Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Peterborough and Montreal

For one person, living is cheaper in Montreal: $2,059 a month against $2,226 in Peterborough, rent and utilities included – about $2,000 less a year. Higher rent and utilities in Peterborough outweigh lower spending on other living expenses.

108

Cost of Living Index in Peterborough
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Peterborough Living Index
99

Cost of Living Index in Montreal
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Montreal Living Index

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Peterborough

🇨🇦 Canada

$2,226

/mo nomad

Montreal

🇨🇦 Canada

$2,059

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

A single person spends $2,226 per month in Peterborough vs $2,059 in Montreal, rent included.

Peterborough $2,226
Montreal $2,059

A couple spends around $3,205 per month in Peterborough vs $3,123 in Montreal, rent included.

Peterborough $3,205
Montreal $3,123

A family of three spends $4,184 per month in Peterborough vs $4,187 in Montreal, rent included.

Peterborough $4,184
Montreal $4,187

Peterborough costs about 8% more than Montreal, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

Both Peterborough and Montreal sit above the global median – Peterborough by 64%, Montreal by 52%.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$12.87 CA$18.19

$18.84 CA$26.63

-31.69%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$69.8 CA$98.7

$73.2 CA$104

-4.66%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$10.82 CA$15.30

$10.54 CA$14.90

2.66%

Cappuccino

$3.62 CA$5.11

$3.97 CA$5.61

-8.82%

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

$1.77 CA$2.50

$1.94 CA$2.74

-8.76%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.36 CA$1.92

$1.57 CA$2.22

-13.38%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$5.69 CA$8.05

$6.42 CA$9.08

-11.37%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$5.84 CA$8.26

$7.20 CA$10.19

-18.89%

Milk (1 liter)

$2.57 CA$3.63

$2.32 CA$3.28

10.78%

White Bread (500g)

$2.45 CA$3.47

$3.19 CA$4.51

-23.20%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.52 CA$3.56

$3.19 CA$4.50

-21.00%

Eggs

$3.24 CA$4.58

$3.68 CA$5.20

-11.96%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$10.70 CA$15.13

$13.24 CA$18.72

-19.18%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$11.03 CA$15.60

$11.69 CA$16.53

-5.65%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$12.79 CA$18.08

$13.98 CA$19.76

-8.51%

Apples (1kg)

$3.39 CA$4.80

$3.14 CA$4.44

7.96%

Banana (1kg)

$1.42 CA$2.01

$1.45 CA$2.05

-2.07%

Oranges (1kg)

$3.41 CA$4.82

$3.38 CA$4.78

0.89%

Tomato (1kg)

$3.98 CA$5.63

$3.11 CA$4.40

27.97%

Potato (1kg)

$1.63 CA$2.30

$1.93 CA$2.72

-15.54%

Onion (1kg)

$2.35 CA$3.32

$1.83 CA$2.58

28.42%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.32 CA$3.28

$2.36 CA$3.34

-1.69%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.48 CA$2.09

$1.50 CA$2.12

-1.33%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$11.53 CA$16.31

$11.12 CA$15.73

3.69%

Wine (Bottle)

