Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Cusco and Montreal

For one person, living is cheaper in Cusco: $688 a month against $2,003 in Montreal, rent and utilities included – about $15,800 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

33

Cost of Living Index in Cusco
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Cusco Living Index
99

Cost of Living Index in Montreal
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Montreal Living Index

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Cusco

🇵🇪 Peru

$688

/mo nomad

Montreal

🇨🇦 Canada

$2,003

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $688 in Cusco versus $2,003 in Montreal.

Cusco $688
Montreal $2,003

Estimated couple costs with rent: $1,096 in Cusco versus $3,048 in Montreal.

Cusco $1,096
Montreal $3,048

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $1,505 in Cusco versus $4,092 in Montreal.

Cusco $1,505
Montreal $4,092

Living in Cusco costs roughly 66% less than in Montreal, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

The two cities straddle the global median: Cusco is 49% below, Montreal is 49% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$1.99 PEN 6.85

$19.31 CA$27.46

-89.69%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$20.55 PEN 70.7

$75.5 CA$107

-72.78%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$6.70 PEN 23.04

$10.63 CA$15.11

-36.97%

Cappuccino

$2.11 PEN 7.24

$3.93 CA$5.58

-46.31%

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

$0.78 PEN 2.69

$1.92 CA$2.73

-59.38%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.33 PEN 1.13

$1.48 CA$2.11

-77.70%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$1.72 PEN 5.92

$6.30 CA$8.96

-72.70%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.33 PEN 14.90

$7.19 CA$10.22

-39.78%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.24 PEN 4.27

$2.22 CA$3.16

-44.14%

White Bread (500g)

$2.32 PEN 7.97

$3.06 CA$4.35

-24.18%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.29 PEN 4.43

$2.94 CA$4.18

-56.12%

Eggs

$3.63 PEN 12.48

$3.53 CA$5.02

2.83%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$4.69 PEN 16.14

$13.19 CA$18.76

-64.44%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$4.43 PEN 15.24

$11.24 CA$15.98

-60.59%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$7.37 PEN 25.35

$13.81 CA$19.65

-46.63%

Apples (1kg)

$2.55 PEN 8.78

$3.40 CA$4.84

-25.00%

Banana (1kg)

$0.77 PEN 2.63

$1.44 CA$2.05

-46.53%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.47 PEN 5.04

$3.26 CA$4.64

-54.91%

Tomato (1kg)

$0.85 PEN 2.94

$2.88 CA$4.09

-70.49%

Potato (1kg)

$1.02 PEN 3.52

$1.86 CA$2.64

-45.16%

Onion (1kg)

$1.10 PEN 3.80

$1.82 CA$2.60

-39.56%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.49 PEN 1.67

$2.43 CA$3.45

-79.84%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.75 PEN 2.58

$1.52 CA$2.17

-50.66%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$11.45 CA$16.29

Wine (Bottle)

