Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Curitiba and Montreal

For one person, living is cheaper in Curitiba: $1,035 a month against $2,003 in Montreal, rent and utilities included – about $11,600 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

51

Cost of Living Index in Curitiba
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Curitiba Living Index
99

Cost of Living Index in Montreal
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Montreal Living Index

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Curitiba

🇧🇷 Brazil

$1,035

/mo nomad

Montreal

🇨🇦 Canada

$2,003

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,035 in Curitiba versus $2,003 in Montreal.

Curitiba $1,035
Montreal $2,003

Estimated couple costs with rent: $1,617 in Curitiba versus $3,048 in Montreal.

Curitiba $1,617
Montreal $3,048

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $2,199 in Curitiba versus $4,092 in Montreal.

Curitiba $2,199
Montreal $4,092

Living in Curitiba costs roughly 48% less than in Montreal, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

The two cities straddle the global median: Curitiba is 23% below, Montreal is 49% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$8.04 R$40.36

$19.31 CA$27.46

-58.36%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$40.63 R$204

$75.5 CA$107

-46.19%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$9.14 R$45.88

$10.63 CA$15.11

-14.02%

Cappuccino

$2.71 R$13.62

$3.93 CA$5.58

-31.04%

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

$1.16 R$5.80

$1.92 CA$2.73

-39.58%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.90 R$4.50

$1.48 CA$2.11

-39.19%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.74 R$13.73

$6.30 CA$8.96

-56.51%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.08 R$20.49

$7.19 CA$10.22

-43.25%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.10 R$5.50

$2.22 CA$3.16

-50.45%

White Bread (500g)

$1.85 R$9.28

$3.06 CA$4.35

-39.54%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.35 R$6.77

$2.94 CA$4.18

-54.08%

Eggs

$2.49 R$12.48

$3.53 CA$5.02

-29.46%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$10.30 R$51.7

$13.19 CA$18.76

-21.91%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$4.93 R$24.72

$11.24 CA$15.98

-56.14%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$10.54 R$52.9

$13.81 CA$19.65

-23.68%

Apples (1kg)

$1.75 R$8.80

$3.40 CA$4.84

-48.53%

Banana (1kg)

$1.12 R$5.60

$1.44 CA$2.05

-22.22%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.00 R$5.04

$3.26 CA$4.64

-69.33%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.35 R$6.76

$2.88 CA$4.09

-53.13%

Potato (1kg)

$0.86 R$4.29

$1.86 CA$2.64

-53.76%

Onion (1kg)

$0.78 R$3.94

$1.82 CA$2.60

-57.14%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.73 R$3.68

$2.43 CA$3.45

-69.96%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.83 R$4.17

$1.52 CA$2.17

-45.39%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$3.05 R$15.29

$11.45 CA$16.29

-73.36%

Wine (Bottle)

