Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Sao Luis and Montreal

For one person, living is cheaper in Sao Luis: $834 a month against $2,003 in Montreal, rent and utilities included – about $14,000 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

41

Cost of Living Index in Sao Luis
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Sao Luis Living Index
99

Cost of Living Index in Montreal
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Montreal Living Index

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Sao Luis

🇧🇷 Brazil

$834

/mo nomad

Montreal

🇨🇦 Canada

$2,003

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Sao Luis 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 Sao Luis and in Montreal actually costs, broken down by who's living it.

A single person spends $834 per month in Sao Luis vs $2,003 in Montreal, rent included.

Sao Luis $834
Montreal $2,003

A couple spends around $1,310 per month in Sao Luis vs $3,048 in Montreal, rent included.

Sao Luis $1,310
Montreal $3,048

A family of three spends $1,786 per month in Sao Luis vs $4,092 in Montreal, rent included.

Sao Luis $1,786
Montreal $4,092

Sao Luis is about 58% cheaper than Montreal, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

Sao Luis sits 38% below the global median, while Montreal is 49% above – they fall on opposite sides of the world average.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$6.60 R$32.93

$19.31 CA$27.52

-65.82%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$39.74 R$198

$75.5 CA$108

-47.36%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$6.82 R$34.03

$10.63 CA$15.15

-35.84%

Cappuccino

$2.15 R$10.71

$3.93 CA$5.60

-45.29%

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

$1.27 R$6.33

$1.92 CA$2.73

-33.85%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.73 R$3.65

$1.48 CA$2.11

-50.68%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$1.96 R$9.77

$6.30 CA$8.98

-68.89%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.44 R$12.16

$7.19 CA$10.24

-66.06%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.11 R$5.52

$2.22 CA$3.17

-50.00%

White Bread (500g)

$1.93 R$9.64

$3.06 CA$4.36

-36.93%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.11 R$5.54

$2.94 CA$4.19

-62.24%

Eggs

$2.27 R$11.31

$3.53 CA$5.03

-35.69%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$10.14 R$50.6

$13.19 CA$18.79

-23.12%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$4.28 R$21.36

$11.24 CA$16.02

-61.92%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$7.64 R$38.12

$13.81 CA$19.69

-44.68%

Apples (1kg)

$2.11 R$10.55

$3.40 CA$4.85

-37.94%

Banana (1kg)

$1.39 R$6.95

$1.44 CA$2.06

-3.47%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.22 R$6.09

$3.26 CA$4.65

-62.58%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.73 R$8.64

$2.88 CA$4.10

-39.93%

Potato (1kg)

$1.33 R$6.64

$1.86 CA$2.65

-28.49%

Onion (1kg)

$1.34 R$6.67

$1.82 CA$2.60

-26.37%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.90 R$4.47

$2.43 CA$3.46

-62.96%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.73 R$3.62

$1.52 CA$2.17

-51.97%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$2.44 R$12.17

$11.45 CA$16.32

-78.69%

Wine (Bottle)

$8.21 R$41.00

$10.36 CA$14.76

-20.75%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.27 R$6.36

$2.22 CA$3.16

-42.79%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.32 R$11.60

$2.82 CA$4.02

-17.73%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.85 R$4.27

$2.58 CA$3.67

-67.05%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$38.52 R$192

$76.9 CA$110

-49.90%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.03 R$5.12

$3.25 CA$4.64

-68.31%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.94 R$4.70

$1.48 CA$2.11

-36.49%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$33.04 CA$47.09

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.21 R$6.05

$1.36 CA$1.94

-11.03%

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

$24.2K R$120.6K

$27.4K CA$39.1K

-11.90%

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

$30.4K R$151.5K

$20.0K CA$28.5K

51.97%

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

$97.5 R$487

$76.1 CA$109

28.03%

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

$18.02 R$90.0

$34.68 CA$49.43

-48.04%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$21.42 R$107

$42.69 CA$60.9

-49.82%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$20.11 R$100

$28.94 CA$41.26

-30.51%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$15.27 R$76.2

$20.33 CA$28.97

-24.89%

Cinema Ticket

$6.84 R$34.14

$11.21 CA$15.98

-38.98%

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

$183 R$915

$505 CA$720

-63.70%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$2,911 R$14.5K

$16.0K CA$22.8K

-81.82%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$64.7 R$323

$58.5 CA$83.4

10.65%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$54.6 R$273

$38.00 CA$54.2

43.66%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$75.1 R$375

$92.7 CA$132

-18.96%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$59.0 R$294

$106 CA$151

-44.27%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$363 R$1,812

$1,240 CA$1,768

-70.73%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$187 R$935

$986 CA$1,405

-81.00%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$580 R$2,893

$2,102 CA$2,996

-72.43%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$330 R$1,648

$1,615 CA$2,302

-79.55%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$1,575 R$7,864

$5,043 CA$7,188

-68.76%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$721 R$3,598

$3,830 CA$5,459

-81.18%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$386 R$1,929

$2,920 CA$4,163

-86.77%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

4.46

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

Last update for Sao Luis: October 3, 2026

Last update for Montreal: October 6, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Groceries & Markets

Sao Luis

$197 23.6%

Montreal

$344 16.7% 74% $146

Accommodation & Living

Sao Luis

$187 22.3%

Montreal

$986 47.9% 426% $799

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Sao Luis

$137 16.3%

Montreal

$154 7.5% 12.1% $17

Eating Out

Sao Luis

$122 14.5%

Montreal

$293 14.2% 141% $171

Clothing & Footwear

Sao Luis

$114 13.6%

Montreal

$133 6.5% 16.4% $19

Getting Around

Sao Luis

$48 5.7%

Montreal

$98 4.8% 105% $50

Sport & Entertainment

Sao Luis

$34 4%

Montreal

$51 2.5% 52% $18

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $363 in Sao Luis versus $1,240 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 656% 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 $40.00 in Sao Luis versus $75.0 in Montreal. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $197 vs $344 – making Sao Luis the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇧🇷 Sao Luis

🇨🇦 Montreal

🕒 Local time

04:42 4:42 AM

03:42 3:42 AM

1 h behind Sao Luis

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

1,037,775

1,762,949

💱 Currency

Brazilian Real BRL R$

Canadian Dollar CAD $

📈 Exchange rate

1 BRL = 0.2 USD

1 BRL = 0.179 EUR

1 CAD = 0.702 USD

1 CAD = 0.626 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 10, 2026: 1 USD = 4.99 BRL (1 BRL = 0.2 USD). 1 EUR = 5.6 BRL (1 BRL = 0.179 EUR).

Canadian Dollar exchange rates as of October 10, 2026: 1 USD = 1.43 CAD (1 CAD = 0.702 USD). 1 EUR = 1.6 CAD (1 CAD = 0.626 EUR).

USD to BRL in detail →

On the map

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Between locations

Sao Luis Montreal 6,070 km ≈ 8 h nonstop flight

From you

Sao Luis
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

Sao Luis vs Montreal: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Montreal costs about 140% more than Sao Luis, 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 $1,251 per month in Sao Luis and $3,005 in Montreal. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

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

Groceries cost about 74% 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 $40.00 in Sao Luis and $75.0 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 Sao Luis, where all-in costs run around $834, than in Montreal at $2,003. In Sao Luis 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 Luis costs $834 versus $2,003 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 Luis. 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.