For one person, living is cheaper in Peru: $878 a month against $2,310 in Canada, rent and utilities included – about $17,200 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.
Real prices from locals and on-the-ground checks – rent, groceries, transit and the daily extras. Here's what a month in Peru and in Canada actually costs, broken down by who's living it.
A single person spends $878 per month in Peru vs $2,310 in Canada, rent included.
Peru $878
Canada $2,310
A couple spends around $1,380 per month in Peru vs $3,356 in Canada, rent included.
Peru $1,380
Canada $3,356
A family of three spends $1,883 per month in Peru vs $4,403 in Canada, rent included.
Peru $1,883
Canada $4,403
📏
The regional cost range is wider in Canada ($889–$3,737) than in Peru ($20–$1,108), so city choice matters more there.
🌍
The cost of living in Peru is roughly 62% lower than in Canada on average.
📊
Peru sits 36% below the global median, while Canada is 70% above – they fall on opposite sides of the world average.
Currency
No currencies found
🍽 Eating Out
Peru
Canada
Difference
Meal at Budget Restaurant
$3.51PEN 12.14
$18.16CA$25.36
-80.67%
Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range
$27.65PEN 95.7
$71.2CA$99.4
-61.17%
Fast Food Meal(McDonalds, etc)
$6.21PEN 21.47
$10.81CA$15.10
-42.55%
Cappuccino
$3.15PEN 10.90
$3.78CA$5.27
-16.67%
Coke/Pepsi/Fanta/Sprite(0.33 liter bottle)
$0.96PEN 3.31
$2.11CA$2.95
-54.50%
Water(0.33 liter bottle)
$0.51PEN 1.77
$1.66CA$2.32
-69.28%
Local Beer(0.5 liter draught)
$2.28PEN 7.88
$5.62CA$7.84
-59.43%
Imported Beer(0.33 liter bottle)
$3.56PEN 12.30
$5.72CA$7.99
-37.76%
🛒 Groceries & Markets
Peru
Canada
Difference
Milk(1 liter)
$1.47PEN 5.08
$2.17CA$3.04
-32.26%
White Bread(500g)
$2.30PEN 7.95
$2.60CA$3.64
-11.54%
Rice(white)(1kg)
$1.38PEN 4.76
$3.65CA$5.10
-62.19%
Eggs
$2.63PEN 9.11
$3.63CA$5.06
-27.55%
Local Cheese(1kg)
$8.28PEN 28.66
$10.76CA$15.03
-23.05%
Chicken Fillets(1kg)
$5.71PEN 19.75
$11.90CA$16.61
-52.02%
Beef Round Steak(1kg)
$9.04PEN 31.28
$15.42CA$21.53
-41.37%
Apples(1kg)
$1.77PEN 6.14
$4.03CA$5.62
-56.08%
Banana(1kg)
$1.09PEN 3.77
$1.38CA$1.93
-21.01%
Oranges(1kg)
$1.31PEN 4.52
$3.88CA$5.41
-66.24%
Tomato(1kg)
$1.21PEN 4.20
$4.08CA$5.70
-70.34%
Potato(1kg)
$0.89PEN 3.08
$2.57CA$3.59
-65.37%
Onion(1kg)
$0.86PEN 2.96
$2.48CA$3.46
-65.32%
Lettuce(1 head)
$0.77PEN 2.66
$2.65CA$3.69
-70.94%
Water(1.5 liter bottle)
$0.84PEN 2.92
$1.71CA$2.39
-50.88%
Cigarettes 20 Pack(Marlboro, Camel)
$5.63PEN 19.46
$14.32CA$19.99
-60.68%
Wine(Bottle)
$7.65PEN 26.47
$13.49CA$18.83
-43.29%
Local Beer(0.5 liter bottle)
$1.99PEN 6.90
$2.84CA$3.97
-29.93%
Imported Beer(0.33 liter bottle)
$3.02PEN 10.46
$3.30CA$4.61
-8.48%
🚌 Getting Around
Peru
Canada
Difference
One-way Ticket(Public Transport)
$0.61PEN 2.10
$2.55CA$3.57
-76.08%
Public Transport Monthly Pass(Regular Price)
$27.39PEN 94.7
$71.9CA$100
-61.92%
Taxi Start(Normal Tariff)
$2.34PEN 8.08
$3.18CA$4.44
-26.42%
Taxi(Normal Tariff)(1km)
$2.05PEN 7.10
$1.54CA$2.15
33.12%
Taxi 1hour Waiting(Normal Tariff)
$7.01PEN 24.25
$26.69CA$37.26
-73.74%
Gasoline(1 liter)
$1.64PEN 5.68
$1.24CA$1.74
32.26%
Midsize Hatchback 1.4l(Volkswagen Golf, Toyota Prius, Honda Civic, etc)
$22.1KPEN 76.5K
$27.9KCA$38.9K
-20.65%
Compact Sedan 1.6l(Toyota Corolla, Mazda3, Kia K4, Hyundai Elantra, etc)
$27.6KPEN 95.6K
$21.1KCA$29.4K
31.24%
🧾 Monthly Utilities & Internet
Peru
Canada
Difference
Utilities for 2 People in 2-bedroom Apartment(Heating, Electricity, Gas, Water, Garbage)(85m2)
$54.9PEN 190
$147CA$206
-62.75%
SIM Card Monthly Plan(Calls and 10GB+ Data)
$13.37PEN 46.24
$41.80CA$58.4
-68.01%
Internet(50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)
$25.55PEN 88.4
$60.2CA$84.1
-57.57%
🎉 Sport & Entertainment
Peru
Canada
Difference
Gym Membership(Monthly)
$31.24PEN 108
$39.01CA$54.5
-19.92%
Tennis Court(1 Hour on Weekend)
$16.62PEN 57.5
$19.06CA$26.61
-12.80%
Cinema Ticket
$5.93PEN 20.52
$11.21CA$15.65
-47.10%
