Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Montreal and Cotia

For one person, living is cheaper in Cotia: $933 a month against $2,018 in Montreal, rent and utilities included – about $13,000 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
45

Cost of Living Index in Cotia
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Cotia Living Index

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Montreal

🇨🇦 Canada

$2,018

/mo nomad

Cotia

🇧🇷 Brazil

$933

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Montreal and in Cotia

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

A single person spends $2,018 per month in Montreal vs $933 in Cotia, rent included.

Montreal $2,018
Cotia $933

A couple spends around $3,085 per month in Montreal vs $1,523 in Cotia, rent included.

Montreal $3,085
Cotia $1,523

A family of three spends $4,152 per month in Montreal vs $2,113 in Cotia, rent included.

Montreal $4,152
Cotia $2,113

Montreal costs about 116% more than Cotia, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

Montreal sits 49% above the global median, while Cotia is 31% below – they fall on opposite sides of the world average.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$18.82 CA$26.76

$7.17 R$35.98

162.48%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$70.3 CA$99.9

$39.70 R$199

77.05%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$10.66 CA$15.15

$8.86 R$44.44

20.32%

Cappuccino

$3.84 CA$5.46

$2.51 R$12.57

52.99%

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

$1.92 CA$2.72

$1.42 R$7.14

35.21%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.54 CA$2.19

$1.15 R$5.78

33.91%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$6.23 CA$8.86

$2.84 R$14.23

119.37%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$7.10 CA$10.09

$4.42 R$22.20

60.63%

Milk (1 liter)

$2.31 CA$3.29

$1.19 R$5.99

94.12%

White Bread (500g)

$3.14 CA$4.47

$1.83 R$9.20

71.58%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$3.21 CA$4.57

$1.18 R$5.90

172.03%

Eggs

$3.52 CA$5.00

$2.87 R$14.38

22.65%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$12.81 CA$18.22

$12.07 R$60.6

6.13%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$11.46 CA$16.30

$4.53 R$22.70

152.98%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$13.39 CA$19.03

$11.13 R$55.9

20.31%

Apples (1kg)

$3.14 CA$4.46

$2.76 R$13.85

13.77%

Banana (1kg)

$1.44 CA$2.04

$1.85 R$9.27

-22.16%

Oranges (1kg)

$3.47 CA$4.94

$1.61 R$8.08

115.53%

Tomato (1kg)

$3.07 CA$4.37

$1.90 R$9.55

61.58%

Potato (1kg)

$1.90 CA$2.70

$1.36 R$6.82

39.71%

Onion (1kg)

$1.77 CA$2.52

$1.24 R$6.24

42.74%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.34 CA$3.33

$0.96 R$4.80

143.75%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.55 CA$2.21

$0.80 R$4.01

93.75%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$11.38 CA$16.18

$2.82 R$14.16

303.55%

Wine (Bottle)

$10.63 CA$15.12

$8.83 R$44.29

20.39%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.27 CA$3.23

$1.67 R$8.36

35.93%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.82 CA$4.01

$2.49 R$12.49

13.25%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.66 CA$3.79

$1.00 R$5.04

166.00%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$77.3 CA$110

$48.26 R$242

60.15%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.20 CA$4.55

$1.28 R$6.41

150.00%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.48 CA$2.10

$0.98 R$4.94

51.02%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$32.88 CA$46.75

$9.67 R$48.54

240.02%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.34 CA$1.91

$1.30 R$6.52

3.08%

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

$28.2K CA$40.0K

$23.7K R$119.0K

18.72%

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

$19.6K CA$27.9K

$34.4K R$172.4K

-42.87%

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

$76.0 CA$108

$43.73 R$219

73.70%

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

$33.95 CA$48.28

$14.60 R$73.3

132.53%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$42.31 CA$60.2

$18.30 R$91.8

131.20%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$29.76 CA$42.31

$27.03 R$136

10.10%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$20.28 CA$28.84

$30.53 R$153

-33.57%

Cinema Ticket

$11.15 CA$15.86

$7.86 R$39.46

41.86%

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

$507 CA$721

$438 R$2,197

15.83%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$16.1K CA$22.8K

$7,677 R$38.5K

109.07%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$57.6 CA$81.8

$55.4 R$278

3.81%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$37.58 CA$53.4

$59.8 R$300

-37.18%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$91.9 CA$131

$95.1 R$477

-3.38%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$110 CA$156

$85.2 R$427

28.69%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,260 CA$1,792

$351 R$1,761

259.03%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$948 CA$1,347

$244 R$1,225

288.07%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,137 CA$3,038

$661 R$3,319

223.08%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,614 CA$2,294

$469 R$2,353

244.13%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$4,960 CA$7,052

$1,462 R$7,333

239.35%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$3,838 CA$5,456

$1,315 R$6,600

191.75%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$2,827 CA$4,020

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

4.48

11.12

-59.71%

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

Last update for Montreal: October 12, 2026

Last update for Cotia: October 13, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Montreal

$948 47%

Cotia

$244 26.2% 74.2% $703

Groceries & Markets

Montreal

$346 17.2%

Cotia

$230 24.7% 33.5% $116

Eating Out

Montreal

$288 14.3%

Cotia

$147 15.8% 48.8% $141

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Montreal

$152 7.5%

Cotia

$77 8.2% 49.6% $76

Clothing & Footwear

Montreal

$133 6.6%

Cotia

$133 14.3% 0.4% $0.5

Getting Around

Montreal

$99 4.9%

Cotia

$58 6.3% 40.6% $40

Sport & Entertainment

Montreal

$52 2.6%

Cotia

$43 4.6% 17.9% $9.3

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $1,260 in Montreal versus $351 in Cotia. 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 $40.00 in Cotia. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $346 vs $230 – making Cotia the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇨🇦 Montreal

🇧🇷 Cotia

🕒 Local time

13:22 1:22 PM

14:22 2:22 PM

1 h ahead of Montreal

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

1,762,949

274,413

💱 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 Cotia 8,140 km ≈ 11 h nonstop flight

From you

Montreal
Cotia

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 Cotia: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Montreal costs about 116% more than Cotia, 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 $1,399 in Cotia. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

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

A mid-range dinner for two costs $70.0 in Montreal and $40.00 in Cotia. That's a good indicator of the overall restaurant and café pricing gap between the two cities.

Monthly expenses with rent come to $2,018 in Montreal and $933 in Cotia. That's a gap of about 116%.

A $1,000 monthly budget goes further in Cotia, where all-in costs run around $933, than in Montreal at $2,018. In Cotia it covers expenses comfortably, while in Montreal it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.

For digital nomads, it depends on budget. Cotia costs $933 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 Cotia. 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.