Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Montreal and Fort Collins, CO

For one person, living is cheaper in Montreal: $2,064 a month against $2,816 in Fort Collins, CO, rent and utilities included – about $9,000 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
136

Cost of Living Index in Fort Collins, CO
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Fort Collins, CO Living Index

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Montreal

🇨🇦 Canada

$2,064

/mo nomad

Fort Collins, CO

🇺🇸 United States

$2,816

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Montreal and in Fort Collins, CO

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 Fort Collins, CO actually costs, broken down by who's living it.

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $2,064 in Montreal versus $2,816 in Fort Collins, CO.

Montreal $2,064
Fort Collins, CO $2,816

Estimated couple costs with rent: $3,156 in Montreal versus $3,951 in Fort Collins, CO.

Montreal $3,156
Fort Collins, CO $3,951

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $4,247 in Montreal versus $5,085 in Fort Collins, CO.

Montreal $4,247
Fort Collins, CO $5,085

Living in Montreal costs roughly 27% less than in Fort Collins, CO, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Montreal 52% above, Fort Collins, CO 107% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$18.98 CA$26.53

$22.88 $22.88

-17.05%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$73.0 CA$102

$79.0 $79.0

-7.67%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$10.88 CA$15.21

$11.24 $11.24

-3.20%

Cappuccino

$3.81 CA$5.33

$6.22 $6.22

-38.75%

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

$1.94 CA$2.71

$2.54 $2.54

-23.62%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.58 CA$2.21

$2.06 $2.06

-23.30%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$6.37 CA$8.90

$7.05 $7.05

-9.65%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$7.26 CA$10.15

$6.89 $6.89

5.37%

Milk (1 liter)

$2.23 CA$3.11

$1.03 $1.03

116.50%

White Bread (500g)

$3.17 CA$4.44

$2.99 $2.99

6.02%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$3.31 CA$4.62

$2.79 $2.79

18.64%

Eggs

$3.63 CA$5.07

$4.13 $4.13

-12.11%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$13.16 CA$18.39

$11.15 $11.15

18.03%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$11.56 CA$16.16

$9.23 $9.23

25.24%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$13.71 CA$19.17

$19.48 $19.48

-29.62%

Apples (1kg)

$3.29 CA$4.60

$4.98 $4.98

-33.94%

Banana (1kg)

$1.46 CA$2.04

$1.52 $1.52

-3.95%

Oranges (1kg)

$3.37 CA$4.71

$4.81 $4.81

-29.94%

Tomato (1kg)

$3.15 CA$4.40

$5.35 $5.35

-41.12%

Potato (1kg)

$1.89 CA$2.64

$3.58 $3.58

-47.21%

Onion (1kg)

$1.79 CA$2.51

$4.66 $4.66

-61.59%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.47 CA$3.45

$2.33 $2.33

6.01%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.58 CA$2.21

$1.78 $1.78

-11.24%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$11.28 CA$15.77

$10.32 $10.32

9.30%

Wine (Bottle)

