Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Montreal and Great Falls, MT

For one person, living is cheaper in Montreal: $2,003 a month against $2,207 in Great Falls, MT, rent and utilities included – about $2,400 less a year. Higher rent and utilities in Great Falls, MT outweigh lower spending on other living expenses.

Montreal
🇨🇦 Canada
$2,003
/mo nomad
Great Falls, MT
🇺🇸 United States
$2,207
/mo nomad
Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Montreal and in Great Falls, MT

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 Great Falls, MT actually costs, broken down by who's living it.

A single person spends $2,003 per month in Montreal vs $2,207 in Great Falls, MT, rent included.

  • Montreal $2,003
  • Great Falls, MT $2,207

A couple spends around $3,048 per month in Montreal vs $3,040 in Great Falls, MT, rent included.

  • Montreal $3,048
  • Great Falls, MT $3,040

A family of three spends $4,092 per month in Montreal vs $3,874 in Great Falls, MT, rent included.

  • Montreal $4,092
  • Great Falls, MT $3,874

Montreal is about 9% cheaper than Great Falls, MT, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

Both Montreal and Great Falls, MT sit above the global median – Montreal by 49%, Great Falls, MT by 65%.

Currency
🍽 Eating Out
Montreal
Great Falls, MT
Difference
Meal at Budget Restaurant
$19.31 CA$27.52
$11.33 $11.33
70.43%
Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range
$75.5 CA$108
$37.38 $37.38
101.98%
Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)
$10.63 CA$15.15
$9.47 $9.47
12.25%
Cappuccino
$3.93 CA$5.60
$4.20 $4.20
-6.43%
Coke/Pepsi/Fanta/Sprite (0.33 liter bottle)
$1.92 CA$2.73
$2.28 $2.28
-15.79%
Water (0.33 liter bottle)
$1.48 CA$2.11
$2.06 $2.06
-28.16%
Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)
$6.30 CA$8.98
$5.95 $5.95
5.88%
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$7.19 CA$10.24
$6.07 $6.07
18.45%
🛒 Groceries & Markets
Montreal
Great Falls, MT
Difference
Milk (1 liter)
$2.22 CA$3.17
$1.08 $1.08
105.56%
White Bread (500g)
$3.06 CA$4.36
$3.33 $3.33
-8.11%
Rice (white) (1kg)
$2.94 CA$4.19
$4.87 $4.87
-39.63%
Eggs
$3.53 CA$5.03
$3.24 $3.24
8.95%
Local Cheese (1kg)
$13.19 CA$18.79
$16.85 $16.85
-21.72%
Chicken Fillets (1kg)
$11.24 CA$16.02
$9.82 $9.82
14.46%
Beef Round Steak (1kg)
$13.81 CA$19.69
$11.92 $11.92
15.86%
Apples (1kg)
$3.40 CA$4.85
$4.76 $4.76
-28.57%
Banana (1kg)
$1.44 CA$2.06
$1.40 $1.40
2.86%
Oranges (1kg)
$3.26 CA$4.65
$4.25 $4.25
-23.29%
Tomato (1kg)
$2.88 CA$4.10
$2.23 $2.23
29.15%
Potato (1kg)
$1.86 CA$2.65
$2.42 $2.42
-23.14%
Onion (1kg)
$1.82 CA$2.60
$2.85 $2.85
-36.14%
Lettuce (1 head)
$2.43 CA$3.46
$2.40 $2.40
1.25%
Water (1.5 liter bottle)
$1.52 CA$2.17
$3.37 $3.37
-54.90%
Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)
$11.45 CA$16.32
$8.30 $8.30
37.95%
Wine (Bottle)
$10.36 CA$14.76
$18.20 $18.20
-43.08%
Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)
$2.22 CA$3.16
$2.02 $2.02
9.90%
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$2.82 CA$4.02
$4.63 $4.63
-39.09%
🚌 Getting Around
Montreal
Great Falls, MT
Difference
One-way Ticket (Public Transport)
$2.58 CA$3.67
-
-
Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)
$76.9 CA$110
$29.86 $29.86
157.50%
Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)
$3.25 CA$4.64
$6.17 $6.17
-47.33%
Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)
$1.48 CA$2.11
$1.34 $1.34
10.45%
Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)
$33.04 CA$47.09
$40.76 $40.76
-18.94%
Gasoline (1 liter)
$1.36 CA$1.94
$0.92 $0.92
47.83%
Midsize Hatchback 1.4l (Volkswagen Golf, Toyota Prius, Honda Civic, etc)
$27.4K CA$39.1K
$33.0K $33.0K
-16.93%
Compact Sedan 1.6l (Toyota Corolla, Mazda3, Kia K4, Hyundai Elantra, etc)
$20.0K CA$28.5K
$25.5K $25.5K
-21.61%
🧾 Monthly Utilities & Internet
Montreal
Great Falls, MT
Difference
Utilities for 2 People in 2-bedroom Apartment (Heating, Electricity, Gas, Water, Garbage) (85m2)
$76.1 CA$109
$133 $133
-42.72%
SIM Card Monthly Plan (Calls and 10GB+ Data)
$34.68 CA$49.43
$39.87 $39.87
-13.02%
Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)
$42.69 CA$60.9
$70.6 $70.6
-39.53%
🎉 Sport & Entertainment
Montreal
Great Falls, MT
Difference
Gym Membership (Monthly)
$28.94 CA$41.26
$63.8 $63.8
-54.67%
Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)
$20.33 CA$28.97
-
-
Cinema Ticket
$11.21 CA$15.98
$11.41 $11.41
-1.75%
🧸 Childcare & Education
Montreal
Great Falls, MT
Difference
Preschool or Kindergarten, Full Day, Private, 1 Child (Monthly)
$505 CA$720
$925 $925
-45.40%
International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)
$16.0K CA$22.8K
$13.8K $13.8K
16.29%
👕👟 Clothing & Footwear
Montreal
Great Falls, MT
Difference
Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)
$58.5 CA$83.4
$25.45 $25.45
129.86%
Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)
$38.00 CA$54.2
$30.02 $30.02
26.58%
Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)
$92.7 CA$132
$81.2 $81.2
14.12%
Men's Leather Business Shoes
$106 CA$151
$64.0 $64.0
65.38%
🏠 Accommodation & Living
Montreal
Great Falls, MT
Difference
1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$1,240 CA$1,768
$1,405 $1,405
-11.73%
1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$986 CA$1,405
$1,123 $1,123
-12.20%
3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$2,102 CA$2,996
$2,691 $2,691
-21.89%
3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$1,615 CA$2,302
$1,669 $1,669
-3.27%
Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)
$5,043 CA$7,188
$2,115 $2,115
138.44%
Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)
$3,830 CA$5,459
$2,120 $2,120
80.63%
💵 Salaries & Financials
Montreal
Great Falls, MT
Difference
Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)
$2,920 CA$4,163
$3,503 $3,503
-16.64%
20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)
4.46
6.2
-28.06%

