexandria, MN versus $3,048 in Montreal.

Alexandria, MN $3,258
Montreal $3,048

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $4,395 in Alexandria, MN versus $4,092 in Montreal.

Alexandria, MN $4,395
Montreal $4,092

Living in Alexandria, MN is roughly 6% more expensive than in Montreal, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in clothing.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Alexandria, MN 58% above, Montreal 49% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$15.25 $15.25

$19.31 CA$27.52

-21.03%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$60.2 $60.2

$75.5 CA$108

-20.23%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$9.80 $9.80

$10.63 CA$15.15

-7.81%

Cappuccino

$5.22 $5.22

$3.93 CA$5.60

32.82%

Coke/Pepsi/Fanta/Sprite (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.98 $1.98

$1.92 CA$2.73

3.13%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.02 $2.02

$1.48 CA$2.11

36.49%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$5.38 $5.38

$6.30 CA$8.98

-14.60%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$7.72 $7.72

$7.19 CA$10.24

7.37%

Milk (1 liter)

$0.90 $0.90

$2.22 CA$3.17

-59.46%

White Bread (500g)

$3.40 $3.40

$3.06 CA$4.36

11.11%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$3.48 $3.48

$2.94 CA$4.19

18.37%

Eggs

$2.97 $2.97

$3.53 CA$5.03

-15.86%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$9.53 $9.53

$13.19 CA$18.79

-27.75%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$9.45 $9.45

$11.24 CA$16.02

-15.93%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$13.61 $13.61

$13.81 CA$19.69

-1.45%

Apples (1kg)

$4.96 $4.96

$3.40 CA$4.85

45.88%

Banana (1kg)

$1.10 $1.10

$1.44 CA$2.06

-23.61%

Oranges (1kg)

$6.22 $6.22

$3.26 CA$4.65

90.80%

Tomato (1kg)

$4.92 $4.92

$2.88 CA$4.10

70.83%

Potato (1kg)

$3.92 $3.92

$1.86 CA$2.65

110.75%

Onion (1kg)

$3.58 $3.58

$1.82 CA$2.60

96.70%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.97 $1.97

$2.43 CA$3.46

-18.93%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.69 $1.69

$1.52 CA$2.17

11.18%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$12.15 $12.15

$11.45 CA$16.32

6.11%

Wine (Bottle)

$14.52 $14.52

$10.36 CA$14.76

40.15%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.69 $1.69

$2.22 CA$3.16

-23.87%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.55 $3.55

$2.82 CA$4.02

25.89%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.58 CA$3.67

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$123 $123

$76.9 CA$110

60.46%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$2.53 $2.53

$3.25 CA$4.64

-22.15%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.51 $1.51

$1.48 CA$2.11

2.03%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$31.20 $31.20

$33.04 CA$47.09

-5.57%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$0.98 $0.98

$1.36 CA$1.94

-27.94%

Midsize Hatchback 1.4l (Volkswagen Golf, Toyota Prius, Honda Civic, etc)

$36.0K $36.0K

$27.4K CA$39.1K

31.44%

Compact Sedan 1.6l (Toyota Corolla, Mazda3, Kia K4, Hyundai Elantra, etc)

$25.8K $25.8K

$20.0K CA$28.5K

29.36%

Utilities for 2 People in 2-bedroom Apartment (Heating, Electricity, Gas, Water, Garbage) (85m2)

$233 $233

$76.1 CA$109

205.53%

SIM Card Monthly Plan (Calls and 10GB+ Data)

$49.57 $49.57

$34.68 CA$49.43

42.94%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$65.2 $65.2

$42.69 CA$60.9

52.66%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$75.9 $75.9

$28.94 CA$41.26

162.13%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$49.27 $49.27

$20.33 CA$28.97

142.35%

Cinema Ticket

$10.04 $10.04

$11.21 CA$15.98

-10.44%

Preschool or Kindergarten, Full Day, Private, 1 Child (Monthly)

$996 $996

$505 CA$720

97.16%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$28.0K $28.0K

$16.0K CA$22.8K

74.80%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$25.05 $25.05

$58.5 CA$83.4

-57.18%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$25.18 $25.18

$38.00 CA$54.2

-33.74%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$49.40 $49.40

$92.7 CA$132

-46.71%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$59.7 $59.7

$106 CA$151

-43.56%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,117 $1,117

$1,240 CA$1,768

-9.89%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$871 $871

$986 CA$1,405

-11.66%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,020 $2,020

$2,102 CA$2,996

-3.88%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,727 $1,727

$1,615 CA$2,302

6.92%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$2,755 $2,755

$5,043 CA$7,188

-45.37%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,795 $2,795

$3,830 CA$5,459

-27.01%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$3,308 $3,308

$2,920 CA$4,163

13.26%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

6.31

4.46

41.48%

CityCost data is based on AI and user input – minor inaccuracies may occur.

