Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Fort Frances, Ontario and Montreal

For one person, living is cheaper in Montreal: $2,059 a month against $2,196 in Fort Frances, Ontario, rent and utilities included – about $1,600 less a year. Higher rent and utilities in Fort Frances, Ontario outweigh lower spending on other living expenses.

106

Cost of Living Index in Fort Frances, Ontario
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Fort Frances, Ontario Living Index
99

Cost of Living Index in Montreal
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Montreal Living Index

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Fort Frances, Ontario

🇨🇦 Canada

$2,196

/mo nomad

Montreal

🇨🇦 Canada

$2,059

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $2,196 in Fort Frances, Ontario versus $2,059 in Montreal.

Fort Frances, Ontario $2,196
Montreal $2,059

Estimated couple costs with rent: $3,190 in Fort Frances, Ontario versus $3,123 in Montreal.

Fort Frances, Ontario $3,190
Montreal $3,123

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $4,184 in Fort Frances, Ontario versus $4,187 in Montreal.

Fort Frances, Ontario $4,184
Montreal $4,187

Living in Fort Frances, Ontario is roughly 7% 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 Frances, Ontario 62% above, Montreal 52% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$17.47 CA$24.69

$18.84 CA$26.63

-7.27%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$66.0 CA$93.3

$73.2 CA$104

-9.83%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$10.55 CA$14.92

$10.54 CA$14.90

0.09%

Cappuccino

$3.53 CA$5.00

$3.97 CA$5.61

-11.08%

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

$2.02 CA$2.85

$1.94 CA$2.74

4.12%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.60 CA$2.26

$1.57 CA$2.22

1.91%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$5.23 CA$7.39

$6.42 CA$9.08

-18.54%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$5.66 CA$8.00

$7.20 CA$10.19

-21.39%

Milk (1 liter)

$2.01 CA$2.84

$2.32 CA$3.28

-13.36%

White Bread (500g)

$2.44 CA$3.45

$3.19 CA$4.51

-23.51%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$3.21 CA$4.53

$3.19 CA$4.50

0.63%

Eggs

$3.33 CA$4.70

$3.68 CA$5.20

-9.51%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$9.62 CA$13.60

$13.24 CA$18.72

-27.34%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$11.38 CA$16.09

$11.69 CA$16.53

-2.65%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$14.30 CA$20.21

$13.98 CA$19.76

2.29%

Apples (1kg)

$3.73 CA$5.27

$3.14 CA$4.44

18.79%

Banana (1kg)

$1.34 CA$1.89

$1.45 CA$2.05

-7.59%

Oranges (1kg)

$3.72 CA$5.26

$3.38 CA$4.78

10.06%

Tomato (1kg)

$3.77 CA$5.33

$3.11 CA$4.40

21.22%

Potato (1kg)

$2.48 CA$3.51

$1.93 CA$2.72

28.50%

Onion (1kg)

$2.24 CA$3.17

$1.83 CA$2.58

22.40%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.42 CA$3.43

$2.36 CA$3.34

2.54%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.56 CA$2.20

$1.50 CA$2.12

4.00%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$14.10 CA$19.93

$11.12 CA$15.73

26.80%

Wine (Bottle)

