Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Billings, MT and Montreal

For one person, living is cheaper in Montreal: $2,018 a month against $2,260 in Billings, MT, rent and utilities included – about $2,900 less a year. Other living expenses account for most of the difference.

110

Cost of Living Index in Billings, MT
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Billings, MT Living Index
99

Cost of Living Index in Montreal
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Montreal Living Index

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Billings, MT

🇺🇸 United States

$2,260

/mo nomad

Montreal

🇨🇦 Canada

$2,018

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

A single person spends $2,260 per month in Billings, MT vs $2,018 in Montreal, rent included.

Billings, MT $2,260
Montreal $2,018

A couple spends around $3,500 per month in Billings, MT vs $3,085 in Montreal, rent included.

Billings, MT $3,500
Montreal $3,085

A family of three spends $4,739 per month in Billings, MT vs $4,152 in Montreal, rent included.

Billings, MT $4,739
Montreal $4,152

Billings, MT costs about 12% more than Montreal, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

Both Billings, MT and Montreal sit above the global median – Billings, MT by 67%, Montreal by 49%.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$26.42 $26.42

$18.82 CA$26.61

40.38%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$74.7 $74.7

$70.3 CA$99.4

6.32%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$13.32 $13.32

$10.66 CA$15.06

24.95%

Cappuccino

$6.18 $6.18

$3.84 CA$5.43

60.94%

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

$2.46 $2.46

$1.92 CA$2.71

28.13%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.59 $1.59

$1.54 CA$2.18

3.25%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$4.07 $4.07

$6.23 CA$8.81

-34.67%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.88 $4.88

$7.10 CA$10.03

-31.27%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.05 $1.05

$2.31 CA$3.27

-54.55%

White Bread (500g)

$3.54 $3.54

$3.14 CA$4.44

12.74%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$3.10 $3.10

$3.21 CA$4.54

-3.43%

Eggs

$3.07 $3.07

$3.52 CA$4.97

-12.78%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$11.84 $11.84

$12.81 CA$18.11

-7.57%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$11.65 $11.65

$11.46 CA$16.20

1.66%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$17.45 $17.45

$13.39 CA$18.92

30.32%

Apples (1kg)

$3.57 $3.57

$3.14 CA$4.43

13.69%

Banana (1kg)

$1.44 $1.44

$1.44 CA$2.03

Oranges (1kg)

$2.99 $2.99

$3.47 CA$4.91

-13.83%

Tomato (1kg)

$4.49 $4.49

$3.07 CA$4.34

46.25%

Potato (1kg)

$1.18 $1.18

$1.90 CA$2.69

-37.89%

Onion (1kg)

$2.02 $2.02

$1.77 CA$2.50

14.12%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.30 $2.30

$2.34 CA$3.31

-1.71%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.42 $1.42

$1.55 CA$2.19

-8.39%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$9.45 $9.45

$11.38 CA$16.09

-16.96%

Wine (Bottle)

