Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Fort Collins, CO and Montreal

For one person, living is cheaper in Montreal: $2,064 a month against $2,816 in Fort Collins, CO, rent and utilities included – about $9,000 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

136

Cost of Living Index in Fort Collins, CO
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Fort Collins, CO Living Index
99

Cost of Living Index in Montreal
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Montreal Living Index

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Fort Collins, CO

🇺🇸 United States

$2,816

/mo nomad

Montreal

🇨🇦 Canada

$2,064

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $2,816 in Fort Collins, CO versus $2,064 in Montreal.

Fort Collins, CO $2,816
Montreal $2,064

Estimated couple costs with rent: $3,951 in Fort Collins, CO versus $3,156 in Montreal.

Fort Collins, CO $3,951
Montreal $3,156

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $5,085 in Fort Collins, CO versus $4,247 in Montreal.

Fort Collins, CO $5,085
Montreal $4,247

Living in Fort Collins, CO is roughly 36% more expensive than in Montreal, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Fort Collins, CO 107% above, Montreal 52% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$22.88 $22.88

$18.98 CA$26.52

20.55%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$79.0 $79.0

$73.0 CA$102

8.30%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$11.24 $11.24

$10.88 CA$15.20

3.31%

Cappuccino

$6.22 $6.22

$3.81 CA$5.33

63.25%

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

$2.54 $2.54

$1.94 CA$2.71

30.93%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.06 $2.06

$1.58 CA$2.21

30.38%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$7.05 $7.05

$6.37 CA$8.90

10.68%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$6.89 $6.89

$7.26 CA$10.15

-5.10%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.03 $1.03

$2.23 CA$3.11

-53.81%

White Bread (500g)

$2.99 $2.99

$3.17 CA$4.43

-5.68%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.79 $2.79

$3.31 CA$4.62

-15.71%

Eggs

$4.13 $4.13

$3.63 CA$5.07

13.77%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$11.15 $11.15

$13.16 CA$18.38

-15.27%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$9.23 $9.23

$11.56 CA$16.15

-20.16%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$19.48 $19.48

$13.71 CA$19.16

42.09%

Apples (1kg)

$4.98 $4.98

$3.29 CA$4.60

51.37%

Banana (1kg)

$1.52 $1.52

$1.46 CA$2.04

4.11%

Oranges (1kg)

$4.81 $4.81

$3.37 CA$4.70

42.73%

Tomato (1kg)

$5.35 $5.35

$3.15 CA$4.40

69.84%

Potato (1kg)

$3.58 $3.58

$1.89 CA$2.64

89.42%

Onion (1kg)

$4.66 $4.66

$1.79 CA$2.50

160.34%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.33 $2.33

$2.47 CA$3.45

-5.67%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.78 $1.78

$1.58 CA$2.21

12.66%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$10.32 $10.32

$11.28 CA$15.77

-8.51%

Wine (Bottle)

