Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Montreal and Fargo, ND

For one person, living costs are similar in Montreal and in Fargo, ND: $2,059 and $2,026 a month, rent and utilities included.

99

Cost of Living Index in Montreal
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Montreal Living Index
97

Cost of Living Index in Fargo, ND
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Fargo, ND Living Index

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Montreal

🇨🇦 Canada

$2,059

/mo nomad

Fargo, ND

🇺🇸 United States

$2,026

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

A single person spends $2,059 per month in Montreal vs $2,026 in Fargo, ND, rent included.

Montreal $2,059
Fargo, ND $2,026

A couple spends around $3,123 per month in Montreal vs $3,226 in Fargo, ND, rent included.

Montreal $3,123
Fargo, ND $3,226

A family of three spends $4,187 per month in Montreal vs $4,426 in Fargo, ND, rent included.

Montreal $4,187
Fargo, ND $4,426

Montreal costs about 2% more than Fargo, ND, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Both Montreal and Fargo, ND sit above the global median – Montreal by 52%, Fargo, ND by 49%.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$18.84 CA$26.63

$17.26 $17.26

9.15%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$73.2 CA$104

$60.7 $60.7

20.65%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$10.54 CA$14.90

$11.73 $11.73

-10.14%

Cappuccino

$3.97 CA$5.61

$5.15 $5.15

-22.91%

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

$1.94 CA$2.74

$2.58 $2.58

-24.81%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.57 CA$2.22

$2.04 $2.04

-23.04%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$6.42 CA$9.08

$5.34 $5.34

20.22%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$7.20 CA$10.19

$9.13 $9.13

-21.14%

Milk (1 liter)

$2.32 CA$3.28

$1.27 $1.27

82.68%

White Bread (500g)

$3.19 CA$4.51

$3.52 $3.52

-9.38%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$3.19 CA$4.50

$7.52 $7.52

-57.58%

Eggs

$3.68 CA$5.20

$4.04 $4.04

-8.91%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$13.24 CA$18.72

$14.80 $14.80

-10.54%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$11.69 CA$16.53

$15.50 $15.50

-24.58%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$13.98 CA$19.76

$21.19 $21.19

-34.03%

Apples (1kg)

$3.14 CA$4.44

$10.51 $10.51

-70.12%

Banana (1kg)

$1.45 CA$2.05

$2.36 $2.36

-38.56%

Oranges (1kg)

$3.38 CA$4.78

$6.59 $6.59

-48.71%

Tomato (1kg)

$3.11 CA$4.40

$5.44 $5.44

-42.83%

Potato (1kg)

$1.93 CA$2.72

$4.87 $4.87

-60.37%

Onion (1kg)

$1.83 CA$2.58

$3.81 $3.81

-51.97%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.36 CA$3.34

$2.01 $2.01

17.41%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.50 CA$2.12

$2.62 $2.62

-42.75%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$11.12 CA$15.73

$8.77 $8.77

26.80%

Wine (Bottle)

$10.60 CA$14.98

$18.54 $18.54

-42.83%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.22 CA$3.14

$2.54 $2.54

-12.60%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.84 CA$4.01

$5.44 $5.44

-47.79%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.62 CA$3.71

$1.47 $1.47

78.23%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$79.1 CA$112

$41.33 $41.33

91.48%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.23 CA$4.56

$4.52 $4.52

-28.54%

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

$0.98 $0.98

38.78%

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

$27.6K CA$39.1K

$27.0K $27.0K

2.53%

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

$21.2K CA$30.0K

$25.9K $25.9K

-18.09%

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

$77.0 CA$109

$136 $136

-43.26%

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

$34.14 CA$48.26

$58.2 $58.2

-41.33%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$42.19 CA$59.7

$57.3 $57.3

-26.37%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$30.81 CA$43.56

$57.1 $57.1

-46.07%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$19.66 CA$27.79

Cinema Ticket

$11.47 CA$16.22

$13.79 $13.79

-16.82%

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

$506 CA$716

$1,244 $1,244

-59.33%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$16.2K CA$23.0K

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$57.3 CA$81.0

$51.0 $51.0

12.21%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$38.10 CA$53.9

$45.99 $45.99

-17.16%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$91.9 CA$130

$84.7 $84.7

8.56%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$110 CA$155

$103 $103

6.26%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,237 CA$1,748

$954 $954

29.70%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$977 CA$1,381

$689 $689

41.77%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,180 CA$3,082

$2,252 $2,252

-3.19%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,608 CA$2,273

$1,452 $1,452

10.73%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$5,113 CA$7,228

$1,898 $1,898

169.45%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$3,744 CA$5,293

$1,673 $1,673

123.85%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$2,957 CA$4,180

$3,824 $3,824

-22.66%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

4.48

6.43

-30.33%

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

Last update for Montreal: October 20, 2026

Last update for Fargo, ND: October 20, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Montreal

$977 47.4%

Fargo, ND

$689 34% 29.5% $288

Groceries & Markets

Montreal

$351 17.1%

Fargo, ND

$522 25.8% 48.8% $171

Eating Out

Montreal

$290 14.1%

Fargo, ND

$299 14.7% 2.8% $8.1

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Montreal

$153 7.5%

Fargo, ND

$251 12.4% 63.8% $98

Clothing & Footwear

Montreal

$134 6.5%

Fargo, ND

$128 6.3% 4.1% $5.4

Getting Around

Montreal

$100 4.9%

Fargo, ND

$52 * 2.6% 48.4% $49

Sport & Entertainment

Montreal

$54 2.6%

Fargo, ND

$85 4.2% 57.6% $31

Categories marked with * are only partly priced – their share counts the items that do have prices.

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $1,237 in Montreal versus $954 in Fargo, ND. 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 29% higher in Fargo, ND, which reinforces the cost advantage – you earn more and spend less. Purchasing power leans clearly in its favor.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $73.0 in Montreal versus $61.0 in Fargo, ND. Groceries tell a different story – $351 in Montreal vs $522 in Fargo, ND – so Montreal wins on supermarket bills even if dining out costs more.

Good to know

🇨🇦 Montreal

🇺🇸 Fargo, ND

🕒 Local time

10:45 10:45 AM

09:45 9:45 AM

1 h behind Montreal

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

1,762,949

90,056

💱 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 →

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Between locations

Montreal Fargo, ND 1,790 km ≈ 2 h 45 min nonstop flight

From you

Montreal
Fargo, 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 Fargo, ND: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Montreal costs about 2% more than Fargo, ND, 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 $3,089 per month in Montreal and $3,038 in Fargo, ND. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

Rent is clearly cheaper in Fargo, ND, especially for central apartments. Housing is actually the single biggest factor behind the overall cost gap between these two cities.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $73.0 in Montreal and $61.0 in Fargo, ND. That's a good indicator of the overall restaurant and café pricing gap between the two cities.

Monthly expenses with rent come to $2,059 in Montreal and $2,026 in Fargo, ND. That's a gap of about 2%.

A $2,000 monthly budget goes further in Fargo, ND, where all-in costs run around $2,026, than in Montreal at $2,059. In Fargo, ND it covers expenses comfortably, while in Montreal it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.

For digital nomads, it depends on budget. Fargo, ND costs $2,026 versus $2,059 in Montreal. Both have workable remote work infrastructure, but the cost gap matters when income varies month to month.

Both have safer and rougher neighborhoods, but overall safety is comparable to other large cities. Neighborhood choice matters more than the city-level comparison – central, well-trafficked areas feel secure in both.

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