Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Montreal and Pelotas

For one person, living is cheaper in Pelotas: $759 a month against $2,018 in Montreal, rent and utilities included – about $15,100 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 Pelotas
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Pelotas Living Index

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Montreal

🇨🇦 Canada

$2,018

/mo nomad

Pelotas

🇧🇷 Brazil

$759

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Montreal and in Pelotas

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

A single person spends $2,018 per month in Montreal vs $759 in Pelotas, rent included.

Montreal $2,018
Pelotas $759

A couple spends around $3,085 per month in Montreal vs $1,178 in Pelotas, rent included.

Montreal $3,085
Pelotas $1,178

A family of three spends $4,152 per month in Montreal vs $1,598 in Pelotas, rent included.

Montreal $4,152
Pelotas $1,598

Montreal costs about 166% more than Pelotas, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

Montreal sits 49% above the global median, while Pelotas is 44% below – they fall on opposite sides of the world average.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$18.82 CA$26.61

$6.16 R$31.21

205.52%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$70.3 CA$99.4

$17.70 R$89.7

297.12%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$10.66 CA$15.06

$6.66 R$33.78

60.06%

Cappuccino

$3.84 CA$5.43

$2.49 R$12.64

54.22%

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

$1.92 CA$2.71

$1.35 R$6.86

42.22%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.54 CA$2.18

$0.72 R$3.65

113.89%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$6.23 CA$8.81

$1.46 R$7.41

326.71%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$7.10 CA$10.03

$1.55 R$7.87

358.06%

Milk (1 liter)

$2.31 CA$3.27

$0.88 R$4.47

162.50%

White Bread (500g)

$3.14 CA$4.44

$1.19 R$6.03

163.87%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$3.21 CA$4.54

$0.91 R$4.61

252.75%

Eggs

$3.52 CA$4.97

$2.31 R$11.69

52.38%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$12.81 CA$18.11

$10.16 R$51.5

26.08%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$11.46 CA$16.20

$4.72 R$23.91

142.80%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$13.39 CA$18.92

$9.74 R$49.37

37.47%

Apples (1kg)

$3.14 CA$4.43

$2.47 R$12.54

27.13%

Banana (1kg)

$1.44 CA$2.03

$1.19 R$6.01

21.01%

Oranges (1kg)

$3.47 CA$4.91

$1.40 R$7.11

147.86%

Tomato (1kg)

$3.07 CA$4.34

$1.22 R$6.19

151.64%

Potato (1kg)

$1.90 CA$2.69

$1.21 R$6.15

57.02%

Onion (1kg)

$1.77 CA$2.50

$0.98 R$4.98

80.61%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.34 CA$3.31

$0.87 R$4.41

168.97%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.55 CA$2.19

$0.51 R$2.59

203.92%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$11.38 CA$16.09

$2.38 R$12.08

378.15%

Wine (Bottle)

$10.63 CA$15.03

$7.50 R$38.01

41.73%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.27 CA$3.21

$0.68 R$3.44

233.82%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.82 CA$3.99

$1.01 R$5.14

179.21%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.66 CA$3.76

$1.23 R$6.25

116.26%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$77.3 CA$109

$52.5 R$266

47.36%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.20 CA$4.53

$1.31 R$6.66

144.27%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.48 CA$2.09

$0.80 R$4.03

85.00%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$32.88 CA$46.48

$8.27 R$41.92

297.58%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.34 CA$1.90

$1.28 R$6.50

4.69%

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

$28.2K CA$39.8K

$23.5K R$119.3K

19.64%

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

$19.6K CA$27.8K

$33.8K R$171.4K

-41.94%

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

$76.0 CA$107

$77.7 R$394

-2.29%

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

$33.95 CA$48.00

$7.73 R$39.19

339.20%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$42.31 CA$59.8

$20.15 R$102

109.98%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$29.76 CA$42.07

$19.80 R$100

50.30%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$20.28 CA$28.67

$20.13 R$102

0.75%

Cinema Ticket

$11.15 CA$15.77

$4.95 R$25.08

125.25%

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

$507 CA$717

$573 R$2,902

-11.43%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$16.1K CA$22.7K

$24.2K R$122.5K

-33.58%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$57.6 CA$81.4

$35.20 R$178

63.49%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$37.58 CA$53.1

$30.28 R$154

24.11%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$91.9 CA$130

$60.6 R$307

51.55%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$110 CA$155

$81.0 R$410

35.33%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,260 CA$1,782

$237 R$1,202

431.51%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$948 CA$1,340

$166 R$843

470.03%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,137 CA$3,021

$390 R$1,978

447.69%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,614 CA$2,281

$316 R$1,603

410.27%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$4,960 CA$7,011

$1,579 R$8,004

214.11%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$3,838 CA$5,425

$802 R$4,065

378.62%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$2,827 CA$3,997

$460 R$2,331

514.84%

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 12, 2026

Last update for Pelotas: October 10, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Montreal

$948 47%

Pelotas

$166 21.9% 82.5% $781

Groceries & Markets

Montreal

$346 17.2%

Pelotas

$184 24.2% 47% $163

Eating Out

Montreal

$288 14.3%

Pelotas

$118 15.5% 59% $170

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Montreal

$152 7.5%

Pelotas

$106 13.9% 30.6% $47

Clothing & Footwear

Montreal

$133 6.6%

Pelotas

$93 12.3% 30.2% $40

Getting Around

Montreal

$99 4.9%

Pelotas

$63 8.3% 36.4% $36

Sport & Entertainment

Montreal

$52 2.6%

Pelotas

$30 3.9% 43% $22

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $1,260 in Montreal versus $237 in Pelotas. 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 515% 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 $70.0 in Montreal versus $18.00 in Pelotas. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $346 vs $184 – making Pelotas the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇨🇦 Montreal

🇧🇷 Pelotas

🕒 Local time

10:17 10:17 AM

11:17 11:17 AM

1 h ahead of Montreal

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

1,762,949

325,685

💱 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 18, 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 18, 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 Pelotas 8,860 km ≈ 12 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 Pelotas: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Montreal costs about 166% more than Pelotas, 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 $3,027 per month in Montreal and $1,139 in Pelotas. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

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

Groceries cost about 89% 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 $70.0 in Montreal and $18.00 in Pelotas. 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 Pelotas, where all-in costs run around $759, than in Montreal at $2,018. In Pelotas it covers expenses comfortably, while in Montreal it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.

For digital nomads, it depends on budget. Pelotas costs $759 versus $2,018 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 Pelotas. 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.