Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Montreal and Saint Paul, MN

For one person, living is cheaper in Montreal: $2,003 a month against $2,438 in Saint Paul, MN, rent and utilities included – about $5,200 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
116

Cost of Living Index in Saint Paul, MN
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Saint Paul, MN Living Index

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Montreal

🇨🇦 Canada

$2,003

/mo nomad

Saint Paul, MN

🇺🇸 United States

$2,438

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Montreal and in Saint Paul, MN

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 Saint Paul, MN actually costs, broken down by who's living it.

A single person spends $2,003 per month in Montreal vs $2,438 in Saint Paul, MN, rent included.

Montreal $2,003
Saint Paul, MN $2,438

A couple spends around $3,048 per month in Montreal vs $3,743 in Saint Paul, MN, rent included.

Montreal $3,048
Saint Paul, MN $3,743

A family of three spends $4,092 per month in Montreal vs $5,048 in Saint Paul, MN, rent included.

Montreal $4,092
Saint Paul, MN $5,048

Montreal is about 18% cheaper than Saint Paul, MN, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in transport.

Both Montreal and Saint Paul, MN sit above the global median – Montreal by 49%, Saint Paul, MN by 82%.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$19.31 CA$27.52

$15.75 $15.75

22.60%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$75.5 CA$108

$68.6 $68.6

10.12%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$10.63 CA$15.15

$10.11 $10.11

5.14%

Cappuccino

$3.93 CA$5.60

$5.26 $5.26

-25.29%

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

$1.92 CA$2.73

$2.98 $2.98

-35.57%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.48 CA$2.11

$2.68 $2.68

-44.78%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$6.30 CA$8.98

$6.14 $6.14

2.61%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$7.19 CA$10.24

$7.65 $7.65

-6.01%

Milk (1 liter)

$2.22 CA$3.17

$0.97 $0.97

128.87%

White Bread (500g)

$3.06 CA$4.36

$3.95 $3.95

-22.53%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.94 CA$4.19

$3.30 $3.30

-10.91%

Eggs

$3.53 CA$5.03

$3.06 $3.06

15.36%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$13.19 CA$18.79

$9.41 $9.41

40.17%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$11.24 CA$16.02

$9.71 $9.71

15.76%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$13.81 CA$19.69

$13.16 $13.16

4.94%

Apples (1kg)

$3.40 CA$4.85

$4.91 $4.91

-30.75%

Banana (1kg)

$1.44 CA$2.06

$1.16 $1.16

24.14%

Oranges (1kg)

$3.26 CA$4.65

$5.94 $5.94

-45.12%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.88 CA$4.10

$4.89 $4.89

-41.10%

Potato (1kg)

$1.86 CA$2.65

$3.90 $3.90

-52.31%

Onion (1kg)

$1.82 CA$2.60

$3.56 $3.56

-48.88%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.43 CA$3.46

$2.07 $2.07

17.39%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.52 CA$2.17

$1.75 $1.75

-13.14%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$11.45 CA$16.32

$12.21 $12.21

-6.22%

Wine (Bottle)

$10.36 CA$14.76

$14.34 $14.34

-27.75%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.22 CA$3.16

$1.68 $1.68

32.14%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.82 CA$4.02

$3.43 $3.43

-17.78%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.58 CA$3.67

$2.19 $2.19

17.81%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$76.9 CA$110

$122 $122

-37.04%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.25 CA$4.64

$2.52 $2.52

28.97%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.48 CA$2.11

$1.60 $1.60

-7.50%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$33.04 CA$47.09

$30.97 $30.97

6.68%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.36 CA$1.94

$0.98 $0.98

38.78%

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

$27.4K CA$39.1K

$36.2K $36.2K

-24.19%

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

$20.0K CA$28.5K

$25.5K $25.5K

-21.73%

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

$76.1 CA$109

$226 $226

-66.27%

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

$34.68 CA$49.43

$51.4 $51.4

-32.50%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$42.69 CA$60.9

$65.9 $65.9

-35.22%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$28.94 CA$41.26

$33.79 $33.79

-14.35%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$20.33 CA$28.97

$8.29 $8.29

145.24%

Cinema Ticket

$11.21 CA$15.98

$12.96 $12.96

-13.50%

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

$505 CA$720

$1,499 $1,499

-66.30%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$16.0K CA$22.8K

$28.1K $28.1K

-43.01%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$58.5 CA$83.4

$40.97 $40.97

42.79%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$38.00 CA$54.2

$40.24 $40.24

-5.57%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$92.7 CA$132

$79.5 $79.5

16.68%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$106 CA$151

$109 $109

-3.37%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,240 CA$1,768

$1,355 $1,355

-8.51%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$986 CA$1,405

$1,100 $1,100

-10.39%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,102 CA$2,996

$2,529 $2,529

-16.88%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,615 CA$2,302

$2,265 $2,265

-28.72%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$5,043 CA$7,188

$2,903 $2,903

73.72%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$3,830 CA$5,459

$2,195 $2,195

74.51%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$2,920 CA$4,163

$4,120 $4,120

-29.11%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

4.46

6.31

-29.32%

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

Last update for Montreal: October 6, 2026

Last update for Saint Paul, MN: October 4, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Montreal

$986 47.9%

Saint Paul, MN

$1.1K 45.5% 11.6% $114

Groceries & Markets

Montreal

$344 16.7%

Saint Paul, MN

$363 15% 5.5% $19

Eating Out

Montreal

$293 14.2%

Saint Paul, MN

$288 11.9% 1.6% $4.8

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Montreal

$154 7.5%

Saint Paul, MN

$343 14.2% 123% $189

Clothing & Footwear

Montreal

$133 6.5%

Saint Paul, MN

$122 5% 8.4% $11

Getting Around

Montreal

$98 4.8%

Saint Paul, MN

$141 5.9% 44.5% $44

Sport & Entertainment

Montreal

$51 2.5%

Saint Paul, MN

$60 2.5% 16.3% $8.4

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $1,240 in Montreal versus $1,355 in Saint Paul, MN. 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 41% higher in Saint Paul, MN, 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 $69.0 in Saint Paul, MN. Groceries tell a different story – $344 in Montreal vs $363 in Saint Paul, MN – so Montreal wins on supermarket bills even if dining out costs more.

Good to know

🇨🇦 Montreal

🇺🇸 Saint Paul, MN

🕒 Local time

05:47 5:47 AM

04:47 4:47 AM

1 h behind Montreal

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

1,762,949

285,068

💱 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 Saint Paul, MN 1,530 km ≈ 2 h 30 min nonstop flight

From you

Montreal
Saint Paul, MN

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 Saint Paul, MN: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Saint Paul, MN costs about 22% 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 $3,005 per month in Montreal and $3,657 in Saint Paul, MN. 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.

Groceries cost about 6% more in Saint Paul, MN, though it depends on what you buy. Local produce may be comparable; imported and premium items show the biggest price gap.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $75.0 in Montreal and $69.0 in Saint Paul, MN. 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 $2,003, than in Saint Paul, MN at $2,438. In Montreal it covers expenses comfortably, while in Saint Paul, MN it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.

For digital nomads, it depends on budget. Montreal costs $2,003 versus $2,438 in Saint Paul, MN. 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, Saint Paul, MN makes more sense. Both are solid long-term options with distinct trade-offs.