Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Montreal and Petropolis

For one person, living is cheaper in Petropolis: $1,011 a month against $2,059 in Montreal, rent and utilities included – about $12,600 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
49

Cost of Living Index in Petropolis
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Petropolis Living Index

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Montreal

🇨🇦 Canada

$2,059

/mo nomad

Petropolis

🇧🇷 Brazil

$1,011

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Montreal and in Petropolis

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

A single person spends $2,059 per month in Montreal vs $1,011 in Petropolis, rent included.

Montreal $2,059
Petropolis $1,011

A couple spends around $3,123 per month in Montreal vs $1,516 in Petropolis, rent included.

Montreal $3,123
Petropolis $1,516

A family of three spends $4,187 per month in Montreal vs $2,021 in Petropolis, rent included.

Montreal $4,187
Petropolis $2,021

Montreal costs about 104% more than Petropolis, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

Montreal sits 52% above the global median, while Petropolis is 25% below – they fall on opposite sides of the world average.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$18.84 CA$26.63

$6.07 R$30.78

210.38%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$73.2 CA$104

$28.83 R$146

153.97%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$10.54 CA$14.90

$6.91 R$35.02

52.53%

Cappuccino

$3.97 CA$5.61

$1.70 R$8.64

133.53%

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

$1.94 CA$2.74

$1.31 R$6.66

48.09%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.57 CA$2.22

$0.58 R$2.93

170.69%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$6.42 CA$9.08

$1.21 R$6.15

430.58%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$7.20 CA$10.19

$4.69 R$23.79

53.52%

Milk (1 liter)

$2.32 CA$3.28

$0.93 R$4.70

149.46%

White Bread (500g)

$3.19 CA$4.51

$1.52 R$7.69

109.87%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$3.19 CA$4.50

$1.43 R$7.24

123.08%

Eggs

$3.68 CA$5.20

$2.04 R$10.32

80.39%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$13.24 CA$18.72

$9.19 R$46.60

44.07%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$11.69 CA$16.53

$4.33 R$21.93

169.98%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$13.98 CA$19.76

$9.57 R$48.50

46.08%

Apples (1kg)

$3.14 CA$4.44

$1.64 R$8.33

91.46%

Banana (1kg)

$1.45 CA$2.05

$1.15 R$5.83

26.09%

Oranges (1kg)

$3.38 CA$4.78

$0.98 R$4.94

244.90%

Tomato (1kg)

$3.11 CA$4.40

$1.21 R$6.11

157.02%

Potato (1kg)

$1.93 CA$2.72

$0.65 R$3.31

196.92%

Onion (1kg)

$1.83 CA$2.58

$0.87 R$4.40

110.34%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.36 CA$3.34

$0.58 R$2.92

306.90%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.50 CA$2.12

$0.61 R$3.10

145.90%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$11.12 CA$15.73

$2.16 R$10.96

414.81%

Wine (Bottle)

$10.60 CA$14.98

$5.88 R$29.79

80.27%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.22 CA$3.14

$1.04 R$5.27

113.46%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.84 CA$4.01

$1.42 R$7.21

100.00%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.62 CA$3.71

$1.03 R$5.24

154.37%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$79.1 CA$112

$49.31 R$250

60.49%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.23 CA$4.56

$1.15 R$5.82

180.87%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.48 CA$2.10

$1.02 R$5.15

45.10%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$32.22 CA$45.55

$8.01 R$40.60

302.25%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.36 CA$1.92

$1.24 R$6.28

9.68%

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

$27.6K CA$39.1K

$20.9K R$105.8K

32.49%

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

$21.2K CA$30.0K

$31.2K R$158.3K

-32.14%

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

$77.0 CA$109

$70.9 R$359

8.69%

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

$34.14 CA$48.26

$9.78 R$49.60

249.08%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$42.19 CA$59.7

$18.71 R$94.9

125.49%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$30.81 CA$43.56

$31.96 R$162

-3.60%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$19.66 CA$27.79

$32.15 R$163

-38.85%

Cinema Ticket

$11.47 CA$16.22

$7.10 R$36.02

61.55%

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

$506 CA$716

$362 R$1,836

39.75%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$16.2K CA$23.0K

$11.1K R$56.1K

46.82%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$57.3 CA$81.0

$55.2 R$280

3.79%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$38.10 CA$53.9

$49.65 R$252

-23.26%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$91.9 CA$130

$88.2 R$447

4.23%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$110 CA$155

$69.1 R$350

58.94%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,237 CA$1,748

$527 R$2,671

134.75%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$977 CA$1,381

$401 R$2,033

143.52%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,180 CA$3,082

$837 R$4,241

160.59%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,608 CA$2,273

$630 R$3,194

155.23%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$5,113 CA$7,228

$2,748 R$13.9K

86.06%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$3,744 CA$5,293

$1,985 R$10.1K

88.58%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$2,957 CA$4,180

$613 R$3,110

382.03%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

4.48

11.87

-62.26%

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

Last update for Montreal: October 20, 2026

Last update for Petropolis: October 18, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Montreal

$977 47.4%

Petropolis

$401 39.7% 58.9% $576

Groceries & Markets

Montreal

$351 17.1%

Petropolis

$174 17.2% 50.3% $177

Eating Out

Montreal

$290 14.1%

Petropolis

$113 11.2% 61.2% $178

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Montreal

$153 7.5%

Petropolis

$99 9.8% 35.2% $54

Clothing & Footwear

Montreal

$134 6.5%

Petropolis

$118 11.7% 11.8% $16

Getting Around

Montreal

$100 4.9%

Petropolis

$60 5.9% 40.5% $41

Sport & Entertainment

Montreal

$54 2.6%

Petropolis

$46 4.6% 14.1% $7.6

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $1,237 in Montreal versus $527 in Petropolis. 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 382% 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 $29.00 in Petropolis. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $351 vs $174 – making Petropolis the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇨🇦 Montreal

🇧🇷 Petropolis

🕒 Local time

18:39 6:39 PM

19:39 7:39 PM

1 h ahead of Montreal

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

1,762,949

278,881

💱 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 20, 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 20, 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 Petropolis 8,160 km ≈ 11 h nonstop flight

From you

Montreal
Petropolis

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 Petropolis: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Montreal costs about 104% more than Petropolis, 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 $1,517 in Petropolis. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

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

Groceries cost about 101% 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 $29.00 in Petropolis. That's a good indicator of the overall restaurant and café pricing gap between the two cities.

A $1,500 monthly budget goes further in Petropolis, where all-in costs run around $1,011, than in Montreal at $2,059. In Petropolis it covers expenses comfortably, while in Montreal it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.

For digital nomads, it depends on budget. Petropolis costs $1,011 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 Petropolis. 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.