Last update for Alexandria, MN: October 4, 2026

Last update for Montreal: October 6, 2026

Monthly budget structure

Share of the monthly basket for one person, rent included.

Accommodation & Living

Alexandria, MN

$871 40.5%

Montreal

$986 47.9% 13.2% $115

Groceries & Markets

Alexandria, MN

$358 16.7%

Montreal

$344 16.7% 4% $14

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Alexandria, MN

$347 16.2%

Montreal

$154 7.5% 55.8% $194

Eating Out

Alexandria, MN

$272 12.7%

Montreal

$293 14.2% 7.5% $20

Getting Around

Alexandria, MN

$133 * 6.2%

Montreal

$98 4.8% 26.7% $36

Sport & Entertainment

Alexandria, MN

$96 4.5%

Montreal

$51 2.5% 46.5% $45

Clothing & Footwear

Alexandria, MN

$72 3.3%

Montreal

$133 6.5% 85.1% $61

Categories marked with * are only partly priced – their share counts the items that do have prices.

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,117 in Alexandria, MN and $1,240 in Montreal. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Alexandria, MN pays 13% more on average. The extra income cushions the higher costs, though housing choices and lifestyle decide how much of the gap is truly closed.

Dining out: $60.0 in Alexandria, MN vs $75.0 in Montreal. Groceries flip the comparison at $358 vs $344, with Montreal cheaper for home cooking.

Good to know

🇺🇸 Alexandria, MN

🇨🇦 Montreal

🕒 Local time

21:58 9:58 PM

22:58 10:58 PM

1 h ahead of Alexandria, MN

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

160,035

1,762,949

💱 Currency

United States Dollar USD $

Canadian Dollar CAD $

📈 Exchange rate

1 USD = 0.892 EUR

1 CAD = 0.702 USD

1 CAD = 0.626 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

CAD, EUR to USD – United States Dollar Converter

🇨🇦 Canadian Dollar ($)

🇺🇸 United States Dollar ($)

United States Dollar exchange rates as of October 10, 2026: 1 EUR = 1.12 USD (1 USD = 0.892 EUR).

Canadian Dollar exchange rates as of October 10, 2026: 1 USD = 1.43 CAD (1 CAD = 0.702 USD). 1 EUR = 1.6 CAD (1 CAD = 0.626 EUR).

CAD to USD in detail →

On the map

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Between locations

Alexandria, MN Montreal 1,690 km ≈ 2 h 30 min nonstop flight

From you

Alexandria, MN
Montreal

Distances are measured in a straight line. Your location is detected approximately.

City Median Internet Speeds Comparison (Updated April 2026)

The chart highlights the Precision Threshold for mobile and fixed broadband internet speeds, updated quarterly.

Digital Nomad Cost of Living Index

Alexandria, MN vs Montreal: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Montreal wins on cost – living expenses run 6% lower than in Alexandria, MN. Housing and daily spending are where you'll feel the difference most, making Montreal the obvious pick if budget is a priority.

Average pay runs 13% higher in Alexandria, MN, which matters when comparing affordability. Whether that higher income actually nets you more depends on your spending habits and housing choices.

Rent for a central apartment: $1,117 in Alexandria, MN versus $1,240 in Montreal. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $996 in Alexandria, MN versus $505 in Montreal. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Supermarket bills run roughly 4% higher in Alexandria, MN. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

At $2,003 in Montreal versus $2,122 in Alexandria, MN, a $2,000 budget is realistic in Montreal but tight or insufficient in Alexandria, MN. The gap between the two cities makes Montreal the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

Both work as nomad bases, but Montreal delivers better value – similar infrastructure at $2,003 monthly. If stretching your runway or maximizing savings is the goal, the price difference makes Montreal hard to pass up.

Safety-wise, Alexandria, MN and Montreal are on par. Petty crime is typical for cities this size, and most residents feel comfortable going about their daily routines in either place.

Expats usually find Montreal gentler on the wallet – expenses run 6% less than in Alexandria, MN. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.