Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Rapid City, SD and Montreal

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.

117

Cost of Living Index in Rapid City, SD
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Rapid City, SD Living Index
99

Cost of Living Index in Montreal
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Montreal Living Index

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Rapid City, SD

🇺🇸 United States

$2,396

/mo nomad

Montreal

🇨🇦 Canada

$2,018

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

Real prices from locals and on-the-ground checks – rent, groceries, transit and the daily extras. Here's what a month in Rapid City, SD and in Montreal actually costs, broken down by who's living it.

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

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

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

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

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

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

Rapid City, SD costs about 19% more than Montreal, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in transport.

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

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$17.25 $17.25

$18.82 CA$26.61

-8.34%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$63.5 $63.5

$70.3 CA$99.4

-9.63%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$11.03 $11.03

$10.66 CA$15.06

3.47%

Cappuccino

$5.64 $5.64

$3.84 CA$5.43

46.87%

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

$2.42 $2.42

$1.92 CA$2.71

26.04%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.79 $1.79

$1.54 CA$2.18

16.23%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.96 $3.96

$6.23 CA$8.81

-36.44%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$5.59 $5.59

$7.10 CA$10.03

-21.27%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.08 $1.08

$2.31 CA$3.27

-53.25%

White Bread (500g)

$3.06 $3.06

$3.14 CA$4.44

-2.55%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.94 $1.94

$3.21 CA$4.54

-39.56%

Eggs

$4.44 $4.44

$3.52 CA$4.97

26.14%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$12.98 $12.98

$12.81 CA$18.11

1.33%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$7.82 $7.82

$11.46 CA$16.20

-31.76%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$12.92 $12.92

$13.39 CA$18.92

-3.51%

Apples (1kg)

$3.54 $3.54

$3.14 CA$4.43

12.74%

Banana (1kg)

$1.30 $1.30

$1.44 CA$2.03

-9.72%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.68 $2.68

$3.47 CA$4.91

-22.77%

Tomato (1kg)

$3.62 $3.62

$3.07 CA$4.34

17.92%

Potato (1kg)

$1.94 $1.94

$1.90 CA$2.69

2.11%

Onion (1kg)

$2.48 $2.48

$1.77 CA$2.50

40.11%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.17 $2.17

$2.34 CA$3.31

-7.26%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$2.90 $2.90

$1.55 CA$2.19

87.10%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$9.72 $9.72

$11.38 CA$16.09

-14.59%

Wine (Bottle)

$13.76 $13.76

$10.63 CA$15.03

29.44%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.77 $1.77

$2.27 CA$3.21

-22.03%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.96 $4.96

$2.82 CA$3.99

75.89%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.51 $1.51

$2.66 CA$3.76

-43.23%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$30.46 $30.46

$77.3 CA$109

-60.59%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$2.96 $2.96

$3.20 CA$4.53

-7.50%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.26 $1.26

$1.48 CA$2.09

-14.86%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$24.76 $24.76

$32.88 CA$46.48

-24.70%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$0.87 $0.87

$1.34 CA$1.90

-35.07%

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

$35.2K $35.2K

$28.2K CA$39.8K

25.15%

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

$32.7K $32.7K

$19.6K CA$27.8K

66.37%

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

$195 $195

$76.0 CA$107

156.78%

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

$46.23 $46.23

$33.95 CA$48.00

36.17%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$62.8 $62.8

$42.31 CA$59.8

48.31%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$51.0 $51.0

$29.76 CA$42.07

71.34%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$14.97 $14.97

$20.28 CA$28.67

-26.18%

Cinema Ticket

$11.77 $11.77

$11.15 CA$15.77

5.56%

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

$766 $766

$507 CA$717

51.08%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$16.1K CA$22.7K

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$62.7 $62.7

$57.6 CA$81.4

9.00%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$75.4 $75.4

$37.58 CA$53.1

100.64%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$77.6 $77.6

$91.9 CA$130

-15.61%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$110 $110

$110 CA$155

0.64%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$952 $952

$1,260 CA$1,782

-24.49%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,200 $1,200

$948 CA$1,340

26.64%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,742 $1,742

$2,137 CA$3,021

-18.50%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,766 $1,766

$1,614 CA$2,281

9.41%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$2,624 $2,624

$4,960 CA$7,011

-47.09%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,599 $2,599

$3,838 CA$5,425

-32.26%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$3,778 $3,778

$2,827 CA$3,997

33.63%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

6.44

4.48

43.75%

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

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

Last update for Montreal: October 12, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Rapid City, SD

$1.2K 50.1%

Montreal

$948 47% 21% $252

Groceries & Markets

Rapid City, SD

$339 14.1%

Montreal

$346 17.2% 2.3% $7.9

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Rapid City, SD

$304 12.7%

Montreal

$152 7.5% 49.9% $152

Eating Out

Rapid City, SD

$287 12%

Montreal

$288 14.3% 0.4% $1.2

Clothing & Footwear

Rapid City, SD

$147 6.1%

Montreal

$133 6.6% 9% $13

Sport & Entertainment

Rapid City, SD

$75 3.1%

Montreal

$52 2.6% 30.1% $22

Getting Around

Rapid City, SD

$46 1.9%

Montreal

$99 4.9% 115% $53

Cost Breakdown

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

Good to know

🇺🇸 Rapid City, SD

🇨🇦 Montreal

🕒 Local time

10:45 10:45 AM

12:45 12:45 PM

2 h ahead of Rapid City, SD

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

74,703

1,762,949

💱 Currency

United States Dollar USD $

Canadian Dollar CAD $

📈 Exchange rate

1 USD = 0.89 EUR

1 CAD = 0.707 USD

1 CAD = 0.629 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

CAD, EUR to USD – United States Dollar Converter

🇨🇦 Canadian Dollar ($)

🇺🇸 United States Dollar ($)

United States Dollar exchange rates as of October 19, 2026: 1 EUR = 1.12 USD (1 USD = 0.89 EUR).

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).

CAD to USD in detail →

On the map

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Between locations

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

From you

Rapid City, SD
Montreal

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

Rapid City, SD vs Montreal: 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 $3,594 per month in Rapid City, SD and $3,027 in Montreal. 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 $64.0 in Rapid City, SD and $70.0 in Montreal. 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.