$5.93 PEN 20.41

$10.36 CA$14.73

-42.76%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.85 PEN 6.38

$2.22 CA$3.15

-16.67%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.12 PEN 14.16

$2.82 CA$4.01

46.10%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.30 PEN 1.04

$2.58 CA$3.66

-88.37%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$76.9 CA$109

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.72 PEN 5.91

$3.25 CA$4.63

-47.08%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.93 PEN 6.65

$1.48 CA$2.11

30.41%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$2.82 PEN 9.69

$33.04 CA$46.99

-91.46%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.57 PEN 5.42

$1.36 CA$1.93

15.44%

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

$27.4K CA$39.0K

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

$28.9K PEN 99.5K

$20.0K CA$28.4K

44.85%

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

$29.31 PEN 101

$76.1 CA$108

-61.50%

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

$14.31 PEN 49.22

$34.68 CA$49.32

-58.74%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$44.13 PEN 152

$42.69 CA$60.7

3.37%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$28.51 PEN 98.1

$28.94 CA$41.17

-1.49%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$20.33 CA$28.91

Cinema Ticket

$4.26 PEN 14.64

$11.21 CA$15.94

-62.00%

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

$505 CA$718

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$16.0K CA$22.8K

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$37.39 PEN 129

$58.5 CA$83.2

-36.09%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$33.43 PEN 115

$38.00 CA$54.1

-12.03%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$54.4 PEN 187

$92.7 CA$132

-41.35%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$72.2 PEN 248

$106 CA$150

-31.72%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$218 PEN 748

$1,240 CA$1,764

-82.46%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$191 PEN 657

$986 CA$1,402

-80.64%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$538 PEN 1,849

$2,102 CA$2,990

-74.43%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$416 PEN 1,431

$1,615 CA$2,297

-74.24%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,249 PEN 11.2K

$5,043 CA$7,173

-35.58%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,823 PEN 6,270

$3,830 CA$5,447

-52.41%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$433 PEN 1,490

$2,920 CA$4,154

-85.17%

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 Cusco: October 3, 2026

Last update for Montreal: October 6, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Cusco

$191 27.8%

Montreal

$986 47.9% 417% $795

Groceries & Markets

Cusco

$187 27.2%

Montreal

$344 16.7% 84.1% $157

Clothing & Footwear

Cusco

$89 12.9%

Montreal

$133 6.5% 49.4% $44

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Cusco

$88 12.8%

Montreal

$154 7.5% 74.9% $66

Eating Out

Cusco

$83 12.1%

Montreal

$293 14.2% 253% $210

Sport & Entertainment

Cusco

$37 5.4%

Montreal

$51 2.5% 38.7% $14

Getting Around

Cusco

$13 * 1.8%

Montreal

$98 4.8% 677% $85

Categories marked with * are only partly priced – their share counts the items that do have prices.

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $218 in Cusco and $1,240 in Montreal. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Montreal pays 574% more on average. The extra income cushions the higher costs, though housing choices and lifestyle decide how much of the gap is truly closed.

Dining out: $21.00 in Cusco vs $75.0 in Montreal for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $187 vs $344 per month, with Cusco cheaper across the board.

Good to know

🇵🇪 Cusco

🇨🇦 Montreal

🕒 Local time

21:48 9:48 PM

22:48 10:48 PM

1 h ahead of Cusco

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

428,450

1,762,949

💱 Currency

Peruvian Sol PEN S/

Canadian Dollar CAD $

📈 Exchange rate

1 PEN = 0.291 USD

1 PEN = 0.259 EUR

1 CAD = 0.703 USD

1 CAD = 0.627 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

CAD, USD, EUR to PEN – Peruvian Sol Converter

🇺🇸 United States Dollar ($)

🇵🇪 Peruvian Sol (S/)

Peruvian Sol exchange rates as of October 10, 2026: 1 USD = 3.44 PEN (1 PEN = 0.291 USD). 1 EUR = 3.86 PEN (1 PEN = 0.259 EUR).

Canadian Dollar exchange rates as of October 10, 2026: 1 USD = 1.42 CAD (1 CAD = 0.703 USD). 1 EUR = 1.6 CAD (1 CAD = 0.627 EUR).

USD to PEN in detail →

On the map

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Between locations

Cusco Montreal 6,560 km ≈ 9 h nonstop flight

From you

Cusco
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

Cusco vs Montreal: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Cusco is cheaper overall, especially in groceries, clothing, and eating out. The 191% gap adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

On paper, salaries run 574% lower in Montreal. That's worth factoring in alongside costs, though remote workers earning in a stronger currency may not notice the difference at all.

Rent for a central apartment: $218 in Cusco versus $1,240 in Montreal. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Supermarket bills run roughly 84% higher in Montreal. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

Dining out is cheaper in Cusco – a meal for two runs $21.00 versus $75.0 in Montreal. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

At $688 in Cusco versus $2,003 in Montreal, a $1,500 budget is realistic in Cusco but tight or insufficient in Montreal. The gap between the two cities makes Cusco the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

For families, Cusco is more practical. Housing and childcare are both notably cheaper than in Montreal, and the savings on those two alone free up budget for education, activities, and family trips.

Safety-wise, Cusco and Montreal are on par. Petty crime is typical for cities this size, and most residents feel comfortable going about their daily routines in either place.

Expats usually find Cusco gentler on the wallet – expenses run 191% less than in Montreal. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.