Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Montreal and Rio de Janeiro

For one person, living is cheaper in Rio de Janeiro: $1,285 a month against $2,003 in Montreal, rent and utilities included – about $8,600 less a year. Rent and utilities account for about half of the difference.

99

Cost of Living Index in Montreal
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Montreal Living Index
63

Cost of Living Index in Rio de Janeiro
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Rio de Janeiro Living Index

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Montreal

🇨🇦 Canada

$2,003

/mo nomad

Rio de Janeiro

🇧🇷 Brazil

$1,285

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Montreal and in Rio de Janeiro

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 Rio de Janeiro actually costs, broken down by who's living it.

A single person spends $2,003 per month in Montreal vs $1,285 in Rio de Janeiro, rent included.

Montreal $2,003
Rio de Janeiro $1,285

A couple spends around $3,048 per month in Montreal vs $1,888 in Rio de Janeiro, rent included.

Montreal $3,048
Rio de Janeiro $1,888

A family of three spends $4,092 per month in Montreal vs $2,491 in Rio de Janeiro, rent included.

Montreal $4,092
Rio de Janeiro $2,491

Montreal costs about 56% more than Rio de Janeiro, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

Montreal sits 49% above the global median, while Rio de Janeiro is 4% below – they fall on opposite sides of the world average.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$19.31 CA$27.46

$9.98 R$50.1

93.49%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$75.5 CA$107

$40.34 R$202

87.16%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$10.63 CA$15.11

$8.48 R$42.57

25.35%

Cappuccino

$3.93 CA$5.58

$2.36 R$11.86

66.53%

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

$1.92 CA$2.73

$1.63 R$8.18

17.79%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.48 CA$2.11

$1.01 R$5.09

46.53%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$6.30 CA$8.96

$2.44 R$12.25

158.20%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$7.19 CA$10.22

$3.69 R$18.53

94.85%

Milk (1 liter)

$2.22 CA$3.16

$1.15 R$5.75

93.04%

White Bread (500g)

$3.06 CA$4.35

$2.07 R$10.40

47.83%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.94 CA$4.18

$1.29 R$6.45

127.91%

Eggs

$3.53 CA$5.02

$2.27 R$11.38

55.51%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$13.19 CA$18.76

$11.00 R$55.2

19.91%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$11.24 CA$15.98

$4.31 R$21.62

160.79%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$13.81 CA$19.65

$9.74 R$48.88

41.79%

Apples (1kg)

$3.40 CA$4.84

$2.83 R$14.19

20.14%

Banana (1kg)

$1.44 CA$2.05

$1.84 R$9.21

-21.74%

Oranges (1kg)

$3.26 CA$4.64

$1.60 R$8.01

103.75%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.88 CA$4.09

$1.80 R$9.04

60.00%

Potato (1kg)

$1.86 CA$2.64

$1.26 R$6.31

47.62%

Onion (1kg)

$1.82 CA$2.60

$1.07 R$5.37

70.09%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.43 CA$3.45

$0.75 R$3.77

224.00%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.52 CA$2.17

$0.66 R$3.31

130.30%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$11.45 CA$16.29

$3.05 R$15.29

275.41%

Wine (Bottle)

