Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Montreal and Montes Claros

For one person, living is cheaper in Montes Claros: $844 a month against $2,059 in Montreal, rent and utilities included – about $14,600 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

Montreal
🇨🇦 Canada
$2,059
/mo nomad
Montes Claros
🇧🇷 Brazil
$844
/mo nomad
Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Montreal and in Montes Claros

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $2,059 in Montreal versus $844 in Montes Claros.

  • Montreal $2,059
  • Montes Claros $844

Estimated couple costs with rent: $3,123 in Montreal versus $1,344 in Montes Claros.

  • Montreal $3,123
  • Montes Claros $1,344

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $4,187 in Montreal versus $1,843 in Montes Claros.

  • Montreal $4,187
  • Montes Claros $1,843

Living in Montreal is roughly 144% more expensive than in Montes Claros, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

The two cities straddle the global median: Montreal is 52% above, Montes Claros is 38% below.

Currency
🍽 Eating Out
Montreal
Montes Claros
Difference
Meal at Budget Restaurant
$18.84 CA$26.63
$3.40 R$17.22
454.12%
Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range
$73.2 CA$104
$32.15 R$163
127.74%
Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)
$10.54 CA$14.90
$7.91 R$40.08
33.25%
Cappuccino
$3.97 CA$5.61
$2.05 R$10.41
93.66%
Coke/Pepsi/Fanta/Sprite (0.33 liter bottle)
$1.94 CA$2.74
$1.33 R$6.72
45.86%
Water (0.33 liter bottle)
$1.57 CA$2.22
$0.79 R$4.03
98.73%
Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)
$6.42 CA$9.08
$1.48 R$7.51
333.78%
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$7.20 CA$10.19
$3.02 R$15.33
138.41%
🛒 Groceries & Markets
Montreal
Montes Claros
Difference
Milk (1 liter)
$2.32 CA$3.28
$1.05 R$5.33
120.95%
White Bread (500g)
$3.19 CA$4.51
$1.64 R$8.33
94.51%
Rice (white) (1kg)
$3.19 CA$4.50
$1.20 R$6.11
165.83%
Eggs
$3.68 CA$5.20
$2.11 R$10.72
74.41%
Local Cheese (1kg)
$13.24 CA$18.72
$8.75 R$44.36
51.31%
Chicken Fillets (1kg)
$11.69 CA$16.53
$4.39 R$22.24
166.29%
Beef Round Steak (1kg)
$13.98 CA$19.76
$8.31 R$42.13
68.23%
Apples (1kg)
$3.14 CA$4.44
$2.30 R$11.65
36.52%
Banana (1kg)
$1.45 CA$2.05
$1.27 R$6.46
14.17%
Oranges (1kg)
$3.38 CA$4.78
$1.26 R$6.41
168.25%
Tomato (1kg)
$3.11 CA$4.40
$1.55 R$7.87
100.65%
Potato (1kg)
$1.93 CA$2.72
$1.17 R$5.92
64.96%
Onion (1kg)
$1.83 CA$2.58
$1.03 R$5.21
77.67%
Lettuce (1 head)
$2.36 CA$3.34
$0.84 R$4.25
180.95%
Water (1.5 liter bottle)
$1.50 CA$2.12
$0.80 R$4.07
87.50%
Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)
$11.12 CA$15.73
$2.31 R$11.69
381.39%
Wine (Bottle)
$10.60 CA$14.98
$8.04 R$40.76
31.84%
Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)
$2.22 CA$3.14
$1.26 R$6.41
76.19%
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$2.84 CA$4.01
$1.97 R$10.00
44.16%
🚌 Getting Around
Montreal
Montes Claros
Difference
One-way Ticket (Public Transport)
$2.62 CA$3.71
$0.76 R$3.85
244.74%
Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)
$79.1 CA$112
$38.30 R$194
106.63%
Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)
$3.23 CA$4.56
$1.34 R$6.81
141.04%
Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)
$1.48 CA$2.10
$0.86 R$4.34
72.09%
Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)
$32.22 CA$45.55
$6.97 R$35.35
362.27%
Gasoline (1 liter)
$1.36 CA$1.92
$1.03 R$5.23
32.04%
Midsize Hatchback 1.4l (Volkswagen Golf, Toyota Prius, Honda Civic, etc)
$27.6K CA$39.1K
$25.8K R$131.0K
7.00%
Compact Sedan 1.6l (Toyota Corolla, Mazda3, Kia K4, Hyundai Elantra, etc)
$21.2K CA$30.0K
$30.9K R$156.4K
-31.32%
🧾 Monthly Utilities & Internet
Montreal
Montes Claros
Difference
Utilities for 2 People in 2-bedroom Apartment (Heating, Electricity, Gas, Water, Garbage) (85m2)
$77.0 CA$109
$78.3 R$397
-1.61%
SIM Card Monthly Plan (Calls and 10GB+ Data)
$34.14 CA$48.26
$13.80 R$70.0
147.39%
Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)
$42.19 CA$59.7
$19.30 R$97.9
118.60%
🎉 Sport & Entertainment
Montreal
Montes Claros
Difference
Gym Membership (Monthly)
$30.81 CA$43.56
$25.26 R$128
21.97%
Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)
$19.66 CA$27.79
$24.74 R$125
-20.53%
Cinema Ticket
$11.47 CA$16.22
$7.71 R$39.11
48.77%
🧸 Childcare & Education
Montreal
Montes Claros
Difference
Preschool or Kindergarten, Full Day, Private, 1 Child (Monthly)
$506 CA$716
$242 R$1,225
109.51%
International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)
$16.2K CA$23.0K
$7,287 R$36.9K
122.80%
👕👟 Clothing & Footwear
Montreal
Montes Claros
Difference
Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)
$57.3 CA$81.0
$55.9 R$283
2.45%
Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)
$38.10 CA$53.9
$50.4 R$255
-24.33%
Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)
$91.9 CA$130
$90.5 R$459
1.54%
Men's Leather Business Shoes
$110 CA$155
$69.5 R$352
58.00%
🏠 Accommodation & Living
Montreal
Montes Claros
Difference
1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$1,237 CA$1,748
$354 R$1,793
249.58%
1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$977 CA$1,381
$238 R$1,205
311.05%
3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$2,180 CA$3,082
$655 R$3,323
232.62%
3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$1,608 CA$2,273
$466 R$2,363
244.90%
Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)
$5,113 CA$7,228
$1,599 R$8,106
219.75%
Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)
$3,744 CA$5,293
$1,006 R$5,100
272.16%
💵 Salaries & Financials
Montreal
Montes Claros
Difference
Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)
$2,957 CA$4,180
$414 R$2,097
614.82%
20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)
4.48
11
-59.27%

