Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Montreal and Brasilia

For one person, living is cheaper in Brasilia: $994 a month against $2,003 in Montreal, rent and utilities included – about $12,100 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

99

Cost of Living Index in Montreal
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Montreal Living Index
49

Cost of Living Index in Brasilia
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Brasilia Living Index

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Montreal

🇨🇦 Canada

$2,003

/mo nomad

Brasilia

🇧🇷 Brazil

$994

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Montreal and in Brasilia

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $2,003 in Montreal versus $994 in Brasilia.

Montreal $2,003
Brasilia $994

Estimated couple costs with rent: $3,048 in Montreal versus $1,593 in Brasilia.

Montreal $3,048
Brasilia $1,593

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $4,092 in Montreal versus $2,193 in Brasilia.

Montreal $4,092
Brasilia $2,193

Living in Montreal is roughly 102% more expensive than in Brasilia, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

The two cities straddle the global median: Montreal is 49% above, Brasilia is 26% below.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$19.31 CA$27.52

$9.18 R$45.81

110.35%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$75.5 CA$108

$40.43 R$202

86.74%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$10.63 CA$15.15

$8.44 R$42.12

25.95%

Cappuccino

$3.93 CA$5.60

$2.73 R$13.62

43.96%

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

$1.92 CA$2.73

$1.51 R$7.55

27.15%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.48 CA$2.11

$0.99 R$4.96

49.49%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$6.30 CA$8.98

$2.37 R$11.83

165.82%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$7.19 CA$10.24

$3.95 R$19.72

82.03%

Milk (1 liter)

$2.22 CA$3.17

$1.11 R$5.52

100.00%

White Bread (500g)

$3.06 CA$4.36

$2.06 R$10.27

48.54%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.94 CA$4.19

$1.34 R$6.68

119.40%

Eggs

$3.53 CA$5.03

$2.56 R$12.79

37.89%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$13.19 CA$18.79

$11.60 R$57.9

13.71%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$11.24 CA$16.02

$4.15 R$20.69

170.84%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$13.81 CA$19.69

$9.27 R$46.27

48.98%

Apples (1kg)

$3.40 CA$4.85

$2.39 R$11.92

42.26%

Banana (1kg)

$1.44 CA$2.06

$1.55 R$7.73

-7.10%

Oranges (1kg)

$3.26 CA$4.65

$1.30 R$6.51

150.77%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.88 CA$4.10

$1.65 R$8.25

74.55%

Potato (1kg)

$1.86 CA$2.65

$1.19 R$5.96

56.30%

Onion (1kg)

$1.82 CA$2.60

$1.04 R$5.19

75.00%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.43 CA$3.46

$0.83 R$4.12

192.77%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.52 CA$2.17

$0.96 R$4.77

58.33%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$11.45 CA$16.32

$2.43 R$12.11

371.19%

Wine (Bottle)

