Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Fargo, ND and Montreal

For one person, living costs are similar in Fargo, ND and in Montreal: $2,026 and $2,059 a month, rent and utilities included.

97

Cost of Living Index in Fargo, ND
Learn more

Fargo, ND Living Index
99

Cost of Living Index in Montreal
Learn more

Montreal Living Index

Jump to prices

Fargo, ND

🇺🇸 United States

$2,026

/mo nomad

Montreal

🇨🇦 Canada

$2,059

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

A single person spends $2,026 per month in Fargo, ND vs $2,059 in Montreal, rent included.

Fargo, ND $2,026
Montreal $2,059

A couple spends around $3,226 per month in Fargo, ND vs $3,123 in Montreal, rent included.

Fargo, ND $3,226
Montreal $3,123

A family of three spends $4,426 per month in Fargo, ND vs $4,187 in Montreal, rent included.

Fargo, ND $4,426
Montreal $4,187

Fargo, ND is about 2% cheaper than Montreal, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Both Fargo, ND and Montreal sit above the global median – Fargo, ND by 49%, Montreal by 52%.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$17.26 $17.26

$18.84 CA$26.63

-8.39%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$60.7 $60.7

$73.2 CA$104

-17.11%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$11.73 $11.73

$10.54 CA$14.90

11.29%

Cappuccino

$5.15 $5.15

$3.97 CA$5.61

29.72%

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

$2.58 $2.58

$1.94 CA$2.74

32.99%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.04 $2.04

$1.57 CA$2.22

29.94%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$5.34 $5.34

$6.42 CA$9.08

-16.82%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$9.13 $9.13

$7.20 CA$10.19

26.81%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.27 $1.27

$2.32 CA$3.28

-45.26%

White Bread (500g)

$3.52 $3.52

$3.19 CA$4.51

10.34%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$7.52 $7.52

$3.19 CA$4.50

135.74%

Eggs

$4.04 $4.04

$3.68 CA$5.20

9.78%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$14.80 $14.80

$13.24 CA$18.72

11.78%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$15.50 $15.50

$11.69 CA$16.53

32.59%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$21.19 $21.19

$13.98 CA$19.76

51.57%

Apples (1kg)

$10.51 $10.51

$3.14 CA$4.44

234.71%

Banana (1kg)

$2.36 $2.36

$1.45 CA$2.05

62.76%

Oranges (1kg)

$6.59 $6.59

$3.38 CA$4.78

94.97%

Tomato (1kg)

$5.44 $5.44

$3.11 CA$4.40

74.92%

Potato (1kg)

$4.87 $4.87

$1.93 CA$2.72

152.33%

Onion (1kg)

$3.81 $3.81

$1.83 CA$2.58

108.20%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.01 $2.01

$2.36 CA$3.34

-14.83%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$2.62 $2.62

$1.50 CA$2.12

74.67%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$8.77 $8.77

$11.12 CA$15.73

-21.13%

Wine (Bottle)

$18.54 $18.54

$10.60 CA$14.98

74.91%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.54 $2.54

$2.22 CA$3.14

14.41%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$5.44 $5.44

$2.84 CA$4.01

91.55%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.47 $1.47

$2.62 CA$3.71

-43.89%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$41.33 $41.33

$79.1 CA$112

-47.78%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$4.52 $4.52

$3.23 CA$4.56

39.94%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.48 CA$2.10

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$32.22 CA$45.55

Gasoline (1 liter)

$0.98 $0.98

$1.36 CA$1.92

-27.94%

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

$27.0K $27.0K

$27.6K CA$39.1K

-2.46%

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

$25.9K $25.9K

$21.2K CA$30.0K

22.09%

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

$136 $136

$77.0 CA$109

76.23%

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

$58.2 $58.2

$34.14 CA$48.26

70.45%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$57.3 $57.3

$42.19 CA$59.7

35.81%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$57.1 $57.1

$30.81 CA$43.56

85.43%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$19.66 CA$27.79

Cinema Ticket

$13.79 $13.79

$11.47 CA$16.22

20.23%

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

$1,244 $1,244

$506 CA$716

145.87%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$16.2K CA$23.0K

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$51.0 $51.0

$57.3 CA$81.0

-10.88%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$45.99 $45.99

$38.10 CA$53.9

20.71%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$84.7 $84.7

$91.9 CA$130

-7.89%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$103 $103

$110 CA$155

-5.90%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$954 $954

$1,237 CA$1,748

-22.90%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$689 $689

$977 CA$1,381

-29.46%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,252 $2,252

$2,180 CA$3,082

3.29%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,452 $1,452

$1,608 CA$2,273

-9.69%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$1,898 $1,898

$5,113 CA$7,228

-62.89%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,673 $1,673

$3,744 CA$5,293

-55.33%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$3,824 $3,824

$2,957 CA$4,180

29.31%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

6.43

4.48

43.53%

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

Last update for Fargo, ND: October 20, 2026

Last update for Montreal: October 20, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Fargo, ND

$689 34%

Montreal

$977 47.4% 41.8% $288

Groceries & Markets

Fargo, ND

$522 25.8%

Montreal

$351 17.1% 32.8% $171

Eating Out

Fargo, ND

$299 14.7%

Montreal

$290 14.1% 2.7% $8.1

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Fargo, ND

$251 12.4%

Montreal

$153 7.5% 39% $98

Clothing & Footwear

Fargo, ND

$128 6.3%

Montreal

$134 6.5% 4.2% $5.4

Sport & Entertainment

Fargo, ND

$85 4.2%

Montreal

$54 2.6% 36.5% $31

Getting Around

Fargo, ND

$52 * 2.6%

Montreal

$100 4.9% 93.9% $49

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

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $954 in Fargo, ND versus $1,237 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 29% 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 $61.0 in Fargo, ND versus $73.0 in Montreal. Groceries tell a different story – $522 in Fargo, ND vs $351 in Montreal – so Montreal wins on supermarket bills even if dining out costs more.

Good to know

🇺🇸 Fargo, ND

🇨🇦 Montreal

🕒 Local time

03:43 3:43 AM

04:43 4:43 AM

1 h ahead of Fargo, ND

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

90,056

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

Lowest

Highest

Between locations

Fargo, ND Montreal 1,790 km ≈ 2 h 45 min nonstop flight

From you

Fargo, 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

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

Montreal costs about 2% more than Fargo, ND, 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 $3,038 per month in Fargo, ND and $3,089 in Montreal. 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. Housing is actually the single biggest factor behind the overall cost gap between these two cities.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $61.0 in Fargo, ND and $73.0 in Montreal. That's a good indicator of the overall restaurant and café pricing gap between the two cities.

Monthly expenses with rent come to $2,026 in Fargo, ND and $2,059 in Montreal. That's a gap of about 2%.

A $2,000 monthly budget goes further in Fargo, ND, where all-in costs run around $2,026, than in Montreal at $2,059. In Fargo, ND it covers expenses comfortably, while in Montreal it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.

For digital nomads, it depends on budget. Fargo, ND costs $2,026 versus $2,059 in Montreal. 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 Fargo, ND. If higher salaries, better infrastructure, or specific career opportunities are the priority, Montreal makes more sense. Both are solid long-term options with distinct trade-offs.