Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Bellingham, WA and Montreal

For one person, living is cheaper in Montreal: $2,064 a month against $3,010 in Bellingham, WA, rent and utilities included – about $11,400 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

145

Cost of Living Index in Bellingham, WA
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Bellingham, WA Living Index
99

Cost of Living Index in Montreal
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Montreal Living Index

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Bellingham, WA

🇺🇸 United States

$3,010

/mo nomad

Montreal

🇨🇦 Canada

$2,064

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Bellingham, WA 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 Bellingham, WA and in Montreal actually costs, broken down by who's living it.

A single person spends $3,010 per month in Bellingham, WA vs $2,064 in Montreal, rent included.

Bellingham, WA $3,010
Montreal $2,064

A couple spends around $4,448 per month in Bellingham, WA vs $3,156 in Montreal, rent included.

Bellingham, WA $4,448
Montreal $3,156

A family of three spends $5,886 per month in Bellingham, WA vs $4,247 in Montreal, rent included.

Bellingham, WA $5,886
Montreal $4,247

Bellingham, WA costs about 46% more than Montreal, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Both Bellingham, WA and Montreal sit above the global median – Bellingham, WA by 121%, Montreal by 52%.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$24.70 $24.70

$18.98 CA$26.64

30.14%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$101 $101

$73.0 CA$102

38.54%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$13.26 $13.26

$10.88 CA$15.27

21.87%

Cappuccino

$5.94 $5.94

$3.81 CA$5.35

55.91%

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

$3.16 $3.16

$1.94 CA$2.72

62.89%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.19 $2.19

$1.58 CA$2.22

38.61%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$6.87 $6.87

$6.37 CA$8.94

7.85%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$6.90 $6.90

$7.26 CA$10.20

-4.96%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.13 $1.13

$2.23 CA$3.13

-49.33%

White Bread (500g)

$3.82 $3.82

$3.17 CA$4.45

20.50%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$4.91 $4.91

$3.31 CA$4.64

48.34%

Eggs

$4.96 $4.96

$3.63 CA$5.09

36.64%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$18.80 $18.80

$13.16 CA$18.47

42.86%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$18.61 $18.61

$11.56 CA$16.22

60.99%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$23.00 $23.00

$13.71 CA$19.25

67.76%

Apples (1kg)

$5.14 $5.14

$3.29 CA$4.62

56.23%

Banana (1kg)

$1.89 $1.89

$1.46 CA$2.05

29.45%

Oranges (1kg)

$5.32 $5.32

$3.37 CA$4.73

57.86%

Tomato (1kg)

$6.32 $6.32

$3.15 CA$4.42

100.63%

Potato (1kg)

$3.61 $3.61

$1.89 CA$2.65

91.01%

Onion (1kg)

$3.16 $3.16

$1.79 CA$2.52

76.54%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.55 $2.55

$2.47 CA$3.47

3.24%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$2.47 $2.47

$1.58 CA$2.22

56.33%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$12.44 $12.44

$11.28 CA$15.84

10.28%

Wine (Bottle)

