Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Santa Cruz do Sul and Montreal

For one person, living is cheaper in Santa Cruz do Sul: $949 a month against $2,059 in Montreal, rent and utilities included – about $13,300 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

45

Cost of Living Index in Santa Cruz do Sul
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Santa Cruz do Sul Living Index
99

Cost of Living Index in Montreal
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Montreal Living Index

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Santa Cruz do Sul

🇧🇷 Brazil

$949

/mo nomad

Montreal

🇨🇦 Canada

$2,059

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Santa Cruz do Sul 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 Santa Cruz do Sul and in Montreal actually costs, broken down by who's living it.

A single person spends $949 per month in Santa Cruz do Sul vs $2,059 in Montreal, rent included.

Santa Cruz do Sul $949
Montreal $2,059

A couple spends around $1,519 per month in Santa Cruz do Sul vs $3,123 in Montreal, rent included.

Santa Cruz do Sul $1,519
Montreal $3,123

A family of three spends $2,089 per month in Santa Cruz do Sul vs $4,187 in Montreal, rent included.

Santa Cruz do Sul $2,089
Montreal $4,187

Santa Cruz do Sul is about 54% cheaper than Montreal, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

Santa Cruz do Sul sits 30% below the global median, while Montreal is 52% above – they fall on opposite sides of the world average.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$5.96 R$30.23

$18.84 CA$26.63

-68.37%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$35.87 R$182

$73.2 CA$104

-51.01%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$7.10 R$35.99

$10.54 CA$14.90

-32.64%

Cappuccino

$2.24 R$11.36

$3.97 CA$5.61

-43.58%

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

$1.35 R$6.82

$1.94 CA$2.74

-30.41%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.88 R$4.46

$1.57 CA$2.22

-43.95%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$1.74 R$8.82

$6.42 CA$9.08

-72.90%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.70 R$13.70

$7.20 CA$10.19

-62.50%

Milk (1 liter)

$0.88 R$4.45

$2.32 CA$3.28

-62.07%

White Bread (500g)

$1.80 R$9.15

$3.19 CA$4.51

-43.57%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.39 R$7.07

$3.19 CA$4.50

-56.43%

Eggs

$2.24 R$11.36

$3.68 CA$5.20

-39.13%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$8.97 R$45.45

$13.24 CA$18.72

-32.25%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$4.80 R$24.32

$11.69 CA$16.53

-58.94%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$7.87 R$39.91

$13.98 CA$19.76

-43.71%

Apples (1kg)

$2.18 R$11.06

$3.14 CA$4.44

-30.57%

Banana (1kg)

$1.11 R$5.63

$1.45 CA$2.05

-23.45%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.18 R$5.99

$3.38 CA$4.78

-65.09%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.52 R$7.73

$3.11 CA$4.40

-51.13%

Potato (1kg)

$1.26 R$6.37

$1.93 CA$2.72

-34.72%

Onion (1kg)

$1.21 R$6.12

$1.83 CA$2.58

-33.88%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.89 R$4.52

$2.36 CA$3.34

-62.29%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.87 R$4.42

$1.50 CA$2.12

-42.00%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$2.33 R$11.80

$11.12 CA$15.73

-79.05%

Wine (Bottle)

$7.22 R$36.60

$10.60 CA$14.98

-31.89%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.17 R$5.91

$2.22 CA$3.14

-47.30%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.99 R$10.11

$2.84 CA$4.01

-29.93%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.99 R$5.00

$2.62 CA$3.71

-62.21%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$48.92 R$248

$79.1 CA$112

-38.19%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.17 R$5.91

$3.23 CA$4.56

-63.78%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.92 R$4.66

$1.48 CA$2.10

-37.84%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$7.79 R$39.50

$32.22 CA$45.55

-75.82%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.11 R$5.64

$1.36 CA$1.92

-18.38%

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

$20.3K R$103.1K

$27.6K CA$39.1K

-26.42%

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

$33.4K R$169.4K

$21.2K CA$30.0K

57.68%

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

$86.3 R$438

$77.0 CA$109

12.03%

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

$13.08 R$66.3

$34.14 CA$48.26

-61.69%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$23.04 R$117

$42.19 CA$59.7

-45.39%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$25.93 R$131

$30.81 CA$43.56

-15.84%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$24.49 R$124

$19.66 CA$27.79

24.57%

Cinema Ticket

$7.66 R$38.85

$11.47 CA$16.22

-33.22%

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

$288 R$1,462

$506 CA$716

-43.02%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$6,499 R$32.9K

$16.2K CA$23.0K

-59.97%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$49.59 R$251

$57.3 CA$81.0

-13.40%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$55.4 R$281

$38.10 CA$53.9

45.41%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$99.2 R$503

$91.9 CA$130

7.96%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$65.8 R$333

$110 CA$155

-40.09%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$533 R$2,702

$1,237 CA$1,748

-56.90%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$296 R$1,499

$977 CA$1,381

-69.72%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$927 R$4,697

$2,180 CA$3,082

-57.50%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$607 R$3,075

$1,608 CA$2,273

-62.28%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$1,850 R$9,380

$5,113 CA$7,228

-63.81%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,188 R$6,021

$3,744 CA$5,293

-68.28%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$373 R$1,889

$2,957 CA$4,180

-87.40%

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 Santa Cruz do Sul: October 17, 2026

Last update for Montreal: October 20, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Santa Cruz do Sul

$296 31.2%

Montreal

$977 47.4% 230% $681

Groceries & Markets

Santa Cruz do Sul

$190 20.1%

Montreal

$351 17.1% 84.5% $161

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Santa Cruz do Sul

$122 12.9%

Montreal

$153 7.5% 25.3% $31

Clothing & Footwear

Santa Cruz do Sul

$121 12.8%

Montreal

$134 6.5% 10% $12

Eating Out

Santa Cruz do Sul

$119 12.5%

Montreal

$290 14.1% 144% $172

Getting Around

Santa Cruz do Sul

$59 6.2%

Montreal

$100 4.9% 71% $42

Sport & Entertainment

Santa Cruz do Sul

$41 4.4%

Montreal

$54 2.6% 30.3% $13

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $533 in Santa Cruz do Sul versus $1,237 in Montreal. 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 694% 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 $36.00 in Santa Cruz do Sul versus $73.0 in Montreal. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $190 vs $351 – making Santa Cruz do Sul the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇧🇷 Santa Cruz do Sul

🇨🇦 Montreal

🕒 Local time

19:45 7:45 PM

18:45 6:45 PM

1 h behind Santa Cruz do Sul

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

133,246

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 20, 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 20, 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

Santa Cruz do Sul Montreal 8,630 km ≈ 11 h nonstop flight

From you

Santa Cruz do Sul
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

Santa Cruz do Sul vs Montreal: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Montreal costs about 117% more than Santa Cruz do Sul, 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 $1,423 per month in Santa Cruz do Sul and $3,089 in Montreal. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

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

Groceries cost about 85% 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 $36.00 in Santa Cruz do Sul and $73.0 in Montreal. That's a good indicator of the overall restaurant and café pricing gap between the two cities.

A $2,000 monthly budget goes further in Santa Cruz do Sul, where all-in costs run around $949, than in Montreal at $2,059. In Santa Cruz do Sul it covers expenses comfortably, while in Montreal it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.

For digital nomads, it depends on budget. Santa Cruz do Sul costs $949 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 Santa Cruz do Sul. 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.