$10.49 CA$14.67

$16.64 $16.64

-36.96%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.34 CA$3.26

$2.47 $2.47

-5.26%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.91 CA$4.07

$2.71 $2.71

7.38%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.61 CA$3.65

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$79.1 CA$111

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.26 CA$4.56

$2.43 $2.43

34.16%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.44 CA$2.01

$1.90 $1.90

-24.21%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$33.43 CA$46.73

$24.61 $24.61

35.84%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.33 CA$1.86

$1.02 $1.02

30.39%

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

$28.6K CA$40.0K

$28.4K $28.4K

0.97%

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

$21.1K CA$29.5K

$26.2K $26.2K

-19.33%

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

$80.1 CA$112

$210 $210

-61.90%

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

$34.30 CA$47.94

$56.6 $56.6

-39.43%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$42.85 CA$59.9

$70.6 $70.6

-39.27%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$31.14 CA$43.53

$51.8 $51.8

-39.88%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$19.41 CA$27.12

$29.76 $29.76

-34.78%

Cinema Ticket

$11.23 CA$15.69

$11.96 $11.96

-6.10%

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

$525 CA$734

$1,288 $1,288

-59.23%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$16.3K CA$22.8K

$12.6K $12.6K

29.87%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$58.0 CA$81.1

$59.1 $59.1

-1.81%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$38.11 CA$53.3

$68.5 $68.5

-44.33%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$93.4 CA$131

$81.6 $81.6

14.49%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$110 CA$154

$114 $114

-3.40%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,285 CA$1,796

$1,817 $1,817

-29.27%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$977 CA$1,365

$1,499 $1,499

-34.86%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,271 CA$3,174

$2,837 $2,837

-19.95%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,665 CA$2,327

$2,143 $2,143

-22.31%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$5,139 CA$7,183

$4,076 $4,076

26.09%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$3,834 CA$5,359

$2,793 $2,793

37.27%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$3,002 CA$4,196

$4,503 $4,503

-33.34%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

4.48

6.77

-33.83%

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

Last update for Montreal: October 25, 2026

Last update for Fort Collins, CO: October 26, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Montreal

$977 47.3%

Fort Collins, CO

$1.5K 53.2% 53.5% $523

Groceries & Markets

Montreal

$351 17%

Fort Collins, CO

$388 13.8% 10.4% $37

Eating Out

Montreal

$291 14.1%

Fort Collins, CO

$359 12.7% 23.4% $68

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Montreal

$157 7.6%

Fort Collins, CO

$337 12% 115% $180

Clothing & Footwear

Montreal

$135 6.5%

Fort Collins, CO

$145 5.2% 7.8% $11

Getting Around

Montreal

$100 4.9%

Fort Collins, CO

$12 * 0.4% 88.1% $88

Sport & Entertainment

Montreal

$54 2.6%

Fort Collins, CO

$76 2.7% 41.2% $22

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 $1,285 in Montreal and $1,817 in Fort Collins, CO. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Fort Collins, CO pays 50% more on average. How far that income stretches comes down to housing choices and lifestyle.

Dining out: $73 in Montreal vs $79 in Fort Collins, CO for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $351 vs $388 per month, with Montreal cheaper across the board.

Good to know

🇨🇦 Montreal

🇺🇸 Fort Collins, CO

🕒 Local time

13:23 1:23 PM

11:23 11:23 AM

2 h behind Montreal

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

1,762,949

148,612

💱 Currency

Canadian Dollar CAD $

United States Dollar USD $

📈 Exchange rate

1 CAD = 0.715 USD

1 CAD = 0.641 EUR

1 USD = 0.896 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

USD, EUR to CAD – Canadian Dollar Converter

🇺🇸 United States Dollar ($)

🇨🇦 Canadian Dollar ($)

Canadian Dollar exchange rates as of November 2, 2026: 1 USD = 1.4 CAD (1 CAD = 0.715 USD). 1 EUR = 1.56 CAD (1 CAD = 0.641 EUR).

United States Dollar exchange rates as of November 2, 2026: 1 EUR = 1.12 USD (1 USD = 0.896 EUR).

USD to CAD in detail →

On the map

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Between locations

Montreal Fort Collins, CO 2,600 km ≈ 3 h 45 min nonstop flight

From you

Montreal
Fort Collins, CO

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 Fort Collins, CO: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Montreal wins on cost – living expenses run 27% lower than in Fort Collins, CO. Housing and daily spending are where you’ll feel the difference most, making Montreal the obvious pick if budget is a priority.

On paper, salaries run 33% lower in Montreal. 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: $1,285 in Montreal versus $1,817 in Fort Collins, CO. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Supermarket bills run roughly 10% higher in Fort Collins, CO. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

All in, you’ll spend $2,064 per month in Montreal versus $2,816 in Fort Collins, CO – Montreal is about 27% cheaper, which adds up to real savings over time.

Both cities are expensive relative to $2,000. Montreal is the more realistic option, but even there you’ll need to be disciplined with housing, food, and fun money.

Both work as nomad bases, but Montreal delivers better value at $2,064 monthly. If stretching your runway or maximizing savings is the goal, the price difference makes Montreal hard to pass up.

Safety-wise, Montreal and Fort Collins, CO are both considered safe, so it’s unlikely to be the deciding factor between them.

It comes down to priorities – Montreal wins on affordability, Fort Collins, CO on earning potential. Factor in climate, language, visa rules, and proximity to places that matter to you before deciding.