Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Montreal and Assis

For one person, living is cheaper in Assis: $862 a month against $2,059 in Montreal, rent and utilities included – about $14,400 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

Montreal
🇨🇦 Canada
$2,059
/mo nomad
Assis
🇧🇷 Brazil
$862
/mo nomad
Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Montreal and in Assis

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $2,059 in Montreal versus $862 in Assis.

  • Montreal $2,059
  • Assis $862

Estimated couple costs with rent: $3,123 in Montreal versus $1,343 in Assis.

  • Montreal $3,123
  • Assis $1,343

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $4,187 in Montreal versus $1,825 in Assis.

  • Montreal $4,187
  • Assis $1,825

Living in Montreal is roughly 139% more expensive than in Assis, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

The two cities straddle the global median: Montreal is 52% above, Assis is 36% below.

Currency
🍽 Eating Out
Montreal
Assis
Difference
Meal at Budget Restaurant
$18.84 CA$26.63
$5.98 R$30.31
215.05%
Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range
$73.2 CA$104
$23.64 R$120
209.73%
Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)
$10.54 CA$14.90
$5.92 R$30.03
78.04%
Cappuccino
$3.97 CA$5.61
$2.01 R$10.21
97.51%
Coke/Pepsi/Fanta/Sprite (0.33 liter bottle)
$1.94 CA$2.74
$1.18 R$5.97
64.41%
Water (0.33 liter bottle)
$1.57 CA$2.22
$0.82 R$4.14
91.46%
Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)
$6.42 CA$9.08
$1.62 R$8.21
296.30%
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$7.20 CA$10.19
$2.02 R$10.24
256.44%
🛒 Groceries & Markets
Montreal
Assis
Difference
Milk (1 liter)
$2.32 CA$3.28
$1.12 R$5.68
107.14%
White Bread (500g)
$3.19 CA$4.51
$1.26 R$6.40
153.17%
Rice (white) (1kg)
$3.19 CA$4.50
$1.30 R$6.60
145.38%
Eggs
$3.68 CA$5.20
$1.53 R$7.74
140.52%
Local Cheese (1kg)
$13.24 CA$18.72
$7.51 R$38.09
76.30%
Chicken Fillets (1kg)
$11.69 CA$16.53
$5.24 R$26.56
123.09%
Beef Round Steak (1kg)
$13.98 CA$19.76
$8.58 R$43.50
62.94%
Apples (1kg)
$3.14 CA$4.44
$2.12 R$10.76
48.11%
Banana (1kg)
$1.45 CA$2.05
$1.17 R$5.92
23.93%
Oranges (1kg)
$3.38 CA$4.78
$1.22 R$6.18
177.05%
Tomato (1kg)
$3.11 CA$4.40
$1.51 R$7.63
105.96%
Potato (1kg)
$1.93 CA$2.72
$1.15 R$5.83
67.83%
Onion (1kg)
$1.83 CA$2.58
$0.98 R$4.98
86.73%
Lettuce (1 head)
$2.36 CA$3.34
$0.91 R$4.62
159.34%
Water (1.5 liter bottle)
$1.50 CA$2.12
$0.97 R$4.92
54.64%
Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)
$11.12 CA$15.73
$2.46 R$12.47
352.03%
Wine (Bottle)
$10.60 CA$14.98
$6.21 R$31.48
70.69%
Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)
$2.22 CA$3.14
$1.44 R$7.29
54.17%
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$2.84 CA$4.01
$2.02 R$10.24
40.59%
🚌 Getting Around
Montreal
Assis
Difference
One-way Ticket (Public Transport)
$2.62 CA$3.71
$1.01 R$5.09
159.41%
Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)
$79.1 CA$112
$44.54 R$226
77.68%
Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)
$3.23 CA$4.56
$2.37 R$12.02
36.29%
Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)
$1.48 CA$2.10
$0.78 R$3.94
89.74%
Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)
$32.22 CA$45.55
$2.85 R$14.45
1030.53%
Gasoline (1 liter)
$1.36 CA$1.92
$1.25 R$6.33
8.80%
Midsize Hatchback 1.4l (Volkswagen Golf, Toyota Prius, Honda Civic, etc)
$27.6K CA$39.1K
$35.3K R$178.8K
-21.63%
Compact Sedan 1.6l (Toyota Corolla, Mazda3, Kia K4, Hyundai Elantra, etc)
$21.2K CA$30.0K
$32.8K R$166.0K
-35.30%
🧾 Monthly Utilities & Internet
Montreal
Assis
Difference
Utilities for 2 People in 2-bedroom Apartment (Heating, Electricity, Gas, Water, Garbage) (85m2)
$77.0 CA$109
$86.7 R$439
-11.12%
SIM Card Monthly Plan (Calls and 10GB+ Data)
$34.14 CA$48.26
$10.97 R$55.6
211.21%
Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)
$42.19 CA$59.7
$23.00 R$117
83.43%
🎉 Sport & Entertainment
Montreal
Assis
Difference
Gym Membership (Monthly)
$30.81 CA$43.56
$26.07 R$132
18.18%
Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)
$19.66 CA$27.79
$28.03 R$142
-29.86%
Cinema Ticket
$11.47 CA$16.22
$5.89 R$29.85
94.74%
🧸 Childcare & Education
Montreal
Assis
Difference
Preschool or Kindergarten, Full Day, Private, 1 Child (Monthly)
$506 CA$716
$212 R$1,074
138.83%
International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)
$16.2K CA$23.0K
$7,614 R$38.6K
113.23%
👕👟 Clothing & Footwear
Montreal
Assis
Difference
Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)
$57.3 CA$81.0
$43.34 R$220
32.12%
Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)
$38.10 CA$53.9
$58.9 R$299
-35.34%
Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)
$91.9 CA$130
$86.0 R$436
6.91%
Men's Leather Business Shoes
$110 CA$155
$60.1 R$305
82.64%
🏠 Accommodation & Living
Montreal
Assis
Difference
1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$1,237 CA$1,748
$359 R$1,817
244.97%
1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$977 CA$1,381
$243 R$1,234
301.27%
3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$2,180 CA$3,082
$677 R$3,432
222.02%
3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$1,608 CA$2,273
$471 R$2,385
241.72%
Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)
$5,113 CA$7,228
$1,718 R$8,708
197.66%
Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)
$3,744 CA$5,293
$1,206 R$6,112
210.56%
💵 Salaries & Financials
Montreal
Assis
Difference
Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)
$2,957 CA$4,180
$594 R$3,011
397.79%
20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)
4.48
10.5
-57.33%

