Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Montreal and Paulo Afonso

For one person, living is cheaper in Paulo Afonso: $873 a month against $2,059 in Montreal, rent and utilities included – about $14,200 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

Montreal
🇨🇦 Canada
$2,059
/mo nomad
Paulo Afonso
🇧🇷 Brazil
$873
/mo nomad
Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Montreal and in Paulo Afonso

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

A single person spends $2,059 per month in Montreal vs $873 in Paulo Afonso, rent included.

  • Montreal $2,059
  • Paulo Afonso $873

A couple spends around $3,123 per month in Montreal vs $1,396 in Paulo Afonso, rent included.

  • Montreal $3,123
  • Paulo Afonso $1,396

A family of three spends $4,187 per month in Montreal vs $1,919 in Paulo Afonso, rent included.

  • Montreal $4,187
  • Paulo Afonso $1,919

Montreal costs about 136% more than Paulo Afonso, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

Montreal sits 52% above the global median, while Paulo Afonso is 36% below – they fall on opposite sides of the world average.

Currency
🍽 Eating Out
Montreal
Paulo Afonso
Difference
Meal at Budget Restaurant
$18.84 CA$26.63
$5.94 R$30.13
217.17%
Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range
$73.2 CA$104
$32.67 R$166
124.12%
Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)
$10.54 CA$14.90
$7.90 R$40.03
33.42%
Cappuccino
$3.97 CA$5.61
$2.01 R$10.18
97.51%
Coke/Pepsi/Fanta/Sprite (0.33 liter bottle)
$1.94 CA$2.74
$1.28 R$6.50
51.56%
Water (0.33 liter bottle)
$1.57 CA$2.22
$0.81 R$4.11
93.83%
Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)
$6.42 CA$9.08
$1.98 R$10.01
224.24%
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$7.20 CA$10.19
$2.96 R$14.98
143.24%
🛒 Groceries & Markets
Montreal
Paulo Afonso
Difference
Milk (1 liter)
$2.32 CA$3.28
$1.05 R$5.34
120.95%
White Bread (500g)
$3.19 CA$4.51
$1.71 R$8.67
86.55%
Rice (white) (1kg)
$3.19 CA$4.50
$1.26 R$6.39
153.17%
Eggs
$3.68 CA$5.20
$2.25 R$11.40
63.56%
Local Cheese (1kg)
$13.24 CA$18.72
$9.21 R$46.71
43.76%
Chicken Fillets (1kg)
$11.69 CA$16.53
$4.34 R$21.98
169.35%
Beef Round Steak (1kg)
$13.98 CA$19.76
$8.70 R$44.09
60.69%
Apples (1kg)
$3.14 CA$4.44
$2.18 R$11.04
44.04%
Banana (1kg)
$1.45 CA$2.05
$1.27 R$6.45
14.17%
Oranges (1kg)
$3.38 CA$4.78
$1.23 R$6.25
174.80%
Tomato (1kg)
$3.11 CA$4.40
$1.55 R$7.84
100.65%
Potato (1kg)
$1.93 CA$2.72
$1.27 R$6.43
51.97%
Onion (1kg)
$1.83 CA$2.58
$1.08 R$5.47
69.44%
Lettuce (1 head)
$2.36 CA$3.34
$0.78 R$3.98
202.56%
Water (1.5 liter bottle)
$1.50 CA$2.12
$0.78 R$3.94
92.31%
Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)
$11.12 CA$15.73
$2.55 R$12.93
336.08%
Wine (Bottle)
$10.60 CA$14.98
$8.08 R$40.96
31.19%
Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)
$2.22 CA$3.14
$1.27 R$6.44
74.80%
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$2.84 CA$4.01
$2.13 R$10.80
33.33%
🚌 Getting Around
Montreal
Paulo Afonso
Difference
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
$43.24 R$219
83.02%
Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)
$3.23 CA$4.56
$1.29 R$6.52
150.39%
Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)
$1.48 CA$2.10
$0.86 R$4.35
72.09%
Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)
$32.22 CA$45.55
$7.85 R$39.79
310.45%
Gasoline (1 liter)
$1.36 CA$1.92
$1.31 R$6.66
3.82%
Midsize Hatchback 1.4l (Volkswagen Golf, Toyota Prius, Honda Civic, etc)
$27.6K CA$39.1K
$23.7K R$120.3K
16.45%
Compact Sedan 1.6l (Toyota Corolla, Mazda3, Kia K4, Hyundai Elantra, etc)
$21.2K CA$30.0K
$32.8K R$166.4K
-35.45%
🧾 Monthly Utilities & Internet
Montreal
Paulo Afonso
Difference
Utilities for 2 People in 2-bedroom Apartment (Heating, Electricity, Gas, Water, Garbage) (85m2)
$77.0 CA$109
$74.6 R$378
3.23%
SIM Card Monthly Plan (Calls and 10GB+ Data)
$34.14 CA$48.26
$12.23 R$62.0
179.15%
Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)
$42.19 CA$59.7
$21.33 R$108
97.80%
🎉 Sport & Entertainment
Montreal
Paulo Afonso
Difference
Gym Membership (Monthly)
$30.81 CA$43.56
$25.69 R$130
19.93%
Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)
$19.66 CA$27.79
$28.25 R$143
-30.41%
Cinema Ticket
$11.47 CA$16.22
$7.44 R$37.73
54.17%
🧸 Childcare & Education
Montreal
Paulo Afonso
Difference
Preschool or Kindergarten, Full Day, Private, 1 Child (Monthly)
$506 CA$716
$286 R$1,451
76.77%
International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)
$16.2K CA$23.0K
$7,108 R$36.0K
128.42%
👕👟 Clothing & Footwear
Montreal
Paulo Afonso
Difference
Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)
$57.3 CA$81.0
$55.5 R$281
3.15%
Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)
$38.10 CA$53.9
$49.85 R$253
-23.57%
Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)
$91.9 CA$130
$91.9 R$466
-0.02%
Men's Leather Business Shoes
$110 CA$155
$74.3 R$377
47.71%
🏠 Accommodation & Living
Montreal
Paulo Afonso
Difference
1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$1,237 CA$1,748
$349 R$1,769
254.38%
1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$977 CA$1,381
$236 R$1,197
313.56%
3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$2,180 CA$3,082
$679 R$3,442
221.05%
3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$1,608 CA$2,273
$467 R$2,366
244.52%
Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)
$5,113 CA$7,228
$1,695 R$8,594
201.61%
Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)
$3,744 CA$5,293
$1,202 R$6,093
211.54%
💵 Salaries & Financials
Montreal
Paulo Afonso
Difference
Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)
$2,957 CA$4,180
-
-
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 Paulo Afonso: October 19, 2026