$12.92 CA$18.26

$10.60 CA$14.98

21.89%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.43 CA$3.43

$2.22 CA$3.14

9.46%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.58 CA$2.23

$2.84 CA$4.01

-44.37%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.24 CA$3.16

$2.62 CA$3.71

-14.50%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$47.21 CA$66.7

$79.1 CA$112

-40.35%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$2.93 CA$4.15

$3.23 CA$4.56

-9.29%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.22 CA$1.73

$1.48 CA$2.10

-17.57%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$20.95 CA$29.62

$32.22 CA$45.55

-34.98%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.10 CA$1.56

$1.36 CA$1.92

-19.12%

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

$26.2K CA$37.1K

$27.6K CA$39.1K

-5.13%

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

$20.7K CA$29.3K

$21.2K CA$30.0K

-2.21%

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

$138 CA$196

$77.0 CA$109

79.54%

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

$33.95 CA$47.99

$34.14 CA$48.26

-0.56%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$45.07 CA$63.7

$42.19 CA$59.7

6.83%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$44.16 CA$62.4

$30.81 CA$43.56

43.33%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$14.28 CA$20.19

$19.66 CA$27.79

-27.37%

Cinema Ticket

$11.47 CA$16.22

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

$344 CA$487

$506 CA$716

-31.94%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$10.8K CA$15.3K

$16.2K CA$23.0K

-33.32%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$43.01 CA$60.8

$57.3 CA$81.0

-24.89%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$37.82 CA$53.5

$38.10 CA$53.9

-0.73%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$84.5 CA$120

$91.9 CA$130

-8.03%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$73.7 CA$104

$110 CA$155

-32.87%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,368 CA$1,934

$1,237 CA$1,748

10.62%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,202 CA$1,699

$977 CA$1,381

23.02%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,060 CA$2,913

$2,180 CA$3,082

-5.50%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,832 CA$2,590

$1,608 CA$2,273

13.93%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$6,455 CA$9,126

$5,113 CA$7,228

26.25%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$6,287 CA$8,888

$3,744 CA$5,293

67.91%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$3,068 CA$4,338

$2,957 CA$4,180

3.76%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

4.55

4.48

1.56%

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

Last update for Peterborough: October 19, 2026

Last update for Montreal: October 20, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Peterborough

$1.2K 54%

Montreal

$977 47.4% 18.7% $225

Groceries & Markets

Peterborough

$336 15.1%

Montreal

$351 17.1% 4.6% $15

Eating Out

Peterborough

$231 10.4%

Montreal

$290 14.1% 25.5% $59

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Peterborough

$217 9.8%

Montreal

$153 7.5% 29.4% $64

Clothing & Footwear

Peterborough

$108 4.8%

Montreal

$134 6.5% 24.3% $26

Sport & Entertainment

Peterborough

$67 3%

Montreal

$54 2.6% 19.9% $13

Getting Around

Peterborough

$65 2.9%

Montreal

$100 4.9% 53.8% $35

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $1,368 in Peterborough 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 4% higher in Peterborough, 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 $70.0 in Peterborough versus $73.0 in Montreal. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $336 vs $351 – making Peterborough the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇨🇦 Peterborough

🇨🇦 Montreal

🕒 Local time

10:23 10:23 AM

Same time as Peterborough

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

81,032

1,762,949

💱 Currency

Canadian Dollar CAD $

📈 Exchange rate

1 CAD = 0.707 USD

1 CAD = 0.629 EUR

1 CAD = 0.707 USD

1 CAD = 0.629 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

On the map

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Peterborough Montreal 400 km

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Peterborough
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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

Peterborough vs Montreal: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Peterborough costs about 8% more than Montreal, and outside of rent the gap comes mainly from eating out. That's enough to noticeably affect everyday spending and lifestyle for anyone choosing between the two.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $3,339 per month in Peterborough 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 Montreal, especially for central apartments. Housing is actually the single biggest factor behind the overall cost gap between these two cities.

Interestingly, groceries are about 5% cheaper in Peterborough – one category where the pricier city actually offers better value, probably thanks to stronger retail competition or local farming.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $70.0 in Peterborough and $73.0 in Montreal. That's a good indicator of the overall restaurant and café pricing gap between the two cities.

A $2,000 monthly budget goes further in Montreal, where all-in costs run around $2,059, than in Peterborough at $2,226. In Montreal it covers expenses comfortably, while in Peterborough it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.

For digital nomads, it depends on budget. Montreal costs $2,059 versus $2,226 in Peterborough. 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 Montreal. If higher salaries, better infrastructure, or specific career opportunities are the priority, Peterborough makes more sense. Both are solid long-term options with distinct trade-offs.