Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Montreal and Aracaju

For one person, living is cheaper in Aracaju: $746 a month against $2,018 in Montreal, rent and utilities included – about $15,300 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

Montreal
🇨🇦 Canada
$2,018
/mo nomad
Aracaju
🇧🇷 Brazil
$746
/mo nomad
Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Montreal and in Aracaju

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 Aracaju actually costs, broken down by who's living it.

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $2,018 in Montreal versus $746 in Aracaju.

  • Montreal $2,018
  • Aracaju $746

Estimated couple costs with rent: $3,085 in Montreal versus $1,168 in Aracaju.

  • Montreal $3,085
  • Aracaju $1,168

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $4,152 in Montreal versus $1,590 in Aracaju.

  • Montreal $4,152
  • Aracaju $1,590

Living in Montreal is roughly 170% more expensive than in Aracaju, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

The two cities straddle the global median: Montreal is 49% above, Aracaju is 45% below.

Currency
🍽 Eating Out
Montreal
Aracaju
Difference
Meal at Budget Restaurant
$18.82 CA$26.76
$4.94 R$24.81
280.97%
Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range
$70.3 CA$99.9
$24.53 R$123
186.55%
Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)
$10.66 CA$15.15
$6.17 R$30.96
72.77%
Cappuccino
$3.84 CA$5.46
$1.74 R$8.72
120.69%
Coke/Pepsi/Fanta/Sprite (0.33 liter bottle)
$1.92 CA$2.72
$1.18 R$5.90
62.71%
Water (0.33 liter bottle)
$1.54 CA$2.19
$0.67 R$3.36
129.85%
Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)
$6.23 CA$8.86
$1.95 R$9.78
219.49%
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$7.10 CA$10.09
$2.82 R$14.17
151.77%
🛒 Groceries & Markets
Montreal
Aracaju
Difference
Milk (1 liter)
$2.31 CA$3.29
$1.05 R$5.27
120.00%
White Bread (500g)
$3.14 CA$4.47
$1.53 R$7.69
105.23%
Rice (white) (1kg)
$3.21 CA$4.57
$1.21 R$6.09
165.29%
Eggs
$3.52 CA$5.00
$1.68 R$8.45
109.52%
Local Cheese (1kg)
$12.81 CA$18.22
$7.70 R$38.65
66.36%
Chicken Fillets (1kg)
$11.46 CA$16.30
$3.79 R$19.01
202.37%
Beef Round Steak (1kg)
$13.39 CA$19.03
$7.42 R$37.23
80.46%
Apples (1kg)
$3.14 CA$4.46
$2.15 R$10.78
46.05%
Banana (1kg)
$1.44 CA$2.04
$1.31 R$6.59
9.92%
Oranges (1kg)
$3.47 CA$4.94
$0.73 R$3.65
375.34%
Tomato (1kg)
$3.07 CA$4.37
$1.02 R$5.13
200.98%
Potato (1kg)
$1.90 CA$2.70
$0.97 R$4.89
95.88%
Onion (1kg)
$1.77 CA$2.52
$0.91 R$4.58
94.51%
Lettuce (1 head)
$2.34 CA$3.33
$0.51 R$2.57
358.82%
Water (1.5 liter bottle)
$1.55 CA$2.21
$0.76 R$3.81
103.95%
Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)
$11.38 CA$16.18
$2.34 R$11.75
386.32%
Wine (Bottle)
$10.63 CA$15.12
$6.12 R$30.70
73.69%
Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)
$2.27 CA$3.23
$1.28 R$6.44
77.34%
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$2.82 CA$4.01
$2.03 R$10.20
38.92%
🚌 Getting Around
Montreal
Aracaju
Difference
One-way Ticket (Public Transport)
$2.66 CA$3.79
$0.94 R$4.70
182.98%
Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)
$77.3 CA$110
$42.85 R$215
80.37%
Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)
$3.20 CA$4.55
$1.68 R$8.44
90.48%
Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)
$1.48 CA$2.10
$1.22 R$6.10
21.31%
Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)
$32.88 CA$46.75
$6.92 R$34.70
375.14%
Gasoline (1 liter)
$1.34 CA$1.91
$1.27 R$6.36
5.51%
Midsize Hatchback 1.4l (Volkswagen Golf, Toyota Prius, Honda Civic, etc)
$28.2K CA$40.0K
$23.4K R$117.5K
20.24%
Compact Sedan 1.6l (Toyota Corolla, Mazda3, Kia K4, Hyundai Elantra, etc)
$19.6K CA$27.9K
$34.2K R$171.4K
-42.53%
🧾 Monthly Utilities & Internet
Montreal
Aracaju
Difference
Utilities for 2 People in 2-bedroom Apartment (Heating, Electricity, Gas, Water, Garbage) (85m2)
$76.0 CA$108
$96.5 R$484
-21.31%
SIM Card Monthly Plan (Calls and 10GB+ Data)
$33.95 CA$48.28
$9.68 R$48.55
250.72%
Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)
$42.31 CA$60.2
$17.43 R$87.5
142.74%
🎉 Sport & Entertainment
Montreal
Aracaju
Difference
Gym Membership (Monthly)
$29.76 CA$42.31
$22.93 R$115
29.79%
Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)
$20.28 CA$28.84
$27.44 R$138
-26.09%
Cinema Ticket
$11.15 CA$15.86
$6.45 R$32.35
72.87%
🧸 Childcare & Education
Montreal
Aracaju
Difference
Preschool or Kindergarten, Full Day, Private, 1 Child (Monthly)
$507 CA$721
$188 R$943
169.94%
International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)
$16.1K CA$22.8K
$5,306 R$26.6K
202.52%
👕👟 Clothing & Footwear
Montreal
Aracaju
Difference
Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)
$57.6 CA$81.8
$58.9 R$295
-2.26%
Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)
$37.58 CA$53.4
$35.28 R$177
6.52%
Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)
$91.9 CA$131
$87.6 R$440
4.91%
Men's Leather Business Shoes
$110 CA$156
$82.6 R$414
32.66%
🏠 Accommodation & Living
Montreal
Aracaju
Difference
1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$1,260 CA$1,792
$313 R$1,570
302.78%
1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$948 CA$1,347
$145 R$726
554.71%
3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$2,137 CA$3,038
$639 R$3,205
234.58%
3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$1,614 CA$2,294
$277 R$1,389
482.82%
Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)
$4,960 CA$7,052
$1,301 R$6,525
281.35%
Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)
$3,838 CA$5,456
$903 R$4,531
324.98%
💵 Salaries & Financials
Montreal
Aracaju
Difference
Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)
$2,827 CA$4,020
$453 R$2,275
523.68%
20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)
4.48
10
-55.20%

