Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Bismarck, ND and Montreal

For one person, living is cheaper in Montreal: $2,059 a month against $2,403 in Bismarck, ND, rent and utilities included – about $4,100 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

116

Cost of Living Index in Bismarck, ND
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Bismarck, ND Living Index
99

Cost of Living Index in Montreal
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Montreal Living Index

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Bismarck, ND

🇺🇸 United States

$2,403

/mo nomad

Montreal

🇨🇦 Canada

$2,059

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $2,403 in Bismarck, ND versus $2,059 in Montreal.

Bismarck, ND $2,403
Montreal $2,059

Estimated couple costs with rent: $3,341 in Bismarck, ND versus $3,123 in Montreal.

Bismarck, ND $3,341
Montreal $3,123

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $4,278 in Bismarck, ND versus $4,187 in Montreal.

Bismarck, ND $4,278
Montreal $4,187

Living in Bismarck, ND is roughly 17% more expensive than in Montreal, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Bismarck, ND 77% above, Montreal 52% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$30.19 $30.19

$18.84 CA$26.63

60.24%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$69.8 $69.8

$73.2 CA$104

-4.70%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$17.41 $17.41

$10.54 CA$14.90

65.18%

Cappuccino

$6.22 $6.22

$3.97 CA$5.61

56.68%

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

$2.50 $2.50

$1.94 CA$2.74

28.87%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.89 $1.89

$1.57 CA$2.22

20.38%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$5.55 $5.55

$6.42 CA$9.08

-13.55%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$6.99 $6.99

$7.20 CA$10.19

-2.92%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.03 $1.03

$2.32 CA$3.28

-55.60%

White Bread (500g)

$2.69 $2.69

$3.19 CA$4.51

-15.67%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.08 $2.08

$3.19 CA$4.50

-34.80%

Eggs

$2.73 $2.73

$3.68 CA$5.20

-25.82%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$7.70 $7.70

$13.24 CA$18.72

-41.84%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$13.21 $13.21

$11.69 CA$16.53

13.00%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$15.90 $15.90

$13.98 CA$19.76

13.73%

Apples (1kg)

$3.47 $3.47

$3.14 CA$4.44

10.51%

Banana (1kg)

$1.73 $1.73

$1.45 CA$2.05

19.31%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.96 $2.96

$3.38 CA$4.78

-12.43%

Tomato (1kg)

$4.27 $4.27

$3.11 CA$4.40

37.30%

Potato (1kg)

$1.89 $1.89

$1.93 CA$2.72

-2.07%

Onion (1kg)

$2.80 $2.80

$1.83 CA$2.58

53.01%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.19 $2.19

$2.36 CA$3.34

-7.20%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$2.69 $2.69

$1.50 CA$2.12

79.33%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$8.74 $8.74

$11.12 CA$15.73

-21.40%

Wine (Bottle)

$19.97 $19.97

$10.60 CA$14.98

88.40%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.91 $1.91

$2.22 CA$3.14

-13.96%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.05 $4.05

$2.84 CA$4.01

42.61%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.62 CA$3.71

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$79.1 CA$112

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.23 CA$4.56

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.48 CA$2.10

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$32.22 CA$45.55

Gasoline (1 liter)

$0.97 $0.97

$1.36 CA$1.92

-28.68%

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

$26.5K $26.5K

$27.6K CA$39.1K

-4.12%

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

$22.5K $22.5K

$21.2K CA$30.0K

6.21%

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

$208 $208

$77.0 CA$109

170.26%

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

$71.8 $71.8

$34.14 CA$48.26

110.25%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$82.1 $82.1

$42.19 CA$59.7

94.57%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$41.78 $41.78

$30.81 CA$43.56

35.61%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$19.66 CA$27.79

Cinema Ticket

$10.89 $10.89

$11.47 CA$16.22

-5.06%

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

$804 $804

$506 CA$716

58.91%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$16.2K CA$23.0K

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$65.1 $65.1

$57.3 CA$81.0

13.69%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$38.10 CA$53.9

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$95.2 $95.2

$91.9 CA$130

3.58%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$81.2 $81.2

$110 CA$155

-26.00%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,171 $1,171

$1,237 CA$1,748

-5.31%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,077 $1,077

$977 CA$1,381

10.26%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,628 $1,628

$2,180 CA$3,082

-25.34%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,428 $1,428

$1,608 CA$2,273

-11.18%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$2,226 $2,226

$5,113 CA$7,228

-56.46%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,054 $2,054

$3,744 CA$5,293

-45.14%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$4,393 $4,393

$2,957 CA$4,180

48.57%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

6.84

4.48

52.68%

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

Last update for Bismarck, ND: October 18, 2026

Last update for Montreal: October 20, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Bismarck, ND

$1.1K 44.8%

Montreal

$977 47.4% 9.3% $100

Eating Out

Bismarck, ND

$428 17.8%

Montreal

$290 14.1% 32.1% $137

Groceries & Markets

Bismarck, ND

$364 15.2%

Montreal

$351 17.1% 3.6% $13

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Bismarck, ND

$362 15.1%

Montreal

$153 7.5% 57.6% $209

Clothing & Footwear

Bismarck, ND

$109 * 4.5%

Montreal

$134 6.5% 23% $25

Sport & Entertainment

Bismarck, ND

$64 2.7%

Montreal

$54 2.6% 15.4% $9.8

Getting Around

Bismarck, ND

- * 0%

Montreal

$100 4.9%

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 $1,171 in Bismarck, ND and $1,237 in Montreal. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Bismarck, ND pays 49% 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: $70.0 in Bismarck, ND vs $73.0 in Montreal. Groceries flip the comparison at $364 vs $351, with Montreal cheaper for home cooking.

Good to know

🇺🇸 Bismarck, ND

🇨🇦 Montreal

🕒 Local time

05:15 5:15 AM

06:15 6:15 AM

1 h ahead of Bismarck, ND

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

58,333

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 22, 2026: 1 EUR = 1.12 USD (1 USD = 0.89 EUR).

Canadian Dollar exchange rates as of October 22, 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 →

On the map

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Between locations

Bismarck, ND Montreal 2,090 km ≈ 3 h nonstop flight

From you

Bismarck, ND
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

Bismarck, ND vs Montreal: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Bismarck, ND and Montreal differ by about 17% in total monthly costs ($2,403 vs $2,059 including rent). Montreal is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

Average pay runs 49% higher in Bismarck, ND, 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: $1,171 in Bismarck, ND versus $1,237 in Montreal. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $804 in Bismarck, ND versus $506 in Montreal. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Dining out is cheaper in Montreal – a meal for two runs $73.0 versus $70.0 in Bismarck, ND. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

At $2,059 in Montreal versus $2,403 in Bismarck, ND, a $2,000 budget is realistic in Montreal but tight or insufficient in Bismarck, ND. The gap between the two cities makes Montreal the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

Both cities offer a good standard of living with different trade-offs. Neither is objectively better – the right pick depends on what matters most: affordability, career, cultural scene, or climate.

Safety-wise, Bismarck, ND 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 17% less than in Bismarck, ND. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.