Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Montreal and Itapema

For one person, living is cheaper in Itapema: $772 a month against $2,059 in Montreal, rent and utilities included – about $15,400 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
37

Cost of Living Index in Itapema
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Itapema Living Index

Jump to prices

Montreal

🇨🇦 Canada

$2,059

/mo nomad

Itapema

🇧🇷 Brazil

$772

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Montreal and in Itapema

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $2,059 in Montreal versus $772 in Itapema.

Montreal $2,059
Itapema $772

Estimated couple costs with rent: $3,123 in Montreal versus $1,233 in Itapema.

Montreal $3,123
Itapema $1,233

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $4,187 in Montreal versus $1,694 in Itapema.

Montreal $4,187
Itapema $1,694

Living in Montreal is roughly 167% more expensive than in Itapema, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

The two cities straddle the global median: Montreal is 52% above, Itapema is 43% below.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$18.84 CA$26.63

$5.55 R$28.13

239.46%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$73.2 CA$104

$27.67 R$140

164.62%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$10.54 CA$14.90

$6.45 R$32.69

63.41%

Cappuccino

$3.97 CA$5.61

$1.75 R$8.89

126.86%

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

$1.94 CA$2.74

$1.08 R$5.46

79.63%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.57 CA$2.22

$0.64 R$3.26

145.31%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$6.42 CA$9.08

$1.79 R$9.05

258.66%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$7.20 CA$10.19

$2.65 R$13.45

171.70%

Milk (1 liter)

$2.32 CA$3.28

$0.99 R$5.03

134.34%

White Bread (500g)

$3.19 CA$4.51

$1.50 R$7.59

112.67%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$3.19 CA$4.50

$1.14 R$5.79

179.82%

Eggs

$3.68 CA$5.20

$2.03 R$10.28

81.28%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$13.24 CA$18.72

$8.39 R$42.52

57.81%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$11.69 CA$16.53

$3.65 R$18.52

220.27%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$13.98 CA$19.76

$7.28 R$36.90

92.03%

Apples (1kg)

$3.14 CA$4.44

$2.06 R$10.46

52.43%

Banana (1kg)

$1.45 CA$2.05

$1.24 R$6.30

16.94%

Oranges (1kg)

$3.38 CA$4.78

$1.16 R$5.87

191.38%

Tomato (1kg)

$3.11 CA$4.40

$1.49 R$7.57

108.72%

Potato (1kg)

$1.93 CA$2.72

$1.15 R$5.82

67.83%

Onion (1kg)

$1.83 CA$2.58

$1.05 R$5.33

74.29%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.36 CA$3.34

$0.68 R$3.42

247.06%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.50 CA$2.12

$0.63 R$3.19

138.10%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$11.12 CA$15.73

$2.09 R$10.62

432.06%

Wine (Bottle)

