Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Montreal and Araraquara

For one person, living is cheaper in Araraquara: $669 a month against $2,018 in Montreal, rent and utilities included – about $16,200 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

Montreal
🇨🇦 Canada
$2,018
/mo nomad
Araraquara
🇧🇷 Brazil
$669
/mo nomad
Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Montreal and in Araraquara

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $2,018 in Montreal versus $669 in Araraquara.

  • Montreal $2,018
  • Araraquara $669

Estimated couple costs with rent: $3,085 in Montreal versus $1,111 in Araraquara.

  • Montreal $3,085
  • Araraquara $1,111

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $4,152 in Montreal versus $1,553 in Araraquara.

  • Montreal $4,152
  • Araraquara $1,553

Living in Montreal is roughly 202% more expensive than in Araraquara, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

The two cities straddle the global median: Montreal is 49% above, Araraquara is 50% below.

Currency
🍽 Eating Out
Montreal
Araraquara
Difference
Meal at Budget Restaurant
$18.82 CA$26.76
$5.96 R$29.93
215.77%
Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range
$70.3 CA$99.9
$24.37 R$122
188.43%
Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)
$10.66 CA$15.15
$7.00 R$35.14
52.29%
Cappuccino
$3.84 CA$5.46
$2.20 R$11.03
74.55%
Coke/Pepsi/Fanta/Sprite (0.33 liter bottle)
$1.92 CA$2.72
$1.66 R$8.35
15.66%
Water (0.33 liter bottle)
$1.54 CA$2.19
$0.83 R$4.16
85.54%
Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)
$6.23 CA$8.86
$2.02 R$10.12
208.42%
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$7.10 CA$10.09
$4.10 R$20.58
73.17%
🛒 Groceries & Markets
Montreal
Araraquara
Difference
Milk (1 liter)
$2.31 CA$3.29
$0.93 R$4.64
148.39%
White Bread (500g)
$3.14 CA$4.47
$1.27 R$6.39
147.24%
Rice (white) (1kg)
$3.21 CA$4.57
$1.20 R$6.03
167.50%
Eggs
$3.52 CA$5.00
$2.41 R$12.09
46.06%
Local Cheese (1kg)
$12.81 CA$18.22
$6.83 R$34.28
87.55%
Chicken Fillets (1kg)
$11.46 CA$16.30
$3.40 R$17.05
237.06%
Beef Round Steak (1kg)
$13.39 CA$19.03
$6.40 R$32.09
109.22%
Apples (1kg)
$3.14 CA$4.46
$1.43 R$7.17
119.58%
Banana (1kg)
$1.44 CA$2.04
$0.91 R$4.55
58.24%
Oranges (1kg)
$3.47 CA$4.94
$0.94 R$4.73
269.15%
Tomato (1kg)
$3.07 CA$4.37
$1.27 R$6.38
141.73%
Potato (1kg)
$1.90 CA$2.70
$0.85 R$4.26
123.53%
Onion (1kg)
$1.77 CA$2.52
$0.82 R$4.10
115.85%
Lettuce (1 head)
$2.34 CA$3.33
$0.66 R$3.30
254.55%
Water (1.5 liter bottle)
$1.55 CA$2.21
$0.75 R$3.76
106.67%
Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)
$11.38 CA$16.18
$2.01 R$10.10
466.17%
Wine (Bottle)
$10.63 CA$15.12
$5.08 R$25.49
109.25%
Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)
$2.27 CA$3.23
$0.98 R$4.93
131.63%
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$2.82 CA$4.01
$1.56 R$7.82
80.77%
🚌 Getting Around
Montreal
Araraquara
Difference
One-way Ticket (Public Transport)
$2.66 CA$3.79
$1.07 R$5.35
148.60%
Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)
$77.3 CA$110
$25.73 R$129
200.39%
Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)
$3.20 CA$4.55
$1.27 R$6.38
151.97%
Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)
$1.48 CA$2.10
$0.98 R$4.92
51.02%
Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)
$32.88 CA$46.75
$9.56 R$47.98
243.93%
Gasoline (1 liter)
$1.34 CA$1.91
$1.14 R$5.71
17.54%
Midsize Hatchback 1.4l (Volkswagen Golf, Toyota Prius, Honda Civic, etc)
$28.2K CA$40.0K
$22.9K R$115.1K
22.77%
Compact Sedan 1.6l (Toyota Corolla, Mazda3, Kia K4, Hyundai Elantra, etc)
$19.6K CA$27.9K
$23.7K R$119.0K
-17.26%
🧾 Monthly Utilities & Internet
Montreal
Araraquara
Difference
Utilities for 2 People in 2-bedroom Apartment (Heating, Electricity, Gas, Water, Garbage) (85m2)
$76.0 CA$108
$44.50 R$223
70.70%
SIM Card Monthly Plan (Calls and 10GB+ Data)
$33.95 CA$48.28
$10.10 R$50.7
236.14%
Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)
$42.31 CA$60.2
$18.05 R$90.6
134.40%
🎉 Sport & Entertainment
Montreal
Araraquara
Difference
Gym Membership (Monthly)
$29.76 CA$42.31
$26.46 R$133
12.47%
Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)
$20.28 CA$28.84
$19.82 R$99.5
2.32%
Cinema Ticket
$11.15 CA$15.86
$4.13 R$20.71
169.98%
🧸 Childcare & Education
Montreal
Araraquara
Difference
Preschool or Kindergarten, Full Day, Private, 1 Child (Monthly)
$507 CA$721
$295 R$1,481
71.78%
International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)
$16.1K CA$22.8K
$7,766 R$39.0K
106.67%
👕👟 Clothing & Footwear
Montreal
Araraquara
Difference
Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)
$57.6 CA$81.8
$47.67 R$239
20.73%
Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)
$37.58 CA$53.4
$44.24 R$222
-15.05%
Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)
$91.9 CA$131
$96.9 R$486
-5.14%
Men's Leather Business Shoes
$110 CA$156
$55.2 R$277
98.55%
🏠 Accommodation & Living
Montreal
Araraquara
Difference
1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$1,260 CA$1,792
$223 R$1,121
464.07%
1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$948 CA$1,347
$143 R$716
563.84%
3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$2,137 CA$3,038
$492 R$2,470
334.06%
3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$1,614 CA$2,294
$352 R$1,767
358.24%
Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)
$4,960 CA$7,052
$1,382 R$6,935
258.82%
Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)
$3,838 CA$5,456
-
-
💵 Salaries & Financials
Montreal
Araraquara
Difference
Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)
$2,827 CA$4,020
$463 R$2,321
511.19%
20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)
4.48
11.12
-59.71%