$7.64 R$38.32

$10.36 CA$14.73

-26.25%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.30 R$6.52

$2.22 CA$3.15

-41.44%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.44 R$12.22

$2.82 CA$4.01

-13.48%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.17 R$5.87

$2.58 CA$3.66

-54.65%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$73.4 R$369

$76.9 CA$109

-4.49%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.32 R$6.64

$3.25 CA$4.63

-59.38%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.81 R$4.09

$1.48 CA$2.11

-45.27%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$5.98 R$30.00

$33.04 CA$46.99

-81.90%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.36 R$6.83

$1.36 CA$1.93

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

$23.4K R$117.6K

$27.4K CA$39.0K

-14.52%

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

$33.4K R$167.7K

$20.0K CA$28.4K

67.31%

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

$103 R$519

$76.1 CA$108

35.84%

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

$14.97 R$75.1

$34.68 CA$49.32

-56.83%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$23.58 R$118

$42.69 CA$60.7

-44.76%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$29.27 R$147

$28.94 CA$41.17

1.14%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$20.06 R$101

$20.33 CA$28.91

-1.33%

Cinema Ticket

$7.64 R$38.34

$11.21 CA$15.94

-31.85%

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

$379 R$1,904

$505 CA$718

-24.88%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$11.2K R$56.0K

$16.0K CA$22.8K

-30.31%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$56.5 R$283

$58.5 CA$83.2

-3.49%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$56.0 R$281

$38.00 CA$54.1

47.39%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$97.4 R$489

$92.7 CA$132

5.03%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$80.1 R$402

$106 CA$150

-24.26%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$520 R$2,609

$1,240 CA$1,764

-58.07%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$300 R$1,506

$986 CA$1,402

-69.55%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$827 R$4,150

$2,102 CA$2,990

-60.66%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$545 R$2,737

$1,615 CA$2,297

-66.22%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$2,450 R$12.3K

$5,043 CA$7,173

-51.41%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,755 R$8,808

$3,830 CA$5,447

-54.16%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$689 R$3,456

$2,920 CA$4,154

-76.42%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

11.54

4.46

158.74%

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

Last update for Curitiba: October 3, 2026

Last update for Montreal: October 6, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Curitiba

$300 28.4%

Montreal

$986 47.9% 228% $686

Groceries & Markets

Curitiba

$202 19.1%

Montreal

$344 16.7% 70.2% $142

Eating Out

Curitiba

$154 14.6%

Montreal

$293 14.2% 89.7% $138

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Curitiba

$142 13.4%

Montreal

$154 7.5% 8.1% $12

Clothing & Footwear

Curitiba

$130 12.3%

Montreal

$133 6.5% 1.7% $2.3

Getting Around

Curitiba

$84 7.9%

Montreal

$98 4.8% 17.2% $14

Sport & Entertainment

Curitiba

$45 4.2%

Montreal

$51 2.5% 15.3% $6.8

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $520 in Curitiba and $1,240 in Montreal. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Montreal pays 324% more on average. The extra income cushions the higher costs, though housing choices and lifestyle decide how much of the gap is truly closed.

Dining out: $41.00 in Curitiba vs $75.0 in Montreal for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $202 vs $344 per month, with Curitiba cheaper across the board.

Good to know

🇧🇷 Curitiba

🇨🇦 Montreal

🕒 Local time

06:42 6:42 AM

05:42 5:42 AM

1 h behind Curitiba

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

1,773,718

1,762,949

💱 Currency

Brazilian Real BRL R$

Canadian Dollar CAD $

📈 Exchange rate

1 BRL = 0.199 USD

1 BRL = 0.178 EUR

1 CAD = 0.703 USD

1 CAD = 0.627 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

CAD, USD, EUR to BRL – Brazilian Real Converter

🇺🇸 United States Dollar ($)

🇧🇷 Brazilian Real (R$)

Brazilian Real exchange rates as of October 10, 2026: 1 USD = 5.02 BRL (1 BRL = 0.199 USD). 1 EUR = 5.62 BRL (1 BRL = 0.178 EUR).

Canadian Dollar exchange rates as of October 10, 2026: 1 USD = 1.42 CAD (1 CAD = 0.703 USD). 1 EUR = 1.59 CAD (1 CAD = 0.627 EUR).

USD to BRL in detail →

On the map

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Between locations

Curitiba Montreal 8,260 km ≈ 11 h nonstop flight

From you

Curitiba
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

Curitiba vs Montreal: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Curitiba wins on cost – living expenses run 94% lower than in Montreal. Housing and daily spending are where you'll feel the difference most, making Curitiba the obvious pick if budget is a priority.

On paper, salaries run 324% lower in Montreal. That's worth factoring in alongside costs, though remote workers earning in a stronger currency may not notice the difference at all.

Rent for a central apartment: $520 in Curitiba versus $1,240 in Montreal. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

A monthly transit pass in Curitiba runs roughly 5% less than in Montreal. Both cities have functional networks, but the price difference matters if you're watching your budget.

Childcare runs $379 in Curitiba versus $505 in Montreal. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

At $1,035 in Curitiba versus $2,003 in Montreal, a $1,000 budget is realistic in Curitiba but tight or insufficient in Montreal. The gap between the two cities makes Curitiba the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

Both work as nomad bases, but Curitiba delivers better value – similar infrastructure at $1,035 monthly. If stretching your runway or maximizing savings is the goal, the price difference makes Curitiba hard to pass up.

Safety-wise, Curitiba and Montreal are on par. Petty crime is typical for cities this size, and most residents feel comfortable going about their daily routines in either place.

Expats usually find Curitiba gentler on the wallet – expenses run 94% less than in Montreal. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.