Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Montreal and Sao Joao da Boa Vista

For one person, living is cheaper in Sao Joao da Boa Vista: $823 a month against $2,018 in Montreal, rent and utilities included – about $14,300 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
40

Cost of Living Index in Sao Joao da Boa Vista
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Sao Joao da Boa Vista Living Index

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Montreal

🇨🇦 Canada

$2,018

/mo nomad

Sao Joao da Boa Vista

🇧🇷 Brazil

$823

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Montreal and in Sao Joao da Boa Vista

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 Sao Joao da Boa Vista actually costs, broken down by who's living it.

A single person spends $2,018 per month in Montreal vs $823 in Sao Joao da Boa Vista, rent included.

Montreal $2,018
Sao Joao da Boa Vista $823

A couple spends around $3,085 per month in Montreal vs $1,320 in Sao Joao da Boa Vista, rent included.

Montreal $3,085
Sao Joao da Boa Vista $1,320

A family of three spends $4,152 per month in Montreal vs $1,818 in Sao Joao da Boa Vista, rent included.

Montreal $4,152
Sao Joao da Boa Vista $1,818

Montreal costs about 145% more than Sao Joao da Boa Vista, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

Montreal sits 49% above the global median, while Sao Joao da Boa Vista is 39% below – they fall on opposite sides of the world average.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$18.82 CA$26.76

$5.62 R$28.22

234.88%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$70.3 CA$99.9

$23.03 R$116

205.21%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$10.66 CA$15.15

$7.07 R$35.45

50.78%

Cappuccino

$3.84 CA$5.46

$2.05 R$10.29

87.32%

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

$1.92 CA$2.72

$1.17 R$5.89

64.10%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.54 CA$2.19

$0.92 R$4.62

67.39%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$6.23 CA$8.86

$1.98 R$9.94

214.65%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$7.10 CA$10.09

$2.06 R$10.32

244.66%

Milk (1 liter)

$2.31 CA$3.29

$1.07 R$5.37

115.89%

White Bread (500g)

$3.14 CA$4.47

$1.64 R$8.23

91.46%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$3.21 CA$4.57

$0.98 R$4.90

227.55%

Eggs

$3.52 CA$5.00

$2.37 R$11.90

48.52%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$12.81 CA$18.22

$10.01 R$50.2

27.97%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$11.46 CA$16.30

$5.00 R$25.09

129.20%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$13.39 CA$19.03

$10.07 R$50.5

32.97%

Apples (1kg)

$3.14 CA$4.46

$1.95 R$9.80

61.03%

Banana (1kg)

$1.44 CA$2.04

$1.17 R$5.88

23.08%

Oranges (1kg)

$3.47 CA$4.94

$0.97 R$4.89

257.73%

Tomato (1kg)

$3.07 CA$4.37

$1.56 R$7.85

96.79%

Potato (1kg)

$1.90 CA$2.70

$0.83 R$4.15

128.92%

Onion (1kg)

$1.77 CA$2.52

$0.81 R$4.09

118.52%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.34 CA$3.33

$0.78 R$3.90

200.00%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.55 CA$2.21

$0.77 R$3.87

101.30%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$11.38 CA$16.18

$2.35 R$11.80

384.26%

Wine (Bottle)

$10.63 CA$15.12

$6.09 R$30.55

74.55%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.27 CA$3.23

$1.18 R$5.90

92.37%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.82 CA$4.01

$1.98 R$9.93

42.42%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.66 CA$3.79

$0.87 R$4.38

205.75%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$77.3 CA$110

$44.48 R$223

73.76%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.20 CA$4.55

$1.57 R$7.89

103.82%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.48 CA$2.10

$1.57 R$7.87

-5.73%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$32.88 CA$46.75

$8.19 R$41.10

301.47%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.34 CA$1.91

$1.07 R$5.35

25.23%

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

$28.2K CA$40.0K

$19.8K R$99.3K

42.28%

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

$19.6K CA$27.9K

$33.3K R$166.9K

-41.00%

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

$76.0 CA$108

$95.3 R$478

-20.30%

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

$33.95 CA$48.28

$9.88 R$49.55

243.62%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$42.31 CA$60.2

$19.70 R$98.8

114.77%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$29.76 CA$42.31

$28.59 R$143

4.09%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$20.28 CA$28.84

$31.76 R$159

-36.15%

Cinema Ticket

$11.15 CA$15.86

$5.49 R$27.56

103.10%

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

$507 CA$721

$280 R$1,403

81.37%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$16.1K CA$22.8K

$10.3K R$51.8K

55.52%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$57.6 CA$81.8

$54.6 R$274

5.50%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$37.58 CA$53.4

$37.79 R$190

-0.56%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$91.9 CA$131

$51.3 R$258

79.07%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$110 CA$156

$60.7 R$304

80.62%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,260 CA$1,792

$349 R$1,753

260.76%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$948 CA$1,347

$203 R$1,018

367.24%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,137 CA$3,038

$678 R$3,402

215.16%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,614 CA$2,294

$465 R$2,333

246.98%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$4,960 CA$7,052

$1,581 R$7,931

213.75%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$3,838 CA$5,456

$1,031 R$5,175

272.07%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$2,827 CA$4,020

$659 R$3,307

328.99%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

4.48

12.79

-64.97%

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

Last update for Montreal: October 12, 2026

Last update for Sao Joao da Boa Vista: October 12, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Montreal

$948 47%

Sao Joao da Boa Vista

$203 24.7% 78.6% $745

Groceries & Markets

Montreal

$346 17.2%

Sao Joao da Boa Vista

$193 23.4% 44.4% $154

Eating Out

Montreal

$288 14.3%

Sao Joao da Boa Vista

$113 13.8% 60.7% $175

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Montreal

$152 7.5%

Sao Joao da Boa Vista

$125 15.2% 17.9% $27

Clothing & Footwear

Montreal

$133 6.6%

Sao Joao da Boa Vista

$92 11.2% 31.1% $42

Getting Around

Montreal

$99 4.9%

Sao Joao da Boa Vista

$57 7% 41.7% $41

Sport & Entertainment

Montreal

$52 2.6%

Sao Joao da Boa Vista

$40 4.8% 24% $12

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $1,260 in Montreal versus $349 in Sao Joao da Boa Vista. 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 329% 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 $23.00 in Sao Joao da Boa Vista. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $346 vs $193 – making Sao Joao da Boa Vista the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇨🇦 Montreal

🇧🇷 Sao Joao da Boa Vista

🕒 Local time

16:02 4:02 PM

17:02 5:02 PM

1 h ahead of Montreal

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

1,762,949

92,547

💱 Currency

Canadian Dollar CAD $

Brazilian Real BRL R$

📈 Exchange rate

1 CAD = 0.703 USD

1 CAD = 0.628 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 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).

USD to CAD in detail →

On the map

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Highest

Between locations

Montreal Sao Joao da Boa Vista 7,980 km ≈ 10 h nonstop flight

From you

Montreal
Sao Joao da Boa Vista

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 Sao Joao da Boa Vista: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Montreal costs about 145% more than Sao Joao da Boa Vista, 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 $3,027 per month in Montreal and $1,234 in Sao Joao da Boa Vista. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

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

Groceries cost about 80% 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 $70.0 in Montreal and $23.00 in Sao Joao da Boa Vista. 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 Sao Joao da Boa Vista, where all-in costs run around $823, than in Montreal at $2,018. In Sao Joao da Boa Vista it covers expenses comfortably, while in Montreal it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.

For digital nomads, it depends on budget. Sao Joao da Boa Vista costs $823 versus $2,018 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 Sao Joao da Boa Vista. 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.