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

Last update for Montreal: October 20, 2026

Last update for Assis: October 19, 2026

Monthly budget structure
Share of the monthly basket for one person, rent included.
Accommodation & Living
Montreal
$977
Assis
$243 75.1% $733
Groceries & Markets
Montreal
$351
Assis
$184 47.6% $167
Eating Out
Montreal
$290
Assis
$110 62.2% $181
Monthly Utilities & Internet
Montreal
$153
Assis
$121 21.3% $33
Clothing & Footwear
Montreal
$134
Assis
$112 16.4% $22
Getting Around
Montreal
$100
Assis
$55 45.3% $45
Sport & Entertainment
Montreal
$54
Assis
$38 29.6% $16

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,237 in Montreal and $359 in Assis. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Montreal pays 398% 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: $73.0 in Montreal vs $24.00 in Assis for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $351 vs $184 per month, with Assis cheaper across the board.

Good to know
🇨🇦 Montreal
🇧🇷 Assis
🕒 Local time
19:25 7:25 PM
20:25 8:25 PM
1 h ahead of Montreal
🌤 Weather
👥 Population
1,762,949
101,409
💱 Currency
Exchange rates and currency converter

BRL, USD, EUR to CAD – Canadian Dollar Converter

Canadian Dollar exchange rates as of October 20, 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 20, 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 Assis 7,930 km ≈ 10 h nonstop flight
From you
  • Montreal
  • Assis

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 Assis: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions
Is Assis cheaper than Montreal?
Assis is cheaper overall, especially in groceries, eating out, and clothing. The 139% gap adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.
Where can you earn more: Montreal or Assis?
Average pay runs 398% higher in Montreal, which matters when comparing affordability. Whether that higher income actually nets you more depends on your spending habits and housing choices.
What is the rent difference between Montreal and Assis?
Rent for a central apartment: $1,237 in Montreal versus $359 in Assis. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.
Which city has cheaper public transport?
A monthly transit pass in Assis runs roughly 78% less than in Montreal. Both cities have functional networks, but the price difference matters if you're watching your budget.
Which city has cheaper kindergarten?
Childcare runs $506 in Montreal versus $212 in Assis. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.
Is $1,500 a realistic budget for living in Montreal or in Assis?
At $862 in Assis versus $2,059 in Montreal, a $1,500 budget is realistic in Assis but tight or insufficient in Montreal. The gap between the two cities makes Assis the clear choice for anyone on this budget.
Is Montreal or Assis more family-friendly?
For families, Assis is more practical. Housing and childcare are both notably cheaper than in Montreal, and the savings on those two alone free up budget for education, activities, and family trips.
Which city is safer, Montreal or Assis?
Safety-wise, Montreal and Assis are on par. Petty crime is typical for cities this size, and most residents feel comfortable going about their daily routines in either place.
Which city is easier to live in as a foreigner?
Expats usually find Assis gentler on the wallet – expenses run 139% less than in Montreal. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.

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