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

Last update for Montreal: October 12, 2026

Last update for Aracaju: October 10, 2026

Monthly budget structure
Share of the monthly basket for one person, rent included.
Accommodation & Living
Montreal
$948
Aracaju
$145 84.7% $803
Groceries & Markets
Montreal
$346
Aracaju
$167 51.8% $179
Eating Out
Montreal
$288
Aracaju
$102 64.7% $186
Monthly Utilities & Internet
Montreal
$152
Aracaju
$124 18.8% $29
Clothing & Footwear
Montreal
$133
Aracaju
$119 10.9% $15
Getting Around
Montreal
$99
Aracaju
$54 44.8% $44
Sport & Entertainment
Montreal
$52
Aracaju
$36 31.2% $16

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,260 in Montreal and $313 in Aracaju. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Montreal pays 524% 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: $70.0 in Montreal vs $25.00 in Aracaju for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $346 vs $167 per month, with Aracaju cheaper across the board.

Good to know
🇨🇦 Montreal
🇧🇷 Aracaju
🕒 Local time
08:45 8:45 AM
09:45 9:45 AM
1 h ahead of Montreal
🌤 Weather
👥 Population
1,762,949
602,757
💱 Currency
Exchange rates and currency converter

BRL, USD, EUR to CAD – Canadian Dollar Converter

Canadian Dollar exchange rates as of October 14, 2026: 1 USD = 1.42 CAD (1 CAD = 0.703 USD). 1 EUR = 1.59 CAD (1 CAD = 0.628 EUR).

Brazilian Real exchange rates as of October 14, 2026: 1 USD = 5.02 BRL (1 BRL = 0.199 USD). 1 EUR = 5.62 BRL (1 BRL = 0.178 EUR).

On the map
Between locations
  • Montreal Aracaju 7,260 km ≈ 10 h nonstop flight
From you
  • Montreal
  • Aracaju

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 Aracaju: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions
What is the total cost difference between living in Montreal and in Aracaju?
Montreal and Aracaju differ by about 170% in total monthly costs ($2,018 vs $746 including rent). Aracaju is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.
Which city pays better: Montreal or Aracaju?
Average pay runs 524% higher in Montreal, which matters when comparing affordability. Whether that higher income actually nets you more depends on your spending habits and housing choices.
How do apartment prices compare in Montreal and in Aracaju?
Rent for a central apartment: $1,260 in Montreal versus $313 in Aracaju. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.
What is the difference in childcare costs between Montreal and Aracaju?
Childcare runs $507 in Montreal versus $188 in Aracaju. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.
Which city has cheaper grocery shopping?
Supermarket bills run roughly 107% higher in Montreal. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.
Which city is more doable on $2,000 per month?
At $746 in Aracaju versus $2,018 in Montreal, a $2,000 budget is realistic in Aracaju but tight or insufficient in Montreal. The gap between the two cities makes Aracaju the clear choice for anyone on this budget.
How does quality of life compare between Montreal and Aracaju?
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.
Is Montreal or Aracaju safer for residents?
Safety-wise, Montreal and Aracaju are on par. Petty crime is typical for cities this size, and most residents feel comfortable going about their daily routines in either place.
Where should expats move: Montreal or Aracaju?
Expats usually find Aracaju gentler on the wallet – expenses run 170% less than in Montreal. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.

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