Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Grand Forks, ND and Montreal

For one person, living costs are similar in Grand Forks, ND and in Montreal: $2,034 and $2,018 a month, rent and utilities included.

117

Cost of Living Index in Grand Forks, ND
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Grand Forks, ND Living Index
99

Cost of Living Index in Montreal
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Montreal Living Index

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Grand Forks, ND

🇺🇸 United States

$2,034

/mo nomad

Montreal

🇨🇦 Canada

$2,018

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $2,034 in Grand Forks, ND versus $2,018 in Montreal.

Grand Forks, ND $2,034
Montreal $2,018

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,958 in Grand Forks, ND versus $3,085 in Montreal.

Grand Forks, ND $2,958
Montreal $3,085

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,883 in Grand Forks, ND versus $4,152 in Montreal.

Grand Forks, ND $3,883
Montreal $4,152

Living in Grand Forks, ND is roughly 1% more expensive than in Montreal, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in clothing.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Grand Forks, ND 51% above, Montreal 49% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$21.48 $21.48

$18.82 CA$26.61

14.13%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$81.2 $81.2

$70.3 CA$99.4

15.52%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$12.84 $12.84

$10.66 CA$15.06

20.45%

Cappuccino

$6.06 $6.06

$3.84 CA$5.43

57.81%

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

$2.69 $2.69

$1.92 CA$2.71

40.10%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.97 $2.97

$1.54 CA$2.18

92.86%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$5.15 $5.15

$6.23 CA$8.81

-17.34%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$5.95 $5.95

$7.10 CA$10.03

-16.20%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.10 $1.10

$2.31 CA$3.27

-52.38%

White Bread (500g)

$3.59 $3.59

$3.14 CA$4.44

14.33%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$4.45 $4.45

$3.21 CA$4.54

38.63%

Eggs

$3.67 $3.67

$3.52 CA$4.97

4.26%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$24.05 $24.05

$12.81 CA$18.11

87.74%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$11.46 CA$16.20

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$13.39 CA$18.92

Apples (1kg)

$3.14 CA$4.43

Banana (1kg)

$1.97 $1.97

$1.44 CA$2.03

36.81%

Oranges (1kg)

$4.45 $4.45

$3.47 CA$4.91

28.24%

Tomato (1kg)

$3.12 $3.12

$3.07 CA$4.34

1.63%

Potato (1kg)

$2.26 $2.26

$1.90 CA$2.69

18.95%

Onion (1kg)

$2.82 $2.82

$1.77 CA$2.50

59.32%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.24 $2.24

$2.34 CA$3.31

-4.27%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.95 $1.95

$1.55 CA$2.19

25.81%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$10.09 $10.09

$11.38 CA$16.09

-11.34%

Wine (Bottle)

$34.40 $34.40

$10.63 CA$15.03

223.61%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.27 CA$3.21

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$5.84 $5.84

$2.82 CA$3.99

107.09%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.46 $1.46

$2.66 CA$3.76

-45.11%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$42.51 $42.51

$77.3 CA$109

-45.00%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$6.04 $6.04

$3.20 CA$4.53

88.75%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.48 CA$2.09

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$32.88 CA$46.48

Gasoline (1 liter)

$0.86 $0.86

$1.34 CA$1.90

-35.82%

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

$28.2K CA$39.8K

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

$19.6K CA$27.8K

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

$217 $217

$76.0 CA$107

186.12%

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

$115 $115

$33.95 CA$48.00

239.06%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$73.1 $73.1

$42.31 CA$59.8

72.82%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$63.1 $63.1

$29.76 CA$42.07

112.03%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$20.28 CA$28.67

Cinema Ticket

$15.27 $15.27

$11.15 CA$15.77

36.95%

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

$583 $583

$507 CA$717

14.89%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$16.1K CA$22.7K

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$57.6 CA$81.4

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$37.58 CA$53.1

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$91.9 CA$130

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$110 CA$155

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$989 $989

$1,260 CA$1,782

-21.55%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$815 $815

$948 CA$1,340

-13.97%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,575 $1,575

$2,137 CA$3,021

-26.29%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,278 $1,278

$1,614 CA$2,281

-20.82%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$1,483 $1,483

$4,960 CA$7,011

-70.10%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,530 $1,530

$3,838 CA$5,425

-60.13%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$4,082 $4,082

$2,827 CA$3,997

44.39%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

6.82

4.48

52.23%

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

Last update for Grand Forks, ND: October 12, 2026

Last update for Montreal: October 12, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Grand Forks, ND

$815 40.1%

Montreal

$948 47% 16.2% $132

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Grand Forks, ND

$406 19.9%

Montreal

$152 7.5% 62.5% $253

Eating Out

Grand Forks, ND

$343 16.9%

Montreal

$288 14.3% 16.2% $55

Groceries & Markets

Grand Forks, ND

$322 * 15.8%

Montreal

$346 17.2% 7.6% $24

Sport & Entertainment

Grand Forks, ND

$94 4.6%

Montreal

$52 2.6% 44.4% $42

Getting Around

Grand Forks, ND

$54 * 2.7%

Montreal

$99 4.9% 81.2% $44

Clothing & Footwear

Grand Forks, ND

- * 0%

Montreal

$133 6.6%

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 $989 in Grand Forks, ND and $1,260 in Montreal. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Grand Forks, ND pays 44% 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: $81.0 in Grand Forks, ND vs $70.0 in Montreal. Groceries flip the comparison at $322 vs $346, with Grand Forks, ND cheaper for home cooking.

Good to know

🇺🇸 Grand Forks, ND

🇨🇦 Montreal

🕒 Local time

03:22 3:22 AM

04:22 4:22 AM

1 h ahead of Grand Forks, ND

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

50,372

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 18, 2026: 1 EUR = 1.12 USD (1 USD = 0.89 EUR).

Canadian Dollar exchange rates as of October 18, 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 →

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Between locations

Grand Forks, ND Montreal 1,800 km ≈ 2 h 45 min nonstop flight

From you

Grand Forks, 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

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

Montreal wins on cost – living expenses run 1% lower than in Grand Forks, ND. 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 44% higher in Grand Forks, ND, 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: $989 in Grand Forks, ND versus $1,260 in Montreal. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

A monthly transit pass in Montreal runs roughly 82% less than in Grand Forks, ND. Both cities have functional networks, but the price difference matters if you're watching your budget.

Childcare runs $583 in Grand Forks, ND versus $507 in Montreal. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

At $2,018 in Montreal versus $2,034 in Grand Forks, ND, a $2,000 budget is realistic in Montreal but tight or insufficient in Grand Forks, ND. The gap between the two cities makes Montreal the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

Both work as nomad bases, but Montreal delivers better value – similar infrastructure at $2,018 monthly. If stretching your runway or maximizing savings is the goal, the price difference makes Montreal hard to pass up.

Safety-wise, Grand Forks, ND 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 1% less than in Grand Forks, ND. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.