Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Montreal and St. Cloud, MN

For one person, living costs are similar in Montreal and in St. Cloud, MN: $2,003 and $1,929 a month, rent and utilities included.

99

Cost of Living Index in Montreal
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Montreal Living Index
94

Cost of Living Index in St. Cloud, MN
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St. Cloud, MN Living Index

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Montreal

🇨🇦 Canada

$2,003

/mo nomad

St. Cloud, MN

🇺🇸 United States

$1,929

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

A single person spends $2,003 per month in Montreal vs $1,929 in St. Cloud, MN, rent included.

Montreal $2,003
St. Cloud, MN $1,929

A couple spends around $3,048 per month in Montreal vs $3,044 in St. Cloud, MN, rent included.

Montreal $3,048
St. Cloud, MN $3,044

A family of three spends $4,092 per month in Montreal vs $4,158 in St. Cloud, MN, rent included.

Montreal $4,092
St. Cloud, MN $4,158

Montreal costs about 4% more than St. Cloud, MN, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in transport.

Both Montreal and St. Cloud, MN sit above the global median – Montreal by 49%, St. Cloud, MN by 44%.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$19.31 CA$27.53

$20.17 $20.17

-4.26%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$75.5 CA$108

$74.1 $74.1

1.88%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$10.63 CA$15.15

$11.08 $11.08

-4.06%

Cappuccino

$3.93 CA$5.60

$5.87 $5.87

-33.05%

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

$1.92 CA$2.74

$2.81 $2.81

-31.67%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.48 CA$2.11

$2.46 $2.46

-39.84%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$6.30 CA$8.98

$6.86 $6.86

-8.16%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$7.19 CA$10.25

$8.08 $8.08

-11.01%

Milk (1 liter)

$2.22 CA$3.17

$0.76 $0.76

192.11%

White Bread (500g)

$3.06 CA$4.37

$2.79 $2.79

9.68%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.94 CA$4.19

$3.28 $3.28

-10.37%

Eggs

$3.53 CA$5.04

$2.31 $2.31

52.81%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$13.19 CA$18.80

$4.83 $4.83

173.08%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$11.24 CA$16.02

$9.61 $9.61

16.96%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$13.81 CA$19.69

$17.95 $17.95

-23.06%

Apples (1kg)

$3.40 CA$4.85

$3.80 $3.80

-10.53%

Banana (1kg)

$1.44 CA$2.06

$1.29 $1.29

11.63%

Oranges (1kg)

$3.26 CA$4.65

$3.39 $3.39

-3.83%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.88 CA$4.10

$2.16 $2.16

33.33%

Potato (1kg)

$1.86 CA$2.65

$0.79 $0.79

135.44%

Onion (1kg)

$1.82 CA$2.60

$1.67 $1.67

8.98%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.43 CA$3.46

$2.03 $2.03

19.70%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.52 CA$2.17

$1.83 $1.83

-16.94%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$11.45 CA$16.33

$9.97 $9.97

14.84%

Wine (Bottle)

