Last update: Nov 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Calgary and Cajamarca

For one person, living is cheaper in Cajamarca: $712 a month against $2,297 in Calgary, rent and utilities included – about $19,000 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

Calgary, Canada
Cajamarca, Peru
Calgary
🇨🇦 Canada
$2,297
/mo nomad
Cajamarca
🇵🇪 Peru
$712
/mo nomad
Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Calgary and in Cajamarca

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $2,297 in Calgary versus $712 in Cajamarca.

  • Calgary $2,297
  • Cajamarca $712

Estimated couple costs with rent: $3,378 in Calgary versus $1,196 in Cajamarca.

  • Calgary $3,378
  • Cajamarca $1,196

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $4,459 in Calgary versus $1,680 in Cajamarca.

  • Calgary $4,459
  • Cajamarca $1,680

Living in Calgary is roughly 222% more expensive than in Cajamarca, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

The two cities straddle the global median: Calgary is 70% above, Cajamarca is 47% below.

Currency
🍽 Eating Out
Calgary
Cajamarca
Difference
Meal at Budget Restaurant
$17.94 CA$25.15
$3.11 PEN 10.71
476.85%
Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range
$68.9 CA$96.5
$29.13 PEN 100
136.42%
Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)
$10.94 CA$15.33
$5.82 PEN 20.04
87.97%
Cappuccino
$3.70 CA$5.19
$2.86 PEN 9.84
29.37%
Coke/Pepsi/Fanta/Sprite (0.33 liter bottle)
$2.07 CA$2.90
$0.71 PEN 2.44
191.55%
Water (0.33 liter bottle)
$2.04 CA$2.86
$0.61 PEN 2.08
234.43%
Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)
$5.74 CA$8.05
$2.55 PEN 8.78
125.10%
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$5.70 CA$7.99
$3.49 PEN 12.01
63.32%
🛒 Groceries & Markets
Calgary
Cajamarca
Difference
Milk (1 liter)
$1.98 CA$2.77
$1.37 PEN 4.70
44.53%
White Bread (500g)
$2.65 CA$3.71
$3.19 PEN 10.97
-16.93%
Rice (white) (1kg)
$5.84 CA$8.18
$1.26 PEN 4.34
363.49%
Eggs
$3.81 CA$5.35
$2.29 PEN 7.89
66.38%
Local Cheese (1kg)
$10.81 CA$15.15
$7.10 PEN 24.43
52.25%
Chicken Fillets (1kg)
$11.02 CA$15.45
$7.87 PEN 27.09
40.03%
Beef Round Steak (1kg)
$17.87 CA$25.06
$16.03 PEN 55.2
11.48%
Apples (1kg)
$4.88 CA$6.84
$0.89 PEN 3.05
448.31%
Banana (1kg)
$1.45 CA$2.03
$0.91 PEN 3.13
59.34%
Oranges (1kg)
$4.15 CA$5.82
$1.13 PEN 3.88
267.26%
Tomato (1kg)
$3.99 CA$5.59
$0.83 PEN 2.86
380.72%
Potato (1kg)
$2.93 CA$4.10
$0.83 PEN 2.86
253.01%
Onion (1kg)
$3.02 CA$4.24
$0.70 PEN 2.40
331.43%
Lettuce (1 head)
$2.67 CA$3.74
$0.83 PEN 2.86
221.69%
Water (1.5 liter bottle)
$1.57 CA$2.20
$0.71 PEN 2.45
121.13%
Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)
$14.11 CA$19.77
$7.29 PEN 25.10
93.55%
Wine (Bottle)
$15.45 CA$21.66
$11.73 PEN 40.37
31.71%
Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)
$2.50 CA$3.51
$2.58 PEN 8.86
-3.10%
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$3.18 CA$4.45
$2.54 PEN 8.74
25.20%
🚌 Getting Around
Calgary
Cajamarca
Difference
One-way Ticket (Public Transport)
$2.85 CA$3.99
$0.60 PEN 2.08
375.00%
Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)
$90.2 CA$126
$8.85 PEN 30.45
919.21%
Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)
$3.16 CA$4.43
$2.55 PEN 8.77
23.92%
Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)
$1.41 CA$1.97
$1.72 PEN 5.90
-18.02%
Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)
$27.46 CA$38.49
$5.94 PEN 20.45
362.29%
Gasoline (1 liter)
$1.18 CA$1.66
$1.41 PEN 4.86
-16.31%
Midsize Hatchback 1.4l (Volkswagen Golf, Toyota Prius, Honda Civic, etc)
$27.9K CA$39.1K
$22.9K PEN 78.9K
21.48%
Compact Sedan 1.6l (Toyota Corolla, Mazda3, Kia K4, Hyundai Elantra, etc)
$21.1K CA$29.5K
$29.1K PEN 100.0K
-27.57%
🧾 Monthly Utilities & Internet
Calgary
Cajamarca
Difference
Utilities for 2 People in 2-bedroom Apartment (Heating, Electricity, Gas, Water, Garbage) (85m2)
$182 CA$255
$58.4 PEN 201
211.30%
SIM Card Monthly Plan (Calls and 10GB+ Data)
$36.01 CA$50.5
$9.25 PEN 31.83
289.30%
Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)
$48.80 CA$68.4
$20.07 PEN 69.1
143.15%
🎉 Sport & Entertainment
Calgary
Cajamarca
Difference
Gym Membership (Monthly)
$48.78 CA$68.4
$33.83 PEN 116
44.19%
Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)
$18.15 CA$25.45
$17.15 PEN 59.0
5.83%
Cinema Ticket
$14.52 CA$20.35
$3.79 PEN 13.04
283.11%
🧸 Childcare & Education
Calgary
Cajamarca
Difference
Preschool or Kindergarten, Full Day, Private, 1 Child (Monthly)
$542 CA$760
$147 PEN 507
268.14%
International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)
$21.2K CA$29.7K
$4,336 PEN 14.9K
388.22%
👕👟 Clothing & Footwear
Calgary
Cajamarca
Difference
Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)
$59.1 CA$82.8
$43.83 PEN 151
34.77%
Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)
$42.34 CA$59.4
$29.18 PEN 100
45.10%
Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)
$94.2 CA$132
$72.8 PEN 250
29.41%
Men's Leather Business Shoes
$109 CA$152
$71.3 PEN 245
52.36%
🏠 Accommodation & Living
Calgary
Cajamarca
Difference
1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$1,214 CA$1,702
$193 PEN 663
529.68%
1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$1,036 CA$1,453
$117 PEN 404
783.38%
3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$2,045 CA$2,867
$520 PEN 1,790
293.25%
3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$1,655 CA$2,319
$324 PEN 1,117
409.94%
Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)
$3,653 CA$5,121
-
-
Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)
$3,183 CA$4,462
-
-
💵 Salaries & Financials
Calgary
Cajamarca
Difference
Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)
$3,219 CA$4,512
$549 PEN 1,888
486.80%
20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)
4.43
11
-59.73%

