Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Montreal and Fort Smith, AR

For one person, living costs are similar in Montreal and in Fort Smith, AR: $2,018 and $1,978 a month, rent and utilities included.

99

Cost of Living Index in Montreal
Learn more

Montreal Living Index
95

Cost of Living Index in Fort Smith, AR
Learn more

Fort Smith, AR Living Index

Jump to prices

Montreal

🇨🇦 Canada

$2,018

/mo nomad

Fort Smith, AR

🇺🇸 United States

$1,978

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Montreal and in Fort Smith, AR

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 Smith, AR actually costs, broken down by who's living it.

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $2,018 in Montreal versus $1,978 in Fort Smith, AR.

Montreal $2,018
Fort Smith, AR $1,978

Estimated couple costs with rent: $3,085 in Montreal versus $3,030 in Fort Smith, AR.

Montreal $3,085
Fort Smith, AR $3,030

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $4,152 in Montreal versus $4,081 in Fort Smith, AR.

Montreal $4,152
Fort Smith, AR $4,081

Living in Montreal is roughly 2% more expensive than in Fort Smith, AR, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in utilities.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Montreal 49% above, Fort Smith, AR 47% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$18.82 CA$26.61

$20.37 $20.37

-7.61%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$70.3 CA$99.4

$65.0 $65.0

8.22%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$10.66 CA$15.06

$11.35 $11.35

-6.08%

Cappuccino

$3.84 CA$5.43

$5.35 $5.35

-28.22%

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

$1.92 CA$2.71

$2.31 $2.31

-16.88%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.54 CA$2.18

$2.06 $2.06

-25.24%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$6.23 CA$8.81

$6.13 $6.13

1.63%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$7.10 CA$10.03

$9.09 $9.09

-21.89%

Milk (1 liter)

$2.31 CA$3.27

$1.02 $1.02

126.47%

White Bread (500g)

$3.14 CA$4.44

$3.44 $3.44

-8.72%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$3.21 CA$4.54

$3.67 $3.67

-12.53%

Eggs

$3.52 CA$4.97

$2.97 $2.97

18.52%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$12.81 CA$18.11

$7.37 $7.37

73.81%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$11.46 CA$16.20

$10.94 $10.94

4.75%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$13.39 CA$18.92

$19.62 $19.62

-31.75%

Apples (1kg)

$3.14 CA$4.43

$4.95 $4.95

-36.57%

Banana (1kg)

$1.44 CA$2.03

$1.42 $1.42

1.41%

Oranges (1kg)

$3.47 CA$4.91

$2.56 $2.56

35.55%

Tomato (1kg)

$3.07 CA$4.34

$2.10 $2.10

46.19%

Potato (1kg)

$1.90 CA$2.69

$1.90 $1.90

Onion (1kg)

$1.77 CA$2.50

$1.58 $1.58

12.03%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.34 CA$3.31

$1.81 $1.81

29.28%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.55 CA$2.19

$2.26 $2.26

-31.42%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$11.38 CA$16.09

$8.08 $8.08

40.84%

Wine (Bottle)