$10.36 CA$14.76

$8.15 R$40.66

27.12%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.22 CA$3.16

$1.29 R$6.43

72.09%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.82 CA$4.02

$2.50 R$12.50

12.80%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.58 CA$3.67

$1.07 R$5.33

141.12%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$76.9 CA$110

$35.76 R$179

115.02%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.25 CA$4.64

$1.10 R$5.50

195.45%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.48 CA$2.11

$0.86 R$4.32

72.09%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$33.04 CA$47.09

$6.56 R$32.73

403.66%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.36 CA$1.94

$1.29 R$6.44

5.43%

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

$27.4K CA$39.1K

$23.9K R$119.5K

14.57%

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

$20.0K CA$28.5K

$33.6K R$167.6K

-40.50%

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

$76.1 CA$109

$97.6 R$487

-22.02%

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

$34.68 CA$49.43

$12.78 R$63.8

171.36%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$42.69 CA$60.9

$22.79 R$114

87.32%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$28.94 CA$41.26

$34.48 R$172

-16.07%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$20.33 CA$28.97

$28.17 R$141

-27.83%

Cinema Ticket

$11.21 CA$15.98

$7.80 R$38.93

43.72%

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

$505 CA$720

$844 R$4,211

-40.12%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$16.0K CA$22.8K

$16.8K R$83.6K

-4.44%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$58.5 CA$83.4

$56.7 R$283

3.10%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$38.00 CA$54.2

$43.89 R$219

-13.42%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$92.7 CA$132

$86.3 R$431

7.44%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$106 CA$151

$89.3 R$446

18.40%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,240 CA$1,768

$498 R$2,484

149.20%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$986 CA$1,405

$282 R$1,406

250.13%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,102 CA$2,996

$1,156 R$5,772

81.79%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,615 CA$2,302

$574 R$2,863

181.50%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$5,043 CA$7,188

$2,497 R$12.5K

101.93%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$3,830 CA$5,459

$1,735 R$8,660

120.76%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$2,920 CA$4,163

$848 R$4,233

244.36%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

4.46

12.12

-63.20%

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

Last update for Montreal: October 6, 2026

Last update for Brasilia: October 5, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Montreal

$986 47.9%

Brasilia

$282 27.9% 71.4% $704

Groceries & Markets

Montreal

$344 16.7%

Brasilia

$213 21.2% 37.9% $130

Eating Out

Montreal

$293 14.2%

Brasilia

$161 16% 45% $132

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Montreal

$154 7.5%

Brasilia

$133 13.2% 13.2% $20

Clothing & Footwear

Montreal

$133 6.5%

Brasilia

$124 12.3% 6.4% $8.4

Getting Around

Montreal

$98 4.8%

Brasilia

$45 4.5% 53.6% $52

Sport & Entertainment

Montreal

$51 2.5%

Brasilia

$50 5% 2.5% $1.3

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,240 in Montreal and $498 in Brasilia. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Montreal pays 244% 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: $75.0 in Montreal vs $40.00 in Brasilia for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $344 vs $213 per month, with Brasilia cheaper across the board.

Good to know

🇨🇦 Montreal

🇧🇷 Brasilia

🕒 Local time

08:36 8:36 AM

09:36 9:36 AM

1 h ahead of Montreal

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

1,762,949

2,817,381 Capital

💱 Currency

Canadian Dollar CAD $

Brazilian Real BRL R$

📈 Exchange rate

1 CAD = 0.702 USD

1 CAD = 0.626 EUR

1 BRL = 0.2 USD

1 BRL = 0.179 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

BRL, USD, EUR to CAD – Canadian Dollar Converter

🇺🇸 United States Dollar ($)

🇨🇦 Canadian Dollar ($)

Canadian Dollar exchange rates as of October 10, 2026: 1 USD = 1.43 CAD (1 CAD = 0.702 USD). 1 EUR = 1.6 CAD (1 CAD = 0.626 EUR).

Brazilian Real exchange rates as of October 10, 2026: 1 USD = 4.99 BRL (1 BRL = 0.2 USD). 1 EUR = 5.59 BRL (1 BRL = 0.179 EUR).

USD to CAD in detail →

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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 Brasilia: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Montreal and Brasilia differ by about 102% in total monthly costs ($2,003 vs $994 including rent). Brasilia is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

Average pay runs 244% higher in Montreal, which matters when comparing affordability. Whether that higher income actually nets you more depends on your spending habits and housing choices.

Rent for a central apartment: $1,240 in Montreal versus $498 in Brasilia. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Dining out is cheaper in Brasilia – a meal for two runs $40.00 versus $75.0 in Montreal. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

All in, you'll spend $2,003 per month in Montreal versus $994 in Brasilia – a 102% gap that adds up to real savings over time for anyone picking the cheaper option.

At $994 in Brasilia versus $2,003 in Montreal, a $2,000 budget is realistic in Brasilia but tight or insufficient in Montreal. The gap between the two cities makes Brasilia the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

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 Brasilia are on par. Petty crime is typical for cities this size, and most residents feel comfortable going about their daily routines in either place.

Expats usually find Brasilia gentler on the wallet – expenses run 102% less than in Montreal. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.