Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Montreal and Helena, MT

For one person, living is cheaper in Montreal: $2,003 a month against $3,107 in Helena, MT, rent and utilities included – about $13,200 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
153

Cost of Living Index in Helena, MT
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Helena, MT Living Index

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Montreal

🇨🇦 Canada

$2,003

/mo nomad

Helena, MT

🇺🇸 United States

$3,107

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $2,003 in Montreal versus $3,107 in Helena, MT.

Montreal $2,003
Helena, MT $3,107

Estimated couple costs with rent: $3,048 in Montreal versus $4,494 in Helena, MT.

Montreal $3,048
Helena, MT $4,494

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $4,092 in Montreal versus $5,882 in Helena, MT.

Montreal $4,092
Helena, MT $5,882

Living in Montreal costs roughly 36% less than in Helena, MT, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in utilities.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Montreal 49% above, Helena, MT 132% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$19.31 CA$27.52

$21.52 $21.52

-10.27%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$75.5 CA$108

$101 $101

-25.48%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$10.63 CA$15.15

$17.96 $17.96

-40.81%

Cappuccino

$3.93 CA$5.60

$4.99 $4.99

-21.24%

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

$1.92 CA$2.73

$2.21 $2.21

-13.12%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.48 CA$2.11

$1.72 $1.72

-13.95%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$6.30 CA$8.98

$4.92 $4.92

28.05%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$7.19 CA$10.24

$6.83 $6.83

5.27%

Milk (1 liter)

$2.22 CA$3.17

$1.07 $1.07

107.48%

White Bread (500g)

$3.06 CA$4.36

$3.71 $3.71

-17.52%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.94 CA$4.19

$4.45 $4.45

-33.93%

Eggs

$3.53 CA$5.03

$3.76 $3.76

-6.12%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$13.19 CA$18.79

$17.68 $17.68

-25.40%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$11.24 CA$16.02

$8.78 $8.78

28.02%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$13.81 CA$19.69

$20.13 $20.13

-31.40%

Apples (1kg)

$3.40 CA$4.85

$4.58 $4.58

-25.76%

Banana (1kg)

$1.44 CA$2.06

$1.82 $1.82

-20.88%

Oranges (1kg)

$3.26 CA$4.65

$4.62 $4.62

-29.44%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.88 CA$4.10

$3.98 $3.98

-27.64%

Potato (1kg)

$1.86 CA$2.65

$2.15 $2.15

-13.49%

Onion (1kg)

$1.82 CA$2.60

$1.54 $1.54

18.18%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.43 CA$3.46

$1.65 $1.65

47.27%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.52 CA$2.17

$1.56 $1.56

-2.56%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$11.45 CA$16.32

$10.39 $10.39

10.20%

Wine (Bottle)

$10.36 CA$14.76

$12.78 $12.78

-18.94%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.22 CA$3.16

$1.69 $1.69

31.36%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.82 CA$4.02

$2.49 $2.49

13.25%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.58 CA$3.67

$3.58 $3.58

-27.93%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$76.9 CA$110

$59.2 $59.2

29.88%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.25 CA$4.64

$10.03 $10.03

-67.60%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.48 CA$2.11

$3.33 $3.33

-55.56%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$33.04 CA$47.09

$44.80 $44.80

-26.25%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.36 CA$1.94

$0.99 $0.99

37.37%

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

$27.4K CA$39.1K

$36.1K $36.1K

-23.94%

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

$20.0K CA$28.5K

$31.1K $31.1K

-35.75%

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

$76.1 CA$109

$369 $369

-79.38%

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

$34.68 CA$49.43

$68.1 $68.1

-49.10%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$42.69 CA$60.9

$93.0 $93.0

-54.11%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$28.94 CA$41.26

$52.0 $52.0

-44.38%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$20.33 CA$28.97

$14.90 $14.90

36.44%

Cinema Ticket

$11.21 CA$15.98

$12.19 $12.19

-8.04%

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

$505 CA$720

$1,962 $1,962

-74.26%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$16.0K CA$22.8K

$27.6K $27.6K

-42.02%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$58.5 CA$83.4

$65.4 $65.4

-10.61%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$38.00 CA$54.2

$120 $120

-68.37%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$92.7 CA$132

$81.0 $81.0

14.39%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$106 CA$151

$121 $121

-12.74%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,240 CA$1,768

$1,756 $1,756

-29.38%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$986 CA$1,405

$1,547 $1,547

-36.27%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,102 CA$2,996

$2,940 $2,940

-28.51%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,615 CA$2,302

$2,450 $2,450

-34.09%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$5,043 CA$7,188

$3,548 $3,548

42.15%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$3,830 CA$5,459

$2,944 $2,944

30.08%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$2,920 CA$4,163

$6,710 $6,710

-56.48%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

4.46

6.56

-32.01%

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

Last update for Montreal: October 6, 2026

Last update for Helena, MT: October 4, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Montreal

$986 47.9%

Helena, MT

$1.5K 49.1% 56.9% $561

Groceries & Markets

Montreal

$344 16.7%

Helena, MT

$384 12.2% 11.8% $40

Eating Out

Montreal

$293 14.2%

Helena, MT

$340 10.8% 16% $47

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Montreal

$154 7.5%

Helena, MT

$530 16.8% 246% $377

Clothing & Footwear

Montreal

$133 6.5%

Helena, MT

$175 5.5% 31.5% $42

Getting Around

Montreal

$98 4.8%

Helena, MT

$100 3.2% 2.4% $2.4

Sport & Entertainment

Montreal

$51 2.5%

Helena, MT

$76 2.4% 48.8% $25

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,240 in Montreal and $1,756 in Helena, MT. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Helena, MT pays 130% more on average. The extra income cushions the higher costs, though housing choices and lifestyle decide how much of the gap is truly closed.

Dining out: $75.0 in Montreal vs $101 in Helena, MT for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $344 vs $384 per month, with Montreal cheaper across the board.

Good to know

🇨🇦 Montreal

🇺🇸 Helena, MT

🕒 Local time

06:45 6:45 AM

04:45 4:45 AM

2 h behind Montreal

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

1,762,949

32,091

💱 Currency

Canadian Dollar CAD $

United States Dollar USD $

📈 Exchange rate

1 CAD = 0.702 USD

1 CAD = 0.626 EUR

1 USD = 0.892 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 10, 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 10, 2026: 1 EUR = 1.12 USD (1 USD = 0.892 EUR).

USD to CAD in detail →

On the map

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Between locations

Montreal Helena, MT 2,940 km ≈ 4 h 15 min nonstop flight

From you

Montreal
Helena, 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 Helena, MT: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Montreal and Helena, MT differ by about 55% in total monthly costs ($2,003 vs $3,107 including rent). Montreal is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

On paper, salaries run 130% lower in Helena, MT. 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: $1,240 in Montreal versus $1,756 in Helena, MT. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $505 in Montreal versus $1,962 in Helena, MT. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Supermarket bills run roughly 12% higher in Helena, MT. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

At $2,003 in Montreal versus $3,107 in Helena, MT, a $2,000 budget is realistic in Montreal but tight or insufficient in Helena, MT. The gap between the two cities makes Montreal the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

Both cities offer a good standard of living with different trade-offs. Neither is objectively better – the right pick depends on what matters most: affordability, career, cultural scene, or climate.

Safety-wise, Montreal and Helena, MT 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 55% less than in Helena, MT. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.