$10.63 CA$15.03

$14.13 $14.13

-24.77%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.27 CA$3.21

$1.84 $1.84

23.37%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.82 CA$3.99

$2.52 $2.52

11.90%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.66 CA$3.76

$1.28 $1.28

107.81%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$77.3 CA$109

$35.56 $35.56

117.35%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.20 CA$4.53

$2.73 $2.73

17.22%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.48 CA$2.09

$1.28 $1.28

15.62%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$32.88 CA$46.48

$30.11 $30.11

9.20%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.34 CA$1.90

$0.79 $0.79

69.62%

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

$28.2K CA$39.8K

$25.5K $25.5K

10.26%

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

$19.6K CA$27.8K

$25.8K $25.8K

-24.03%

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

$76.0 CA$107

$274 $274

-72.29%

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

$33.95 CA$48.00

$70.6 $70.6

-51.90%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$42.31 CA$59.8

$68.5 $68.5

-38.22%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$29.76 CA$42.07

$27.02 $27.02

10.14%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$20.28 CA$28.67

$15.73 $15.73

28.93%

Cinema Ticket

$11.15 CA$15.77

$13.27 $13.27

-15.98%

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

$507 CA$717

$890 $890

-43.04%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$16.1K CA$22.7K

$23.9K $23.9K

-32.73%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$57.6 CA$81.4

$52.9 $52.9

8.71%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$37.58 CA$53.1

$41.60 $41.60

-9.66%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$91.9 CA$130

$93.6 $93.6

-1.85%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$110 CA$155

$77.1 $77.1

42.05%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,260 CA$1,782

$681 $681

85.07%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$948 CA$1,340

$668 $668

41.85%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,137 CA$3,021

$1,500 $1,500

42.44%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,614 CA$2,281

$1,328 $1,328

21.48%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$4,960 CA$7,011

$1,547 $1,547

220.59%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$3,838 CA$5,425

$1,540 $1,540

149.20%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$2,827 CA$3,997

$3,041 $3,041

-7.01%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

4.48

6.38

-29.78%

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

Last update for Montreal: October 12, 2026

Last update for Fort Smith, AR: October 12, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Montreal

$948 47%

Fort Smith, AR

$668 33.8% 29.5% $280

Groceries & Markets

Montreal

$346 17.2%

Fort Smith, AR

$347 17.5% 0% $0.1

Eating Out

Montreal

$288 14.3%

Fort Smith, AR

$328 16.6% 13.8% $40

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Montreal

$152 7.5%

Fort Smith, AR

$413 20.9% 172% $261

Clothing & Footwear

Montreal

$133 6.6%

Fort Smith, AR

$119 6% 10.5% $14

Getting Around

Montreal

$99 4.9%

Fort Smith, AR

$50 2.5% 49.4% $49

Sport & Entertainment

Montreal

$52 2.6%

Fort Smith, AR

$54 2.7% 2.9% $1.5

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,260 in Montreal and $681 in Fort Smith, AR. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Fort Smith, AR pays 8% more on average while also being the cheaper of the two. The combined effect is a noticeably stronger local purchasing power.

Dining out: $70.0 in Montreal vs $65.0 in Fort Smith, AR. Groceries flip the comparison at $346 vs $347, with Montreal cheaper for home cooking.

Good to know

🇨🇦 Montreal

🇺🇸 Fort Smith, AR

🕒 Local time

12:56 12:56 PM

11:56 11:56 AM

1 h behind Montreal

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

1,762,949

89,142

💱 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 18, 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 18, 2026: 1 EUR = 1.12 USD (1 USD = 0.89 EUR).

USD to CAD in detail →

On the map

Lowest

Highest

Between locations

Montreal Fort Smith, AR 2,080 km ≈ 3 h nonstop flight

From you

Montreal
Fort Smith, AR

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 Smith, AR: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Fort Smith, AR wins on cost – living expenses run 2% lower than in Montreal. Housing and daily spending are where you'll feel the difference most, making Fort Smith, AR the obvious pick if budget is a priority.

On paper, salaries run 8% lower in Fort Smith, AR. 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: $1,260 in Montreal versus $681 in Fort Smith, AR. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

All in, you'll spend $2,018 per month in Montreal versus $1,978 in Fort Smith, AR – a 2% gap that adds up to real savings over time for anyone picking the cheaper option.

A monthly transit pass in Fort Smith, AR runs roughly 117% less than in Montreal. Both cities have functional networks, but the price difference matters if you're watching your budget.

At $1,978 in Fort Smith, AR versus $2,018 in Montreal, a $2,000 budget is realistic in Fort Smith, AR but tight or insufficient in Montreal. The gap between the two cities makes Fort Smith, AR the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

Both work as nomad bases, but Fort Smith, AR delivers better value – similar infrastructure at $1,978 monthly. If stretching your runway or maximizing savings is the goal, the price difference makes Fort Smith, AR hard to pass up.

Safety-wise, Montreal and Fort Smith, AR 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 Fort Smith, AR gentler on the wallet – expenses run 2% less than in Montreal. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.