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

Last update for Montreal: October 20, 2026

Last update for Montes Claros: October 18, 2026

Monthly budget structure
Share of the monthly basket for one person, rent included.
Accommodation & Living
Montreal
$977
Montes Claros
$238 75.7% $739
Groceries & Markets
Montreal
$351
Montes Claros
$190 45.8% $161
Eating Out
Montreal
$290
Montes Claros
$97 66.4% $193
Monthly Utilities & Internet
Montreal
$153
Montes Claros
$111 27.4% $42
Clothing & Footwear
Montreal
$134
Montes Claros
$120 10.4% $14
Getting Around
Montreal
$100
Montes Claros
$47 53.2% $53
Sport & Entertainment
Montreal
$54
Montes Claros
$41 24.3% $13

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,237 in Montreal and $354 in Montes Claros. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Montreal pays 615% more on average. The extra income cushions the higher costs, though housing choices and lifestyle decide how much of the gap is truly closed.

Dining out: $73.0 in Montreal vs $32.00 in Montes Claros for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $351 vs $190 per month, with Montes Claros cheaper across the board.

Good to know
🇨🇦 Montreal
🇧🇷 Montes Claros
🕒 Local time
17:27 5:27 PM
18:27 6:27 PM
1 h ahead of Montreal
🌤 Weather
👥 Population
1,762,949
414,240
💱 Currency
Exchange rates and currency converter

BRL, USD, EUR to CAD – Canadian Dollar Converter

Canadian Dollar exchange rates as of October 22, 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 22, 2026: 1 USD = 5.07 BRL (1 BRL = 0.197 USD). 1 EUR = 5.7 BRL (1 BRL = 0.175 EUR).

On the map
Between locations
  • Montreal Montes Claros 7,540 km ≈ 10 h nonstop flight
From you
  • Montreal
  • Montes Claros

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 Montes Claros: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions
What is the total cost difference between living in Montreal and in Montes Claros?
Montreal and Montes Claros differ by about 144% in total monthly costs ($2,059 vs $844 including rent). Montes Claros is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.
Which city pays better: Montreal or Montes Claros?
Average pay runs 615% higher in Montreal, which matters when comparing affordability. Whether that higher income actually nets you more depends on your spending habits and housing choices.
How do apartment prices compare in Montreal and in Montes Claros?
Rent for a central apartment: $1,237 in Montreal versus $354 in Montes Claros. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.
How do commuting costs compare in Montreal and in Montes Claros?
A monthly transit pass in Montes Claros runs roughly 107% less than in Montreal. Both cities have functional networks, but the price difference matters if you're watching your budget.
What is the difference in childcare costs between Montreal and Montes Claros?
Childcare runs $506 in Montreal versus $242 in Montes Claros. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.
Which city is more doable on $2,000 per month?
At $844 in Montes Claros versus $2,059 in Montreal, a $2,000 budget is realistic in Montes Claros but tight or insufficient in Montreal. The gap between the two cities makes Montes Claros the clear choice for anyone on this budget.
How does quality of life compare between Montreal and Montes Claros?
Both cities offer a good standard of living with different trade-offs. Neither is objectively better – the right pick depends on what matters most: affordability, career, cultural scene, or climate.
Is Montreal or Montes Claros safer for residents?
Safety-wise, Montreal and Montes Claros are on par. Petty crime is typical for cities this size, and most residents feel comfortable going about their daily routines in either place.
Where should expats move: Montreal or Montes Claros?
Expats usually find Montes Claros gentler on the wallet – expenses run 144% less than in Montreal. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.

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