Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Williston, ND and Montreal

For one person, living is cheaper in Montreal: $2,059 a month against $2,190 in Williston, ND, rent and utilities included – about $1,600 less a year. Other living expenses account for most of the difference.

107

Cost of Living Index in Williston, ND
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Williston, ND Living Index
99

Cost of Living Index in Montreal
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Montreal Living Index

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Williston, ND

🇺🇸 United States

$2,190

/mo nomad

Montreal

🇨🇦 Canada

$2,059

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

A single person spends $2,190 per month in Williston, ND vs $2,059 in Montreal, rent included.

Williston, ND $2,190
Montreal $2,059

A couple spends around $3,609 per month in Williston, ND vs $3,123 in Montreal, rent included.

Williston, ND $3,609
Montreal $3,123

A family of three spends $5,028 per month in Williston, ND vs $4,187 in Montreal, rent included.

Williston, ND $5,028
Montreal $4,187

Williston, ND costs about 6% more than Montreal, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Both Williston, ND and Montreal sit above the global median – Williston, ND by 62%, Montreal by 52%.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$19.94 $19.94

$18.84 CA$26.63

5.84%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$74.9 $74.9

$73.2 CA$104

2.23%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$11.38 $11.38

$10.54 CA$14.90

7.97%

Cappuccino

$5.38 $5.38

$3.97 CA$5.61

35.52%

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

$2.69 $2.69

$1.94 CA$2.74

38.66%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.03 $2.03

$1.57 CA$2.22

29.30%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$6.82 $6.82

$6.42 CA$9.08

6.23%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$8.29 $8.29

$7.20 CA$10.19

15.14%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.03 $1.03

$2.32 CA$3.28

-55.60%

White Bread (500g)

$2.08 $2.08

$3.19 CA$4.51

-34.80%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$4.11 $4.11

$3.19 CA$4.50

28.84%

Eggs

$4.14 $4.14

$3.68 CA$5.20

12.50%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$30.04 $30.04

$13.24 CA$18.72

126.89%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$12.51 $12.51

$11.69 CA$16.53

7.01%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$14.01 $14.01

$13.98 CA$19.76

0.21%

Apples (1kg)

$5.11 $5.11

$3.14 CA$4.44

62.74%

Banana (1kg)

$1.63 $1.63

$1.45 CA$2.05

12.41%

Oranges (1kg)

$4.24 $4.24

$3.38 CA$4.78

25.44%

Tomato (1kg)

$4.84 $4.84

$3.11 CA$4.40

55.63%

Potato (1kg)

$2.74 $2.74

$1.93 CA$2.72

41.97%

Onion (1kg)

$2.90 $2.90

$1.83 CA$2.58

58.47%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.09 $2.09

$2.36 CA$3.34

-11.44%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$2.27 $2.27

$1.50 CA$2.12

51.33%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$10.02 $10.02

$11.12 CA$15.73

-9.89%

Wine (Bottle)

$15.31 $15.31

$10.60 CA$14.98

44.43%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.01 $2.01

$2.22 CA$3.14

-9.46%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.97 $2.97

$2.84 CA$4.01

4.58%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.23 $2.23

$2.62 CA$3.71

-14.89%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$79.1 CA$112

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.39 $3.39

$3.23 CA$4.56

4.95%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.80 $1.80

$1.48 CA$2.10

21.62%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$27.11 $27.11

$32.22 CA$45.55

-15.86%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.08 $1.08

$1.36 CA$1.92

-20.59%

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

$24.6K $24.6K

$27.6K CA$39.1K

-11.04%

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

$25.8K $25.8K

$21.2K CA$30.0K

21.71%

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

$199 $199

$77.0 CA$109

158.68%

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

$59.0 $59.0

$34.14 CA$48.26

72.93%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$74.6 $74.6

$42.19 CA$59.7

76.72%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$41.85 $41.85

$30.81 CA$43.56

35.83%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$19.66 CA$27.79

Cinema Ticket

$13.43 $13.43

$11.47 CA$16.22

17.09%

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

$1,378 $1,378

$506 CA$716

172.25%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$23.9K $23.9K

$16.2K CA$23.0K

47.07%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$53.7 $53.7

$57.3 CA$81.0

-6.27%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$40.48 $40.48

$38.10 CA$53.9

6.25%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$89.0 $89.0

$91.9 CA$130

-3.17%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$106 $106

$110 CA$155

-3.26%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,022 $1,022

$1,237 CA$1,748

-17.37%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$878 $878

$977 CA$1,381

-10.15%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,114 $2,114

$2,180 CA$3,082

-3.03%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,138 $2,138

$1,608 CA$2,273

32.94%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$2,287 $2,287

$5,113 CA$7,228

-55.28%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,297 $2,297

$3,744 CA$5,293

-38.64%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$5,895 $5,895

$2,957 CA$4,180

99.35%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

6.57

4.48

46.65%

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

Last update for Williston, ND: October 17, 2026

Last update for Montreal: October 20, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Williston, ND

$878 40.1%

Montreal

$977 47.4% 11.3% $99

Groceries & Markets

Williston, ND

$431 19.7%

Montreal

$351 17.1% 18.6% $80

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Williston, ND

$333 15.2%

Montreal

$153 7.5% 53.9% $180

Eating Out

Williston, ND

$328 15%

Montreal

$290 14.1% 11.4% $37

Clothing & Footwear

Williston, ND

$130 6%

Montreal

$134 6.5% 2.7% $3.5

Sport & Entertainment

Williston, ND

$69 3.1%

Montreal

$54 2.6% 21.8% $15

Getting Around

Williston, ND

$21 * 1%

Montreal

$100 4.9% 371% $79

Categories marked with * are only partly priced – their share counts the items that do have prices.

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $1,022 in Williston, ND versus $1,237 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 99% higher in Williston, ND, 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 Williston, ND versus $73.0 in Montreal. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $431 vs $351 – making Montreal the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇺🇸 Williston, ND

🇨🇦 Montreal

🕒 Local time

05:55 5:55 AM

06:55 6:55 AM

1 h ahead of Williston, ND

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

30,000

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 22, 2026: 1 EUR = 1.12 USD (1 USD = 0.89 EUR).

Canadian Dollar exchange rates as of October 22, 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 →

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Between locations

Williston, ND Montreal 2,290 km ≈ 3 h 15 min nonstop flight

From you

Williston, ND
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

Williston, ND vs Montreal: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Williston, ND costs about 6% more than Montreal, and outside of rent the gap comes mainly from groceries. That's enough to noticeably affect everyday spending and lifestyle for anyone choosing between the two.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $3,285 per month in Williston, ND and $3,089 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.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $75.0 in Williston, ND and $73.0 in Montreal. That's a good indicator of the overall restaurant and café pricing gap between the two cities.

Groceries cost about 23% more in Williston, ND, though it depends on what you buy. Local produce may be comparable; imported and premium items show the biggest price gap.

A $2,000 monthly budget goes further in Montreal, where all-in costs run around $2,059, than in Williston, ND at $2,190. In Montreal it covers expenses comfortably, while in Williston, ND it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.

For digital nomads, it depends on budget. Montreal costs $2,059 versus $2,190 in Williston, ND. 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, Williston, ND makes more sense. Both are solid long-term options with distinct trade-offs.