Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Macaé and Montreal

For one person, living is cheaper in Macaé: $885 a month against $2,018 in Montreal, rent and utilities included – about $13,600 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

43

Cost of Living Index in Macaé
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Macaé Living Index
99

Cost of Living Index in Montreal
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Montreal Living Index

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Macaé

🇧🇷 Brazil

$885

/mo nomad

Montreal

🇨🇦 Canada

$2,018

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $885 in Macaé versus $2,018 in Montreal.

Macaé $885
Montreal $2,018

Estimated couple costs with rent: $1,498 in Macaé versus $3,085 in Montreal.

Macaé $1,498
Montreal $3,085

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $2,111 in Macaé versus $4,152 in Montreal.

Macaé $2,111
Montreal $4,152

Living in Macaé costs roughly 56% less than in Montreal, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

The two cities straddle the global median: Macaé is 34% below, Montreal is 49% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$5.49 R$27.83

$18.82 CA$26.61

-70.83%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$30.40 R$154

$70.3 CA$99.4

-56.75%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$7.09 R$35.95

$10.66 CA$15.06

-33.49%

Cappuccino

$1.70 R$8.63

$3.84 CA$5.43

-55.73%

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

$1.41 R$7.15

$1.92 CA$2.71

-26.56%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.59 R$2.99

$1.54 CA$2.18

-61.69%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$1.24 R$6.26

$6.23 CA$8.81

-80.10%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.75 R$13.93

$7.10 CA$10.03

-61.27%

Milk (1 liter)

$0.97 R$4.91

$2.31 CA$3.27

-58.01%

White Bread (500g)

$1.53 R$7.73

$3.14 CA$4.44

-51.27%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.37 R$6.95

$3.21 CA$4.54

-57.32%

Eggs

$1.96 R$9.92

$3.52 CA$4.97

-44.32%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$9.22 R$46.73

$12.81 CA$18.11

-28.02%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$3.36 R$17.04

$11.46 CA$16.20

-70.68%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$9.58 R$48.57

$13.39 CA$18.92

-28.45%

Apples (1kg)

$1.96 R$9.91

$3.14 CA$4.43

-37.58%

Banana (1kg)

$1.21 R$6.12

$1.44 CA$2.03

-15.97%

Oranges (1kg)

$0.93 R$4.69

$3.47 CA$4.91

-73.20%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.23 R$6.26

$3.07 CA$4.34

-59.93%

Potato (1kg)

$0.70 R$3.53

$1.90 CA$2.69

-63.16%

Onion (1kg)

$0.86 R$4.33

$1.77 CA$2.50

-51.41%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.57 R$2.88

$2.34 CA$3.31

-75.64%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.48 R$2.45

$1.55 CA$2.19

-69.03%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$1.58 R$8.00

$11.38 CA$16.09

-86.12%

Wine (Bottle)

$5.99 R$30.36

$10.63 CA$15.03

-43.65%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.03 R$5.21

$2.27 CA$3.21

-54.63%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.23 R$6.24

$2.82 CA$3.99

-56.38%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.55 R$7.83

$2.66 CA$3.76

-41.73%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$84.2 R$427

$77.3 CA$109

8.94%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.36 R$6.89

$3.20 CA$4.53

-57.50%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.78 R$3.96

$1.48 CA$2.09

-47.30%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$8.32 R$42.19

$32.88 CA$46.48

-74.70%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.26 R$6.41

$1.34 CA$1.90

-5.97%

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

$21.7K R$110.0K

$28.2K CA$39.8K

-22.95%

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

$31.4K R$159.2K

$19.6K CA$27.8K

60.01%

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

$99.6 R$505

$76.0 CA$107

31.16%

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

$9.95 R$50.4

$33.95 CA$48.00

-70.69%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$19.03 R$96.5

$42.31 CA$59.8

-55.02%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$40.47 R$205

$29.76 CA$42.07

35.99%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$29.67 R$150

$20.28 CA$28.67

46.30%

Cinema Ticket

$6.77 R$34.31

$11.15 CA$15.77

-39.28%

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

$659 R$3,339

$507 CA$717

29.90%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$7,291 R$37.0K

$16.1K CA$22.7K

-54.57%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$63.7 R$323

$57.6 CA$81.4

10.65%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$31.54 R$160

$37.58 CA$53.1

-16.07%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$67.8 R$343

$91.9 CA$130

-26.28%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$48.84 R$248

$110 CA$155

-55.43%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$375 R$1,899

$1,260 CA$1,782

-70.28%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$237 R$1,199

$948 CA$1,340

-75.03%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$911 R$4,620

$2,137 CA$3,021

-57.35%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$673 R$3,410

$1,614 CA$2,281

-58.31%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$1,275 R$6,465

$4,960 CA$7,011

-74.28%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$787 R$3,989

$3,838 CA$5,425

-79.50%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$809 R$4,104

$2,827 CA$3,997

-71.37%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

10.67

4.48

138.17%

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

Last update for Macaé: 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

Macaé

$237 26.7%

Montreal

$948 47% 301% $711

Groceries & Markets

Macaé

$170 19.2%

Montreal

$346 17.2% 104% $177

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Macaé

$129 14.5%

Montreal

$152 7.5% 18.4% $24

Eating Out

Macaé

$105 11.9%

Montreal

$288 14.3% 173% $183

Getting Around

Macaé

$96 10.8%

Montreal

$99 4.9% 3% $2.9

Clothing & Footwear

Macaé

$95 10.8%

Montreal

$133 6.6% 40% $38

Sport & Entertainment

Macaé

$54 6.1%

Montreal

$52 2.6% 3.6% $1.9

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $375 in Macaé and $1,260 in Montreal. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Montreal pays 249% 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: $30.00 in Macaé vs $70.0 in Montreal for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $170 vs $346 per month, with Macaé cheaper across the board.

Good to know

🇧🇷 Macaé

🇨🇦 Montreal

🕒 Local time

05:25 5:25 AM

04:25 4:25 AM

1 h behind Macaé

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

246,391

1,762,949

💱 Currency

Brazilian Real BRL R$

Canadian Dollar CAD $

📈 Exchange rate

1 BRL = 0.197 USD

1 BRL = 0.175 EUR

1 CAD = 0.707 USD

1 CAD = 0.629 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 19, 2026: 1 USD = 5.07 BRL (1 BRL = 0.197 USD). 1 EUR = 5.7 BRL (1 BRL = 0.175 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).

USD to BRL in detail →

On the map

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Between locations

Macaé Montreal 8,190 km ≈ 11 h nonstop flight

From you

Macaé
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

Macaé vs Montreal: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Macaé and Montreal differ by about 128% in total monthly costs ($885 vs $2,018 including rent). Macaé is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

On paper, salaries run 249% 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: $375 in Macaé versus $1,260 in Montreal. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Dining out is cheaper in Macaé – a meal for two runs $30.00 versus $70.0 in Montreal. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

All in, you'll spend $885 per month in Macaé versus $2,018 in Montreal – a 128% gap that adds up to real savings over time for anyone picking the cheaper option.

At $885 in Macaé versus $2,018 in Montreal, a $2,000 budget is realistic in Macaé but tight or insufficient in Montreal. The gap between the two cities makes Macaé the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

Both cities offer a good standard of living with different trade-offs. Neither is objectively better – the right pick depends on what matters most: affordability, career, cultural scene, or climate.

Safety-wise, Macaé 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 Macaé gentler on the wallet – expenses run 128% less than in Montreal. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.