$10.60 CA$14.98

$7.45 R$37.75

42.28%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.22 CA$3.14

$1.24 R$6.30

79.03%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.84 CA$4.01

$2.06 R$10.43

37.86%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.62 CA$3.71

$0.92 R$4.67

184.78%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$79.1 CA$112

$37.79 R$192

109.42%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.23 CA$4.56

$1.09 R$5.54

196.33%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.48 CA$2.10

$0.70 R$3.57

111.43%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$32.22 CA$45.55

$6.54 R$33.18

392.66%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.36 CA$1.92

$1.04 R$5.25

30.77%

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

$27.6K CA$39.1K

$21.0K R$106.5K

31.62%

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

$21.2K CA$30.0K

$28.1K R$142.6K

-24.68%

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

$77.0 CA$109

$59.5 R$302

29.48%

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

$34.14 CA$48.26

$13.32 R$67.5

156.31%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$42.19 CA$59.7

$18.44 R$93.5

128.80%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$30.81 CA$43.56

$22.93 R$116

34.37%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$19.66 CA$27.79

$21.84 R$111

-9.98%

Cinema Ticket

$11.47 CA$16.22

$6.49 R$32.89

76.73%

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

$506 CA$716

$278 R$1,410

81.95%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$16.2K CA$23.0K

$6,357 R$32.2K

155.41%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$57.3 CA$81.0

$46.61 R$236

22.85%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$38.10 CA$53.9

$42.86 R$217

-11.11%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$91.9 CA$130

$76.2 R$386

20.65%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$110 CA$155

$62.5 R$317

75.54%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,237 CA$1,748

$320 R$1,623

286.36%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$977 CA$1,381

$217 R$1,099

350.53%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,180 CA$3,082

$571 R$2,897

281.49%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,608 CA$2,273

$427 R$2,164

276.62%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$5,113 CA$7,228

$1,472 R$7,464

247.26%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$3,744 CA$5,293

$1,044 R$5,292

258.69%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$2,957 CA$4,180

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

4.48

10.92

-58.97%

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

Last update for Montreal: October 20, 2026

Last update for Itapema: October 20, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Montreal

$977 47.4%

Itapema

$217 28.1% 77.8% $760

Groceries & Markets

Montreal

$351 17.1%

Itapema

$174 22.5% 50.5% $177

Eating Out

Montreal

$290 14.1%

Itapema

$106 13.7% 63.5% $185

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Montreal

$153 7.5%

Itapema

$91 11.8% 40.5% $62

Clothing & Footwear

Montreal

$134 6.5%

Itapema

$103 13.3% 23.2% $31

Getting Around

Montreal

$100 4.9%

Itapema

$46 6% 54% $54

Sport & Entertainment

Montreal

$54 2.6%

Itapema

$36 4.7% 33.2% $18

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,237 in Montreal and $320 in Itapema. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Dining out: $73.0 in Montreal vs $28.00 in Itapema for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $351 vs $174 per month, with Itapema cheaper across the board.

Good to know

🇨🇦 Montreal

🇧🇷 Itapema

🕒 Local time

19:43 7:43 PM

20:43 8:43 PM

1 h ahead of Montreal

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

1,762,949

75,940

💱 Currency

Canadian Dollar CAD $

Brazilian Real BRL R$

📈 Exchange rate

1 CAD = 0.707 USD

1 CAD = 0.629 EUR

1 BRL = 0.197 USD

1 BRL = 0.175 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 21, 2026: 1 USD = 1.41 CAD (1 CAD = 0.707 USD). 1 EUR = 1.59 CAD (1 CAD = 0.629 EUR).

Brazilian Real exchange rates as of October 21, 2026: 1 USD = 5.07 BRL (1 BRL = 0.197 USD). 1 EUR = 5.7 BRL (1 BRL = 0.175 EUR).

USD to CAD in detail →

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Between locations

Montreal Itapema 8,460 km ≈ 11 h nonstop flight

From you

Montreal
Itapema

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 Itapema: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Itapema is cheaper overall, especially in groceries, eating out, and clothing. The 167% gap adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

You'd need roughly $3,089 in Montreal and $1,159 in Itapema to live well. The gap comes down to housing and overall price levels. Both cities are liveable on less, but these numbers represent actual comfort.

Rent for a central apartment: $1,237 in Montreal versus $320 in Itapema. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

All in, you'll spend $2,059 per month in Montreal versus $772 in Itapema – a 167% gap that adds up to real savings over time for anyone picking the cheaper option.

A monthly transit pass in Itapema runs roughly 109% less than in Montreal. Both cities have functional networks, but the price difference matters if you're watching your budget.

At $772 in Itapema versus $2,059 in Montreal, a $1,500 budget is realistic in Itapema but tight or insufficient in Montreal. The gap between the two cities makes Itapema the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

For families, Itapema is more practical. Housing and childcare are both notably cheaper than in Montreal, and the savings on those two alone free up budget for education, activities, and family trips.

Safety-wise, Montreal and Itapema 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 Itapema gentler on the wallet – expenses run 167% less than in Montreal. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.