Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Montreal and Santo Andre

For one person, living is cheaper in Santo Andre: $1,003 a month against $2,018 in Montreal, rent and utilities included – about $12,200 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

Montreal
🇨🇦 Canada
$2,018
/mo nomad
Santo Andre
🇧🇷 Brazil
$1,003
/mo nomad
Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Montreal and in Santo Andre

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

A single person spends $2,018 per month in Montreal vs $1,003 in Santo Andre, rent included.

  • Montreal $2,018
  • Santo Andre $1,003

A couple spends around $3,085 per month in Montreal vs $1,619 in Santo Andre, rent included.

  • Montreal $3,085
  • Santo Andre $1,619

A family of three spends $4,152 per month in Montreal vs $2,234 in Santo Andre, rent included.

  • Montreal $4,152
  • Santo Andre $2,234

Montreal costs about 101% more than Santo Andre, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

Montreal sits 49% above the global median, while Santo Andre is 26% below – they fall on opposite sides of the world average.

Currency
🍽 Eating Out
Montreal
Santo Andre
Difference
Meal at Budget Restaurant
$18.82 CA$26.76
$9.09 R$45.62
107.04%
Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range
$70.3 CA$99.9
$51.1 R$256
37.53%
Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)
$10.66 CA$15.15
$9.11 R$45.68
17.01%
Cappuccino
$3.84 CA$5.46
$2.57 R$12.91
49.42%
Coke/Pepsi/Fanta/Sprite (0.33 liter bottle)
$1.92 CA$2.72
$1.39 R$6.96
38.13%
Water (0.33 liter bottle)
$1.54 CA$2.19
$0.94 R$4.72
63.83%
Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)
$6.23 CA$8.86
$2.38 R$11.92
161.76%
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$7.10 CA$10.09
$4.03 R$20.21
76.18%
🛒 Groceries & Markets
Montreal
Santo Andre
Difference
Milk (1 liter)
$2.31 CA$3.29
$1.06 R$5.32
117.92%
White Bread (500g)
$3.14 CA$4.47
$1.91 R$9.60
64.40%
Rice (white) (1kg)
$3.21 CA$4.57
$1.39 R$6.95
130.94%
Eggs
$3.52 CA$5.00
$2.51 R$12.58
40.24%
Local Cheese (1kg)
$12.81 CA$18.22
$11.00 R$55.2
16.45%
Chicken Fillets (1kg)
$11.46 CA$16.30
$4.82 R$24.20
137.76%
Beef Round Steak (1kg)
$13.39 CA$19.03
$10.54 R$52.9
27.04%
Apples (1kg)
$3.14 CA$4.46
$2.37 R$11.91
32.49%
Banana (1kg)
$1.44 CA$2.04
$1.66 R$8.32
-13.25%
Oranges (1kg)
$3.47 CA$4.94
$1.52 R$7.63
128.29%
Tomato (1kg)
$3.07 CA$4.37
$1.62 R$8.15
89.51%
Potato (1kg)
$1.90 CA$2.70
$1.28 R$6.41
48.44%
Onion (1kg)
$1.77 CA$2.52
$1.25 R$6.28
41.60%
Lettuce (1 head)
$2.34 CA$3.33
$0.98 R$4.93
138.78%
Water (1.5 liter bottle)
$1.55 CA$2.21
$0.86 R$4.34
80.23%
Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)
$11.38 CA$16.18
$2.53 R$12.71
349.80%
Wine (Bottle)
$10.63 CA$15.12
$7.99 R$40.08
33.04%
Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)
$2.27 CA$3.23
$1.51 R$7.59
50.33%
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$2.82 CA$4.01
$2.58 R$12.95
9.30%
🚌 Getting Around
Montreal
Santo Andre
Difference
One-way Ticket (Public Transport)
$2.66 CA$3.79
$1.03 R$5.15
158.25%
Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)
$77.3 CA$110
$27.72 R$139
178.82%
Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)
$3.20 CA$4.55
$1.23 R$6.18
160.16%
Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)
$1.48 CA$2.10
$1.02 R$5.13
45.10%
Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)
$32.88 CA$46.75
$8.45 R$42.38
289.11%
Gasoline (1 liter)
$1.34 CA$1.91
$1.30 R$6.51
3.08%
Midsize Hatchback 1.4l (Volkswagen Golf, Toyota Prius, Honda Civic, etc)
$28.2K CA$40.0K
$23.9K R$119.9K
17.80%
Compact Sedan 1.6l (Toyota Corolla, Mazda3, Kia K4, Hyundai Elantra, etc)
$19.6K CA$27.9K
$32.6K R$163.5K
-39.76%
🧾 Monthly Utilities & Internet
Montreal
Santo Andre
Difference
Utilities for 2 People in 2-bedroom Apartment (Heating, Electricity, Gas, Water, Garbage) (85m2)
$76.0 CA$108
$67.2 R$337
12.99%
SIM Card Monthly Plan (Calls and 10GB+ Data)
$33.95 CA$48.28
$15.08 R$75.7
125.13%
Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)
$42.31 CA$60.2
$22.57 R$113
87.46%
🎉 Sport & Entertainment
Montreal
Santo Andre
Difference
Gym Membership (Monthly)
$29.76 CA$42.31
$25.32 R$127
17.54%
Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)
$20.28 CA$28.84
$27.89 R$140
-27.29%
Cinema Ticket
$11.15 CA$15.86
$7.93 R$39.77
40.61%
🧸 Childcare & Education
Montreal
Santo Andre
Difference
Preschool or Kindergarten, Full Day, Private, 1 Child (Monthly)
$507 CA$721
$545 R$2,733
-6.90%
International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)
$16.1K CA$22.8K
$16.6K R$83.3K
-3.33%
👕👟 Clothing & Footwear
Montreal
Santo Andre
Difference
Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)
$57.6 CA$81.8
$66.1 R$332
-12.99%
Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)
$37.58 CA$53.4
$57.1 R$286
-34.14%
Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)
$91.9 CA$131
$91.4 R$459
0.54%
Men's Leather Business Shoes
$110 CA$156
$80.5 R$404
36.11%
🏠 Accommodation & Living
Montreal
Santo Andre
Difference
1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$1,260 CA$1,792
$404 R$2,025
212.27%
1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$948 CA$1,347
$307 R$1,539
208.95%
3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$2,137 CA$3,038
$674 R$3,380
217.19%
3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$1,614 CA$2,294
$548 R$2,750
194.43%
Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)
$4,960 CA$7,052
$1,748 R$8,771
183.70%
Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)
$3,838 CA$5,456
$1,174 R$5,889
226.96%
💵 Salaries & Financials
Montreal
Santo Andre
Difference
Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)
$2,827 CA$4,020
$554 R$2,781
410.08%
20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)
4.48
10.81
-58.56%

