Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Brainerd, MN and Montreal

For one person, living is cheaper in Montreal: $2,018 a month against $2,445 in Brainerd, MN, rent and utilities included – about $5,100 less a year. Higher rent and utilities in Brainerd, MN outweigh lower spending on other living expenses.

118

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

Cost of Living Index in Montreal
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Montreal Living Index

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Brainerd, MN

🇺🇸 United States

$2,445

/mo nomad

Montreal

🇨🇦 Canada

$2,018

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $2,445 in Brainerd, MN versus $2,018 in Montreal.

Brainerd, MN $2,445
Montreal $2,018

Estimated couple costs with rent: $3,439 in Brainerd, MN versus $3,085 in Montreal.

Brainerd, MN $3,439
Montreal $3,085

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $4,433 in Brainerd, MN versus $4,152 in Montreal.

Brainerd, MN $4,433
Montreal $4,152

Living in Brainerd, MN is roughly 21% more expensive than in Montreal, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Brainerd, MN 81% above, Montreal 49% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$14.72 $14.72

$18.82 CA$26.61

-21.79%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$37.45 $37.45

$70.3 CA$99.4

-46.72%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$10.12 $10.12

$10.66 CA$15.06

-5.07%

Cappuccino

$1.93 $1.93

$3.84 CA$5.43

-49.74%

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

$2.10 $2.10

$1.92 CA$2.71

9.38%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.99 $1.99

$1.54 CA$2.18

29.22%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$5.95 $5.95

$6.23 CA$8.81

-4.49%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$6.02 $6.02

$7.10 CA$10.03

-15.21%

Milk (1 liter)

$0.97 $0.97

$2.31 CA$3.27

-58.01%

White Bread (500g)

$3.19 $3.19

$3.14 CA$4.44

1.59%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$3.40 $3.40

$3.21 CA$4.54

5.92%

Eggs

$2.54 $2.54

$3.52 CA$4.97

-27.84%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$9.74 $9.74

$12.81 CA$18.11

-23.97%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$9.71 $9.71

$11.46 CA$16.20

-15.27%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$13.01 $13.01

$13.39 CA$18.92

-2.84%

Apples (1kg)

$4.92 $4.92

$3.14 CA$4.43

56.69%

Banana (1kg)

$1.15 $1.15

$1.44 CA$2.03

-20.14%

Oranges (1kg)

$6.23 $6.23

$3.47 CA$4.91

79.54%

Tomato (1kg)

$4.95 $4.95

$3.07 CA$4.34

61.24%

Potato (1kg)

$3.82 $3.82

$1.90 CA$2.69

101.05%

Onion (1kg)

$3.56 $3.56

$1.77 CA$2.50

101.13%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.00 $2.00

$2.34 CA$3.31

-14.53%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.73 $1.73

$1.55 CA$2.19

11.61%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$12.06 $12.06

$11.38 CA$16.09

5.98%

Wine (Bottle)

$13.26 $13.26

$10.63 CA$15.03

24.74%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.71 $1.71

$2.27 CA$3.21

-24.67%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.54 $3.54

$2.82 CA$3.99

25.53%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.98 $1.98

$2.66 CA$3.76

-25.56%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$40.39 $40.39

$77.3 CA$109

-47.74%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$2.55 $2.55

$3.20 CA$4.53

-20.31%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.58 $1.58

$1.48 CA$2.09

6.76%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$30.90 $30.90

$32.88 CA$46.48

-6.02%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$0.87 $0.87

$1.34 CA$1.90

-35.07%

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

$35.7K $35.7K

$28.2K CA$39.8K

26.97%

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

$25.3K $25.3K

$19.6K CA$27.8K

29.08%

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

$226 $226

$76.0 CA$107

197.41%

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

$44.47 $44.47

$33.95 CA$48.00

30.99%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$60.3 $60.3

$42.31 CA$59.8

42.50%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$42.14 $42.14

$29.76 CA$42.07

41.60%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$20.28 CA$28.67

Cinema Ticket

$8.80 $8.80

$11.15 CA$15.77

-21.08%

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

$1,186 $1,186

$507 CA$717

133.94%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$27.9K $27.9K

$16.1K CA$22.7K

73.94%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$40.57 $40.57

$57.6 CA$81.4

-29.50%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$40.14 $40.14

$37.58 CA$53.1

6.81%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$60.5 $60.5

$91.9 CA$130

-34.15%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$64.4 $64.4

$110 CA$155

-41.19%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,612 $1,612

$1,260 CA$1,782

27.92%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,321 $1,321

$948 CA$1,340

39.44%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,516 $2,516

$2,137 CA$3,021

17.75%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,157 $2,157

$1,614 CA$2,281

33.66%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$2,373 $2,373

$4,960 CA$7,011

-52.16%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,390 $2,390

$3,838 CA$5,425

-37.73%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$2,827 CA$3,997

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

6.31

4.48

40.85%

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

Last update for Brainerd, MN: 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

Brainerd, MN

$1.3K 54.1%

Montreal

$948 47% 28.3% $374

Groceries & Markets

Brainerd, MN

$353 14.4%

Montreal

$346 17.2% 1.8% $6.4

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Brainerd, MN

$331 13.5%

Montreal

$152 7.5% 54% $178

Eating Out

Brainerd, MN

$229 9.4%

Montreal

$288 14.3% 25.5% $58

Clothing & Footwear

Brainerd, MN

$93 3.8%

Montreal

$133 6.6% 44.2% $41

Sport & Entertainment

Brainerd, MN

$60 2.4%

Montreal

$52 2.6% 12.9% $7.7

Getting Around

Brainerd, MN

$59 2.4%

Montreal

$99 4.9% 67.7% $40

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,612 in Brainerd, MN and $1,260 in Montreal. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Dining out: $37.00 in Brainerd, MN vs $70.0 in Montreal. Groceries flip the comparison at $353 vs $346, with Montreal cheaper for home cooking.

Good to know

🇺🇸 Brainerd, MN

🇨🇦 Montreal

🕒 Local time

13:44 1:44 PM

14:44 2:44 PM

1 h ahead of Brainerd, MN

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

13,722

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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Brainerd, MN Montreal 1,590 km ≈ 2 h 30 min nonstop flight

From you

Brainerd, MN
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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

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

Montreal wins on cost – living expenses run 21% lower than in Brainerd, MN. Housing and daily spending are where you'll feel the difference most, making Montreal the obvious pick if budget is a priority.

You'd need roughly $3,668 in Brainerd, MN and $3,027 in Montreal to live well. The gap comes down to housing and overall price levels. Both cities are liveable on less, but these numbers represent actual comfort.

Rent for a central apartment: $1,612 in Brainerd, MN versus $1,260 in Montreal. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Dining out is cheaper in Montreal – a meal for two runs $70.0 versus $37.00 in Brainerd, MN. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

All in, you'll spend $2,445 per month in Brainerd, MN versus $2,018 in Montreal – a 21% gap that adds up to real savings over time for anyone picking the cheaper option.

At $2,018 in Montreal versus $2,445 in Brainerd, MN, a $2,000 budget is realistic in Montreal but tight or insufficient in Brainerd, 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 $2,018 monthly. If stretching your runway or maximizing savings is the goal, the price difference makes Montreal hard to pass up.

Safety-wise, Brainerd, 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 21% less than in Brainerd, MN. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.