Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Montreal and Contenda

For one person, living is cheaper in Contenda: $870 a month against $2,018 in Montreal, rent and utilities included – about $13,800 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
43

Cost of Living Index in Contenda
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Contenda Living Index

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Montreal

🇨🇦 Canada

$2,018

/mo nomad

Contenda

🇧🇷 Brazil

$870

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Montreal and in Contenda

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

A single person spends $2,018 per month in Montreal vs $870 in Contenda, rent included.

Montreal $2,018
Contenda $870

A couple spends around $3,085 per month in Montreal vs $1,325 in Contenda, rent included.

Montreal $3,085
Contenda $1,325

A family of three spends $4,152 per month in Montreal vs $1,780 in Contenda, rent included.

Montreal $4,152
Contenda $1,780

Montreal costs about 132% more than Contenda, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

Montreal sits 49% above the global median, while Contenda is 36% below – they fall on opposite sides of the world average.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$18.82 CA$26.76

$3.92 R$19.65

380.10%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$70.3 CA$99.9

$11.83 R$59.4

494.17%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$10.66 CA$15.15

$8.16 R$40.93

30.64%

Cappuccino

$3.84 CA$5.46

$2.40 R$12.05

60.00%

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

$1.92 CA$2.72

$1.38 R$6.94

39.13%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.54 CA$2.19

$0.61 R$3.07

152.46%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$6.23 CA$8.86

$1.96 R$9.82

217.86%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$7.10 CA$10.09

$1.96 R$9.83

262.24%

Milk (1 liter)

$2.31 CA$3.29

$1.07 R$5.36

115.89%

White Bread (500g)

$3.14 CA$4.47

$1.63 R$8.17

92.64%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$3.21 CA$4.57

$1.34 R$6.71

139.55%

Eggs

$3.52 CA$5.00

$2.57 R$12.88

36.96%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$12.81 CA$18.22

$9.99 R$50.1

28.23%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$11.46 CA$16.30

$3.96 R$19.86

189.39%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$13.39 CA$19.03

$8.05 R$40.41

66.34%

Apples (1kg)

$3.14 CA$4.46

$2.44 R$12.25

28.69%

Banana (1kg)

$1.44 CA$2.04

$1.19 R$5.97

21.01%

Oranges (1kg)

$3.47 CA$4.94

$1.18 R$5.90

194.07%

Tomato (1kg)

$3.07 CA$4.37

$1.38 R$6.94

122.46%

Potato (1kg)

$1.90 CA$2.70

$0.97 R$4.89

95.88%

Onion (1kg)

$1.77 CA$2.52

$0.93 R$4.68

90.32%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.34 CA$3.33

$0.82 R$4.11

185.37%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.55 CA$2.21

$0.72 R$3.60

115.28%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$11.38 CA$16.18

$3.02 R$15.16

276.82%

Wine (Bottle)

$10.63 CA$15.12

$3.96 R$19.86

168.43%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.27 CA$3.23

$1.48 R$7.40

53.38%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.82 CA$4.01

$2.02 R$10.13

39.60%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.66 CA$3.79

$0.99 R$4.98

168.69%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$77.3 CA$110

$43.35 R$218

78.29%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.20 CA$4.55

$1.19 R$5.96

168.91%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.48 CA$2.10

$1.03 R$5.16

43.69%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$32.88 CA$46.75

$10.19 R$51.1

222.67%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.34 CA$1.91

$1.22 R$6.12

9.84%

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

$28.2K CA$40.0K

$18.3K R$91.7K

54.07%

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

$19.6K CA$27.9K

$21.8K R$109.4K

-10.01%

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

$76.0 CA$108

$84.0 R$422

-9.61%

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

$33.95 CA$48.28

$8.20 R$41.16

314.02%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$42.31 CA$60.2

$20.25 R$102

108.94%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$29.76 CA$42.31

$26.41 R$133

12.68%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$20.28 CA$28.84

$27.34 R$137

-25.82%

Cinema Ticket

$11.15 CA$15.86

$8.14 R$40.85

36.98%

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

$507 CA$721

$284 R$1,425

78.60%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$16.1K CA$22.8K

$11.1K R$55.7K

44.58%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$57.6 CA$81.8

$66.3 R$332

-13.15%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$37.58 CA$53.4

$71.0 R$356

-47.09%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$91.9 CA$131

$114 R$573

-19.57%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$110 CA$156

$70.9 R$356

54.60%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,260 CA$1,792

$343 R$1,719

268.01%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$948 CA$1,347

$226 R$1,133

319.61%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,137 CA$3,038

$743 R$3,725

187.80%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,614 CA$2,294

$424 R$2,129

280.35%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$4,960 CA$7,052

$1,493 R$7,488

232.30%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$3,838 CA$5,456

$1,359 R$6,819

182.38%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$2,827 CA$4,020

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

4.48

10.61

-57.78%

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

Last update for Montreal: October 12, 2026

Last update for Contenda: October 10, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Montreal

$948 47%

Contenda

$226 26% 76.2% $722

Groceries & Markets

Montreal

$346 17.2%

Contenda

$183 21.1% 47% $163

Eating Out

Montreal

$288 14.3%

Contenda

$106 12.2% 63.1% $182

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Montreal

$152 7.5%

Contenda

$113 12.9% 26.1% $40

Clothing & Footwear

Montreal

$133 6.6%

Contenda

$145 16.7% 8.7% $12

Getting Around

Montreal

$99 4.9%

Contenda

$54 6.2% 45.5% $45

Sport & Entertainment

Montreal

$52 2.6%

Contenda

$43 4.9% 18% $9.4

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $1,260 in Montreal versus $343 in Contenda. 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 $12.00 in Contenda. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $346 vs $183 – making Contenda the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇨🇦 Montreal

🇧🇷 Contenda

🕒 Local time

13:23 1:23 PM

14:23 2:23 PM

1 h ahead of Montreal

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

1,762,949

19,128

💱 Currency

Canadian Dollar CAD $

Brazilian Real BRL R$

📈 Exchange rate

1 CAD = 0.703 USD

1 CAD = 0.628 EUR

1 BRL = 0.199 USD

1 BRL = 0.178 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 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).

USD to CAD in detail →

On the map

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Montreal Contenda 8,280 km ≈ 11 h nonstop flight

From you

Montreal
Contenda

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 Contenda: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Montreal costs about 132% more than Contenda, 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.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $3,027 per month in Montreal and $1,304 in Contenda. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

Rent is clearly cheaper in Contenda, especially for central apartments. Housing is actually the single biggest factor behind the overall cost gap between these two cities.

Kindergarten costs $507 per month in Montreal and $284 in Contenda. For families with young kids, this one expense can tip the scales when choosing between the two cities.

Groceries cost about 89% more in Montreal, though it depends on what you buy. Local produce may be comparable; imported and premium items show the biggest price gap.

A $1,000 monthly budget goes further in Contenda, where all-in costs run around $870, than in Montreal at $2,018. In Contenda it covers expenses comfortably, while in Montreal it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.

For digital nomads, it depends on budget. Contenda costs $870 versus $2,018 in Montreal. Both have workable remote work infrastructure, but the cost gap matters when income varies month to month.

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.

If budget matters most, go with Contenda. 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.