Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Montreal and Bellingham, WA

For one person, living is cheaper in Montreal: $2,064 a month against $3,010 in Bellingham, WA, rent and utilities included – about $11,400 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

99

Cost of Living Index in Montreal
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Montreal Living Index
145

Cost of Living Index in Bellingham, WA
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Bellingham, WA Living Index

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Montreal

🇨🇦 Canada

$2,064

/mo nomad

Bellingham, WA

🇺🇸 United States

$3,010

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Montreal and in Bellingham, WA

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 Bellingham, WA actually costs, broken down by who's living it.

A single person spends $2,064 per month in Montreal vs $3,010 in Bellingham, WA, rent included.

Montreal $2,064
Bellingham, WA $3,010

A couple spends around $3,156 per month in Montreal vs $4,448 in Bellingham, WA, rent included.

Montreal $3,156
Bellingham, WA $4,448

A family of three spends $4,247 per month in Montreal vs $5,886 in Bellingham, WA, rent included.

Montreal $4,247
Bellingham, WA $5,886

Montreal is about 31% cheaper than Bellingham, WA, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Both Montreal and Bellingham, WA sit above the global median – Montreal by 52%, Bellingham, WA by 121%.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$18.98 CA$26.64

$24.70 $24.70

-23.16%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$73.0 CA$102

$101 $101

-27.82%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$10.88 CA$15.27

$13.26 $13.26

-17.95%

Cappuccino

$3.81 CA$5.35

$5.94 $5.94

-35.86%

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

$1.94 CA$2.72

$3.16 $3.16

-38.61%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.58 CA$2.22

$2.19 $2.19

-27.85%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$6.37 CA$8.94

$6.87 $6.87

-7.28%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$7.26 CA$10.20

$6.90 $6.90

5.22%

Milk (1 liter)

$2.23 CA$3.13

$1.13 $1.13

97.35%

White Bread (500g)

$3.17 CA$4.45

$3.82 $3.82

-17.02%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$3.31 CA$4.64

$4.91 $4.91

-32.59%

Eggs

$3.63 CA$5.09

$4.96 $4.96

-26.81%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$13.16 CA$18.47

$18.80 $18.80

-30.00%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$11.56 CA$16.22

$18.61 $18.61

-37.88%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$13.71 CA$19.25

$23.00 $23.00

-40.39%

Apples (1kg)

$3.29 CA$4.62

$5.14 $5.14

-35.99%

Banana (1kg)

$1.46 CA$2.05

$1.89 $1.89

-22.75%

Oranges (1kg)

$3.37 CA$4.73

$5.32 $5.32

-36.65%

Tomato (1kg)

$3.15 CA$4.42

$6.32 $6.32

-50.16%

Potato (1kg)

$1.89 CA$2.65

$3.61 $3.61

-47.65%

Onion (1kg)

$1.79 CA$2.52

$3.16 $3.16

-43.35%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.47 CA$3.47

$2.55 $2.55

-3.14%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.58 CA$2.22

$2.47 $2.47

-36.03%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$11.28 CA$15.84

$12.44 $12.44

-9.32%

Wine (Bottle)

