Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Montreal and Lages

For one person, living is cheaper in Lages: $931 a month against $2,059 in Montreal, rent and utilities included – about $13,500 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 Lages
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Lages Living Index

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Montreal

🇨🇦 Canada

$2,059

/mo nomad

Lages

🇧🇷 Brazil

$931

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Montreal and in Lages

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

A single person spends $2,059 per month in Montreal vs $931 in Lages, rent included.

Montreal $2,059
Lages $931

A couple spends around $3,123 per month in Montreal vs $1,494 in Lages, rent included.

Montreal $3,123
Lages $1,494

A family of three spends $4,187 per month in Montreal vs $2,058 in Lages, rent included.

Montreal $4,187
Lages $2,058

Montreal costs about 121% more than Lages, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

Montreal sits 52% above the global median, while Lages is 31% below – they fall on opposite sides of the world average.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$18.84 CA$26.63

$7.95 R$40.28

136.98%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$73.2 CA$104

$39.35 R$199

86.07%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$10.54 CA$14.90

$6.90 R$34.96

52.75%

Cappuccino

$3.97 CA$5.61

$2.52 R$12.77

57.54%

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

$1.94 CA$2.74

$1.42 R$7.22

36.62%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.57 CA$2.22

$1.06 R$5.39

48.11%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$6.42 CA$9.08

$2.48 R$12.56

158.87%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$7.20 CA$10.19

$2.98 R$15.10

141.61%

Milk (1 liter)

$2.32 CA$3.28

$1.00 R$5.07

132.00%

White Bread (500g)

$3.19 CA$4.51

$1.68 R$8.52

89.88%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$3.19 CA$4.50

$1.09 R$5.51

192.66%

Eggs

$3.68 CA$5.20

$2.46 R$12.45

49.59%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$13.24 CA$18.72

$10.28 R$52.1

28.79%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$11.69 CA$16.53

$4.88 R$24.73

139.55%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$13.98 CA$19.76

$9.90 R$50.2

41.21%

Apples (1kg)

$3.14 CA$4.44

$2.45 R$12.42

28.16%

Banana (1kg)

$1.45 CA$2.05

$1.52 R$7.69

-4.61%

Oranges (1kg)

$3.38 CA$4.78

$1.41 R$7.16

139.72%

Tomato (1kg)

$3.11 CA$4.40

$1.62 R$8.20

91.98%

Potato (1kg)

$1.93 CA$2.72

$1.25 R$6.34

54.40%

Onion (1kg)

$1.83 CA$2.58

$1.08 R$5.47

69.44%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.36 CA$3.34

$0.94 R$4.79

151.06%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.50 CA$2.12

$0.81 R$4.11

85.19%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$11.12 CA$15.73

$2.54 R$12.87

337.80%

Wine (Bottle)

$10.60 CA$14.98

$8.22 R$41.66

28.95%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.22 CA$3.14

$1.14 R$5.76

94.74%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.84 CA$4.01

$2.26 R$11.47

25.66%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.62 CA$3.71

$1.00 R$5.09

162.00%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$79.1 CA$112

$44.06 R$223

79.62%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.23 CA$4.56

$1.28 R$6.51

152.34%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.48 CA$2.10

$0.81 R$4.12

82.72%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$32.22 CA$45.55

$8.29 R$42.05

288.66%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.36 CA$1.92

$1.34 R$6.77

1.49%

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

$27.6K CA$39.1K

$23.9K R$121.4K

15.46%

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

$21.2K CA$30.0K

$33.4K R$169.4K

-36.56%

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

$77.0 CA$109

$77.0 R$390

0.04%

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

$34.14 CA$48.26

$12.30 R$62.4

177.56%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$42.19 CA$59.7

$22.01 R$112

91.69%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$30.81 CA$43.56

$25.95 R$132

18.73%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$19.66 CA$27.79

$27.71 R$140

-29.05%

Cinema Ticket

$11.47 CA$16.22

$7.50 R$38.02

52.93%

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

$506 CA$716

$282 R$1,428

79.63%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$16.2K CA$23.0K

$7,318 R$37.1K

121.87%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$57.3 CA$81.0

$50.3 R$255

13.88%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$38.10 CA$53.9

$57.6 R$292

-33.85%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$91.9 CA$130

$102 R$518

-10.05%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$110 CA$155

$79.7 R$404

37.77%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,237 CA$1,748

$362 R$1,833

242.08%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$977 CA$1,381

$245 R$1,241

298.96%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,180 CA$3,082

$681 R$3,454

219.92%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,608 CA$2,273

$465 R$2,358

245.68%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$5,113 CA$7,228

$1,705 R$8,643

199.89%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$3,744 CA$5,293

$1,216 R$6,164

207.94%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$2,957 CA$4,180

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

4.48

11.5

-61.04%

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

Last update for Montreal: October 20, 2026

Last update for Lages: October 19, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Montreal

$977 47.4%

Lages

$245 26.3% 74.9% $732

Groceries & Markets

Montreal

$351 17.1%

Lages

$207 22.3% 41% $144

Eating Out

Montreal

$290 14.1%

Lages

$143 15.3% 50.9% $148

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Montreal

$153 7.5%

Lages

$111 12% 27.4% $42

Clothing & Footwear

Montreal

$134 6.5%

Lages

$130 14% 2.5% $3.3

Getting Around

Montreal

$100 4.9%

Lages

$53 5.7% 46.7% $47

Sport & Entertainment

Montreal

$54 2.6%

Lages

$41 4.4% 23.8% $13

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $1,237 in Montreal versus $362 in Lages. 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 $73.0 in Montreal versus $39.00 in Lages. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $351 vs $207 – making Lages the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇨🇦 Montreal

🇧🇷 Lages

🕒 Local time

19:08 7:08 PM

20:08 8:08 PM

1 h ahead of Montreal

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

1,762,949

164,981

💱 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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Montreal Lages 8,480 km ≈ 11 h nonstop flight

From you

Montreal
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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 Lages: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Monthly costs with rent: $2,059 in Montreal, $931 in Lages – roughly 121% apart. Outside of rent, the biggest gap is in eating out.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $3,089 per month in Montreal and $1,396 in Lages. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

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

Kindergarten costs $506 per month in Montreal and $282 in Lages. For families with young kids, this one expense can tip the scales when choosing between the two cities.

Groceries cost about 70% 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 $2,000 monthly budget goes further in Lages, where all-in costs run around $931, than in Montreal at $2,059. In Lages it covers expenses comfortably, while in Montreal it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.

It depends on your priorities. Montreal has an edge in some lifestyle areas, with costs from $931 in Lages to $2,059 in Montreal. Climate, culture, job market, and personal taste all factor in.

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 Lages. 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.