Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Montreal and Bismarck, ND

For one person, living is cheaper in Montreal: $2,059 a month against $2,403 in Bismarck, ND, rent and utilities included – about $4,100 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
116

Cost of Living Index in Bismarck, ND
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Bismarck, ND Living Index

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Montreal

🇨🇦 Canada

$2,059

/mo nomad

Bismarck, ND

🇺🇸 United States

$2,403

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Montreal and in Bismarck, ND

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 Bismarck, ND actually costs, broken down by who's living it.

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $2,059 in Montreal versus $2,403 in Bismarck, ND.

Montreal $2,059
Bismarck, ND $2,403

Estimated couple costs with rent: $3,123 in Montreal versus $3,341 in Bismarck, ND.

Montreal $3,123
Bismarck, ND $3,341

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $4,187 in Montreal versus $4,278 in Bismarck, ND.

Montreal $4,187
Bismarck, ND $4,278

Living in Montreal costs roughly 14% less than in Bismarck, ND, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Montreal 52% above, Bismarck, ND 77% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$18.84 CA$26.63

$30.19 $30.19

-37.60%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$73.2 CA$104

$69.8 $69.8

4.93%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$10.54 CA$14.90

$17.41 $17.41

-39.46%

Cappuccino

$3.97 CA$5.61

$6.22 $6.22

-36.17%

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

$1.94 CA$2.74

$2.50 $2.50

-22.40%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.57 CA$2.22

$1.89 $1.89

-16.93%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$6.42 CA$9.08

$5.55 $5.55

15.68%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$7.20 CA$10.19

$6.99 $6.99

3.00%

Milk (1 liter)

$2.32 CA$3.28

$1.03 $1.03

125.24%

White Bread (500g)

$3.19 CA$4.51

$2.69 $2.69

18.59%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$3.19 CA$4.50

$2.08 $2.08

53.37%

Eggs

$3.68 CA$5.20

$2.73 $2.73

34.80%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$13.24 CA$18.72

$7.70 $7.70

71.95%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$11.69 CA$16.53

$13.21 $13.21

-11.51%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$13.98 CA$19.76

$15.90 $15.90

-12.08%

Apples (1kg)

$3.14 CA$4.44

$3.47 $3.47

-9.51%

Banana (1kg)

$1.45 CA$2.05

$1.73 $1.73

-16.18%

Oranges (1kg)

$3.38 CA$4.78

$2.96 $2.96

14.19%

Tomato (1kg)

$3.11 CA$4.40

$4.27 $4.27

-27.17%

Potato (1kg)

$1.93 CA$2.72

$1.89 $1.89

2.12%

Onion (1kg)

$1.83 CA$2.58

$2.80 $2.80

-34.64%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.36 CA$3.34

$2.19 $2.19

7.76%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.50 CA$2.12

$2.69 $2.69

-44.24%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$11.12 CA$15.73

$8.74 $8.74

27.23%

Wine (Bottle)

$10.60 CA$14.98

$19.97 $19.97

-46.92%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.22 CA$3.14

$1.91 $1.91

16.23%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.84 CA$4.01

$4.05 $4.05

-29.88%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.62 CA$3.71

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$79.1 CA$112

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.23 CA$4.56

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.48 CA$2.10

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$32.22 CA$45.55

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.36 CA$1.92

$0.97 $0.97

40.21%

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

$27.6K CA$39.1K

$26.5K $26.5K

4.30%

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

$21.2K CA$30.0K

$22.5K $22.5K

-5.84%

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

$77.0 CA$109

$208 $208

-63.00%

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

$34.14 CA$48.26

$71.8 $71.8

-52.44%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$42.19 CA$59.7

$82.1 $82.1

-48.61%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$30.81 CA$43.56

$41.78 $41.78

-26.26%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$19.66 CA$27.79

Cinema Ticket

$11.47 CA$16.22

$10.89 $10.89

5.33%

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

$506 CA$716

$804 $804

-37.07%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$16.2K CA$23.0K

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$57.3 CA$81.0

$65.1 $65.1

-12.04%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$38.10 CA$53.9

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$91.9 CA$130

$95.2 $95.2

-3.46%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$110 CA$155

$81.2 $81.2

35.14%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,237 CA$1,748

$1,171 $1,171

5.61%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$977 CA$1,381

$1,077 $1,077

-9.31%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,180 CA$3,082

$1,628 $1,628

33.94%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,608 CA$2,273

$1,428 $1,428

12.59%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$5,113 CA$7,228

$2,226 $2,226

129.70%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$3,744 CA$5,293

$2,054 $2,054

82.30%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$2,957 CA$4,180

$4,393 $4,393

-32.69%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

4.48

6.84

-34.50%

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

Last update for Montreal: October 20, 2026

Last update for Bismarck, ND: October 18, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Montreal

$977 47.4%

Bismarck, ND

$1.1K 44.8% 10.3% $100

Groceries & Markets

Montreal

$351 17.1%

Bismarck, ND

$364 15.2% 3.7% $13

Eating Out

Montreal

$290 14.1%

Bismarck, ND

$428 17.8% 47.2% $137

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Montreal

$153 7.5%

Bismarck, ND

$362 15.1% 136% $209

Clothing & Footwear

Montreal

$134 6.5%

Bismarck, ND

$109 * 4.5% 18.7% $25

Getting Around

Montreal

$100 4.9%

Bismarck, ND

- * 0% 100%

Sport & Entertainment

Montreal

$54 2.6%

Bismarck, ND

$64 2.7% 18.2% $9.8

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 $1,171 in Bismarck, ND. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Bismarck, ND pays 49% 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 $70.0 in Bismarck, ND. Groceries flip the comparison at $351 vs $364, with Montreal cheaper for home cooking.

Good to know

🇨🇦 Montreal

🇺🇸 Bismarck, ND

🕒 Local time

06:56 6:56 AM

05:56 5:56 AM

1 h behind Montreal

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

1,762,949

58,333

💱 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 Bismarck, ND 2,090 km ≈ 3 h nonstop flight

From you

Montreal
Bismarck, ND

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 Bismarck, ND: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Montreal and Bismarck, ND differ by about 17% in total monthly costs ($2,059 vs $2,403 including rent). Montreal is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

On paper, salaries run 49% lower in Bismarck, ND. That's worth factoring in alongside costs, though remote workers earning in a stronger currency may not notice the difference at all.

Rent for a central apartment: $1,237 in Montreal versus $1,171 in Bismarck, ND. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $506 in Montreal versus $804 in Bismarck, ND. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Dining out is cheaper in Montreal – a meal for two runs $73.0 versus $70.0 in Bismarck, ND. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

At $2,059 in Montreal versus $2,403 in Bismarck, ND, a $2,000 budget is realistic in Montreal but tight or insufficient in Bismarck, ND. The gap between the two cities makes Montreal 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 Bismarck, ND 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 17% less than in Bismarck, ND. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.