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

Last update for Calgary: November 2, 2026

Last update for Cajamarca: October 31, 2026

Monthly budget structure
Share of the monthly basket for one person, rent included.
Accommodation & Living
Calgary
$1K
Cajamarca
$117 88.7% $919
Groceries & Markets
Calgary
$390
Cajamarca
$244 37.3% $146
Eating Out
Calgary
$277
Cajamarca
$102 63.3% $176
Monthly Utilities & Internet
Calgary
$267
Cajamarca
$88 67.1% $179
Clothing & Footwear
Calgary
$137
Cajamarca
$98 28.6% $39
Getting Around
Calgary
$112
Cajamarca
$22 80% $89
Sport & Entertainment
Calgary
$78
Cajamarca
$41 46.8% $36

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,214 in Calgary and $193 in Cajamarca. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Calgary pays about 5.9 times more on average. How far that income stretches comes down to housing choices and lifestyle.

Dining out: $69 in Calgary vs $29 in Cajamarca for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $390 vs $244 per month, with Cajamarca cheaper across the board.

Good to know
🇨🇦 Calgary
🇵🇪 Cajamarca
🕒 Local time
22:44 10:44 PM
23:44 11:44 PM
1 h ahead of Calgary
🌤 Weather
👥 Population
1,267,344
218,741
💱 Currency
Exchange rates and currency converter

PEN, USD, EUR to CAD – Canadian Dollar Converter

Canadian Dollar exchange rates as of November 6, 2026: 1 USD = 1.4 CAD (1 CAD = 0.713 USD). 1 EUR = 1.57 CAD (1 CAD = 0.635 EUR).

Peruvian Sol exchange rates as of November 6, 2026: 1 USD = 3.44 PEN (1 PEN = 0.291 USD). 1 EUR = 3.86 PEN (1 PEN = 0.259 EUR).

On the map
Between locations
  • Calgary Cajamarca 7,310 km ≈ 10 h nonstop flight
From you
  • Calgary
  • Cajamarca

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
Calgary vs Cajamarca: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions
Is Cajamarca cheaper than Calgary?
Cajamarca is about 69% cheaper overall, especially in eating out, groceries, and transport. That difference adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.
Where can you earn more: Calgary or Cajamarca?
Average pay in Calgary is about 5.9 times higher, which matters when comparing affordability. Whether that higher income actually nets you more depends on your spending habits and housing choices.
What is the rent difference between Calgary and Cajamarca?
Rent for a central apartment: $1,214 in Calgary versus $193 in Cajamarca. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.
Which city has cheaper public transport?
A monthly transit pass in Cajamarca runs roughly 90% less than in Calgary. The price difference matters if you commute daily and watch your budget.
Which city has cheaper kindergarten?
Childcare runs $542 in Calgary versus $147 in Cajamarca. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.
Is $1,000 a realistic budget for living in Calgary or in Cajamarca?
At $712 in Cajamarca versus $2,297 in Calgary, a $1,000 budget is realistic in Cajamarca but tight or insufficient in Calgary. The gap between the two cities makes Cajamarca the clear choice for anyone on this budget.
Is it better to live in Calgary or in Cajamarca?
Both cities offer a good standard of living with different trade-offs. Neither is objectively better – the right pick depends on what matters most: affordability, career, cultural scene, or climate.
Which city is easier to live in as a foreigner?
Expats usually find Cajamarca gentler on the wallet – expenses run 69% less than in Calgary. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.

Calgary vs other spots: cost of living compared

Similar cities

Show times on the 12-hour clock, temperatures in °F and distances in miles?