Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Montreal and Araras

For one person, living is cheaper in Araras: $857 a month against $2,018 in Montreal, rent and utilities included – about $13,900 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

Montreal
🇨🇦 Canada
$2,018
/mo nomad
Araras
🇧🇷 Brazil
$857
/mo nomad
Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Montreal and in Araras

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

A single person spends $2,018 per month in Montreal vs $857 in Araras, rent included.

  • Montreal $2,018
  • Araras $857

A couple spends around $3,085 per month in Montreal vs $1,387 in Araras, rent included.

  • Montreal $3,085
  • Araras $1,387

A family of three spends $4,152 per month in Montreal vs $1,916 in Araras, rent included.

  • Montreal $4,152
  • Araras $1,916

Montreal costs about 135% more than Araras, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

Montreal sits 49% above the global median, while Araras is 37% below – they fall on opposite sides of the world average.

Currency
🍽 Eating Out
Montreal
Araras
Difference
Meal at Budget Restaurant
$18.82 CA$26.61
$5.40 R$27.36
248.52%
Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range
$70.3 CA$99.4
$31.60 R$160
122.44%
Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)
$10.66 CA$15.06
$7.13 R$36.15
49.51%
Cappuccino
$3.84 CA$5.43
$2.46 R$12.47
56.10%
Coke/Pepsi/Fanta/Sprite (0.33 liter bottle)
$1.92 CA$2.71
$1.37 R$6.95
40.15%
Water (0.33 liter bottle)
$1.54 CA$2.18
$0.93 R$4.73
65.59%
Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)
$6.23 CA$8.81
$2.43 R$12.34
156.38%
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$7.10 CA$10.03
$3.04 R$15.41
133.55%
🛒 Groceries & Markets
Montreal
Araras
Difference
Milk (1 liter)
$2.31 CA$3.27
$1.02 R$5.16
126.47%
White Bread (500g)
$3.14 CA$4.44
$1.57 R$7.94
100.00%
Rice (white) (1kg)
$3.21 CA$4.54
$0.79 R$3.99
306.33%
Eggs
$3.52 CA$4.97
$2.02 R$10.25
74.26%
Local Cheese (1kg)
$12.81 CA$18.11
$12.27 R$62.2
4.40%
Chicken Fillets (1kg)
$11.46 CA$16.20
$4.80 R$24.32
138.75%
Beef Round Steak (1kg)
$13.39 CA$18.92
$9.72 R$49.28
37.76%
Apples (1kg)
$3.14 CA$4.43
$2.14 R$10.84
46.73%
Banana (1kg)
$1.44 CA$2.03
$1.23 R$6.23
17.07%
Oranges (1kg)
$3.47 CA$4.91
$0.70 R$3.54
395.71%
Tomato (1kg)
$3.07 CA$4.34
$1.80 R$9.11
70.56%
Potato (1kg)
$1.90 CA$2.69
$0.84 R$4.25
126.19%
Onion (1kg)
$1.77 CA$2.50
$0.68 R$3.46
160.29%
Lettuce (1 head)
$2.34 CA$3.31
$1.01 R$5.13
131.68%
Water (1.5 liter bottle)
$1.55 CA$2.19
$0.52 R$2.63
198.08%
Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)
$11.38 CA$16.09
$2.35 R$11.89
384.26%
Wine (Bottle)
$10.63 CA$15.03
$8.11 R$41.09
31.07%
Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)
$2.27 CA$3.21
$0.72 R$3.65
215.28%
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$2.82 CA$3.99
$1.89 R$9.60
49.21%
🚌 Getting Around
Montreal
Araras
Difference
One-way Ticket (Public Transport)
$2.66 CA$3.76
$1.04 R$5.26
155.77%
Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)
$77.3 CA$109
$45.56 R$231
69.64%
Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)
$3.20 CA$4.53
$1.52 R$7.68
110.53%
Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)
$1.48 CA$2.09
$1.64 R$8.29
-9.76%
Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)
$32.88 CA$46.48
$7.94 R$40.28
314.11%
Gasoline (1 liter)
$1.34 CA$1.90
$1.06 R$5.35
26.42%
Midsize Hatchback 1.4l (Volkswagen Golf, Toyota Prius, Honda Civic, etc)
$28.2K CA$39.8K
$24.1K R$122.3K
16.70%
Compact Sedan 1.6l (Toyota Corolla, Mazda3, Kia K4, Hyundai Elantra, etc)
$19.6K CA$27.8K
$32.4K R$164.4K
-39.46%
🧾 Monthly Utilities & Internet
Montreal
Araras
Difference
Utilities for 2 People in 2-bedroom Apartment (Heating, Electricity, Gas, Water, Garbage) (85m2)
$76.0 CA$107
$40.62 R$206
87.00%
SIM Card Monthly Plan (Calls and 10GB+ Data)
$33.95 CA$48.00
$12.04 R$61.0
181.98%
Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)
$42.31 CA$59.8
$19.12 R$96.9
121.29%
🎉 Sport & Entertainment
Montreal
Araras
Difference
Gym Membership (Monthly)
$29.76 CA$42.07
$45.80 R$232
-35.02%
Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)
$20.28 CA$28.67
$27.51 R$139
-26.28%
Cinema Ticket
$11.15 CA$15.77
$5.94 R$30.09
87.71%
🧸 Childcare & Education
Montreal
Araras
Difference
Preschool or Kindergarten, Full Day, Private, 1 Child (Monthly)
$507 CA$717
$286 R$1,448
77.49%
International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)
$16.1K CA$22.7K
$10.4K R$52.5K
55.03%
👕👟 Clothing & Footwear
Montreal
Araras
Difference
Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)
$57.6 CA$81.4
$54.7 R$277
5.29%
Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)
$37.58 CA$53.1
$37.80 R$192
-0.58%
Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)
$91.9 CA$130
$96.5 R$489
-4.74%
Men's Leather Business Shoes
$110 CA$155
$59.9 R$304
82.85%
🏠 Accommodation & Living
Montreal
Araras
Difference
1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$1,260 CA$1,782
$234 R$1,188
437.74%
1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$948 CA$1,340
$240 R$1,217
294.77%
3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$2,137 CA$3,021
$679 R$3,444
214.51%
3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$1,614 CA$2,281
$472 R$2,393
241.79%
Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)
$4,960 CA$7,011
$1,743 R$8,834
184.60%
Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)
$3,838 CA$5,425
$1,197 R$6,070
220.51%
💵 Salaries & Financials
Montreal
Araras
Difference
Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)
$2,827 CA$3,997
-
-
20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)
4.48
12.79
-64.97%