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

Last update for Montreal: October 12, 2026

Last update for Araraquara: October 11, 2026

Monthly budget structure
Share of the monthly basket for one person, rent included.
Accommodation & Living
Montreal
$948
Araraquara
$143 84.9% $805
Groceries & Markets
Montreal
$346
Araraquara
$150 56.8% $197
Eating Out
Montreal
$288
Araraquara
$123 57.1% $164
Monthly Utilities & Internet
Montreal
$152
Araraquara
$73 52.3% $80
Clothing & Footwear
Montreal
$133
Araraquara
$110 17.7% $24
Getting Around
Montreal
$99
Araraquara
$36 63.3% $62
Sport & Entertainment
Montreal
$52
Araraquara
$35 33.3% $17

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,260 in Montreal and $223 in Araraquara. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Montreal pays 511% 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 $24.00 in Araraquara for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $346 vs $150 per month, with Araraquara cheaper across the board.

Good to know
🇨🇦 Montreal
🇧🇷 Araraquara
🕒 Local time
11:34 11:34 AM
12:34 12:34 PM
1 h ahead of Montreal
🌤 Weather
👥 Population
1,762,949
242,228
💱 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 Araraquara 7,910 km ≈ 10 h nonstop flight
From you
  • Montreal
  • Araraquara

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 Araraquara: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions
What is the total cost difference between living in Montreal and in Araraquara?
Montreal and Araraquara differ by about 202% in total monthly costs ($2,018 vs $669 including rent). Araraquara is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.
Which city pays better: Montreal or Araraquara?
Average pay runs 511% 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 Araraquara?
Rent for a central apartment: $1,260 in Montreal versus $223 in Araraquara. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.
Which city has cheaper grocery shopping?
Supermarket bills run roughly 131% higher in Montreal. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.
Which city has cheaper restaurants?
Dining out is cheaper in Araraquara – a meal for two runs $24.00 versus $70.0 in Montreal. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.
Which city is more doable on $2,000 per month?
At $669 in Araraquara versus $2,018 in Montreal, a $2,000 budget is realistic in Araraquara but tight or insufficient in Montreal. The gap between the two cities makes Araraquara the clear choice for anyone on this budget.
How does quality of life compare between Montreal and Araraquara?
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 Araraquara safer for residents?
Safety-wise, Montreal and Araraquara 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 Araraquara?
Expats usually find Araraquara gentler on the wallet – expenses run 202% less than in Montreal. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.

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