Cost of Living Comparison Between Arequipa and Cajamarca Cost of Living Comparison Between Arequipa and Cajamarca

Monthly Cost of Living

A single person spends $649 per month in Arequipa vs $649 in Cajamarca, rent included.

A couple spends around $1,065 per month in Arequipa vs $1,098 in Cajamarca, rent included.

A family of three spends $1,482 per month in Arequipa vs $1,547 in Cajamarca, rent included.

Arequipa and Cajamarca have comparable living costs – the differences are in the details.

Both Arequipa and Cajamarca are more affordable than the global median – Arequipa 52% lower, Cajamarca 52% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$4.13 PEN 14.06

$3.00 PEN 10.19

37.67%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$28.09 PEN 95.5

$28.12 PEN 95.6

-0.11%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$5.64 PEN 19.18

$5.85 PEN 19.89

-3.59%

Cappuccino

$2.54 PEN 8.62

$2.93 PEN 9.96

-13.31%

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

$0.82 PEN 2.78

$0.75 PEN 2.56

9.33%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.37 PEN 1.25

$0.59 PEN 2.00

-37.29%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.16 PEN 7.33

$2.18 PEN 7.40

-0.92%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$5.85 PEN 19.90

$3.23 PEN 10.98

81.11%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.61 PEN 5.48

$1.24 PEN 4.22

29.84%

White Bread (500g)

$1.28 PEN 4.35

$3.12 PEN 10.59

-58.97%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.23 PEN 4.19

$1.09 PEN 3.71

12.84%

Eggs

$2.15 PEN 7.29

$2.17 PEN 7.39

-0.92%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$5.52 PEN 18.75

$6.15 PEN 20.91

-10.24%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$5.17 PEN 17.59

$5.85 PEN 19.88

-11.62%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$7.76 PEN 26.38

$12.02 PEN 40.86

-35.44%

Apples (1kg)

$1.49 PEN 5.07

$0.93 PEN 3.15

60.22%

Banana (1kg)

$1.17 PEN 3.97

$0.75 PEN 2.55

56.00%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.19 PEN 4.04

$0.83 PEN 2.83

43.37%

Tomato (1kg)

$0.77 PEN 2.61

$1.05 PEN 3.58

-26.67%

Potato (1kg)

$0.55 PEN 1.86

$0.68 PEN 2.33

-19.12%

Onion (1kg)

$0.54 PEN 1.84

$0.94 PEN 3.20

-42.55%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.45 PEN 1.51

$0.62 PEN 2.12

-27.42%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.72 PEN 2.44

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.87 PEN 16.56

$8.23 PEN 27.98

-40.83%

Wine (Bottle)

$5.04 PEN 17.12

$10.20 PEN 34.67

-50.59%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.46 PEN 8.38

$2.50 PEN 8.52

-1.60%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.31 PEN 7.87

$2.35 PEN 7.98

-1.70%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.29 PEN 0.99

$0.59 PEN 2.00

-50.85%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$8.11 PEN 27.56

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$2.06 PEN 7.02

$1.64 PEN 5.59

25.61%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.06 PEN 7.01

$1.22 PEN 4.14

68.85%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$12.77 PEN 43.43

$4.90 PEN 16.67

160.61%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.54 PEN 5.24

$1.50 PEN 5.11

2.67%

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

$18.6K PEN 63.2K

$21.8K PEN 74.1K

-14.72%

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

$25.5K PEN 86.6K

$23.8K PEN 81.0K

6.95%

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

$39.14 PEN 133

$46.05 PEN 157

-15.01%

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

$10.57 PEN 35.94

$9.02 PEN 30.66

17.18%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$31.04 PEN 106

$26.75 PEN 91.0

16.04%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$21.22 PEN 72.1

$28.61 PEN 97.3

-25.83%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$8.34 PEN 28.37

$19.22 PEN 65.3

-56.61%

Cinema Ticket

$4.49 PEN 15.27

$4.68 PEN 15.91

-4.06%

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

$60.0 PEN 204

$128 PEN 435

-53.03%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$6,277 PEN 21.3K

$4,117 PEN 14.0K

52.45%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$37.00 PEN 126

$48.44 PEN 165

-23.62%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$22.10 PEN 75.1

$27.69 PEN 94.1

-20.19%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$62.8 PEN 214

$75.4 PEN 256

-16.68%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$56.3 PEN 191

$77.0 PEN 262

-26.92%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$240 PEN 817

$202 PEN 686

18.96%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$158 PEN 538

$97.3 PEN 331

62.56%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$540 PEN 1,836

$502 PEN 1,706

7.66%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$386 PEN 1,314

$292 PEN 991

32.54%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$1,956 PEN 6,650

$2,356 PEN 8,012

-17.01%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$993 PEN 3,377

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$650 PEN 2,210

$707 PEN 2,405

-8.14%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

10.5

42.86%

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

Last update for Arequipa: May 31, 2026

Last update for Cajamarca: May 31, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $240 in Arequipa versus $202 in Cajamarca. 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 9% higher in Cajamarca. Purchasing power depends on which expenses matter most to you.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $28.00 in Arequipa versus $28.00 in Cajamarca. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $171 vs $211 – making Arequipa the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

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

Arequipa vs Cajamarca: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

For a comfortable life, plan on about $974 per month in Arequipa and $973 in Cajamarca. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

Rent is clearly cheaper in Cajamarca, especially for central apartments. Housing is actually the single biggest factor behind the overall cost gap between these two cities.

Interestingly, groceries are about 23% cheaper in Arequipa – 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 $28.00 in Arequipa and $28.00 in Cajamarca. That's a good indicator of the overall restaurant and café pricing gap between the two cities.

$1,000 covers both cities comfortably – all-in costs are $649 in Arequipa and $649 in Cajamarca, leaving budget for savings and extras in both cases.

For digital nomads, it depends on budget. Cajamarca costs $649 versus $649 in Arequipa. 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 Cajamarca. If higher salaries, better infrastructure, or specific career opportunities are the priority, Arequipa makes more sense. Both are solid long-term options with distinct trade-offs.