Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Varginha and Montreal

For one person, living is cheaper in Varginha: $746 a month against $2,059 in Montreal, rent and utilities included – about $15,800 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

36

Cost of Living Index in Varginha
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Varginha Living Index
99

Cost of Living Index in Montreal
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Montreal Living Index

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Varginha

🇧🇷 Brazil

$746

/mo nomad

Montreal

🇨🇦 Canada

$2,059

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

A single person spends $746 per month in Varginha vs $2,059 in Montreal, rent included.

Varginha $746
Montreal $2,059

A couple spends around $1,182 per month in Varginha vs $3,123 in Montreal, rent included.

Varginha $1,182
Montreal $3,123

A family of three spends $1,618 per month in Varginha vs $4,187 in Montreal, rent included.

Varginha $1,618
Montreal $4,187

Varginha is about 64% cheaper than Montreal, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Varginha sits 45% below the global median, while Montreal is 52% above – they fall on opposite sides of the world average.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$9.05 R$45.88

$18.84 CA$26.63

-51.96%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$24.23 R$123

$73.2 CA$104

-66.91%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$7.18 R$36.37

$10.54 CA$14.90

-31.88%

Cappuccino

$0.99 R$5.02

$3.97 CA$5.61

-75.06%

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

$0.92 R$4.66

$1.94 CA$2.74

-52.58%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.62 R$3.17

$1.57 CA$2.22

-60.51%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$1.42 R$7.21

$6.42 CA$9.08

-77.88%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.65 R$18.50

$7.20 CA$10.19

-49.31%

Milk (1 liter)

$0.94 R$4.75

$2.32 CA$3.28

-59.48%

White Bread (500g)

$1.61 R$8.16

$3.19 CA$4.51

-49.53%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.02 R$5.16

$3.19 CA$4.50

-68.03%

Eggs

$1.48 R$7.50

$3.68 CA$5.20

-59.78%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$9.25 R$46.90

$13.24 CA$18.72

-30.14%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$3.71 R$18.79

$11.69 CA$16.53

-68.26%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$8.88 R$45.00

$13.98 CA$19.76

-36.48%

Apples (1kg)

$1.38 R$6.98

$3.14 CA$4.44

-56.05%

Banana (1kg)

$1.36 R$6.89

$1.45 CA$2.05

-6.21%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.02 R$5.16

$3.38 CA$4.78

-69.82%

Tomato (1kg)

$0.97 R$4.92

$3.11 CA$4.40

-68.81%

Potato (1kg)

$0.98 R$4.98

$1.93 CA$2.72

-49.22%

Onion (1kg)

$1.01 R$5.14

$1.83 CA$2.58

-44.81%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.51 R$2.61

$2.36 CA$3.34

-78.39%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.68 R$3.46

$1.50 CA$2.12

-54.67%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$2.15 R$10.92

$11.12 CA$15.73

-80.67%

Wine (Bottle)

$4.98 R$25.22

$10.60 CA$14.98

-53.02%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.14 R$5.76

$2.22 CA$3.14

-48.65%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.84 R$9.34

$2.84 CA$4.01

-35.21%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.95 R$4.82

$2.62 CA$3.71

-63.74%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$44.89 R$228

$79.1 CA$112

-43.28%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.02 R$5.19

$3.23 CA$4.56

-68.42%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.76 R$3.88

$1.48 CA$2.10

-48.65%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$6.51 R$33.01

$32.22 CA$45.55

-79.80%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.11 R$5.61

$1.36 CA$1.92

-18.38%

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

$24.0K R$121.8K

$27.6K CA$39.1K

-13.07%

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

$29.3K R$148.8K

$21.2K CA$30.0K

38.47%

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

$104 R$527

$77.0 CA$109

34.81%

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

$4.91 R$24.91

$34.14 CA$48.26

-85.62%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$20.00 R$101

$42.19 CA$59.7

-52.60%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$26.42 R$134

$30.81 CA$43.56

-14.25%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$27.46 R$139

$19.66 CA$27.79

39.67%

Cinema Ticket

$8.15 R$41.30

$11.47 CA$16.22

-28.95%

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

$219 R$1,109

$506 CA$716

-56.76%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$4,400 R$22.3K

$16.2K CA$23.0K

-72.90%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$36.49 R$185

$57.3 CA$81.0

-36.27%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$60.3 R$305

$38.10 CA$53.9

58.16%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$80.7 R$409

$91.9 CA$130

-12.17%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$60.6 R$307

$110 CA$155

-44.81%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$149 R$757

$1,237 CA$1,748

-87.93%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$120 R$611

$977 CA$1,381

-87.67%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$274 R$1,391

$2,180 CA$3,082

-87.42%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$259 R$1,310

$1,608 CA$2,273

-83.92%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$1,677 R$8,503

$5,113 CA$7,228

-67.19%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,204 R$6,104

$3,744 CA$5,293

-67.84%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$453 R$2,297

$2,957 CA$4,180

-84.67%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

4.48

123.21%

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

Last update for Varginha: October 17, 2026

Last update for Montreal: October 20, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Groceries & Markets

Varginha

$167 22.4%

Montreal

$351 17.1% 110% $184

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Varginha

$129 17.3%

Montreal

$153 7.5% 19.1% $25

Eating Out

Varginha

$126 16.9%

Montreal

$290 14.1% 130% $164

Accommodation & Living

Varginha

$120 16.2%

Montreal

$977 47.4% 711% $856

Clothing & Footwear

Varginha

$107 14.4%

Montreal

$134 6.5% 24.8% $27

Getting Around

Varginha

$54 7.2%

Montreal

$100 4.9% 87.3% $47

Sport & Entertainment

Varginha

$43 5.7%

Montreal

$54 2.6% 25.8% $11

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $149 in Varginha 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 552% 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 $24.00 in Varginha versus $73.0 in Montreal. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $167 vs $351 – making Varginha the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇧🇷 Varginha

🇨🇦 Montreal

🕒 Local time

00:23 12:23 AM

23:23 11:23 PM

1 h behind Varginha

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

136,467

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 22, 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 22, 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

Varginha Montreal 7,980 km ≈ 10 h nonstop flight

From you

Varginha
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

Varginha vs Montreal: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Montreal costs about 176% more than Varginha, 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 $1,119 per month in Varginha 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 Varginha, especially for central apartments. Housing is actually the single biggest factor behind the overall cost gap between these two cities.

Groceries cost about 110% 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 $24.00 in Varginha and $73.0 in Montreal. 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 Varginha, where all-in costs run around $746, than in Montreal at $2,059. In Varginha it covers expenses comfortably, while in Montreal it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.

For digital nomads, it depends on budget. Varginha costs $746 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 Varginha. 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.