Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Montreal and Nova Iguacu

For one person, living is cheaper in Nova Iguacu: $736 a month against $2,059 in Montreal, rent and utilities included – about $15,900 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
36

Cost of Living Index in Nova Iguacu
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Nova Iguacu Living Index

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Montreal

🇨🇦 Canada

$2,059

/mo nomad

Nova Iguacu

🇧🇷 Brazil

$736

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Montreal and in Nova Iguacu

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

A single person spends $2,059 per month in Montreal vs $736 in Nova Iguacu, rent included.

Montreal $2,059
Nova Iguacu $736

A couple spends around $3,123 per month in Montreal vs $1,212 in Nova Iguacu, rent included.

Montreal $3,123
Nova Iguacu $1,212

A family of three spends $4,187 per month in Montreal vs $1,687 in Nova Iguacu, rent included.

Montreal $4,187
Nova Iguacu $1,687

Montreal costs about 180% more than Nova Iguacu, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

Montreal sits 52% above the global median, while Nova Iguacu is 46% below – they fall on opposite sides of the world average.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$18.84 CA$26.63

$3.54 R$17.92

432.20%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$73.2 CA$104

$30.13 R$153

143.01%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$10.54 CA$14.90

$7.87 R$39.92

33.93%

Cappuccino

$3.97 CA$5.61

$1.89 R$9.59

110.05%

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

$1.94 CA$2.74

$1.20 R$6.11

61.67%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.57 CA$2.22

$0.58 R$2.94

170.69%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$6.42 CA$9.08

$1.68 R$8.50

282.14%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$7.20 CA$10.19

$1.61 R$8.15

347.20%

Milk (1 liter)

$2.32 CA$3.28

$1.23 R$6.25

88.62%

White Bread (500g)

$3.19 CA$4.51

$1.62 R$8.19

96.91%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$3.19 CA$4.50

$1.13 R$5.71

182.30%

Eggs

$3.68 CA$5.20

$1.97 R$9.96

86.80%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$13.24 CA$18.72

$8.24 R$41.75

60.68%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$11.69 CA$16.53

$2.82 R$14.31

314.54%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$13.98 CA$19.76

$7.08 R$35.90

97.46%

Apples (1kg)

$3.14 CA$4.44

$1.37 R$6.95

129.20%

Banana (1kg)

$1.45 CA$2.05

$1.41 R$7.15

2.84%

Oranges (1kg)

$3.38 CA$4.78

$0.95 R$4.82

255.79%

Tomato (1kg)

$3.11 CA$4.40

$1.74 R$8.84

78.74%

Potato (1kg)

$1.93 CA$2.72

$1.02 R$5.19

89.22%

Onion (1kg)

$1.83 CA$2.58

$1.03 R$5.22

77.67%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.36 CA$3.34

$0.41 R$2.08

475.61%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.50 CA$2.12

$0.42 R$2.13

257.14%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$11.12 CA$15.73

$1.82 R$9.25

510.99%

Wine (Bottle)

$10.60 CA$14.98

$5.80 R$29.41

82.76%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.22 CA$3.14

$0.97 R$4.92

128.87%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.84 CA$4.01

$1.37 R$6.94

107.30%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.62 CA$3.71

$1.48 R$7.51

77.03%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$79.1 CA$112

$50.1 R$254

58.09%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.23 CA$4.56

$1.33 R$6.77

142.86%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.48 CA$2.10

$1.38 R$6.98

7.25%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$32.22 CA$45.55

$9.26 R$46.94

247.95%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.36 CA$1.92

$1.18 R$5.96

15.25%

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

$27.6K CA$39.1K

$23.8K R$120.8K

15.98%

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

$21.2K CA$30.0K

$34.0K R$172.1K

-37.59%

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

$77.0 CA$109

$42.49 R$215

81.31%

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

$34.14 CA$48.26

$11.82 R$59.9

188.83%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$42.19 CA$59.7

$17.90 R$90.7

135.70%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$30.81 CA$43.56

$23.75 R$120

29.73%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$19.66 CA$27.79

$39.25 R$199

-49.91%

Cinema Ticket

$11.47 CA$16.22

$6.08 R$30.80

88.65%

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

$506 CA$716

$73.3 R$371

590.76%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$16.2K CA$23.0K

$1,935 R$9,808

739.13%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$57.3 CA$81.0

$54.2 R$275

5.61%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$38.10 CA$53.9

$37.22 R$189

2.36%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$91.9 CA$130

$65.2 R$331

40.92%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$110 CA$155

$58.4 R$296

88.09%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,237 CA$1,748

$321 R$1,627

285.27%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$977 CA$1,381

$214 R$1,086

355.93%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,180 CA$3,082

$654 R$3,318

233.11%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,608 CA$2,273

$444 R$2,250

262.25%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$5,113 CA$7,228

$972 R$4,926

426.23%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$3,744 CA$5,293

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$2,957 CA$4,180

$244 R$1,238

1110.99%

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 20, 2026

Last update for Nova Iguacu: October 18, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Montreal

$977 47.4%

Nova Iguacu

$214 29.1% 78.1% $762

Groceries & Markets

Montreal

$351 17.1%

Nova Iguacu

$160 21.7% 54.5% $191

Eating Out

Montreal

$290 14.1%

Nova Iguacu

$93 12.7% 67.9% $197

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Montreal

$153 7.5%

Nova Iguacu

$72 9.8% 52.9% $81

Clothing & Footwear

Montreal

$134 6.5%

Nova Iguacu

$97 13.1% 27.6% $37

Getting Around

Montreal

$100 4.9%

Nova Iguacu

$64 8.7% 36% $36

Sport & Entertainment

Montreal

$54 2.6%

Nova Iguacu

$36 4.9% 33.2% $18

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $1,237 in Montreal versus $321 in Nova Iguacu. 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 1111% 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 $73.0 in Montreal versus $30.00 in Nova Iguacu. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $351 vs $160 – making Nova Iguacu the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇨🇦 Montreal

🇧🇷 Nova Iguacu

🕒 Local time

12:20 12:20 PM

13:20 1:20 PM

1 h ahead of Montreal

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

1,762,949

785,867

💱 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 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).

USD to CAD in detail →

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Montreal Nova Iguacu 8,180 km ≈ 11 h nonstop flight

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Montreal
Nova Iguacu

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 Nova Iguacu: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Montreal costs about 180% more than Nova Iguacu, 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 $3,089 per month in Montreal and $1,105 in Nova Iguacu. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

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

Groceries cost about 120% 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 mid-range dinner for two costs $73.0 in Montreal and $30.00 in Nova Iguacu. That's a good indicator of the overall restaurant and café pricing gap between the two cities.

A $2,000 monthly budget goes further in Nova Iguacu, where all-in costs run around $736, than in Montreal at $2,059. In Nova Iguacu it covers expenses comfortably, while in Montreal it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.

For digital nomads, it depends on budget. Nova Iguacu costs $736 versus $2,059 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 Nova Iguacu. 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.