Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Montreal and Fortaleza

For one person, living is cheaper in Fortaleza: $942 a month against $2,003 in Montreal, rent and utilities included – about $12,700 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 Fortaleza
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Fortaleza Living Index

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Montreal

🇨🇦 Canada

$2,003

/mo nomad

Fortaleza

🇧🇷 Brazil

$942

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Montreal and in Fortaleza

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

A single person spends $2,003 per month in Montreal vs $942 in Fortaleza, rent included.

Montreal $2,003
Fortaleza $942

A couple spends around $3,048 per month in Montreal vs $1,419 in Fortaleza, rent included.

Montreal $3,048
Fortaleza $1,419

A family of three spends $4,092 per month in Montreal vs $1,897 in Fortaleza, rent included.

Montreal $4,092
Fortaleza $1,897

Montreal costs about 113% more than Fortaleza, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

Montreal sits 49% above the global median, while Fortaleza is 30% below – they fall on opposite sides of the world average.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$19.31 CA$27.52

$5.97 R$29.79

223.45%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$75.5 CA$108

$30.26 R$151

149.50%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$10.63 CA$15.15

$7.86 R$39.22

35.24%

Cappuccino

$3.93 CA$5.60

$2.26 R$11.26

73.89%

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

$1.92 CA$2.73

$1.20 R$6.00

60.00%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.48 CA$2.11

$0.68 R$3.42

117.65%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$6.30 CA$8.98

$2.26 R$11.29

178.76%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$7.19 CA$10.24

$3.98 R$19.89

80.65%

Milk (1 liter)

$2.22 CA$3.17

$1.19 R$5.95

86.55%

White Bread (500g)

$3.06 CA$4.36

$1.98 R$9.89

54.55%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.94 CA$4.19

$1.15 R$5.74

155.65%

Eggs

$3.53 CA$5.03

$1.86 R$9.29

89.78%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$13.19 CA$18.79

$7.76 R$38.73

69.97%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$11.24 CA$16.02

$4.05 R$20.22

177.53%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$13.81 CA$19.69

$9.48 R$47.34

45.68%

Apples (1kg)

$3.40 CA$4.85

$2.86 R$14.28

18.88%

Banana (1kg)

$1.44 CA$2.06

$1.32 R$6.60

9.09%

Oranges (1kg)

$3.26 CA$4.65

$0.83 R$4.14

292.77%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.88 CA$4.10

$1.74 R$8.69

65.52%

Potato (1kg)

$1.86 CA$2.65

$1.28 R$6.40

45.31%

Onion (1kg)

$1.82 CA$2.60

$1.12 R$5.58

62.50%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.43 CA$3.46

$1.00 R$4.99

143.00%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.52 CA$2.17

$1.03 R$5.14

47.57%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$11.45 CA$16.32

$2.13 R$10.63

437.56%

Wine (Bottle)

$10.36 CA$14.76

$7.06 R$35.25

46.74%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.22 CA$3.16

$1.54 R$7.67

44.16%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.82 CA$4.02

$1.66 R$8.26

69.88%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.58 CA$3.67

$0.98 R$4.89

163.27%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$76.9 CA$110

$19.74 R$98.6

289.51%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.25 CA$4.64

$1.44 R$7.17

125.69%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.48 CA$2.11

$0.80 R$3.99

85.00%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$33.04 CA$47.09

$7.43 R$37.08

344.68%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.36 CA$1.94

$1.33 R$6.63

2.26%

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

$27.4K CA$39.1K

$23.6K R$117.7K

16.27%

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

$20.0K CA$28.5K

$32.0K R$159.8K

-37.60%

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

$76.1 CA$109

$127 R$634

-40.03%

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

$34.68 CA$49.43

$10.79 R$53.9

221.41%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$42.69 CA$60.9

$21.43 R$107

99.21%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$28.94 CA$41.26

$26.70 R$133

8.39%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$20.33 CA$28.97

$43.44 R$217

-53.20%

Cinema Ticket

$11.21 CA$15.98

$5.89 R$29.38

90.32%

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

$505 CA$720

$207 R$1,033

144.12%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$16.0K CA$22.8K

$4,034 R$20.1K

296.87%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$58.5 CA$83.4

$67.1 R$335

-12.78%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$38.00 CA$54.2

$61.0 R$304

-37.65%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$92.7 CA$132

$126 R$630

-26.49%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$106 CA$151

$68.9 R$344

53.64%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,240 CA$1,768

$428 R$2,137

189.62%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$986 CA$1,405

$236 R$1,177

318.00%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,102 CA$2,996

$584 R$2,917

259.78%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,615 CA$2,302

$359 R$1,792

349.80%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$5,043 CA$7,188

$2,653 R$13.2K

90.06%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$3,830 CA$5,459

$1,184 R$5,909

223.52%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$2,920 CA$4,163

$482 R$2,404

506.47%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

4.46

11.38

-60.81%

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

Last update for Montreal: October 6, 2026

Last update for Fortaleza: October 5, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Montreal

$986 47.9%

Fortaleza

$236 25.3% 76.1% $750

Groceries & Markets

Montreal

$344 16.7%

Fortaleza

$198 21.2% 42.5% $146

Eating Out

Montreal

$293 14.2%

Fortaleza

$125 13.5% 57.2% $168

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Montreal

$154 7.5%

Fortaleza

$159 17.1% 3.7% $5.7

Clothing & Footwear

Montreal

$133 6.5%

Fortaleza

$145 15.6% 9.5% $13

Getting Around

Montreal

$98 4.8%

Fortaleza

$29 3.1% 70.3% $69

Sport & Entertainment

Montreal

$51 2.5%

Fortaleza

$38 4.1% 25.1% $13

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $1,240 in Montreal versus $428 in Fortaleza. Rent is usually the largest line item in a monthly budget, so the gap here sets the tone for the overall comparison.

Salaries run about 506% higher in Montreal, which partly offsets the higher cost of living there. Purchasing power depends on which expenses matter most to you.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $75.0 in Montreal versus $30.00 in Fortaleza. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $344 vs $198 – making Fortaleza the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇨🇦 Montreal

🇧🇷 Fortaleza

🕒 Local time

03:43 3:43 AM

04:43 4:43 AM

1 h ahead of Montreal

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

1,762,949

2,428,708

💱 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 = 5.6 BRL (1 BRL = 0.179 EUR).

USD to CAD in detail →

On the map

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Between locations

Montreal Fortaleza 6,480 km ≈ 9 h nonstop flight

From you

Montreal
Fortaleza

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 Fortaleza: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Montreal costs about 113% more than Fortaleza, 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 $3,005 per month in Montreal and $1,413 in Fortaleza. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

Rent is clearly cheaper in Fortaleza, 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 $75.0 in Montreal and $30.00 in Fortaleza. That's a good indicator of the overall restaurant and café pricing gap between the two cities.

Monthly expenses with rent come to $2,003 in Montreal and $942 in Fortaleza. That's a gap of about 113%.

A $1,000 monthly budget goes further in Fortaleza, where all-in costs run around $942, than in Montreal at $2,003. In Fortaleza it covers expenses comfortably, while in Montreal it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.

For digital nomads, it depends on budget. Fortaleza costs $942 versus $2,003 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 Fortaleza. 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.