$14.95 $14.95

$10.49 CA$14.73

42.52%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.76 $1.76

$2.34 CA$3.28

-24.79%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$5.74 $5.74

$2.91 CA$4.09

97.25%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.99 $1.99

$2.61 CA$3.66

-23.75%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$30.51 $30.51

$79.1 CA$111

-61.44%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$2.68 $2.68

$3.26 CA$4.57

-17.79%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.70 $1.70

$1.44 CA$2.02

18.06%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$30.27 $30.27

$33.43 CA$46.92

-9.45%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.44 $1.44

$1.33 CA$1.87

8.27%

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

$27.5K $27.5K

$28.6K CA$40.2K

-3.92%

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

$25.7K $25.7K

$21.1K CA$29.6K

21.89%

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

$217 $217

$80.1 CA$112

171.18%

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

$57.4 $57.4

$34.30 CA$48.14

67.23%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$81.3 $81.3

$42.85 CA$60.1

89.73%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$62.0 $62.0

$31.14 CA$43.71

99.17%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$14.82 $14.82

$19.41 CA$27.24

-23.65%

Cinema Ticket

$18.31 $18.31

$11.23 CA$15.76

63.05%

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

$1,125 $1,125

$525 CA$737

114.25%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$31.7K $31.7K

$16.3K CA$22.9K

94.13%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$80.5 $80.5

$58.0 CA$81.4

38.83%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$28.32 $28.32

$38.11 CA$53.5

-25.69%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$109 $109

$93.4 CA$131

16.52%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$149 $149

$110 CA$155

35.52%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,707 $1,707

$1,285 CA$1,803

32.86%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,458 $1,458

$977 CA$1,371

49.25%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,598 $2,598

$2,271 CA$3,187

14.42%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,347 $2,347

$1,665 CA$2,336

41.00%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$4,441 $4,441

$5,139 CA$7,212

-13.58%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$3,925 $3,925

$3,834 CA$5,381

2.36%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$4,391 $4,391

$3,002 CA$4,213

46.27%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

6.68

4.48

49.11%

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

Last update for Bellingham, WA: October 24, 2026

Last update for Montreal: October 25, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Bellingham, WA

$1.5K 48.4%

Montreal

$977 47.3% 33% $481

Groceries & Markets

Bellingham, WA

$505 16.8%

Montreal

$351 17% 30.4% $154

Eating Out

Bellingham, WA

$378 12.6%

Montreal

$291 14.1% 23.1% $87

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Bellingham, WA

$356 11.8%

Montreal

$157 7.6% 55.8% $199

Clothing & Footwear

Bellingham, WA

$165 5.5%

Montreal

$135 6.5% 18.3% $30

Sport & Entertainment

Bellingham, WA

$99 3.3%

Montreal

$54 2.6% 45.7% $45

Getting Around

Bellingham, WA

$50 1.7%

Montreal

$100 4.9% 101% $50

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $1,707 in Bellingham, WA versus $1,285 in Montreal. Rent is usually the largest line item in a monthly budget, so the gap here sets the tone for the overall comparison.

Salaries run about 46% higher in Bellingham, WA. Purchasing power depends on which expenses matter most to you.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $101 in Bellingham, WA versus $73 in Montreal. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $505 vs $351 – making Montreal the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇺🇸 Bellingham, WA

🇨🇦 Montreal

🕒 Local time

11:37 11:37 AM

14:37 2:37 PM

3 h ahead of Bellingham, WA

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

91,482

1,762,949

💱 Currency

United States Dollar USD $

Canadian Dollar CAD $

📈 Exchange rate

1 USD = 0.898 EUR

1 CAD = 0.713 USD

1 CAD = 0.64 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 28, 2026: 1 EUR = 1.11 USD (1 USD = 0.898 EUR).

Canadian Dollar exchange rates as of October 28, 2026: 1 USD = 1.4 CAD (1 CAD = 0.713 USD). 1 EUR = 1.56 CAD (1 CAD = 0.64 EUR).

CAD to USD in detail →

On the map

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Between locations

Bellingham, WA Montreal 3,650 km ≈ 5 h nonstop flight

From you

Bellingham, WA
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

Bellingham, WA vs Montreal: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Bellingham, WA costs about 46% more than Montreal, and outside of rent the gap comes mainly from groceries. That’s enough to noticeably affect everyday spending and lifestyle for anyone choosing between the two.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $4,515 per month in Bellingham, WA and $3,096 in Montreal. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

Rent is clearly cheaper in Montreal, especially for central apartments: a one-bedroom in the center costs $1,285 there versus $1,707 in Bellingham, WA.

Kindergarten costs $1,125 per month in Bellingham, WA and $525 in Montreal. For families with young kids, this one expense can tip the scales when choosing between the two cities.

Groceries cost about 44% more in Bellingham, WA, though it depends on what you buy. Local produce may be comparable; imported and premium items show the biggest price gap.

$2,000 is a stretch for both – monthly costs hit $3,010 in Bellingham, WA and $2,064 in Montreal. You’ll need shared housing and careful budgeting no matter which city you pick.

Families tend to lean toward Montreal – lower housing and cheaper childcare make a real difference, especially on a single income or when paying for private education.

Both have safer and rougher neighborhoods, but overall safety is comparable to other large cities. Neighborhood choice matters more than the city-level comparison – central, well-trafficked areas feel secure in both.

If budget matters most, go with Montreal. If higher salaries, better infrastructure, or specific career opportunities are the priority, Bellingham, WA makes more sense. Both are solid long-term options with distinct trade-offs.