$16.64 $16.64

$10.49 CA$14.66

58.63%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.47 $2.47

$2.34 CA$3.26

5.56%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.71 $2.71

$2.91 CA$4.07

-6.87%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.61 CA$3.65

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$79.1 CA$111

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$2.43 $2.43

$3.26 CA$4.55

-25.46%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.90 $1.90

$1.44 CA$2.01

31.94%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$24.61 $24.61

$33.43 CA$46.71

-26.38%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.02 $1.02

$1.33 CA$1.86

-23.31%

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

$28.4K $28.4K

$28.6K CA$40.0K

-0.96%

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

$26.2K $26.2K

$21.1K CA$29.5K

23.96%

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

$210 $210

$80.1 CA$112

162.47%

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

$56.6 $56.6

$34.30 CA$47.92

65.10%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$70.6 $70.6

$42.85 CA$59.9

64.67%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$51.8 $51.8

$31.14 CA$43.51

66.35%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$29.76 $29.76

$19.41 CA$27.11

53.32%

Cinema Ticket

$11.96 $11.96

$11.23 CA$15.69

6.50%

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

$1,288 $1,288

$525 CA$734

145.25%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$12.6K $12.6K

$16.3K CA$22.8K

-23.00%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$59.1 $59.1

$58.0 CA$81.0

1.84%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$68.5 $68.5

$38.11 CA$53.2

79.64%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$81.6 $81.6

$93.4 CA$131

-12.65%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$114 $114

$110 CA$154

3.52%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,817 $1,817

$1,285 CA$1,795

41.37%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,499 $1,499

$977 CA$1,364

53.50%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,837 $2,837

$2,271 CA$3,173

24.92%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,143 $2,143

$1,665 CA$2,326

28.72%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$4,076 $4,076

$5,139 CA$7,180

-20.69%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,793 $2,793

$3,834 CA$5,357

-27.15%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$4,503 $4,503

$3,002 CA$4,194

50.01%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

6.77

4.48

51.12%

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

Last update for Fort Collins, CO: October 26, 2026

Last update for Montreal: October 25, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Fort Collins, CO

$1.5K 53.2%

Montreal

$977 47.3% 34.9% $523

Groceries & Markets

Fort Collins, CO

$388 13.8%

Montreal

$351 17% 9.4% $37

Eating Out

Fort Collins, CO

$359 12.7%

Montreal

$291 14.1% 19% $68

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Fort Collins, CO

$337 12%

Montreal

$157 7.6% 53.4% $180

Clothing & Footwear

Fort Collins, CO

$145 5.2%

Montreal

$135 6.5% 7.3% $11

Sport & Entertainment

Fort Collins, CO

$76 2.7%

Montreal

$54 2.6% 29.2% $22

Getting Around

Fort Collins, CO

$12 * 0.4%

Montreal

$100 4.9% 738% $88

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 $1,817 in Fort Collins, CO and $1,285 in Montreal. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Fort Collins, CO pays 50% more on average. How far that income stretches comes down to housing choices and lifestyle.

Dining out: $79 in Fort Collins, CO vs $73 in Montreal for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $388 vs $351 per month, with Montreal cheaper across the board.

Good to know

🇺🇸 Fort Collins, CO

🇨🇦 Montreal

🕒 Local time

22:50 10:50 PM

00:50 12:50 AM

2 h ahead of Fort Collins, CO

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

148,612

1,762,949

💱 Currency

United States Dollar USD $

Canadian Dollar CAD $

📈 Exchange rate

1 USD = 0.896 EUR

1 CAD = 0.716 USD

1 CAD = 0.641 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 November 2, 2026: 1 EUR = 1.12 USD (1 USD = 0.896 EUR).

Canadian Dollar exchange rates as of November 2, 2026: 1 USD = 1.4 CAD (1 CAD = 0.716 USD). 1 EUR = 1.56 CAD (1 CAD = 0.641 EUR).

CAD to USD in detail →

On the map

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Between locations

Fort Collins, CO Montreal 2,600 km ≈ 3 h 45 min nonstop flight

From you

Fort Collins, CO
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

Fort Collins, CO vs Montreal: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Montreal wins on cost – living expenses run 27% lower than in Fort Collins, CO. Housing and daily spending are where you’ll feel the difference most, making Montreal the obvious pick if budget is a priority.

Average pay runs 50% higher in Fort Collins, CO, 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: $1,817 in Fort Collins, CO versus $1,285 in Montreal. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Supermarket bills run roughly 10% higher in Fort Collins, CO. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

All in, you’ll spend $2,816 per month in Fort Collins, CO versus $2,064 in Montreal – Montreal is about 27% cheaper, which adds up to real savings over time.

Both cities are expensive relative to $2,000. Montreal is the more realistic option, but even there you’ll need to be disciplined with housing, food, and fun money.

Both work as nomad bases, but Montreal delivers better value at $2,064 monthly. If stretching your runway or maximizing savings is the goal, the price difference makes Montreal hard to pass up.

Safety-wise, Fort Collins, CO and Montreal are both considered safe, so it’s unlikely to be the deciding factor between them.

It comes down to priorities – Montreal wins on affordability, Fort Collins, CO on earning potential. Factor in climate, language, visa rules, and proximity to places that matter to you before deciding.