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

Last update for Montreal: October 12, 2026

Last update for Araras: October 13, 2026

Monthly budget structure
Share of the monthly basket for one person, rent included.
Accommodation & Living
Montreal
$948
Araras
$240 74.7% $708
Groceries & Markets
Montreal
$346
Araras
$195 43.8% $152
Eating Out
Montreal
$288
Araras
$122 57.8% $166
Monthly Utilities & Internet
Montreal
$152
Araras
$72 52.8% $80
Clothing & Footwear
Montreal
$133
Araras
$112 16.1% $21
Getting Around
Montreal
$99
Araras
$59 39.7% $39
Sport & Entertainment
Montreal
$52
Araras
$58 10.8% $5.6

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $1,260 in Montreal versus $234 in Araras. Rent is usually the largest line item in a monthly budget, so the gap here sets the tone for the overall comparison.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $70.0 in Montreal versus $32.00 in Araras. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $346 vs $195 – making Araras the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know
🇨🇦 Montreal
🇧🇷 Araras
🕒 Local time
04:00 4:00 AM
05:00 5:00 AM
1 h ahead of Montreal
🌤 Weather
👥 Population
1,762,949
130,866
💱 Currency
Exchange rates and currency converter

BRL, USD, EUR to CAD – Canadian Dollar Converter

Canadian Dollar exchange rates as of October 18, 2026: 1 USD = 1.41 CAD (1 CAD = 0.707 USD). 1 EUR = 1.59 CAD (1 CAD = 0.629 EUR).

Brazilian Real exchange rates as of October 18, 2026: 1 USD = 5.07 BRL (1 BRL = 0.197 USD). 1 EUR = 5.7 BRL (1 BRL = 0.175 EUR).

On the map
Between locations
  • Montreal Araras 8,000 km ≈ 10 h nonstop flight
From you
  • Montreal
  • Araras

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 Araras: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions
Which city is more expensive, Montreal or Araras?
Montreal costs about 135% more than Araras, and outside of rent the gap comes mainly from eating out. That's enough to noticeably affect everyday spending and lifestyle for anyone choosing between the two.
How much do you need to earn to live comfortably in Montreal and in Araras?
For a comfortable life, plan on about $3,027 per month in Montreal and $1,286 in Araras. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.
Where is rent cheaper, Montreal or Araras?
Rent is clearly cheaper in Araras, especially for central apartments. Housing is actually the single biggest factor behind the overall cost gap between these two cities.
How expensive is transport in Montreal compared to Araras?
Public transport costs about 70% less in Araras. For daily commuters, that gap adds up to noticeable savings over a year.
How do childcare costs compare in Montreal and in Araras?
Kindergarten costs $507 per month in Montreal and $286 in Araras. For families with young kids, this one expense can tip the scales when choosing between the two cities.
Can you live on $1,000/month in Montreal or in Araras?
A $1,000 monthly budget goes further in Araras, where all-in costs run around $857, than in Montreal at $2,018. In Araras it covers expenses comfortably, while in Montreal it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.
Which city is better for digital nomads, Montreal or Araras?
For digital nomads, it depends on budget. Araras costs $857 versus $2,018 in Montreal. Both have workable remote work infrastructure, but the cost gap matters when income varies month to month.
How safe is Montreal compared to Araras?
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.
Should I move to Montreal or to Araras?
If budget matters most, go with Araras. If higher salaries, better infrastructure, or specific career opportunities are the priority, Montreal makes more sense. Both are solid long-term options with distinct trade-offs.

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