Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Montreal and Brainerd, MN

For one person, living is cheaper in Montreal: $2,018 a month against $2,445 in Brainerd, MN, rent and utilities included – about $5,100 less a year. Higher rent and utilities in Brainerd, MN outweigh lower spending on other living expenses.

99

Cost of Living Index in Montreal
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Montreal Living Index
118

Cost of Living Index in Brainerd, MN
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Brainerd, MN Living Index

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Montreal

🇨🇦 Canada

$2,018

/mo nomad

Brainerd, MN

🇺🇸 United States

$2,445

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $2,018 in Montreal versus $2,445 in Brainerd, MN.

Montreal $2,018
Brainerd, MN $2,445

Estimated couple costs with rent: $3,085 in Montreal versus $3,439 in Brainerd, MN.

Montreal $3,085
Brainerd, MN $3,439

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $4,152 in Montreal versus $4,433 in Brainerd, MN.

Montreal $4,152
Brainerd, MN $4,433

Living in Montreal costs roughly 17% less than in Brainerd, MN, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Montreal 49% above, Brainerd, MN 81% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$18.82 CA$26.61

$14.72 $14.72

27.85%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$70.3 CA$99.4

$37.45 $37.45

87.69%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$10.66 CA$15.06

$10.12 $10.12

5.34%

Cappuccino

$3.84 CA$5.43

$1.93 $1.93

98.96%

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

$1.92 CA$2.71

$2.10 $2.10

-8.57%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.54 CA$2.18

$1.99 $1.99

-22.61%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$6.23 CA$8.81

$5.95 $5.95

4.71%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$7.10 CA$10.03

$6.02 $6.02

17.94%

Milk (1 liter)

$2.31 CA$3.27

$0.97 $0.97

138.14%

White Bread (500g)

$3.14 CA$4.44

$3.19 $3.19

-1.57%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$3.21 CA$4.54

$3.40 $3.40

-5.59%

Eggs

$3.52 CA$4.97

$2.54 $2.54

38.58%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$12.81 CA$18.11

$9.74 $9.74

31.52%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$11.46 CA$16.20

$9.71 $9.71

18.02%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$13.39 CA$18.92

$13.01 $13.01

2.92%

Apples (1kg)

$3.14 CA$4.43

$4.92 $4.92

-36.18%

Banana (1kg)

$1.44 CA$2.03

$1.15 $1.15

25.22%

Oranges (1kg)

$3.47 CA$4.91

$6.23 $6.23

-44.30%

Tomato (1kg)

$3.07 CA$4.34

$4.95 $4.95

-37.98%

Potato (1kg)

$1.90 CA$2.69

$3.82 $3.82

-50.26%

Onion (1kg)

$1.77 CA$2.50

$3.56 $3.56

-50.28%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.34 CA$3.31

$2.00 $2.00

17.00%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.55 CA$2.19

$1.73 $1.73

-10.40%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$11.38 CA$16.09

$12.06 $12.06

-5.64%

Wine (Bottle)

$10.63 CA$15.03

$13.26 $13.26

-19.83%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.27 CA$3.21

$1.71 $1.71

32.75%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.82 CA$3.99

$3.54 $3.54

-20.34%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.66 CA$3.76

$1.98 $1.98

34.34%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$77.3 CA$109

$40.39 $40.39

91.36%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.20 CA$4.53

$2.55 $2.55

25.49%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.48 CA$2.09

$1.58 $1.58

-6.33%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$32.88 CA$46.48

$30.90 $30.90

6.41%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.34 CA$1.90

$0.87 $0.87

54.02%

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

$28.2K CA$39.8K

$35.7K $35.7K

-21.24%

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

$19.6K CA$27.8K

$25.3K $25.3K

-22.53%

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

$76.0 CA$107

$226 $226

-66.38%

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

$33.95 CA$48.00

$44.47 $44.47

-23.66%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$42.31 CA$59.8

$60.3 $60.3

-29.82%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$29.76 CA$42.07

$42.14 $42.14

-29.38%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$20.28 CA$28.67

Cinema Ticket

$11.15 CA$15.77

$8.80 $8.80

26.70%

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

$507 CA$717

$1,186 $1,186

-57.25%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$16.1K CA$22.7K

$27.9K $27.9K

-42.51%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$57.6 CA$81.4

$40.57 $40.57

41.85%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$37.58 CA$53.1

$40.14 $40.14

-6.38%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$91.9 CA$130

$60.5 $60.5

51.85%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$110 CA$155

$64.4 $64.4

70.05%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,260 CA$1,782

$1,612 $1,612

-21.83%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$948 CA$1,340

$1,321 $1,321

-28.28%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,137 CA$3,021

$2,516 $2,516

-15.07%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,614 CA$2,281

$2,157 $2,157

-25.18%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$4,960 CA$7,011

$2,373 $2,373

109.03%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$3,838 CA$5,425

$2,390 $2,390

60.58%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$2,827 CA$3,997

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

4.48

6.31

-29.00%

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

Last update for Montreal: October 12, 2026

Last update for Brainerd, MN: October 10, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Montreal

$948 47%

Brainerd, MN

$1.3K 54.1% 39.4% $374

Groceries & Markets

Montreal

$346 17.2%

Brainerd, MN

$353 14.4% 1.8% $6.4

Eating Out

Montreal

$288 14.3%

Brainerd, MN

$229 9.4% 20.3% $58

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Montreal

$152 7.5%

Brainerd, MN

$331 13.5% 117% $178

Clothing & Footwear

Montreal

$133 6.6%

Brainerd, MN

$93 3.8% 30.7% $41

Getting Around

Montreal

$99 4.9%

Brainerd, MN

$59 2.4% 40.4% $40

Sport & Entertainment

Montreal

$52 2.6%

Brainerd, MN

$60 2.4% 14.8% $7.7

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,260 in Montreal and $1,612 in Brainerd, MN. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Dining out: $70.0 in Montreal vs $37.00 in Brainerd, MN. Groceries flip the comparison at $346 vs $353, with Montreal cheaper for home cooking.

Good to know

🇨🇦 Montreal

🇺🇸 Brainerd, MN

🕒 Local time

15:19 3:19 PM

14:19 2:19 PM

1 h behind Montreal

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

1,762,949

13,722

💱 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 19, 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 19, 2026: 1 EUR = 1.12 USD (1 USD = 0.89 EUR).

USD to CAD in detail →

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Between locations

Montreal Brainerd, MN 1,590 km ≈ 2 h 30 min nonstop flight

From you

Montreal
Brainerd, 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 Brainerd, MN: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Montreal wins on cost – living expenses run 21% lower than in Brainerd, MN. Housing and daily spending are where you'll feel the difference most, making Montreal the obvious pick if budget is a priority.

You'd need roughly $3,027 in Montreal and $3,668 in Brainerd, MN to live well. The gap comes down to housing and overall price levels. Both cities are liveable on less, but these numbers represent actual comfort.

Rent for a central apartment: $1,260 in Montreal versus $1,612 in Brainerd, MN. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Dining out is cheaper in Montreal – a meal for two runs $70.0 versus $37.00 in Brainerd, MN. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

All in, you'll spend $2,018 per month in Montreal versus $2,445 in Brainerd, MN – a 21% gap that adds up to real savings over time for anyone picking the cheaper option.

At $2,018 in Montreal versus $2,445 in Brainerd, MN, a $2,000 budget is realistic in Montreal but tight or insufficient in Brainerd, MN. 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, Montreal and Brainerd, 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 Montreal gentler on the wallet – expenses run 21% less than in Brainerd, MN. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.