Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Fargo, ND and Burlington

For one person, living is cheaper in Fargo, ND: $2,127 a month against $2,737 in Burlington, rent and utilities included – about $7,300 less a year. Higher rent and utilities in Burlington outweigh lower spending on other living expenses.

102

Cost of Living Index in Fargo, ND
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Fargo, ND Living Index
130

Cost of Living Index in Burlington
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Burlington Living Index

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Fargo, ND

🇺🇸 United States

$2,127

/mo nomad

Burlington

🇨🇦 Canada

$2,737

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Fargo, ND and in Burlington

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

A single person spends $2,127 per month in Fargo, ND vs $2,737 in Burlington, rent included.

Fargo, ND $2,127
Burlington $2,737

A couple spends around $3,227 per month in Fargo, ND vs $3,881 in Burlington, rent included.

Fargo, ND $3,227
Burlington $3,881

A family of three spends $4,327 per month in Fargo, ND vs $5,025 in Burlington, rent included.

Fargo, ND $4,327
Burlington $5,025

Fargo, ND is about 22% cheaper than Burlington, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in transport.

Both Fargo, ND and Burlington sit above the global median – Fargo, ND by 56%, Burlington by 101%.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$17.17 $17.17

$21.84 CA$30.49

-21.38%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$59.0 $59.0

$72.3 CA$101

-18.38%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$11.95 $11.95

$10.60 CA$14.79

12.74%

Cappuccino

$5.41 $5.41

$3.31 CA$4.62

63.44%

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

$2.56 $2.56

$2.00 CA$2.80

28.00%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.94 $1.94

$1.55 CA$2.17

25.16%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$5.36 $5.36

$5.57 CA$7.78

-3.77%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$8.83 $8.83

$6.11 CA$8.52

44.52%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.23 $1.23

$2.60 CA$3.63

-52.69%

White Bread (500g)

$3.40 $3.40

$2.86 CA$3.99

18.88%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$7.63 $7.63

$3.78 CA$5.28

101.85%

Eggs

$4.08 $4.08

$3.76 CA$5.25

8.51%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$14.93 $14.93

$10.00 CA$13.96

49.30%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$15.52 $15.52

$10.59 CA$14.78

46.55%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$21.08 $21.08

$14.78 CA$20.64

42.63%

Apples (1kg)

$10.28 $10.28

$3.83 CA$5.35

168.41%

Banana (1kg)

$2.34 $2.34

$1.48 CA$2.07

58.11%

Oranges (1kg)

$6.51 $6.51

$2.67 CA$3.73

143.82%

Tomato (1kg)

$5.40 $5.40

$3.65 CA$5.09

47.95%

Potato (1kg)

$5.10 $5.10

$1.96 CA$2.74

160.20%

Onion (1kg)

$3.76 $3.76

$1.92 CA$2.68

95.83%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.95 $1.95

$2.09 CA$2.92

-6.70%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$2.74 $2.74

$1.47 CA$2.06

86.39%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$8.60 $8.60

$13.64 CA$19.05

-36.95%

Wine (Bottle)

$18.58 $18.58

$10.79 CA$15.07

72.20%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.62 $2.62

$2.80 CA$3.92

-6.43%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$5.63 $5.63

$2.92 CA$4.08

92.81%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.03 $2.03

$2.65 CA$3.69

-23.40%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$42.10 $42.10

$99.8 CA$139

-57.83%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$4.58 $4.58

$5.09 CA$7.11

-10.02%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.44 CA$3.40

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$43.32 CA$60.5

Gasoline (1 liter)