$10.92 $10.92

$10.63 CA$15.03

2.73%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.20 $2.20

$2.27 CA$3.21

-3.08%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$5.07 $5.07

$2.82 CA$3.99

79.79%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.96 $1.96

$2.66 CA$3.76

-26.32%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$27.77 $27.77

$77.3 CA$109

-64.07%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$2.44 $2.44

$3.20 CA$4.53

-23.75%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.35 $1.35

$1.48 CA$2.09

-8.78%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$59.1 $59.1

$32.88 CA$46.48

79.87%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.03 $1.03

$1.34 CA$1.90

-23.13%

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

$33.0K $33.0K

$28.2K CA$39.8K

17.40%

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

$24.3K $24.3K

$19.6K CA$27.8K

24.03%

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

$176 $176

$76.0 CA$107

131.40%

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

$49.08 $49.08

$33.95 CA$48.00

44.57%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$85.9 $85.9

$42.31 CA$59.8

103.10%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$48.69 $48.69

$29.76 CA$42.07

63.61%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$15.19 $15.19

$20.28 CA$28.67

-25.10%

Cinema Ticket

$13.57 $13.57

$11.15 CA$15.77

21.70%

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

$1,074 $1,074

$507 CA$717

111.76%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$19.1K $19.1K

$16.1K CA$22.7K

18.81%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$61.2 $61.2

$57.6 CA$81.4

6.26%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$67.0 $67.0

$37.58 CA$53.1

78.18%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$97.5 $97.5

$91.9 CA$130

6.04%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$121 $121

$110 CA$155

10.51%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,262 $1,262

$1,260 CA$1,782

0.13%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$947 $947

$948 CA$1,340

-0.11%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,110 $2,110

$2,137 CA$3,021

-1.25%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,818 $1,818

$1,614 CA$2,281

12.64%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$2,393 $2,393

$4,960 CA$7,011

-51.75%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,096 $2,096

$3,838 CA$5,425

-45.39%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$3,936 $3,936

$2,827 CA$3,997

39.19%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

6.4

4.48

42.86%

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

Last update for Billings, MT: October 10, 2026

Last update for Montreal: October 12, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Billings, MT

$947 41.9%

Montreal

$948 47% 0.1% $1

Eating Out

Billings, MT

$372 16.5%

Montreal

$288 14.3% 22.6% $84

Groceries & Markets

Billings, MT

$354 15.7%

Montreal

$346 17.2% 2.2% $8

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Billings, MT

$311 13.8%

Montreal

$152 7.5% 51% $159

Clothing & Footwear

Billings, MT

$156 6.9%

Montreal

$133 6.6% 14.4% $23

Sport & Entertainment

Billings, MT

$76 3.4%

Montreal

$52 2.6% 31.4% $24

Getting Around

Billings, MT

$45 2%

Montreal

$99 4.9% 120% $54

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $1,262 in Billings, MT versus $1,260 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 39% higher in Billings, MT, which partly offsets the higher cost of living there. Purchasing power depends on which expenses matter most to you.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $75.0 in Billings, MT versus $70.0 in Montreal. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $354 vs $346 – making Montreal the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇺🇸 Billings, MT

🇨🇦 Montreal

🕒 Local time

11:15 11:15 AM

13:15 1:15 PM

2 h ahead of Billings, MT

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

117,116

1,762,949

💱 Currency

United States Dollar USD $

Canadian Dollar CAD $

📈 Exchange rate

1 USD = 0.89 EUR

1 CAD = 0.707 USD

1 CAD = 0.629 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 19, 2026: 1 EUR = 1.12 USD (1 USD = 0.89 EUR).

Canadian Dollar exchange rates as of October 19, 2026: 1 USD = 1.41 CAD (1 CAD = 0.707 USD). 1 EUR = 1.59 CAD (1 CAD = 0.629 EUR).

CAD to USD in detail →

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Between locations

Billings, MT Montreal 2,690 km ≈ 3 h 45 min nonstop flight

From you

Billings, MT
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

Billings, MT vs Montreal: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Billings, MT costs about 12% more than Montreal, and outside of rent the gap comes mainly from eating out. That's enough to noticeably affect everyday spending and lifestyle for anyone choosing between the two.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $3,390 per month in Billings, MT and $3,027 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. Housing is actually the single biggest factor behind the overall cost gap between these two cities.

Public transport costs about 178% less in Montreal. For daily commuters, that gap adds up to noticeable savings over a year.

Kindergarten costs $1,074 per month in Billings, MT and $507 in Montreal. For families with young kids, this one expense can tip the scales when choosing between the two cities.

A $2,000 monthly budget goes further in Montreal, where all-in costs run around $2,018, than in Billings, MT at $2,260. In Montreal it covers expenses comfortably, while in Billings, MT it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.

For digital nomads, it depends on budget. Montreal costs $2,018 versus $2,260 in Billings, MT. Both have workable remote work infrastructure, but the cost gap matters when income varies month to month.

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, Billings, MT makes more sense. Both are solid long-term options with distinct trade-offs.