$10.36 CA$14.77

$11.87 $11.87

-12.72%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.22 CA$3.16

$1.78 $1.78

24.72%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.82 CA$4.02

$3.27 $3.27

-13.76%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.58 CA$3.67

$2.07 $2.07

24.64%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$76.9 CA$110

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.25 CA$4.64

$3.01 $3.01

7.97%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.48 CA$2.11

$1.93 $1.93

-23.32%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$33.04 CA$47.11

$32.78 $32.78

0.79%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.36 CA$1.94

$0.88 $0.88

54.55%

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

$27.4K CA$39.1K

$32.4K $32.4K

-15.46%

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

$20.0K CA$28.5K

$22.5K $22.5K

-11.36%

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

$76.1 CA$109

$168 $168

-54.77%

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

$34.68 CA$49.45

$45.83 $45.83

-24.33%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$42.69 CA$60.9

$44.18 $44.18

-3.37%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$28.94 CA$41.27

$41.54 $41.54

-30.33%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$20.33 CA$28.98

Cinema Ticket

$11.21 CA$15.98

$14.03 $14.03

-20.10%

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

$505 CA$720

$1,697 $1,697

-70.24%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$16.0K CA$22.8K

$24.3K $24.3K

-34.24%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$58.5 CA$83.4

$62.6 $62.6

-6.49%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$38.00 CA$54.2

$62.2 $62.2

-38.91%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$92.7 CA$132

$73.9 $73.9

25.49%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$106 CA$151

$85.4 $85.4

23.94%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,240 CA$1,768

$992 $992

24.94%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$986 CA$1,406

$819 $819

20.40%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,102 CA$2,997

$1,892 $1,892

11.10%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,615 CA$2,302

$1,626 $1,626

-0.69%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$5,043 CA$7,191

$2,638 $2,638

91.19%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$3,830 CA$5,461

$2,594 $2,594

47.62%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$2,920 CA$4,164

$6,096 $6,096

-52.09%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

4.46

6.61

-32.53%

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

Last update for Montreal: October 6, 2026

Last update for St. Cloud, MN: October 5, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Montreal

$986 47.9%

St. Cloud, MN

$819 42.4% 16.9% $167

Groceries & Markets

Montreal

$344 16.7%

St. Cloud, MN

$300 15.5% 12.6% $43

Eating Out

Montreal

$293 14.2%

St. Cloud, MN

$337 17.4% 14.9% $44

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Montreal

$154 7.5%

St. Cloud, MN

$258 13.4% 68.3% $105

Clothing & Footwear

Montreal

$133 6.5%

St. Cloud, MN

$128 6.6% 3.7% $5

Getting Around

Montreal

$98 4.8%

St. Cloud, MN

$21 * 1.1% 78.6% $77

Sport & Entertainment

Montreal

$51 2.5%

St. Cloud, MN

$70 3.6% 35.5% $18

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 $992 in St. Cloud, 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 109% higher in St. Cloud, MN, which reinforces the cost advantage – you earn more and spend less. Purchasing power leans clearly in its favor.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $75.0 in Montreal versus $74.0 in St. Cloud, MN. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $344 vs $300 – making St. Cloud, MN the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇨🇦 Montreal

🇺🇸 St. Cloud, MN

🕒 Local time

08:45 8:45 AM

07:45 7:45 AM

1 h behind Montreal

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

1,762,949

65,842

💱 Currency

Canadian Dollar CAD $

United States Dollar USD $

📈 Exchange rate

1 CAD = 0.701 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 12, 2026: 1 USD = 1.43 CAD (1 CAD = 0.701 USD). 1 EUR = 1.6 CAD (1 CAD = 0.626 EUR).

United States Dollar exchange rates as of October 12, 2026: 1 EUR = 1.12 USD (1 USD = 0.892 EUR).

USD to CAD in detail →

On the map

Lowest

Highest

Between locations

Montreal St. Cloud, MN 1,600 km ≈ 2 h 30 min nonstop flight

From you

Montreal
St. Cloud, 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 St. Cloud, MN: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Montreal costs about 4% more than St. Cloud, MN, 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 $2,893 in St. Cloud, MN. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

Rent is clearly cheaper in St. Cloud, MN, especially for central apartments. Housing is actually the single biggest factor behind the overall cost gap between these two cities.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $75.0 in Montreal and $74.0 in St. Cloud, MN. That's a good indicator of the overall restaurant and café pricing gap between the two cities.

Groceries cost about 14% more in Montreal, though it depends on what you buy. Local produce may be comparable; imported and premium items show the biggest price gap.

A $2,500 monthly budget goes further in St. Cloud, MN, where all-in costs run around $1,929, than in Montreal at $2,003. In St. Cloud, MN it covers expenses comfortably, while in Montreal it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.

For digital nomads, it depends on budget. St. Cloud, MN costs $1,929 versus $2,003 in Montreal. 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 St. Cloud, MN. If higher salaries, better infrastructure, or specific career opportunities are the priority, Montreal makes more sense. Both are solid long-term options with distinct trade-offs.