Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Montreal and São Gabriel

For one person, living is cheaper in São Gabriel: $842 a month against $2,059 in Montreal, rent and utilities included – about $14,600 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
41

Cost of Living Index in São Gabriel
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São Gabriel Living Index

Jump to prices

Montreal

🇨🇦 Canada

$2,059

/mo nomad

São Gabriel

🇧🇷 Brazil

$842

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Montreal and in São Gabriel

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

A single person spends $2,059 per month in Montreal vs $842 in São Gabriel, rent included.

Montreal $2,059
São Gabriel $842

A couple spends around $3,123 per month in Montreal vs $1,371 in São Gabriel, rent included.

Montreal $3,123
São Gabriel $1,371

A family of three spends $4,187 per month in Montreal vs $1,901 in São Gabriel, rent included.

Montreal $4,187
São Gabriel $1,901

Montreal costs about 145% more than São Gabriel, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

Montreal sits 52% above the global median, while São Gabriel is 38% below – they fall on opposite sides of the world average.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$18.84 CA$26.63

$5.66 R$28.70

232.86%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$73.2 CA$104

$40.73 R$206

79.77%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$10.54 CA$14.90

$7.05 R$35.76

49.50%

Cappuccino

$3.97 CA$5.61

$1.18 R$5.96

236.44%

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

$1.94 CA$2.74

$1.37 R$6.96

41.61%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.57 CA$2.22

$1.02 R$5.19

53.92%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$6.42 CA$9.08

$1.38 R$6.98

365.22%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$7.20 CA$10.19

$2.98 R$15.10

141.61%

Milk (1 liter)

$2.32 CA$3.28

$0.91 R$4.63

154.95%

White Bread (500g)

$3.19 CA$4.51

$1.63 R$8.24

95.71%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$3.19 CA$4.50

$1.08 R$5.48

195.37%

Eggs

$3.68 CA$5.20

$1.42 R$7.22

159.15%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$13.24 CA$18.72

$10.15 R$51.5

30.44%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$11.69 CA$16.53

$4.96 R$25.16

135.69%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$13.98 CA$19.76

$9.84 R$49.87

42.07%

Apples (1kg)

$3.14 CA$4.44

$1.17 R$5.92

168.38%

Banana (1kg)

$1.45 CA$2.05

$1.49 R$7.58

-2.68%

Oranges (1kg)

$3.38 CA$4.78

$1.02 R$5.19

231.37%

Tomato (1kg)

$3.11 CA$4.40

$0.76 R$3.86

309.21%

Potato (1kg)

$1.93 CA$2.72

$1.23 R$6.25

56.91%

Onion (1kg)

$1.83 CA$2.58

$0.78 R$3.95

134.62%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.36 CA$3.34

$0.88 R$4.44

168.18%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.50 CA$2.12

$0.89 R$4.50

68.54%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$11.12 CA$15.73

$1.76 R$8.92

531.82%

Wine (Bottle)

$10.60 CA$14.98

$4.06 R$20.58

161.08%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.22 CA$3.14

$1.13 R$5.71

96.46%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.84 CA$4.01

$1.63 R$8.25

74.23%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.62 CA$3.71

$1.03 R$5.23

154.37%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$79.1 CA$112

$44.73 R$227

76.93%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.23 CA$4.56

$1.28 R$6.51

152.34%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.48 CA$2.10

$0.81 R$4.13

82.72%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$32.22 CA$45.55

$8.44 R$42.79

281.75%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.36 CA$1.92

$1.33 R$6.74

2.26%

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

$27.6K CA$39.1K

$23.4K R$118.5K

18.26%

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

$21.2K CA$30.0K

$34.4K R$174.3K

-38.38%

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

$77.0 CA$109

$75.5 R$382

2.11%

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

$34.14 CA$48.26

$12.49 R$63.3

173.34%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$42.19 CA$59.7

$21.98 R$111

91.95%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$30.81 CA$43.56

$26.34 R$134

16.97%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$19.66 CA$27.79

$27.73 R$141

-29.10%

Cinema Ticket

$11.47 CA$16.22

$7.20 R$36.51

59.31%

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

$506 CA$716

$281 R$1,425

80.02%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$16.2K CA$23.0K

$7,317 R$37.1K

121.89%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$57.3 CA$81.0

$51.5 R$261

11.27%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$38.10 CA$53.9

$26.26 R$133

45.09%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$91.9 CA$130

$102 R$519

-10.28%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$110 CA$155

$80.4 R$408

36.44%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,237 CA$1,748

$350 R$1,772

253.82%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$977 CA$1,381

$237 R$1,204

311.26%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,180 CA$3,082

$687 R$3,482

217.36%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,608 CA$2,273

$476 R$2,411

238.13%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$5,113 CA$7,228

$1,740 R$8,819

193.92%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$3,744 CA$5,293

$1,189 R$6,025

215.04%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$2,957 CA$4,180

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 20, 2026

Last update for São Gabriel: October 20, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Montreal

$977 47.4%

São Gabriel

$238 28.2% 75.7% $739

Groceries & Markets

Montreal

$351 17.1%

São Gabriel

$179 21.3% 48.9% $172

Eating Out

Montreal

$290 14.1%

São Gabriel

$103 12.2% 64.5% $187

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Montreal

$153 7.5%

São Gabriel

$110 13.1% 28.3% $43

Clothing & Footwear

Montreal

$134 6.5%

São Gabriel

$117 13.9% 12.3% $16

Getting Around

Montreal

$100 4.9%

São Gabriel

$54 6.4% 45.9% $46

Sport & Entertainment

Montreal

$54 2.6%

São Gabriel

$41 4.8% 24.2% $13

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $1,237 in Montreal versus $350 in São Gabriel. Rent is usually the largest line item in a monthly budget, so the gap here sets the tone for the overall comparison.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $73.0 in Montreal versus $41.00 in São Gabriel. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $351 vs $179 – making São Gabriel the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇨🇦 Montreal

🇧🇷 São Gabriel

🕒 Local time

15:55 3:55 PM

16:55 4:55 PM

1 h ahead of Montreal

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

1,762,949

58,487

💱 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 21, 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 21, 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 São Gabriel 8,650 km ≈ 11 h nonstop flight

From you

Montreal
São Gabriel

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 São Gabriel: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Montreal costs about 145% more than São Gabriel, 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 $1,263 in São Gabriel. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

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

Groceries cost about 96% 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 $41.00 in São Gabriel. 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 São Gabriel, where all-in costs run around $842, than in Montreal at $2,059. In São Gabriel it covers expenses comfortably, while in Montreal it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.

For digital nomads, it depends on budget. São Gabriel costs $842 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 São Gabriel. 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.