Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Paulista and Montreal

For one person, living is cheaper in Paulista: $787 a month against $2,018 in Montreal, rent and utilities included – about $14,800 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

38

Cost of Living Index in Paulista
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Paulista Living Index
99

Cost of Living Index in Montreal
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Montreal Living Index

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Paulista

🇧🇷 Brazil

$787

/mo nomad

Montreal

🇨🇦 Canada

$2,018

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Paulista and in Montreal

Real prices from locals and on-the-ground checks – rent, groceries, transit and the daily extras. Here's what a month in Paulista and in Montreal actually costs, broken down by who's living it.

A single person spends $787 per month in Paulista vs $2,018 in Montreal, rent included.

Paulista $787
Montreal $2,018

A couple spends around $1,225 per month in Paulista vs $3,085 in Montreal, rent included.

Paulista $1,225
Montreal $3,085

A family of three spends $1,663 per month in Paulista vs $4,152 in Montreal, rent included.

Paulista $1,663
Montreal $4,152

Paulista is about 61% cheaper than Montreal, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Paulista sits 42% below the global median, while Montreal is 49% above – they fall on opposite sides of the world average.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$7.05 R$35.72

$18.82 CA$26.61

-62.54%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$15.92 R$80.7

$70.3 CA$99.4

-77.35%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$8.24 R$41.79

$10.66 CA$15.06

-22.70%

Cappuccino

$1.58 R$8.03

$3.84 CA$5.43

-58.85%

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

$1.07 R$5.43

$1.92 CA$2.71

-44.27%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.42 R$2.13

$1.54 CA$2.18

-72.73%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$1.92 R$9.71

$6.23 CA$8.81

-69.18%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.54 R$17.94

$7.10 CA$10.03

-50.14%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.02 R$5.16

$2.31 CA$3.27

-55.84%

White Bread (500g)

$1.82 R$9.20

$3.14 CA$4.44

-42.04%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.03 R$5.22

$3.21 CA$4.54

-67.91%

Eggs

$2.17 R$11.02

$3.52 CA$4.97

-38.35%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$2.89 R$14.64

$12.81 CA$18.11

-77.44%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$2.96 R$15.01

$11.46 CA$16.20

-74.17%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$5.69 R$28.86

$13.39 CA$18.92

-57.51%

Apples (1kg)

$2.02 R$10.25

$3.14 CA$4.43

-35.67%

Banana (1kg)

$0.95 R$4.80

$1.44 CA$2.03

-34.03%

Oranges (1kg)

$0.92 R$4.64

$3.47 CA$4.91

-73.49%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.18 R$5.97

$3.07 CA$4.34

-61.56%

Potato (1kg)

$1.37 R$6.95

$1.90 CA$2.69

-27.89%

Onion (1kg)

$0.84 R$4.26

$1.77 CA$2.50

-52.54%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.41 R$2.09

$2.34 CA$3.31

-82.48%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.86 R$4.37

$1.55 CA$2.19

-44.52%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$2.27 R$11.52

$11.38 CA$16.09

-80.05%

Wine (Bottle)

