Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Montreal and Cajamarca

For one person, living is cheaper in Cajamarca: $695 a month against $2,003 in Montreal, rent and utilities included – about $15,700 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

99

Cost of Living Index in Montreal
Learn more

Montreal Living Index
33

Cost of Living Index in Cajamarca
Learn more

Cajamarca Living Index

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Montreal

🇨🇦 Canada

$2,003

/mo nomad

Cajamarca

🇵🇪 Peru

$695

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $2,003 in Montreal versus $695 in Cajamarca.

Montreal $2,003
Cajamarca $695

Estimated couple costs with rent: $3,048 in Montreal versus $1,177 in Cajamarca.

Montreal $3,048
Cajamarca $1,177

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $4,092 in Montreal versus $1,658 in Cajamarca.

Montreal $4,092
Cajamarca $1,658

Living in Montreal is roughly 188% more expensive than in Cajamarca, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

The two cities straddle the global median: Montreal is 49% above, Cajamarca is 48% below.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$19.31 CA$27.46

$3.57 PEN 12.30

440.90%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$75.5 CA$107

$28.96 PEN 99.6

160.70%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$10.63 CA$15.11

$5.95 PEN 20.46

78.66%

Cappuccino

$3.93 CA$5.58

$2.64 PEN 9.08

48.86%

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

$1.92 CA$2.73

$0.79 PEN 2.72

143.04%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.48 CA$2.11

$0.62 PEN 2.12

138.71%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$6.30 CA$8.96

$2.30 PEN 7.92

173.91%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$7.19 CA$10.22

$3.64 PEN 12.50

97.53%

Milk (1 liter)

$2.22 CA$3.16

$1.38 PEN 4.76

60.87%

White Bread (500g)

$3.06 CA$4.35

$3.27 PEN 11.25

-6.42%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.94 CA$4.18

$1.29 PEN 4.44

127.91%

Eggs

$3.53 CA$5.02

$2.28 PEN 7.85

54.82%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$13.19 CA$18.76

$7.58 PEN 26.09

74.01%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$11.24 CA$15.98

$6.28 PEN 21.60

78.98%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$13.81 CA$19.65

$13.12 PEN 45.12

5.26%

Apples (1kg)

$3.40 CA$4.84

$1.06 PEN 3.66

220.75%

Banana (1kg)

$1.44 CA$2.05

$0.78 PEN 2.69

84.62%

Oranges (1kg)

$3.26 CA$4.64

$1.23 PEN 4.22

165.04%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.88 CA$4.09

$1.08 PEN 3.71

166.67%

Potato (1kg)

$1.86 CA$2.64

$0.74 PEN 2.53

151.35%

Onion (1kg)

$1.82 CA$2.60

$1.00 PEN 3.42

82.00%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.43 CA$3.45

$0.72 PEN 2.48

237.50%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.52 CA$2.17

$0.75 PEN 2.57

102.67%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$11.45 CA$16.29

$8.98 PEN 30.89

27.51%

Wine (Bottle)

