Last update: Nov 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Montreal and Brades

For one person, living is cheaper in Brades: $922 a month against $2,067 in Montreal, rent and utilities included – about $13,700 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

100

Cost of Living Index in Montreal
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Montreal Living Index

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Montreal

🇨🇦 Canada

$2,067

/mo nomad

Brades

🇲🇸 Montserrat

$922

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Montreal and in Brades

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $2,067 in Montreal versus $922 in Brades.

Montreal $2,067
Brades $922

Estimated couple costs with rent: $3,179 in Montreal versus $2,158 in Brades.

Montreal $3,179
Brades $2,158

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $4,291 in Montreal versus $3,393 in Brades.

Montreal $4,291
Brades $3,393

Living in Montreal is roughly 124% more expensive than in Brades, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in transport.

The two cities straddle the global median: Montreal is 53% above, Brades is 32% below.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$18.89 CA$26.48

$18.75 EC$50.6

0.75%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$72.6 CA$102

$48.38 EC$131

49.98%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$10.79 CA$15.13

$12.16 EC$32.84

-11.27%

Cappuccino

$3.98 CA$5.58

$7.09 EC$19.14

-43.86%

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

$2.02 CA$2.83

$2.81 EC$7.58

-28.11%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.63 CA$2.29

$1.58 EC$4.28

3.16%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$6.32 CA$8.86

$2.99 EC$8.08

111.37%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$7.06 CA$9.90

$4.49 EC$12.13

57.24%

Milk (1 liter)

$2.33 CA$3.27

$3.43 EC$9.27

-32.07%

White Bread (500g)

$3.25 CA$4.55

$2.92 EC$7.88

11.30%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$3.26 CA$4.58

Eggs

$3.48 CA$4.87

$7.10 EC$19.18

-50.99%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$13.73 CA$19.25

$5.76 EC$15.55

138.37%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$11.48 CA$16.09

$9.28 EC$25.05

23.71%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$14.26 CA$19.99

$23.46 EC$63.3

-39.22%

Apples (1kg)

$3.52 CA$4.94

$3.22 EC$8.69

9.32%

Banana (1kg)

$1.46 CA$2.04

Oranges (1kg)

$3.41 CA$4.78

Tomato (1kg)

$3.20 CA$4.49

$4.57 EC$12.34

-29.98%

Potato (1kg)

$1.94 CA$2.71

Onion (1kg)

$1.78 CA$2.50

$2.27 EC$6.13

-21.59%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.52 CA$3.53

$5.31 EC$14.35

-52.54%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.58 CA$2.22

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$11.51 CA$16.13

Wine (Bottle)

$10.57 CA$14.82

$21.92 EC$59.2

-51.78%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.35 CA$3.29

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.90 CA$4.06

$4.46 EC$12.05

-34.98%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.61 CA$3.66

$1.90 EC$5.12

37.37%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$78.5 CA$110

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.17 CA$4.45

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.49 CA$2.09

$4.62 EC$12.48

-67.75%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$33.49 CA$46.94

$1.90 EC$5.13

1662.63%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.36 CA$1.91

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

$28.0K CA$39.3K

$22.1K EC$59.7K

26.78%

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

$21.1K CA$29.6K

$15.0K EC$40.4K

41.28%

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

$77.6 CA$109

$91.9 EC$248

-15.59%

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

$35.63 CA$49.94

$40.21 EC$109

-11.39%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$43.73 CA$61.3

$48.12 EC$130

-9.12%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$30.07 CA$42.16

$55.0 EC$149

-45.34%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$19.97 CA$27.99

Cinema Ticket

$11.27 CA$15.80

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

$522 CA$732

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$17.8K CA$24.9K

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$59.0 CA$82.7

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$39.01 CA$54.7

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$99.8 CA$140

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$110 CA$154

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,298 CA$1,820

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$970 CA$1,360

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,323 CA$3,257

$1,285 EC$3,469

80.80%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,689 CA$2,368

$1,311 EC$3,540

28.84%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$5,004 CA$7,014

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$3,736 CA$5,237

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$2,943 CA$4,125

$1,301 EC$3,514

126.14%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

4.51

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

Last update for Montreal: November 3, 2026

Last update for Brades: November 2, 2026

Monthly budget structure

Share of the monthly basket for one person, rent included.

Accommodation & Living

Montreal

$970 47%

Brades

–

Groceries & Markets

Montreal

$357 17.3%

Brades

–

Eating Out

Montreal

$292 14.1%

Brades

–

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Montreal

$157 7.6%

Brades

–

Clothing & Footwear

Montreal

$138 6.7%

Brades

–

Getting Around

Montreal

$100 4.8%

Brades

–

Sport & Entertainment

Montreal

$53 2.6%

Brades

–

Cost Breakdown

Montreal pays about 2.3 times more on average. How far that income stretches comes down to housing choices and lifestyle.

Dining out: $73 in Montreal vs $48 in Brades for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $357 vs $343 per month, with Brades cheaper across the board.

Good to know

🇨🇦 Montreal

🇲🇸 Brades

🕒 Local time

04:07 4:07 AM

05:07 5:07 AM

1 h ahead of Montreal

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

1,762,949

400

💱 Currency

Canadian Dollar CAD $

East Caribbean Dollar XCD $

📈 Exchange rate

1 CAD = 0.713 USD

1 CAD = 0.635 EUR

1 XCD = 0.37 USD

1 XCD = 0.33 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

XCD, USD, EUR to CAD – Canadian Dollar Converter

🇺🇸 United States Dollar ($)

🇨🇦 Canadian Dollar ($)

Canadian Dollar exchange rates as of November 6, 2026: 1 USD = 1.4 CAD (1 CAD = 0.713 USD). 1 EUR = 1.57 CAD (1 CAD = 0.635 EUR).

East Caribbean Dollar exchange rates as of November 6, 2026: 1 USD = 2.7 XCD (1 XCD = 0.37 USD). 1 EUR = 3.03 XCD (1 XCD = 0.33 EUR).

USD to CAD in detail →

On the map

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Between locations

Montreal Brades 3,360 km ≈ 4 h 45 min nonstop flight

From you

Montreal
Brades

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 Brades: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Brades wins on cost – living expenses run 55% lower than in Montreal. Housing and daily spending are where you’ll feel the difference most, making Brades the obvious pick if budget is a priority.

Average pay in Montreal is about 2.3 times higher, which matters when comparing affordability. Whether that higher income actually nets you more depends on your spending habits and housing choices.

All in, you’ll spend $2,067 per month in Montreal versus $922 in Brades – Brades is about 55% cheaper, which adds up to real savings over time.

Supermarket bills run roughly 4% higher in Montreal. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

Both cities are expensive relative to $800. Brades is the more realistic option, but even there you’ll need to be disciplined with housing, food, and fun money.

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, Montreal and Brades are both considered safe, so it’s unlikely to be the deciding factor between them.

It comes down to priorities – Brades wins on affordability, Montreal on earning potential. Factor in climate, language, visa rules, and proximity to places that matter to you before deciding.