Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Fort Madison, IA and Montreal

For one person, living is cheaper in Montreal: $2,059 a month against $2,559 in Fort Madison, IA, rent and utilities included – about $6,000 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

124

Cost of Living Index in Fort Madison, IA
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Fort Madison, IA Living Index
99

Cost of Living Index in Montreal
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Montreal Living Index

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Fort Madison, IA

🇺🇸 United States

$2,559

/mo nomad

Montreal

🇨🇦 Canada

$2,059

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

A single person spends $2,559 per month in Fort Madison, IA vs $2,059 in Montreal, rent included.

Fort Madison, IA $2,559
Montreal $2,059

A couple spends around $3,754 per month in Fort Madison, IA vs $3,123 in Montreal, rent included.

Fort Madison, IA $3,754
Montreal $3,123

A family of three spends $4,950 per month in Fort Madison, IA vs $4,187 in Montreal, rent included.

Fort Madison, IA $4,950
Montreal $4,187

Fort Madison, IA costs about 24% more than Montreal, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in transport.

Both Fort Madison, IA and Montreal sit above the global median – Fort Madison, IA by 89%, Montreal by 52%.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$19.82 $19.82

$18.84 CA$26.63

5.20%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$76.2 $76.2

$73.2 CA$104

4.03%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$11.40 $11.40

$10.54 CA$14.90

8.16%

Cappuccino

$5.49 $5.49

$3.97 CA$5.61

38.29%

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

$2.63 $2.63

$1.94 CA$2.74

35.57%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.98 $1.98

$1.57 CA$2.22

26.11%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$6.13 $6.13

$6.42 CA$9.08

-4.52%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$7.37 $7.37

$7.20 CA$10.19

2.36%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.05 $1.05

$2.32 CA$3.28

-54.74%

White Bread (500g)

$3.45 $3.45

$3.19 CA$4.51

8.15%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$4.30 $4.30

$3.19 CA$4.50

34.80%

Eggs

$4.15 $4.15

$3.68 CA$5.20

12.77%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$12.60 $12.60

$13.24 CA$18.72

-4.83%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$11.33 $11.33

$11.69 CA$16.53

-3.08%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$17.07 $17.07

$13.98 CA$19.76

22.10%

Apples (1kg)

$4.89 $4.89

$3.14 CA$4.44

55.73%

Banana (1kg)

$1.58 $1.58

$1.45 CA$2.05

8.97%

Oranges (1kg)

$4.23 $4.23

$3.38 CA$4.78

25.15%

Tomato (1kg)

$4.82 $4.82

$3.11 CA$4.40

54.98%

Potato (1kg)

$2.84 $2.84

$1.93 CA$2.72

47.15%

Onion (1kg)

$2.94 $2.94

$1.83 CA$2.58

60.66%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.14 $2.14

$2.36 CA$3.34

-9.32%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$2.21 $2.21

$1.50 CA$2.12

47.33%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$10.10 $10.10

$11.12 CA$15.73

-9.17%

Wine (Bottle)

$15.04 $15.04

$10.60 CA$14.98

41.89%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.68 $1.68

$2.22 CA$3.14

-24.32%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.00 $3.00

$2.84 CA$4.01

5.63%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.27 $2.27

$2.62 CA$3.71

-13.36%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$79.1 CA$112

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.33 $3.33

$3.23 CA$4.56

3.10%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.76 $1.76

$1.48 CA$2.10

18.92%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$31.70 $31.70

$32.22 CA$45.55

-1.61%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$0.92 $0.92

$1.36 CA$1.92

-32.35%

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

$26.6K $26.6K

$27.6K CA$39.1K

-3.95%

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

$23.8K $23.8K

$21.2K CA$30.0K

12.37%

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

$201 $201

$77.0 CA$109

161.47%

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

$59.0 $59.0

$34.14 CA$48.26

72.82%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$71.0 $71.0

$42.19 CA$59.7

68.24%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$41.05 $41.05

$30.81 CA$43.56

33.24%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$19.66 CA$27.79

Cinema Ticket

$14.14 $14.14

$11.47 CA$16.22

23.28%

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

$1,439 $1,439

$506 CA$716

184.32%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$23.7K $23.7K

$16.2K CA$23.0K

46.07%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$53.8 $53.8

$57.3 CA$81.0

-6.10%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$40.89 $40.89

$38.10 CA$53.9

7.32%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$88.0 $88.0

$91.9 CA$130

-4.26%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$115 $115

$110 CA$155

4.54%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,582 $1,582

$1,237 CA$1,748

27.88%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,287 $1,287

$977 CA$1,381

31.79%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,533 $2,533

$2,180 CA$3,082

16.19%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,141 $2,141

$1,608 CA$2,273

33.15%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$2,414 $2,414

$5,113 CA$7,228

-52.78%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,589 $2,589

$3,744 CA$5,293

-30.86%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$2,957 CA$4,180

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

6.57

4.48

46.65%

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

Last update for Fort Madison, IA: 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 Madison, IA

$1.3K 50.3%

Montreal

$977 47.4% 24.1% $310

Groceries & Markets

Fort Madison, IA

$393 15.4%

Montreal

$351 17.1% 10.7% $42

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Fort Madison, IA

$331 13%

Montreal

$153 7.5% 53.7% $178

Eating Out

Fort Madison, IA

$322 12.6%

Montreal

$290 14.1% 9.9% $32

Clothing & Footwear

Fort Madison, IA

$134 5.2%

Montreal

$134 6.5% 0.1% $0.2

Sport & Entertainment

Fort Madison, IA

$69 2.7%

Montreal

$54 2.6% 22.5% $16

Getting Around

Fort Madison, IA

$21 * 0.8%

Montreal

$100 4.9% 373% $79

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

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $1,582 in Fort Madison, IA 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.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $76.0 in Fort Madison, IA versus $73.0 in Montreal. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $393 vs $351 – making Montreal the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇺🇸 Fort Madison, IA

🇨🇦 Montreal

🕒 Local time

11:30 11:30 AM

12:30 12:30 PM

1 h ahead of Fort Madison, IA

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

10,270

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 20, 2026: 1 EUR = 1.12 USD (1 USD = 0.89 EUR).

Canadian Dollar exchange rates as of October 20, 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

Fort Madison, IA Montreal 1,540 km ≈ 2 h 30 min nonstop flight

From you

Fort Madison, IA
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 Madison, IA vs Montreal: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Monthly costs with rent: $2,559 in Fort Madison, IA, $2,059 in Montreal – roughly 24% apart. Outside of rent, the biggest gap is in transport.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $3,838 per month in Fort Madison, IA 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 Montreal, 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 $76.0 in Fort Madison, IA and $73.0 in Montreal. That's a good indicator of the overall restaurant and café pricing gap between the two cities.

Groceries cost about 12% more in Fort Madison, IA, though it depends on what you buy. Local produce may be comparable; imported and premium items show the biggest price gap.

A $2,000 monthly budget goes further in Montreal, where all-in costs run around $2,059, than in Fort Madison, IA at $2,559. In Montreal it covers expenses comfortably, while in Fort Madison, IA it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.

It depends on your priorities. Montreal has an edge in some lifestyle areas, with costs from $2,059 in Montreal to $2,559 in Fort Madison, IA. Climate, culture, job market, and personal taste all factor in.

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 Montreal. If higher salaries, better infrastructure, or specific career opportunities are the priority, Fort Madison, IA makes more sense. Both are solid long-term options with distinct trade-offs.