Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Arequipa and Cajamarca

For one person, living costs are similar in Arequipa and in Cajamarca: $709 and $714 a month, rent and utilities included.

34

Cost of Living Index in Arequipa
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Arequipa Living Index
34

Cost of Living Index in Cajamarca
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Cajamarca Living Index

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Arequipa

🇵🇪 Peru

$709

/mo nomad

Cajamarca

🇵🇪 Peru

$714

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

A single person spends $709 per month in Arequipa vs $714 in Cajamarca, rent included.

Arequipa $709
Cajamarca $714

A couple spends around $1,117 per month in Arequipa vs $1,196 in Cajamarca, rent included.

Arequipa $1,117
Cajamarca $1,196

A family of three spends $1,524 per month in Arequipa vs $1,679 in Cajamarca, rent included.

Arequipa $1,524
Cajamarca $1,679

Arequipa is about 1% cheaper than Cajamarca, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Both Arequipa and Cajamarca are more affordable than the global median – Arequipa 48% lower, Cajamarca 47% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$3.46 PEN 11.87

$3.15 PEN 10.82

9.84%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$27.89 PEN 95.8

$29.16 PEN 100

-4.36%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$5.93 PEN 20.37

$5.92 PEN 20.32

0.17%

Cappuccino

$2.42 PEN 8.31

$2.82 PEN 9.67

-14.18%

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

$0.81 PEN 2.78

$0.70 PEN 2.40

15.71%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.39 PEN 1.33

$0.56 PEN 1.92

-30.36%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.09 PEN 7.16

$2.63 PEN 9.04

-20.53%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.27 PEN 14.68

$3.45 PEN 11.85

23.77%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.34 PEN 4.61

$1.30 PEN 4.45

3.08%

White Bread (500g)

$1.36 PEN 4.66

$3.27 PEN 11.23

-58.41%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.45 PEN 4.99

$1.21 PEN 4.15

19.83%

Eggs

$2.29 PEN 7.85

$2.26 PEN 7.76

1.33%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$6.25 PEN 21.47

$7.19 PEN 24.70

-13.07%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$4.59 PEN 15.75

$7.63 PEN 26.20

-39.84%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$7.33 PEN 25.16

$16.12 PEN 55.4

-54.53%

Apples (1kg)

$1.76 PEN 6.03

$0.88 PEN 3.04

100.00%

Banana (1kg)

$1.18 PEN 4.05

$0.85 PEN 2.93

38.82%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.13 PEN 3.88

Tomato (1kg)

$0.99 PEN 3.41

$0.91 PEN 3.12

8.79%

Potato (1kg)

$0.67 PEN 2.29

$0.90 PEN 3.08

-25.56%

Onion (1kg)

$0.67 PEN 2.31

$0.75 PEN 2.57

-10.67%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.56 PEN 1.91

$0.85 PEN 2.91

-34.12%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.76 PEN 2.60

$0.72 PEN 2.47

5.56%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$5.13 PEN 17.62

$7.15 PEN 24.55

-28.25%

Wine (Bottle)