🧸 Childcare & Education
Peru
Canada
Difference
Preschool or Kindergarten, Full Day, Private, 1 Child(Monthly)
$207PEN 717
$721CA$1,007
-71.24%
International Primary School, 1 Child(Yearly)
$11.2KPEN 38.7K
$14.8KCA$20.7K
-24.73%
👕👟 Clothing & Footwear
Peru
Canada
Difference
Jeans(Levis 501 Or Similar)
$49.87PEN 173
$55.3CA$77.2
-9.77%
Summer Dress(H&M, Zara, etc)
$30.02PEN 104
$38.95CA$54.4
-22.93%
Sport Shoes(Adidas, Nike)
$72.2PEN 250
$87.4CA$122
-17.45%
Men's Leather Business Shoes
$71.1PEN 246
$101CA$141
-29.81%
🏠 Accommodation & Living
Peru
Canada
Difference
1-bedroom Apartment, City Center(Monthly)
$514PEN 1,778
$1,290CA$1,802
-60.16%
1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center(Monthly)
$279PEN 965
$1,130CA$1,578
-75.30%
3-bedroom Apartment, City Center(Monthly)
$899PEN 3,111
$2,036CA$2,843
-55.83%
3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center(Monthly)
$536PEN 1,852
$1,731CA$2,416
-69.06%
Buy Apartment in City Center(m2)
$2,247PEN 7,772
$4,769CA$6,658
-52.89%
Buy Apartment Outside City Center(m2)
$1,310PEN 4,533
$3,730CA$5,207
-64.86%
💵 Salaries & Financials
Peru
Canada
Difference
Average Monthly Net Salary(After Tax)
$575PEN 1,989
$3,070CA$4,285
-81.27%
20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate(Annual %)
9.66
4.87
98.36%
CityCost data is based on AI and user input – minor inaccuracies may occur.
Last update for Peru: October 27, 2026
Last update for Canada: October 26, 2026
Monthly budget structure
Share of the monthly basket for one person, rent included.
Share of the monthly basket for a family of three, rent included.
🏠Accommodation & Living
Peru
$279 31.8%
Canada
$1.1K 48.9% ↑ 305%$851
🛒Groceries & Markets
Peru
$210 23.9%
Canada
$371 16.1% ↑ 76.8%$161
🍽Eating Out
Peru
$109 12.4%
Canada
$278 12% ↑ 155%$169
👕👟Clothing & Footwear
Peru
$100 11.4%
Canada
$127 5.5% ↑ 26.8%$27
🧾Monthly Utilities & Internet
Peru
$94 10.7%
Canada
$249 10.8% ↑ 166%$156
🎉Sport & Entertainment
Peru
$43 4.9%
Canada
$61 2.7% ↑ 42.5%$18
🚌Getting Around
Peru
$42 4.8%
Canada
$93 4% ↑ 119%$51
🏠Accommodation & Living
Peru
$536 28.5%
Canada
$1.7K 39.3% ↑ 223%$1.2K
🛒Groceries & Markets
Peru
$479 25.4%
Canada
$847 19.2% ↑ 76.9%$368
🍽Eating Out
Peru
$349 18.6%
Canada
$918 20.9% ↑ 163%$569
👕👟Clothing & Footwear
Peru
$223 11.9%
Canada
$283 6.4% ↑ 26.8%$60
🧾Monthly Utilities & Internet
Peru
$107 5.7%
Canada
$291 6.6% ↑ 172%$184
🎉Sport & Entertainment
Peru
$103 5.5%
Canada
$142 3.2% ↑ 38%$39
🚌Getting Around
Peru
$86 4.6%
Canada
$191 4.3% ↑ 122%$105
Cost Breakdown
🏠Average rent: $339 in Peru vs $1,250 in Canada. For reference, capital cities sit at $734 in Lima and $1,434 in Ottawa.
💰Average salary: $522 in Peru vs $2,968 in Canada. The income gap affects purchasing power and how far your budget stretches in each country.
Cost Highlights
⭐Rent is 269% higher in Canada.
⭐Dining out costs 137% more in Canada.
⭐Public transport is 164% more expensive in Canada.
⭐Salaries are about 5.7 times higher in Canada, and purchasing power comes out stronger in Canada.
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
Peru vs Canada: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions
Is Canada more expensive than Peru?
Peru is the cheaper option – living costs run roughly 62% lower on average.
Which country has higher housing costs?
Housing costs more in Canada: a central one-bedroom averages $1,250 versus $339 in Peru.
Which country is cheaper for everyday spending?
Groceries, public transport, and eating out all cost less in Peru – part of why living there is about 62% cheaper overall.
Is $1,000 a realistic budget in Canada or in Peru?
$1,000 buys a comfortable lifestyle in Peru, but in Canada it only works with careful planning outside the capital. Same money, very different lives.
Should I move to Canada or to Peru?
Peru is the budget-friendly choice for expats. But cost isn’t everything: visa policies, language, healthcare quality, and job markets all weigh in too.