$10.36 CA$14.73

$10.19 PEN 35.05

1.67%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.22 CA$3.15

$2.59 PEN 8.92

-14.29%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.82 CA$4.01

$2.45 PEN 8.44

15.10%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.58 CA$3.66

$0.56 PEN 1.93

360.71%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$76.9 CA$109

$8.93 PEN 30.72

761.03%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.25 CA$4.63

$1.76 PEN 6.05

84.66%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.48 CA$2.11

$1.33 PEN 4.56

11.28%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$33.04 CA$46.99

$5.05 PEN 17.37

554.26%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.36 CA$1.93

$1.51 PEN 5.21

-9.93%

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

$27.4K CA$39.0K

$23.7K PEN 81.6K

15.58%

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

$20.0K CA$28.4K

$25.9K PEN 88.9K

-22.74%

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

$76.1 CA$108

$49.76 PEN 171

52.97%

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

$34.68 CA$49.32

$9.79 PEN 33.68

254.24%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$42.69 CA$60.7

$29.01 PEN 99.8

47.16%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$28.94 CA$41.17

$30.97 PEN 107

-6.55%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$20.33 CA$28.91

$20.52 PEN 70.6

-0.93%

Cinema Ticket

$11.21 CA$15.94

$4.76 PEN 16.37

135.50%

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

$505 CA$718

$137 PEN 472

267.85%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$16.0K CA$22.8K

$4,463 PEN 15.4K

258.76%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$58.5 CA$83.2

$51.7 PEN 178

13.07%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$38.00 CA$54.1

$29.33 PEN 101

29.56%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$92.7 CA$132

$80.8 PEN 278

14.74%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$106 CA$150

$80.9 PEN 278

30.71%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,240 CA$1,764

$199 PEN 683

524.63%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$986 CA$1,402

$103 PEN 354

857.83%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,102 CA$2,990

$527 PEN 1,812

299.04%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,615 CA$2,297

$317 PEN 1,089

410.05%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$5,043 CA$7,173

$2,338 PEN 8,043

115.68%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$3,830 CA$5,447

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$2,920 CA$4,154

$727 PEN 2,500

301.90%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

4.46

10.5

-57.52%

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

Last update for Montreal: October 6, 2026

Last update for Cajamarca: October 5, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Montreal

$986 47.9%

Cajamarca

$103 14.9% 89.6% $883

Groceries & Markets

Montreal

$344 16.7%

Cajamarca

$229 33.1% 33.4% $115

Eating Out

Montreal

$293 14.2%

Cajamarca

$103 14.8% 65% $190

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Montreal

$154 7.5%

Cajamarca

$89 12.8% 42.3% $65

Clothing & Footwear

Montreal

$133 6.5%

Cajamarca

$109 15.8% 17.7% $23

Getting Around

Montreal

$98 4.8%

Cajamarca

$20 2.8% 80% $78

Sport & Entertainment

Montreal

$51 2.5%

Cajamarca

$40 5.9% 21.2% $11

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,240 in Montreal and $199 in Cajamarca. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Montreal pays 302% 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: $75.0 in Montreal vs $29.00 in Cajamarca for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $344 vs $229 per month, with Cajamarca cheaper across the board.

Good to know

🇨🇦 Montreal

🇵🇪 Cajamarca

🕒 Local time

06:21 6:21 AM

05:21 5:21 AM

1 h behind Montreal

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

1,762,949

218,741

💱 Currency

Canadian Dollar CAD $

Peruvian Sol PEN S/

📈 Exchange rate

1 CAD = 0.703 USD

1 CAD = 0.627 EUR

1 PEN = 0.291 USD

1 PEN = 0.259 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

PEN, USD, EUR to CAD – Canadian Dollar Converter

🇺🇸 United States Dollar ($)

🇨🇦 Canadian Dollar ($)

Canadian Dollar exchange rates as of October 10, 2026: 1 USD = 1.42 CAD (1 CAD = 0.703 USD). 1 EUR = 1.59 CAD (1 CAD = 0.627 EUR).

Peruvian Sol exchange rates as of October 10, 2026: 1 USD = 3.44 PEN (1 PEN = 0.291 USD). 1 EUR = 3.85 PEN (1 PEN = 0.259 EUR).

USD to CAD in detail →

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Between locations

Montreal Cajamarca 5,880 km ≈ 8 h nonstop flight

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Montreal
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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

Montreal vs Cajamarca: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Cajamarca is cheaper overall, especially in groceries, eating out, and clothing. The 188% gap adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

Average pay runs 302% higher in Montreal, which matters when comparing affordability. Whether that higher income actually nets you more depends on your spending habits and housing choices.

Rent for a central apartment: $1,240 in Montreal versus $199 in Cajamarca. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

A monthly transit pass in Cajamarca runs roughly 761% less than in Montreal. Both cities have functional networks, but the price difference matters if you're watching your budget.

Childcare runs $505 in Montreal versus $137 in Cajamarca. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

At $695 in Cajamarca versus $2,003 in Montreal, a $1,500 budget is realistic in Cajamarca but tight or insufficient in Montreal. The gap between the two cities makes Cajamarca the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

For families, Cajamarca 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, Montreal and Cajamarca 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 Cajamarca gentler on the wallet – expenses run 188% less than in Montreal. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.