$5.18 PEN 17.80

$11.65 PEN 40.02

-55.54%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.67 PEN 9.17

$2.66 PEN 9.14

0.38%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.30 PEN 7.90

$2.63 PEN 9.04

-12.55%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.28 PEN 0.95

$0.56 PEN 1.92

-50.00%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$8.69 PEN 29.86

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$2.02 PEN 6.92

$2.54 PEN 8.73

-20.47%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.01 PEN 6.92

$1.77 PEN 6.09

13.56%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$13.01 PEN 44.68

$5.75 PEN 19.76

126.26%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.54 PEN 5.28

$1.40 PEN 4.79

10.00%

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

$18.9K PEN 65.0K

$23.5K PEN 80.6K

-19.34%

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

$25.1K PEN 86.3K

$28.6K PEN 98.2K

-12.13%

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

$23.36 PEN 80.2

$58.8 PEN 202

-60.27%

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

$10.26 PEN 35.24

$9.55 PEN 32.79

7.43%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$23.44 PEN 80.5

$20.57 PEN 70.7

13.95%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$25.08 PEN 86.1

$33.79 PEN 116

-25.78%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$8.00 PEN 27.47

$17.60 PEN 60.4

-54.55%

Cinema Ticket

$7.35 PEN 25.24

$3.79 PEN 13.01

93.93%

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

$75.3 PEN 258

$148 PEN 507

-49.01%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$6,598 PEN 22.7K

$4,314 PEN 14.8K

52.93%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$47.74 PEN 164

$42.94 PEN 147

11.18%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$26.42 PEN 90.7

$28.55 PEN 98.1

-7.46%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$67.6 PEN 232

$72.6 PEN 249

-6.77%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$57.5 PEN 198

$73.1 PEN 251

-21.36%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$347 PEN 1,192

$196 PEN 674

76.87%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$237 PEN 813

$118 PEN 404

101.09%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$719 PEN 2,471

$517 PEN 1,775

39.22%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$419 PEN 1,439

$322 PEN 1,106

30.13%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$1,963 PEN 6,740

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$989 PEN 3,397

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$619 PEN 2,125

$548 PEN 1,882

12.90%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

36.36%

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

Last update for Arequipa: October 19, 2026

Last update for Cajamarca: October 17, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Arequipa

$237 33.4%

Cajamarca

$118 16.5% 50.3% $119

Groceries & Markets

Arequipa

$174 24.5%

Cajamarca

$244 34.2% 40.5% $70

Eating Out

Arequipa

$98 13.9%

Cajamarca

$102 14.3% 3.7% $3.6

Clothing & Footwear

Arequipa

$90 12.7%

Cajamarca

$98 13.7% 9% $8

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Arequipa

$57 8.1%

Cajamarca

$89 12.5% 55.8% $32

Sport & Entertainment

Arequipa

$40 5.6%

Cajamarca

$41 5.8% 4% $1.6

Getting Around

Arequipa

$13 * 1.9%

Cajamarca

$22 3.1% 69.2% $9.1

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

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $347 in Arequipa versus $196 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 13% higher in Arequipa, which reinforces the cost advantage – you earn more and spend less. Purchasing power leans clearly in its favor.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $28.00 in Arequipa versus $29.00 in Cajamarca. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $174 vs $244 – making Arequipa the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇵🇪 Arequipa

🇵🇪 Cajamarca

🕒 Local time

19:52 7:52 PM

Same time as Arequipa

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

17,062

218,741

💱 Currency

Peruvian Sol PEN S/

📈 Exchange rate

1 PEN = 0.291 USD

1 PEN = 0.259 EUR

1 PEN = 0.291 USD

1 PEN = 0.259 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

On the map

Lowest

Highest

Between locations

Arequipa Cajamarca 1,280 km ≈ 2 h nonstop flight

From you

Arequipa
Cajamarca

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

Arequipa vs Cajamarca: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Cajamarca costs about 1% more than Arequipa, and outside of rent the gap comes mainly from groceries. That's enough to noticeably affect everyday spending and lifestyle for anyone choosing between the two.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $1,063 per month in Arequipa and $1,071 in Cajamarca. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

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

A mid-range dinner for two costs $28.00 in Arequipa and $29.00 in Cajamarca. That's a good indicator of the overall restaurant and café pricing gap between the two cities.

Groceries cost about 40% more in Cajamarca, though it depends on what you buy. Local produce may be comparable; imported and premium items show the biggest price gap.

$800 covers both cities comfortably – all-in costs are $709 in Arequipa and $714 in Cajamarca, leaving budget for savings and extras in both cases.

For digital nomads, it depends on budget. Arequipa costs $709 versus $714 in Cajamarca. 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 Arequipa. If higher salaries, better infrastructure, or specific career opportunities are the priority, Cajamarca makes more sense. Both are solid long-term options with distinct trade-offs.