Monthly budget structure
Share of the monthly basket for one person, rent included.
Accommodation & Living
Montreal
$977
Paulo Afonso
$236 75.8% $741
Groceries & Markets
Montreal
$351
Paulo Afonso
$193 44.9% $158
Eating Out
Montreal
$290
Paulo Afonso
$120 58.9% $171
Monthly Utilities & Internet
Montreal
$153
Paulo Afonso
$108 29.5% $45
Clothing & Footwear
Montreal
$134
Paulo Afonso
$122 8.6% $11
Getting Around
Montreal
$100
Paulo Afonso
$53 47.3% $47
Sport & Entertainment
Montreal
$54
Paulo Afonso
$41 24.5% $13

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $1,237 in Montreal versus $349 in Paulo Afonso. 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 $33.00 in Paulo Afonso. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $351 vs $193 – making Paulo Afonso the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know
🇨🇦 Montreal
🇧🇷 Paulo Afonso
🕒 Local time
15:31 3:31 PM
16:31 4:31 PM
1 h ahead of Montreal
🌤 Weather
👥 Population
1,762,949
112,870
💱 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 Paulo Afonso 7,050 km ≈ 9 h nonstop flight
From you
  • Montreal
  • Paulo Afonso

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 Paulo Afonso: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions
Which city is more expensive, Montreal or Paulo Afonso?
Montreal costs about 136% more than Paulo Afonso, 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.
How much do you need to earn to live comfortably in Montreal and in Paulo Afonso?
For a comfortable life, plan on about $3,089 per month in Montreal and $1,309 in Paulo Afonso. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.
Where is rent cheaper, Montreal or Paulo Afonso?
Rent is clearly cheaper in Paulo Afonso, especially for central apartments. Housing is actually the single biggest factor behind the overall cost gap between these two cities.
Are groceries more expensive in Montreal or in Paulo Afonso?
Groceries cost about 81% more in Montreal, though it depends on what you buy. Local produce may be comparable; imported and premium items show the biggest price gap.
How do dining costs compare in Montreal and in Paulo Afonso?
A mid-range dinner for two costs $73.0 in Montreal and $33.00 in Paulo Afonso. That's a good indicator of the overall restaurant and café pricing gap between the two cities.
Can you live on $1,000/month in Montreal or in Paulo Afonso?
A $1,000 monthly budget goes further in Paulo Afonso, where all-in costs run around $873, than in Montreal at $2,059. In Paulo Afonso it covers expenses comfortably, while in Montreal it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.
Which city is better for digital nomads, Montreal or Paulo Afonso?
For digital nomads, it depends on budget. Paulo Afonso costs $873 versus $2,059 in Montreal. Both have workable remote work infrastructure, but the cost gap matters when income varies month to month.
How safe is Montreal compared to Paulo Afonso?
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.
Should I move to Montreal or to Paulo Afonso?
If budget matters most, go with Paulo Afonso. 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.

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