Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Montreal and Serra

For one person, living is cheaper in Serra: $889 a month against $2,018 in Montreal, rent and utilities included – about $13,500 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
43

Cost of Living Index in Serra
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Serra Living Index

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Montreal

🇨🇦 Canada

$2,018

/mo nomad

Serra

🇧🇷 Brazil

$889

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Montreal and in Serra

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

A single person spends $2,018 per month in Montreal vs $889 in Serra, rent included.

Montreal $2,018
Serra $889

A couple spends around $3,085 per month in Montreal vs $1,317 in Serra, rent included.

Montreal $3,085
Serra $1,317

A family of three spends $4,152 per month in Montreal vs $1,744 in Serra, rent included.

Montreal $4,152
Serra $1,744

Montreal costs about 127% more than Serra, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

Montreal sits 49% above the global median, while Serra is 34% below – they fall on opposite sides of the world average.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$18.82 CA$26.61

$4.77 R$24.16

294.55%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$70.3 CA$99.4

$22.99 R$117

205.74%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$10.66 CA$15.06

$8.20 R$41.58

30.00%

Cappuccino

$3.84 CA$5.43

$2.09 R$10.57

83.73%

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

$1.92 CA$2.71

$1.34 R$6.77

43.28%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.54 CA$2.18

$0.62 R$3.15

148.39%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$6.23 CA$8.81

$1.95 R$9.88

219.49%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$7.10 CA$10.03

$3.06 R$15.53

132.03%

Milk (1 liter)

$2.31 CA$3.27

$1.13 R$5.70

104.42%

White Bread (500g)

$3.14 CA$4.44

$1.80 R$9.13

74.44%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$3.21 CA$4.54

$1.17 R$5.95

174.36%

Eggs

$3.52 CA$4.97

$2.14 R$10.87

64.49%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$12.81 CA$18.11

$10.49 R$53.2

22.12%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$11.46 CA$16.20

$4.58 R$23.22

150.22%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$13.39 CA$18.92

$8.54 R$43.27

56.79%

Apples (1kg)

$3.14 CA$4.43

$2.87 R$14.53

9.41%

Banana (1kg)

$1.44 CA$2.03

$1.53 R$7.74

-5.88%

Oranges (1kg)

$3.47 CA$4.91

$1.83 R$9.28

89.62%

Tomato (1kg)

$3.07 CA$4.34

$1.62 R$8.20

89.51%

Potato (1kg)

$1.90 CA$2.69

$1.18 R$5.96

61.02%

Onion (1kg)

$1.77 CA$2.50

$1.11 R$5.65

59.46%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.34 CA$3.31

$1.34 R$6.78

74.63%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.55 CA$2.19

$1.39 R$7.03

11.51%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$11.38 CA$16.09

$2.49 R$12.62

357.03%

Wine (Bottle)

$10.63 CA$15.03

$5.64 R$28.59

88.48%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.27 CA$3.21

$0.98 R$4.98

131.63%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.82 CA$3.99

$3.27 R$16.59

-13.76%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.66 CA$3.76

$0.97 R$4.93

174.23%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$77.3 CA$109

$47.18 R$239

63.82%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.20 CA$4.53

$1.31 R$6.66

144.27%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.48 CA$2.09

$1.13 R$5.72

30.97%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$32.88 CA$46.48

$6.89 R$34.95

377.21%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.34 CA$1.90

$1.08 R$5.49

24.07%

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

$28.2K CA$39.8K

$23.5K R$119.2K

19.73%

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

$19.6K CA$27.8K

$33.8K R$171.1K

-41.85%

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

$76.0 CA$107

$158 R$803

-52.05%

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

$33.95 CA$48.00

$12.30 R$62.4

176.02%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$42.31 CA$59.8

$21.05 R$107

101.00%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$29.76 CA$42.07

$25.83 R$131

15.21%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$20.28 CA$28.67

$27.87 R$141

-27.23%

Cinema Ticket

$11.15 CA$15.77

$7.49 R$37.95

48.87%

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

$507 CA$717

$188 R$955

169.21%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$16.1K CA$22.7K

$6,726 R$34.1K

138.64%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$57.6 CA$81.4

$55.0 R$279

4.67%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$37.58 CA$53.1

$51.1 R$259

-26.49%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$91.9 CA$130

$91.1 R$462

0.84%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$110 CA$155

$74.3 R$377

47.48%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,260 CA$1,782

$251 R$1,271

402.58%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$948 CA$1,340

$153 R$774

520.66%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,137 CA$3,021

$446 R$2,261

379.18%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,614 CA$2,281

$220 R$1,117

632.14%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$4,960 CA$7,011

$970 R$4,917

411.34%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$3,838 CA$5,425

$563 R$2,852

582.11%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$2,827 CA$3,997

$559 R$2,833

405.93%

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 12, 2026

Last update for Serra: October 11, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Montreal

$948 47%

Serra

$153 17.2% 83.9% $795

Groceries & Markets

Montreal

$346 17.2%

Serra

$212 23.8% 38.8% $135

Eating Out

Montreal

$288 14.3%

Serra

$111 12.5% 61.3% $176

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Montreal

$152 7.5%

Serra

$192 21.6% 26% $40

Clothing & Footwear

Montreal

$133 6.6%

Serra

$122 13.8% 8.5% $11

Getting Around

Montreal

$99 4.9%

Serra

$58 6.5% 41.1% $40

Sport & Entertainment

Montreal

$52 2.6%

Serra

$41 4.6% 21.6% $11

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $1,260 in Montreal versus $251 in Serra. 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 406% 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 Serra. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $346 vs $212 – making Serra the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇨🇦 Montreal

🇧🇷 Serra

🕒 Local time

04:28 4:28 AM

05:28 5:28 AM

1 h ahead of Montreal

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

1,762,949

520,653

💱 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 18, 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 18, 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 Serra 8,030 km ≈ 11 h nonstop flight

From you

Montreal
Serra

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 Serra: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Montreal costs about 127% more than Serra, 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 $1,333 in Serra. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

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

Groceries cost about 64% 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 Serra. 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 Serra, where all-in costs run around $889, than in Montreal at $2,018. In Serra it covers expenses comfortably, while in Montreal it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.

For digital nomads, it depends on budget. Serra costs $889 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 Serra. 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.