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

Last update for Montreal: October 12, 2026

Last update for Santo Andre: October 11, 2026

Monthly budget structure
Share of the monthly basket for one person, rent included.
Accommodation & Living
Montreal
$948
Santo Andre
$307 67.6% $641
Groceries & Markets
Montreal
$346
Santo Andre
$219 36.7% $127
Eating Out
Montreal
$288
Santo Andre
$160 44.4% $128
Monthly Utilities & Internet
Montreal
$152
Santo Andre
$105 31.1% $47
Clothing & Footwear
Montreal
$133
Santo Andre
$133 0.5% $0.7
Getting Around
Montreal
$99
Santo Andre
$38 61.2% $60
Sport & Entertainment
Montreal
$52
Santo Andre
$41 20.9% $11

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $1,260 in Montreal versus $404 in Santo Andre. 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 410% 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 $51.0 in Santo Andre. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $346 vs $219 – making Santo Andre the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know
🇨🇦 Montreal
🇧🇷 Santo Andre
🕒 Local time
16:07 4:07 PM
17:07 5:07 PM
1 h ahead of Montreal
🌤 Weather
👥 Population
1,762,949
748,919
💱 Currency
Exchange rates and currency converter

BRL, USD, EUR to CAD – Canadian Dollar Converter

Canadian Dollar exchange rates as of October 14, 2026: 1 USD = 1.42 CAD (1 CAD = 0.703 USD). 1 EUR = 1.59 CAD (1 CAD = 0.628 EUR).

Brazilian Real exchange rates as of October 14, 2026: 1 USD = 5.02 BRL (1 BRL = 0.199 USD). 1 EUR = 5.62 BRL (1 BRL = 0.178 EUR).

On the map
Between locations
  • Montreal Santo Andre 8,160 km ≈ 11 h nonstop flight
From you
  • Montreal
  • Santo Andre

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 Santo Andre: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions
Which city is more expensive, Montreal or Santo Andre?
Montreal costs about 101% more than Santo Andre, 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 Santo Andre?
For a comfortable life, plan on about $3,027 per month in Montreal and $1,505 in Santo Andre. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.
Where is rent cheaper, Montreal or Santo Andre?
Rent is clearly cheaper in Santo Andre, 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 Santo Andre?
Groceries cost about 58% 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 Santo Andre?
A mid-range dinner for two costs $70.0 in Montreal and $51.0 in Santo Andre. That's a good indicator of the overall restaurant and café pricing gap between the two cities.
Can you live on $1,500/month in Montreal or in Santo Andre?
A $1,500 monthly budget goes further in Santo Andre, where all-in costs run around $1,003, than in Montreal at $2,018. In Santo Andre 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 Santo Andre?
For digital nomads, it depends on budget. Santo Andre costs $1,003 versus $2,018 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 Santo Andre?
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 Santo Andre?
If budget matters most, go with Santo Andre. 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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