$0.97 $0.97

$1.19 CA$1.67

-18.49%

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

$27.4K $27.4K

$27.8K CA$38.8K

-1.52%

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

$25.3K $25.3K

$21.7K CA$30.3K

16.58%

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

$138 $138

$144 CA$201

-3.94%

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

$58.1 $58.1

$44.16 CA$61.7

31.59%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$56.5 $56.5

$67.4 CA$94.1

-16.13%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$52.0 $52.0

$43.66 CA$61.0

18.99%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$30.23 CA$42.20

Cinema Ticket

$13.96 $13.96

$16.13 CA$22.52

-13.45%

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

$1,247 $1,247

$902 CA$1,260

38.14%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$19.0K CA$26.5K

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$49.85 $49.85

$69.3 CA$96.7

-28.05%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$47.16 $47.16

$65.5 CA$91.5

-28.01%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$84.2 $84.2

$100 CA$140

-15.90%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$101 $101

$99.8 CA$139

0.95%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,013 $1,013

$1,729 CA$2,414

-41.40%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$790 $790

$1,480 CA$2,067

-46.65%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,627 $1,627

$2,599 CA$3,628

-37.39%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,363 $1,363

$2,176 CA$3,038

-37.35%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$2,459 $2,459

$5,270 CA$7,357

-53.35%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,688 $1,688

$4,145 CA$5,786

-59.26%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$3,858 $3,858

$3,285 CA$4,586

17.45%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

6.43

4.52

42.26%

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

Last update for Fargo, ND: October 24, 2026

Last update for Burlington: October 26, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Fargo, ND

$790 37.1%

Burlington

$1.5K 54.1% 87.4% $691

Groceries & Markets

Fargo, ND

$522 24.6%

Burlington

$346 12.7% 33.7% $176

Eating Out

Fargo, ND

$300 14.1%

Burlington

$300 11% 0% $0

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Fargo, ND

$253 11.9%

Burlington

$256 9.3% 1% $2.6

Clothing & Footwear

Fargo, ND

$127 6%

Burlington

$151 5.5% 18.7% $24

Sport & Entertainment

Fargo, ND

$80 3.8%

Burlington

$76 2.8% 4.9% $3.9

Getting Around

Fargo, ND

$55 * 2.6%

Burlington

$128 4.7% 133% $73

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

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $1,013 in Fargo, ND versus $1,729 in Burlington. 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 17% higher in Fargo, ND, which reinforces the cost advantage – you earn more and spend less. Purchasing power leans clearly in its favor.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $59 in Fargo, ND versus $72 in Burlington. Groceries tell a different story – $522 in Fargo, ND vs $346 in Burlington – so Burlington wins on supermarket bills even if dining out costs more.

Good to know

🇺🇸 Fargo, ND

🇨🇦 Burlington

🕒 Local time

08:45 8:45 AM

09:45 9:45 AM

1 h ahead of Fargo, ND

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

90,056

183,314

💱 Currency

United States Dollar USD $

Canadian Dollar CAD $

📈 Exchange rate

1 USD = 0.894 EUR

1 CAD = 0.716 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 30, 2026: 1 EUR = 1.12 USD (1 USD = 0.894 EUR).

Canadian Dollar exchange rates as of October 30, 2026: 1 USD = 1.4 CAD (1 CAD = 0.716 USD). 1 EUR = 1.56 CAD (1 CAD = 0.64 EUR).

CAD to USD in detail →

On the map

Lowest

Highest

Between locations

Fargo, ND Burlington 1,390 km ≈ 2 h 15 min nonstop flight

From you

Fargo, ND
Burlington

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

Fargo, ND vs Burlington: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Yes – Burlington is pricier by about 29%, and outside of rent the gap shows up most in transport.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $3,191 per month in Fargo, ND and $4,105 in Burlington. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

Rent is clearly cheaper in Fargo, ND, especially for central apartments: a one-bedroom in the center costs $1,013 there versus $1,729 in Burlington.

Kindergarten costs $1,247 per month in Fargo, ND and $902 in Burlington. For families with young kids, this one expense can tip the scales when choosing between the two cities.

Interestingly, groceries are about 34% cheaper in Burlington – one category where the pricier city actually offers better value.

$2,000 is a stretch for both – monthly costs hit $2,127 in Fargo, ND and $2,737 in Burlington. You’ll need shared housing and careful budgeting no matter which city you pick.

It depends on your priorities. Fargo, ND has an edge in some lifestyle areas, with costs from $2,127 in Fargo, ND to $2,737 in Burlington. Climate, culture, job market, and personal taste all factor in.