Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Montreal and Rapid City, SD

For one person, living is cheaper in Montreal: $2,018 a month against $2,396 in Rapid City, SD, rent and utilities included – about $4,500 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
117

Cost of Living Index in Rapid City, SD
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Rapid City, SD Living Index

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Montreal

🇨🇦 Canada

$2,018

/mo nomad

Rapid City, SD

🇺🇸 United States

$2,396

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Montreal and in Rapid City, SD

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 Rapid City, SD actually costs, broken down by who's living it.

A single person spends $2,018 per month in Montreal vs $2,396 in Rapid City, SD, rent included.

Montreal $2,018
Rapid City, SD $2,396

A couple spends around $3,085 per month in Montreal vs $3,381 in Rapid City, SD, rent included.

Montreal $3,085
Rapid City, SD $3,381

A family of three spends $4,152 per month in Montreal vs $4,366 in Rapid City, SD, rent included.

Montreal $4,152
Rapid City, SD $4,366

Montreal is about 16% cheaper than Rapid City, SD, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in transport.

Both Montreal and Rapid City, SD sit above the global median – Montreal by 49%, Rapid City, SD by 77%.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$18.82 CA$26.61

$17.25 $17.25

9.10%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$70.3 CA$99.4

$63.5 $63.5

10.66%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$10.66 CA$15.06

$11.03 $11.03

-3.35%

Cappuccino

$3.84 CA$5.43

$5.64 $5.64

-31.91%

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

$1.92 CA$2.71

$2.42 $2.42

-20.66%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.54 CA$2.18

$1.79 $1.79

-13.97%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$6.23 CA$8.81

$3.96 $3.96

57.32%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$7.10 CA$10.03

$5.59 $5.59

27.01%

Milk (1 liter)

$2.31 CA$3.27

$1.08 $1.08

113.89%

White Bread (500g)

$3.14 CA$4.44

$3.06 $3.06

2.61%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$3.21 CA$4.54

$1.94 $1.94

65.46%

Eggs

$3.52 CA$4.97

$4.44 $4.44

-20.72%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$12.81 CA$18.11

$12.98 $12.98

-1.31%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$11.46 CA$16.20

$7.82 $7.82

46.55%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$13.39 CA$18.92

$12.92 $12.92

3.64%

Apples (1kg)

$3.14 CA$4.43

$3.54 $3.54

-11.30%

Banana (1kg)

$1.44 CA$2.03

$1.30 $1.30

10.77%

Oranges (1kg)

$3.47 CA$4.91

$2.68 $2.68

29.48%

Tomato (1kg)

$3.07 CA$4.34

$3.62 $3.62

-15.19%

Potato (1kg)

$1.90 CA$2.69

$1.94 $1.94

-2.06%

Onion (1kg)

$1.77 CA$2.50

$2.48 $2.48

-28.63%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.34 CA$3.31

$2.17 $2.17

7.83%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.55 CA$2.19

$2.90 $2.90

-46.55%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$11.38 CA$16.09

$9.72 $9.72

17.08%

Wine (Bottle)

$10.63 CA$15.03

$13.76 $13.76

-22.75%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.27 CA$3.21

$1.77 $1.77

28.25%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.82 CA$3.99

$4.96 $4.96

-43.15%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.66 CA$3.76

$1.51 $1.51

76.16%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$77.3 CA$109

$30.46 $30.46

153.74%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.20 CA$4.53

$2.96 $2.96

8.11%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.48 CA$2.09

$1.26 $1.26

17.46%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$32.88 CA$46.48

$24.76 $24.76

32.79%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.34 CA$1.90

$0.87 $0.87

54.02%

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

$28.2K CA$39.8K

$35.2K $35.2K

-20.10%

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

$19.6K CA$27.8K

$32.7K $32.7K

-39.89%

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

$76.0 CA$107

$195 $195

-61.06%

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

$33.95 CA$48.00

$46.23 $46.23

-26.56%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$42.31 CA$59.8

$62.8 $62.8

-32.57%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$29.76 CA$42.07

$51.0 $51.0

-41.64%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$20.28 CA$28.67

$14.97 $14.97

35.47%

Cinema Ticket

$11.15 CA$15.77

$11.77 $11.77

-5.27%

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

$507 CA$717

$766 $766

-33.81%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$16.1K CA$22.7K

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$57.6 CA$81.4

$62.7 $62.7

-8.26%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$37.58 CA$53.1

$75.4 $75.4

-50.16%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$91.9 CA$130

$77.6 $77.6

18.50%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$110 CA$155

$110 $110

-0.63%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,260 CA$1,782

$952 $952

32.43%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$948 CA$1,340

$1,200 $1,200

-21.04%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,137 CA$3,021

$1,742 $1,742

22.69%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,614 CA$2,281

$1,766 $1,766

-8.60%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$4,960 CA$7,011

$2,624 $2,624

88.98%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$3,838 CA$5,425

$2,599 $2,599

47.63%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$2,827 CA$3,997

$3,778 $3,778

-25.16%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

4.48

6.44

-30.43%

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

Last update for Montreal: October 12, 2026

Last update for Rapid City, SD: October 11, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Montreal

$948 47%

Rapid City, SD

$1.2K 50.1% 26.6% $252

Groceries & Markets

Montreal

$346 17.2%

Rapid City, SD

$339 14.1% 2.3% $7.9

Eating Out

Montreal

$288 14.3%

Rapid City, SD

$287 12% 0.4% $1.2

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Montreal

$152 7.5%

Rapid City, SD

$304 12.7% 99.7% $152

Clothing & Footwear

Montreal

$133 6.6%

Rapid City, SD

$147 6.1% 9.9% $13

Getting Around

Montreal

$99 4.9%

Rapid City, SD

$46 1.9% 53.5% $53

Sport & Entertainment

Montreal

$52 2.6%

Rapid City, SD

$75 3.1% 43.2% $22

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $1,260 in Montreal versus $952 in Rapid City, SD. 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 34% higher in Rapid City, SD, 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 $70.0 in Montreal versus $64.0 in Rapid City, SD. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $346 vs $339 – making Rapid City, SD the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇨🇦 Montreal

🇺🇸 Rapid City, SD

🕒 Local time

14:58 2:58 PM

12:58 12:58 PM

2 h behind Montreal

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

1,762,949

74,703

💱 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 19, 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 19, 2026: 1 EUR = 1.12 USD (1 USD = 0.89 EUR).

USD to CAD in detail →

On the map

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Between locations

Montreal Rapid City, SD 2,330 km ≈ 3 h 30 min nonstop flight

From you

Montreal
Rapid City, SD

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 Rapid City, SD: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Rapid City, SD costs about 19% more than Montreal, and outside of rent the gap comes mainly from transport. That's enough to noticeably affect everyday spending and lifestyle for anyone choosing between the two.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $3,027 per month in Montreal and $3,594 in Rapid City, SD. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

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.

Interestingly, groceries are about 2% cheaper in Rapid City, SD – one category where the pricier city actually offers better value, probably thanks to stronger retail competition or local farming.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $70.0 in Montreal and $64.0 in Rapid City, SD. That's a good indicator of the overall restaurant and café pricing gap between the two cities.

A $2,000 monthly budget goes further in Montreal, where all-in costs run around $2,018, than in Rapid City, SD at $2,396. In Montreal it covers expenses comfortably, while in Rapid City, SD it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.

For digital nomads, it depends on budget. Montreal costs $2,018 versus $2,396 in Rapid City, SD. 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 Montreal. If higher salaries, better infrastructure, or specific career opportunities are the priority, Rapid City, SD makes more sense. Both are solid long-term options with distinct trade-offs.