Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Montreal and Albert Lea, MN

For one person, living is cheaper in Albert Lea, MN: $1,944 a month against $2,059 in Montreal, rent and utilities included – about $1,400 less a year. Higher rent and utilities in Montreal outweigh lower spending on other living expenses.

99

Cost of Living Index in Montreal
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Montreal Living Index
95

Cost of Living Index in Albert Lea, MN
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Albert Lea, MN Living Index

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Montreal

🇨🇦 Canada

$2,059

/mo nomad

Albert Lea, MN

🇺🇸 United States

$1,944

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Montreal and in Albert Lea, MN

Real prices from locals and on-the-ground checks – rent, groceries, transit and the daily extras. Here's what a month in Montreal and in Albert Lea, MN actually costs, broken down by who's living it.

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $2,059 in Montreal versus $1,944 in Albert Lea, MN.

Montreal $2,059
Albert Lea, MN $1,944

Estimated couple costs with rent: $3,123 in Montreal versus $2,969 in Albert Lea, MN.

Montreal $3,123
Albert Lea, MN $2,969

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $4,187 in Montreal versus $3,995 in Albert Lea, MN.

Montreal $4,187
Albert Lea, MN $3,995

Living in Montreal is roughly 6% more expensive than in Albert Lea, MN, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in transport.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Montreal 52% above, Albert Lea, MN 43% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$18.84 CA$26.63

$20.02 $20.02

-5.89%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$73.2 CA$104

$102 $102

-28.05%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$10.54 CA$14.90

$11.92 $11.92

-11.58%

Cappuccino

$3.97 CA$5.61

$6.29 $6.29

-36.88%

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

$1.94 CA$2.74

$3.06 $3.06

-36.60%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.57 CA$2.22

$2.56 $2.56

-38.67%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$6.42 CA$9.08

$4.88 $4.88

31.56%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$7.20 CA$10.19

$5.69 $5.69

26.54%

Milk (1 liter)

$2.32 CA$3.28

$0.92 $0.92

152.17%

White Bread (500g)

$3.19 CA$4.51

$2.93 $2.93

8.87%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$3.19 CA$4.50

$2.17 $2.17

47.00%

Eggs

$3.68 CA$5.20

$3.90 $3.90

-5.64%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$13.24 CA$18.72

$8.84 $8.84

49.77%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$11.69 CA$16.53

$16.56 $16.56

-29.41%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$13.98 CA$19.76

$18.96 $18.96

-26.27%

Apples (1kg)

$3.14 CA$4.44

$5.40 $5.40

-41.85%

Banana (1kg)

$1.45 CA$2.05

$1.50 $1.50

-3.33%

Oranges (1kg)

$3.38 CA$4.78

$4.89 $4.89

-30.88%

Tomato (1kg)

$3.11 CA$4.40

$3.72 $3.72

-16.40%

Potato (1kg)

$1.93 CA$2.72

$2.73 $2.73

-29.30%

Onion (1kg)

$1.83 CA$2.58

$2.22 $2.22

-17.57%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.36 CA$3.34

$2.70 $2.70

-12.59%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.50 CA$2.12

$2.30 $2.30

-34.78%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$11.12 CA$15.73

$9.92 $9.92

12.10%

Wine (Bottle)