$10.49 CA$14.73

$14.95 $14.95

-29.83%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.34 CA$3.28

$1.76 $1.76

32.95%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.91 CA$4.09

$5.74 $5.74

-49.30%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.61 CA$3.66

$1.99 $1.99

31.16%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$79.1 CA$111

$30.51 $30.51

159.36%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.26 CA$4.57

$2.68 $2.68

21.64%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.44 CA$2.02

$1.70 $1.70

-15.29%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$33.43 CA$46.92

$30.27 $30.27

10.44%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.33 CA$1.87

$1.44 $1.44

-7.64%

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

$28.6K CA$40.2K

$27.5K $27.5K

4.07%

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

$21.1K CA$29.6K

$25.7K $25.7K

-17.96%

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

$80.1 CA$112

$217 $217

-63.12%

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

$34.30 CA$48.14

$57.4 $57.4

-40.20%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$42.85 CA$60.1

$81.3 $81.3

-47.29%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$31.14 CA$43.71

$62.0 $62.0

-49.79%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$19.41 CA$27.24

$14.82 $14.82

30.97%

Cinema Ticket

$11.23 CA$15.76

$18.31 $18.31

-38.67%

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

$525 CA$737

$1,125 $1,125

-53.33%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$16.3K CA$22.9K

$31.7K $31.7K

-48.49%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$58.0 CA$81.4

$80.5 $80.5

-27.97%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$38.11 CA$53.5

$28.32 $28.32

34.57%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$93.4 CA$131

$109 $109

-14.18%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$110 CA$155

$149 $149

-26.21%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,285 CA$1,803

$1,707 $1,707

-24.73%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$977 CA$1,371

$1,458 $1,458

-33.00%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,271 CA$3,187

$2,598 $2,598

-12.60%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,665 CA$2,336

$2,347 $2,347

-29.08%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$5,139 CA$7,212

$4,441 $4,441

15.72%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$3,834 CA$5,381

$3,925 $3,925

-2.30%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$3,002 CA$4,213

$4,391 $4,391

-31.63%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

4.48

6.68

-32.93%

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

Last update for Montreal: October 25, 2026

Last update for Bellingham, WA: October 24, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Montreal

$977 47.3%

Bellingham, WA

$1.5K 48.4% 49.3% $481

Groceries & Markets

Montreal

$351 17%

Bellingham, WA

$505 16.8% 43.7% $154

Eating Out

Montreal

$291 14.1%

Bellingham, WA

$378 12.6% 30% $87

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Montreal

$157 7.6%

Bellingham, WA

$356 11.8% 126% $199

Clothing & Footwear

Montreal

$135 6.5%

Bellingham, WA

$165 5.5% 22.5% $30

Getting Around

Montreal

$100 4.9%

Bellingham, WA

$50 1.7% 50.3% $50

Sport & Entertainment

Montreal

$54 2.6%

Bellingham, WA

$99 3.3% 84% $45

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $1,285 in Montreal versus $1,707 in Bellingham, WA. Rent is usually the largest line item in a monthly budget, so the gap here sets the tone for the overall comparison.

Salaries run about 46% higher in Bellingham, WA. Purchasing power depends on which expenses matter most to you.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $73 in Montreal versus $101 in Bellingham, WA. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $351 vs $505 – making Montreal the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇨🇦 Montreal

🇺🇸 Bellingham, WA

🕒 Local time

16:20 4:20 PM

13:20 1:20 PM

3 h behind Montreal

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

1,762,949

91,482

💱 Currency

Canadian Dollar CAD $

United States Dollar USD $

📈 Exchange rate

1 CAD = 0.713 USD

1 CAD = 0.64 EUR

1 USD = 0.898 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 28, 2026: 1 USD = 1.4 CAD (1 CAD = 0.713 USD). 1 EUR = 1.56 CAD (1 CAD = 0.64 EUR).

United States Dollar exchange rates as of October 28, 2026: 1 EUR = 1.11 USD (1 USD = 0.898 EUR).

USD to CAD in detail →

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Montreal Bellingham, WA 3,650 km ≈ 5 h nonstop flight

From you

Montreal
Bellingham, WA

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 Bellingham, WA: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Bellingham, WA costs about 46% more than Montreal, and outside of rent the gap comes mainly from groceries. That’s enough to noticeably affect everyday spending and lifestyle for anyone choosing between the two.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $3,096 per month in Montreal and $4,515 in Bellingham, WA. 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: a one-bedroom in the center costs $1,285 there versus $1,707 in Bellingham, WA.

Kindergarten costs $525 per month in Montreal and $1,125 in Bellingham, WA. For families with young kids, this one expense can tip the scales when choosing between the two cities.

Groceries cost about 44% more in Bellingham, WA, though the gap depends on what you buy.

$2,000 is a stretch for both – monthly costs hit $2,064 in Montreal and $3,010 in Bellingham, WA. You’ll need shared housing and careful budgeting no matter which city you pick.

Families tend to lean toward Montreal – lower housing and cheaper childcare make a real difference, especially on a single income or when paying for private education.

Both cities have a reputation for safety. In either place, the choice of neighborhood matters more than the choice between the two cities.

If budget matters most, go with Montreal. If higher salaries or specific career opportunities are the priority, Bellingham, WA makes more sense. Both are solid long-term options with distinct trade-offs.