$10.36 CA$14.73

$8.18 R$41.05

26.65%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.22 CA$3.15

$1.19 R$5.95

86.55%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.82 CA$4.01

$2.39 R$11.98

17.99%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.58 CA$3.66

$1.01 R$5.08

155.45%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$76.9 CA$109

$50.2 R$252

53.32%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.25 CA$4.63

$1.27 R$6.37

155.91%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.48 CA$2.11

$0.90 R$4.53

64.44%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$33.04 CA$46.99

$9.44 R$47.37

250.00%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.36 CA$1.93

$1.33 R$6.69

2.26%

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

$27.4K CA$39.0K

$23.4K R$117.6K

17.05%

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

$20.0K CA$28.4K

$33.6K R$168.5K

-40.50%

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

$76.1 CA$108

$134 R$670

-42.98%

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

$34.68 CA$49.32

$12.23 R$61.4

183.57%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$42.69 CA$60.7

$22.65 R$114

88.48%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$28.94 CA$41.17

$31.56 R$158

-8.30%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$20.33 CA$28.91

$30.87 R$155

-34.14%

Cinema Ticket

$11.21 CA$15.94

$8.23 R$41.29

36.21%

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

$505 CA$718

$603 R$3,027

-16.26%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$16.0K CA$22.8K

$13.2K R$66.4K

20.92%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$58.5 CA$83.2

$41.62 R$209

40.56%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$38.00 CA$54.1

$49.94 R$251

-23.91%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$92.7 CA$132

$75.0 R$377

23.53%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$106 CA$150

$68.3 R$343

54.85%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,240 CA$1,764

$905 R$4,543

36.97%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$986 CA$1,402

$527 R$2,647

86.93%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,102 CA$2,990

$1,346 R$6,755

56.15%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,615 CA$2,297

$774 R$3,885

108.54%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$5,043 CA$7,173

$3,981 R$20.0K

26.69%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$3,830 CA$5,447

$1,562 R$7,838

145.17%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$2,920 CA$4,154

$643 R$3,227

354.19%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

4.46

11.93

-62.62%

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

Last update for Montreal: October 6, 2026

Last update for Rio de Janeiro: October 6, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Montreal

$986 47.9%

Rio de Janeiro

$527 41% 46.5% $459

Groceries & Markets

Montreal

$344 16.7%

Rio de Janeiro

$215 16.7% 37.5% $129

Eating Out

Montreal

$293 14.2%

Rio de Janeiro

$164 12.7% 44.1% $129

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Montreal

$154 7.5%

Rio de Janeiro

$168 13.1% 9.7% $15

Clothing & Footwear

Montreal

$133 6.5%

Rio de Janeiro

$106 8.2% 20.4% $27

Getting Around

Montreal

$98 4.8%

Rio de Janeiro

$60 4.7% 38.7% $38

Sport & Entertainment

Montreal

$51 2.5%

Rio de Janeiro

$48 3.7% 6.5% $3.3

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $1,240 in Montreal versus $905 in Rio de Janeiro. 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 354% 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 $75.0 in Montreal versus $40.00 in Rio de Janeiro. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $344 vs $215 – making Rio de Janeiro the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇨🇦 Montreal

🇧🇷 Rio de Janeiro

🕒 Local time

06:49 6:49 AM

07:49 7:49 AM

1 h ahead of Montreal

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

1,762,949

6,211,223

💱 Currency

Canadian Dollar CAD $

Brazilian Real BRL R$

📈 Exchange rate

1 CAD = 0.703 USD

1 CAD = 0.627 EUR

1 BRL = 0.199 USD

1 BRL = 0.178 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 10, 2026: 1 USD = 1.42 CAD (1 CAD = 0.703 USD). 1 EUR = 1.59 CAD (1 CAD = 0.627 EUR).

Brazilian Real exchange rates as of October 10, 2026: 1 USD = 5.02 BRL (1 BRL = 0.199 USD). 1 EUR = 5.62 BRL (1 BRL = 0.178 EUR).

USD to CAD in detail →

On the map

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Between locations

Montreal Rio de Janeiro 8,200 km ≈ 11 h nonstop flight

From you

Montreal
Rio de Janeiro

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 Rio de Janeiro: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Montreal costs about 56% more than Rio de Janeiro, 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 $3,005 per month in Montreal and $1,927 in Rio de Janeiro. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

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

Groceries cost about 60% 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 $75.0 in Montreal and $40.00 in Rio de Janeiro. 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 Rio de Janeiro, where all-in costs run around $1,285, than in Montreal at $2,003. In Rio de Janeiro it covers expenses comfortably, while in Montreal it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.

For digital nomads, it depends on budget. Rio de Janeiro costs $1,285 versus $2,003 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 Rio de Janeiro. 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.