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

Last update for Montreal: October 6, 2026

Last update for Great Falls, MT: October 4, 2026

Monthly budget structure
Share of the monthly basket for one person, rent included.
Accommodation & Living
Montreal
$986
Great Falls, MT
$1.1K 13.9% $137
Groceries & Markets
Montreal
$344
Great Falls, MT
$391 13.8% $47
Eating Out
Montreal
$293
Great Falls, MT
$229 21.9% $64
Monthly Utilities & Internet
Montreal
$154
Great Falls, MT
$243 58.5% $90
Clothing & Footwear
Montreal
$133
Great Falls, MT
$90 32% $42
Getting Around
Montreal
$98
Great Falls, MT
$43 * 56.3% $55
Sport & Entertainment
Montreal
$51
Great Falls, MT
$87 68.8% $35

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

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $1,240 in Montreal versus $1,405 in Great Falls, MT. 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 20% higher in Great Falls, MT, which partly offsets the higher cost of living there. Purchasing power depends on which expenses matter most to you.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $75.0 in Montreal versus $37.00 in Great Falls, MT. Groceries tell a different story – $344 in Montreal vs $391 in Great Falls, MT – so Montreal wins on supermarket bills even if dining out costs more.

Good to know
🇨🇦 Montreal
🇺🇸 Great Falls, MT
🕒 Local time
01:53 1:53 AM
23:53 11:53 PM
2 h behind Montreal
🌤 Weather
👥 Population
1,762,949
60,442
Exchange rates and currency converter

USD, EUR to CAD – Canadian Dollar Converter

Canadian Dollar exchange rates as of October 11, 2026: 1 USD = 1.43 CAD (1 CAD = 0.702 USD). 1 EUR = 1.6 CAD (1 CAD = 0.626 EUR).

United States Dollar exchange rates as of October 11, 2026: 1 EUR = 1.12 USD (1 USD = 0.892 EUR).

On the map
Between locations
  • Montreal Great Falls, MT 2,870 km ≈ 4 h nonstop flight
From you
  • Montreal
  • Great Falls, MT

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 Great Falls, MT: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions
Which city is more expensive, Montreal or Great Falls, MT?
Great Falls, MT costs about 10% more than Montreal, and outside of rent the gap comes mainly from eating out. That's enough to noticeably affect everyday spending and lifestyle for anyone choosing between the two.
How much do you need to earn to live comfortably in Montreal and in Great Falls, MT?
For a comfortable life, plan on about $3,005 per month in Montreal and $3,310 in Great Falls, MT. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.
Where is rent cheaper, Montreal or Great Falls, MT?
Rent is clearly cheaper in Montreal, especially for central apartments. Housing is actually the single biggest factor behind the overall cost gap between these two cities.
Are groceries more expensive in Montreal or in Great Falls, MT?
Groceries cost about 14% more in Great Falls, MT, though it depends on what you buy. Local produce may be comparable; imported and premium items show the biggest price gap.
How do dining costs compare in Montreal and in Great Falls, MT?
A mid-range dinner for two costs $75.0 in Montreal and $37.00 in Great Falls, MT. That's a good indicator of the overall restaurant and café pricing gap between the two cities.
Can you live on $2,000/month in Montreal or in Great Falls, MT?
A $2,000 monthly budget goes further in Montreal, where all-in costs run around $2,003, than in Great Falls, MT at $2,207. In Montreal it covers expenses comfortably, while in Great Falls, MT it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.
Which city is better for digital nomads, Montreal or Great Falls, MT?
For digital nomads, it depends on budget. Montreal costs $2,003 versus $2,207 in Great Falls, MT. Both have workable remote work infrastructure, but the cost gap matters when income varies month to month.
How safe is Montreal compared to Great Falls, MT?
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.
Should I move to Montreal or to Great Falls, MT?
If budget matters most, go with Montreal. If higher salaries, better infrastructure, or specific career opportunities are the priority, Great Falls, MT makes more sense. Both are solid long-term options with distinct trade-offs.

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