$3.74 R$18.95

$10.63 CA$15.03

-64.82%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.55 R$7.87

$2.27 CA$3.21

-31.72%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.29 R$16.70

$2.82 CA$3.99

16.67%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.04 R$5.28

$2.66 CA$3.76

-60.90%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$48.16 R$244

$77.3 CA$109

-37.69%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.97 R$9.99

$3.20 CA$4.53

-38.44%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.17 R$5.95

$1.48 CA$2.09

-20.95%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$3.25 R$16.46

$32.88 CA$46.48

-90.12%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.09 R$5.51

$1.34 CA$1.90

-18.66%

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

$14.2K R$72.2K

$28.2K CA$39.8K

-49.41%

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

$30.0K R$151.9K

$19.6K CA$27.8K

52.69%

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

$46.71 R$237

$76.0 CA$107

-38.51%

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

$23.42 R$119

$33.95 CA$48.00

-31.02%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$23.62 R$120

$42.31 CA$59.8

-44.17%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$25.85 R$131

$29.76 CA$42.07

-13.14%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$27.58 R$140

$20.28 CA$28.67

36.00%

Cinema Ticket

$5.88 R$29.81

$11.15 CA$15.77

-47.26%

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

$69.7 R$353

$507 CA$717

-86.25%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$6,903 R$35.0K

$16.1K CA$22.7K

-56.99%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$18.37 R$93.1

$57.6 CA$81.4

-68.08%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$68.6 R$348

$37.58 CA$53.1

82.46%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$50.4 R$256

$91.9 CA$130

-45.13%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$59.7 R$303

$110 CA$155

-45.49%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$354 R$1,796

$1,260 CA$1,782

-71.90%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$237 R$1,201

$948 CA$1,340

-74.99%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$688 R$3,485

$2,137 CA$3,021

-67.83%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$464 R$2,353

$1,614 CA$2,281

-71.24%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$1,798 R$9,115

$4,960 CA$7,011

-63.74%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,346 R$6,824

$3,838 CA$5,425

-64.92%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$2,827 CA$3,997

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

4.48

145.54%

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

Last update for Paulista: October 11, 2026

Last update for Montreal: October 12, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Paulista

$237 30.1%

Montreal

$948 47% 300% $711

Groceries & Markets

Paulista

$147 18.6%

Montreal

$346 17.2% 136% $200

Eating Out

Paulista

$123 15.6%

Montreal

$288 14.3% 135% $165

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Paulista

$94 11.9%

Montreal

$152 7.5% 62.3% $58

Clothing & Footwear

Paulista

$89 11.3%

Montreal

$133 6.6% 50.5% $45

Getting Around

Paulista

$60 7.7%

Montreal

$99 4.9% 63.8% $38

Sport & Entertainment

Paulista

$38 4.8%

Montreal

$52 2.6% 38.4% $14

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $354 in Paulista versus $1,260 in Montreal. 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 $16.00 in Paulista versus $70.0 in Montreal. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $147 vs $346 – making Paulista the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇧🇷 Paulista

🇨🇦 Montreal

🕒 Local time

07:08 7:08 AM

06:08 6:08 AM

1 h behind Paulista

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

342,167

1,762,949

💱 Currency

Brazilian Real BRL R$

Canadian Dollar CAD $

📈 Exchange rate

1 BRL = 0.197 USD

1 BRL = 0.175 EUR

1 CAD = 0.707 USD

1 CAD = 0.629 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

CAD, USD, EUR to BRL – Brazilian Real Converter

🇺🇸 United States Dollar ($)

🇧🇷 Brazilian Real (R$)

Brazilian Real exchange rates as of October 19, 2026: 1 USD = 5.07 BRL (1 BRL = 0.197 USD). 1 EUR = 5.7 BRL (1 BRL = 0.175 EUR).

Canadian Dollar exchange rates as of October 19, 2026: 1 USD = 1.41 CAD (1 CAD = 0.707 USD). 1 EUR = 1.59 CAD (1 CAD = 0.629 EUR).

USD to BRL in detail →

On the map

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Between locations

Paulista Montreal 7,080 km ≈ 9 h nonstop flight

From you

Paulista
Montreal

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

Paulista vs Montreal: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Montreal costs about 157% more than Paulista, and outside of rent the gap comes mainly from groceries. That's enough to noticeably affect everyday spending and lifestyle for anyone choosing between the two.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $1,180 per month in Paulista and $3,027 in Montreal. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

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

Groceries cost about 136% 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 $16.00 in Paulista and $70.0 in Montreal. That's a good indicator of the overall restaurant and café pricing gap between the two cities.

A $1,000 monthly budget goes further in Paulista, where all-in costs run around $787, than in Montreal at $2,018. In Paulista it covers expenses comfortably, while in Montreal it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.

For digital nomads, it depends on budget. Paulista costs $787 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 Paulista. 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.