Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Montreal and Santa Cruz do Sul

For one person, living is cheaper in Santa Cruz do Sul: $949 a month against $2,059 in Montreal, rent and utilities included – about $13,300 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
45

Cost of Living Index in Santa Cruz do Sul
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Santa Cruz do Sul Living Index

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Montreal

🇨🇦 Canada

$2,059

/mo nomad

Santa Cruz do Sul

🇧🇷 Brazil

$949

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Montreal and in Santa Cruz do Sul

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 Santa Cruz do Sul actually costs, broken down by who's living it.

A single person spends $2,059 per month in Montreal vs $949 in Santa Cruz do Sul, rent included.

Montreal $2,059
Santa Cruz do Sul $949

A couple spends around $3,123 per month in Montreal vs $1,519 in Santa Cruz do Sul, rent included.

Montreal $3,123
Santa Cruz do Sul $1,519

A family of three spends $4,187 per month in Montreal vs $2,089 in Santa Cruz do Sul, rent included.

Montreal $4,187
Santa Cruz do Sul $2,089

Montreal costs about 117% more than Santa Cruz do Sul, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

Montreal sits 52% above the global median, while Santa Cruz do Sul is 30% below – they fall on opposite sides of the world average.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$18.84 CA$26.63

$5.96 R$30.23

216.11%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$73.2 CA$104

$35.87 R$182

104.13%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$10.54 CA$14.90

$7.10 R$35.99

48.45%

Cappuccino

$3.97 CA$5.61

$2.24 R$11.36

77.23%

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

$1.94 CA$2.74

$1.35 R$6.82

43.70%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.57 CA$2.22

$0.88 R$4.46

78.41%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$6.42 CA$9.08

$1.74 R$8.82

268.97%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$7.20 CA$10.19

$2.70 R$13.70

166.67%

Milk (1 liter)

$2.32 CA$3.28

$0.88 R$4.45

163.64%

White Bread (500g)

$3.19 CA$4.51

$1.80 R$9.15

77.22%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$3.19 CA$4.50

$1.39 R$7.07

129.50%

Eggs

$3.68 CA$5.20

$2.24 R$11.36

64.29%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$13.24 CA$18.72

$8.97 R$45.45

47.60%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$11.69 CA$16.53

$4.80 R$24.32

143.54%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$13.98 CA$19.76

$7.87 R$39.91

77.64%

Apples (1kg)

$3.14 CA$4.44

$2.18 R$11.06

44.04%

Banana (1kg)

$1.45 CA$2.05

$1.11 R$5.63

30.63%

Oranges (1kg)

$3.38 CA$4.78

$1.18 R$5.99

186.44%

Tomato (1kg)

$3.11 CA$4.40

$1.52 R$7.73

104.61%

Potato (1kg)

$1.93 CA$2.72

$1.26 R$6.37

53.17%

Onion (1kg)

$1.83 CA$2.58

$1.21 R$6.12

51.24%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.36 CA$3.34

$0.89 R$4.52

165.17%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.50 CA$2.12

$0.87 R$4.42

72.41%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$11.12 CA$15.73

$2.33 R$11.80

377.25%

Wine (Bottle)

$10.60 CA$14.98

$7.22 R$36.60

46.81%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.22 CA$3.14

$1.17 R$5.91

89.74%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.84 CA$4.01

$1.99 R$10.11

42.71%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.62 CA$3.71

$0.99 R$5.00

164.65%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$79.1 CA$112

$48.92 R$248

61.77%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.23 CA$4.56

$1.17 R$5.91

176.07%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.48 CA$2.10

$0.92 R$4.66

60.87%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$32.22 CA$45.55

$7.79 R$39.50

313.61%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.36 CA$1.92

$1.11 R$5.64

22.52%

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

$27.6K CA$39.1K

$20.3K R$103.1K

35.91%

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

$21.2K CA$30.0K

$33.4K R$169.4K

-36.58%

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

$77.0 CA$109

$86.3 R$438

-10.74%

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

$34.14 CA$48.26

$13.08 R$66.3

161.01%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$42.19 CA$59.7

$23.04 R$117

83.12%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$30.81 CA$43.56

$25.93 R$131

18.82%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$19.66 CA$27.79

$24.49 R$124

-19.72%

Cinema Ticket

$11.47 CA$16.22

$7.66 R$38.85

49.74%

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

$506 CA$716

$288 R$1,462

75.50%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$16.2K CA$23.0K

$6,499 R$32.9K

149.82%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$57.3 CA$81.0

$49.59 R$251

15.47%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$38.10 CA$53.9

$55.4 R$281

-31.23%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$91.9 CA$130

$99.2 R$503

-7.38%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$110 CA$155

$65.8 R$333

66.92%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,237 CA$1,748

$533 R$2,702

132.00%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$977 CA$1,381

$296 R$1,499

230.26%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,180 CA$3,082

$927 R$4,697

135.29%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,608 CA$2,273

$607 R$3,075

165.10%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$5,113 CA$7,228

$1,850 R$9,380

176.34%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$3,744 CA$5,293

$1,188 R$6,021

215.25%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$2,957 CA$4,180

$373 R$1,889

693.66%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

4.48

-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 Santa Cruz do Sul: October 17, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Montreal

$977 47.4%

Santa Cruz do Sul

$296 31.2% 69.7% $681

Groceries & Markets

Montreal

$351 17.1%

Santa Cruz do Sul

$190 20.1% 45.8% $161

Eating Out

Montreal

$290 14.1%

Santa Cruz do Sul

$119 12.5% 59.1% $172

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Montreal

$153 7.5%

Santa Cruz do Sul

$122 12.9% 20.2% $31

Clothing & Footwear

Montreal

$134 6.5%

Santa Cruz do Sul

$121 12.8% 9.1% $12

Getting Around

Montreal

$100 4.9%

Santa Cruz do Sul

$59 6.2% 41.5% $42

Sport & Entertainment

Montreal

$54 2.6%

Santa Cruz do Sul

$41 4.4% 23.3% $13

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $1,237 in Montreal versus $533 in Santa Cruz do Sul. 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 694% 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 $36.00 in Santa Cruz do Sul. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $351 vs $190 – making Santa Cruz do Sul the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇨🇦 Montreal

🇧🇷 Santa Cruz do Sul

🕒 Local time

19:34 7:34 PM

20:34 8:34 PM

1 h ahead of Montreal

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

1,762,949

133,246

💱 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 →

On the map

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Between locations

Montreal Santa Cruz do Sul 8,630 km ≈ 11 h nonstop flight

From you

Montreal
Santa Cruz do Sul

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 Santa Cruz do Sul: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Montreal costs about 117% more than Santa Cruz do Sul, 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 $1,423 in Santa Cruz do Sul. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

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

Groceries cost about 85% 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 $36.00 in Santa Cruz do Sul. 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 Santa Cruz do Sul, where all-in costs run around $949, than in Montreal at $2,059. In Santa Cruz do Sul it covers expenses comfortably, while in Montreal it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.

For digital nomads, it depends on budget. Santa Cruz do Sul costs $949 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 Santa Cruz do Sul. 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.