$10.60 CA$14.98

$15.24 $15.24

-30.45%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.22 CA$3.14

$1.74 $1.74

27.59%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.84 CA$4.01

$3.39 $3.39

-16.22%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.62 CA$3.71

$2.09 $2.09

25.36%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$79.1 CA$112

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.23 CA$4.56

$1.95 $1.95

65.64%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.48 CA$2.10

$1.28 $1.28

15.62%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$32.22 CA$45.55

$20.31 $20.31

58.64%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.36 CA$1.92

$0.94 $0.94

44.68%

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

$27.6K CA$39.1K

$26.7K $26.7K

3.65%

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

$21.2K CA$30.0K

$25.6K $25.6K

-17.21%

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

$77.0 CA$109

$185 $185

-58.28%

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

$34.14 CA$48.26

$53.4 $53.4

-36.04%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$42.19 CA$59.7

$79.6 $79.6

-47.00%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$30.81 CA$43.56

$39.66 $39.66

-22.31%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$19.66 CA$27.79

Cinema Ticket

$11.47 CA$16.22

$9.82 $9.82

16.80%

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

$506 CA$716

$1,350 $1,350

-62.52%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$16.2K CA$23.0K

$11.9K $11.9K

36.01%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$57.3 CA$81.0

$45.76 $45.76

25.13%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$38.10 CA$53.9

$24.54 $24.54

55.26%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$91.9 CA$130

$50.6 $50.6

81.52%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$110 CA$155

$59.6 $59.6

84.05%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,237 CA$1,748

$1,030 $1,030

20.08%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$977 CA$1,381

$739 $739

32.12%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,180 CA$3,082

$1,586 $1,586

37.42%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,608 CA$2,273

$1,188 $1,188

35.31%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$5,113 CA$7,228

$2,942 $2,942

73.78%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$3,744 CA$5,293

$2,028 $2,028

84.66%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$2,957 CA$4,180

$2,957 $2,957

0.00%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

4.48

6.57

-31.81%

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

Last update for Montreal: October 20, 2026

Last update for Albert Lea, MN: October 19, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Montreal

$977 47.4%

Albert Lea, MN

$739 38% 24.3% $237

Groceries & Markets

Montreal

$351 17.1%

Albert Lea, MN

$400 20.6% 14% $49

Eating Out

Montreal

$290 14.1%

Albert Lea, MN

$330 17% 13.5% $39

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Montreal

$153 7.5%

Albert Lea, MN

$318 16.3% 107% $164

Clothing & Footwear

Montreal

$134 6.5%

Albert Lea, MN

$81 4.2% 39.2% $52

Getting Around

Montreal

$100 4.9%

Albert Lea, MN

$17 * 0.9% 83.3% $84

Sport & Entertainment

Montreal

$54 2.6%

Albert Lea, MN

$59 3.1% 10.3% $5.5

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 $1,237 in Montreal and $1,030 in Albert Lea, MN. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Montreal pays 0% 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: $73.0 in Montreal vs $102 in Albert Lea, MN for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $351 vs $400 per month, with Montreal cheaper across the board.

Good to know

🇨🇦 Montreal

🇺🇸 Albert Lea, MN

🕒 Local time

09:14 9:14 AM

08:14 8:14 AM

1 h behind Montreal

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

1,762,949

17,758

💱 Currency

Canadian Dollar CAD $

United States Dollar USD $

📈 Exchange rate

1 CAD = 0.707 USD

1 CAD = 0.629 EUR

1 USD = 0.89 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

USD, EUR to CAD – Canadian Dollar Converter

🇺🇸 United States Dollar ($)

🇨🇦 Canadian Dollar ($)

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).

United States Dollar exchange rates as of October 22, 2026: 1 EUR = 1.12 USD (1 USD = 0.89 EUR).

USD to CAD in detail →

On the map

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Between locations

Montreal Albert Lea, MN 1,580 km ≈ 2 h 30 min nonstop flight

From you

Montreal
Albert Lea, MN

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

Montreal vs Albert Lea, MN: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Montreal and Albert Lea, MN differ by about 6% in total monthly costs ($2,059 vs $1,944 including rent). Albert Lea, MN is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

Average pay runs 0% higher in Montreal, 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: $1,237 in Montreal versus $1,030 in Albert Lea, MN. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $506 in Montreal versus $1,350 in Albert Lea, MN. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Dining out is cheaper in Albert Lea, MN – a meal for two runs $102 versus $73.0 in Montreal. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

At $1,944 in Albert Lea, MN versus $2,059 in Montreal, a $3,000 budget is realistic in Albert Lea, MN but tight or insufficient in Montreal. The gap between the two cities makes Albert Lea, MN the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

Both cities offer a good standard of living with different trade-offs. Neither is objectively better – the right pick depends on what matters most: affordability, career, cultural scene, or climate.

Safety-wise, Montreal and Albert Lea, MN 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 Albert Lea, MN gentler on the wallet – expenses run 6% less than in Montreal. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.