$12.44 CA$17.59

$10.60 CA$14.98

17.36%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.66 CA$3.76

$2.22 CA$3.14

19.82%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.11 CA$4.39

$2.84 CA$4.01

9.51%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.31 CA$3.26

$2.62 CA$3.71

-11.83%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$60.1 CA$85.0

$79.1 CA$112

-24.07%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$2.84 CA$4.02

$3.23 CA$4.56

-12.07%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.46 CA$2.07

$1.48 CA$2.10

-1.35%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$23.14 CA$32.72

$32.22 CA$45.55

-28.18%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.06 CA$1.50

$1.36 CA$1.92

-22.06%

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

$27.5K CA$38.9K

$27.6K CA$39.1K

-0.37%

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

$19.2K CA$27.1K

$21.2K CA$30.0K

-9.48%

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

$98.3 CA$139

$77.0 CA$109

27.56%

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

$37.55 CA$53.1

$34.14 CA$48.26

9.99%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$49.21 CA$69.6

$42.19 CA$59.7

16.64%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$40.95 CA$57.9

$30.81 CA$43.56

32.91%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$17.62 CA$24.91

$19.66 CA$27.79

-10.38%

Cinema Ticket

$11.23 CA$15.88

$11.47 CA$16.22

-2.09%

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

$732 CA$1,035

$506 CA$716

44.71%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$13.1K CA$18.6K

$16.2K CA$23.0K

-19.15%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$52.5 CA$74.2

$57.3 CA$81.0

-8.37%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$37.90 CA$53.6

$38.10 CA$53.9

-0.52%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$83.2 CA$118

$91.9 CA$130

-9.48%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$103 CA$146

$110 CA$155

-5.72%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,234 CA$1,745

$1,237 CA$1,748

-0.22%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,133 CA$1,602

$977 CA$1,381

16.01%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,914 CA$2,706

$2,180 CA$3,082

-12.19%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,721 CA$2,433

$1,608 CA$2,273

7.03%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$4,261 CA$6,024

$5,113 CA$7,228

-16.67%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$3,578 CA$5,059

$3,744 CA$5,293

-4.43%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$3,503 CA$4,953

$2,957 CA$4,180

18.47%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

4.66

4.48

4.02%

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

Last update for Fort Frances, Ontario: 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

Fort Frances, Ontario

$1.1K 51.6%

Montreal

$977 47.4% 13.8% $156

Groceries & Markets

Fort Frances, Ontario

$344 15.7%

Montreal

$351 17.1% 1.9% $6.7

Eating Out

Fort Frances, Ontario

$266 12.1%

Montreal

$290 14.1% 9.3% $25

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Fort Frances, Ontario

$185 8.4%

Montreal

$153 7.5% 17.1% $32

Clothing & Footwear

Fort Frances, Ontario

$125 5.7%

Montreal

$134 6.5% 7.2% $9

Getting Around

Fort Frances, Ontario

$79 3.6%

Montreal

$100 4.9% 26.2% $21

Sport & Entertainment

Fort Frances, Ontario

$63 2.9%

Montreal

$54 2.6% 15.2% $9.7

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,234 in Fort Frances, Ontario and $1,237 in Montreal. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Fort Frances, Ontario pays 18% 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: $66.0 in Fort Frances, Ontario vs $73.0 in Montreal for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $344 vs $351 per month, with Fort Frances, Ontario cheaper across the board.

Good to know

🇨🇦 Fort Frances, Ontario

🇨🇦 Montreal

🕒 Local time

21:43 9:43 PM

22:43 10:43 PM

1 h ahead of Fort Frances, Ontario

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

7,700

1,762,949

💱 Currency

Canadian Dollar CAD $

📈 Exchange rate

1 CAD = 0.707 USD

1 CAD = 0.629 EUR

1 CAD = 0.707 USD

1 CAD = 0.629 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

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Fort Frances, Ontario Montreal 1,540 km ≈ 2 h 30 min nonstop flight

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City Median Internet Speeds Comparison (Updated April 2026)

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Digital Nomad Cost of Living Index

Fort Frances, Ontario vs Montreal: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Montreal is cheaper overall, especially in utilities and leisure. The 7% gap adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

Average pay runs 18% higher in Fort Frances, Ontario, 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: $1,234 in Fort Frances, Ontario versus $1,237 in Montreal. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $732 in Fort Frances, Ontario versus $506 in Montreal. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Shoppers in Fort Frances, Ontario pay roughly 2% less for everyday groceries. It's an unusual reversal that partly offsets higher costs elsewhere.

At $2,059 in Montreal versus $2,196 in Fort Frances, Ontario, a $2,000 budget is realistic in Montreal but tight or insufficient in Fort Frances, Ontario. The gap between the two cities makes Montreal the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

For families, Montreal is more practical. Housing and childcare are both notably cheaper than in Fort Frances, Ontario, and the savings on those two alone free up budget for education, activities, and family trips.

Safety-wise, Fort Frances, Ontario 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 7% less than in Fort Frances, Ontario. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.