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

Monthly Cost of Living

A single person spends $652 per month in Arequipa vs $649 in Cajamarca, rent included.

A couple spends around $1,071 per month in Arequipa vs $1,101 in Cajamarca, rent included.

A family of three spends $1,490 per month in Arequipa vs $1,552 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 51% lower, Cajamarca 51% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$4.07 PEN 13.78

$3.13 PEN 10.61

30.03%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$27.88 PEN 94.5

$27.42 PEN 92.9

1.68%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$5.47 PEN 18.52

$5.71 PEN 19.34

-4.20%

Cappuccino

$2.58 PEN 8.73

$2.82 PEN 9.55

-8.51%

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

$0.82 PEN 2.76

$0.81 PEN 2.74

1.23%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.37 PEN 1.25

$0.59 PEN 1.99

-37.29%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.24 PEN 7.59

$2.16 PEN 7.33

3.70%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$6.11 PEN 20.70

$3.30 PEN 11.19

85.15%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.55 PEN 5.25

$1.25 PEN 4.22

24.00%

White Bread (500g)

$1.27 PEN 4.29

$3.01 PEN 10.19

-57.81%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.29 PEN 4.36

$1.09 PEN 3.70

18.35%

Eggs

$2.07 PEN 7.00

$2.17 PEN 7.35

-4.61%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$5.57 PEN 18.87

$6.16 PEN 20.87

-9.58%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$5.27 PEN 17.87

$5.96 PEN 20.19

-11.58%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$7.58 PEN 25.68

$12.10 PEN 41.00

-37.36%

Apples (1kg)

$1.46 PEN 4.96

$1.00 PEN 3.38

46.00%

Banana (1kg)

$1.18 PEN 3.99

$0.69 PEN 2.35

71.01%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.22 PEN 4.14

$0.90 PEN 3.05

35.56%

Tomato (1kg)

$0.78 PEN 2.63

$1.05 PEN 3.55

-25.71%

Potato (1kg)

$0.59 PEN 2.01

$0.69 PEN 2.34

-14.49%

Onion (1kg)

$0.58 PEN 1.97

$0.95 PEN 3.21

-38.95%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.45 PEN 1.52

$0.62 PEN 2.10

-27.42%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.72 PEN 2.44

$0.71 PEN 2.39

1.41%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$5.05 PEN 17.10

$8.10 PEN 27.45

-37.65%

Wine (Bottle)

$5.21 PEN 17.65

$10.31 PEN 34.94

-49.47%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.48 PEN 8.39

$2.42 PEN 8.21

2.48%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.20 PEN 7.47

$2.39 PEN 8.12

-7.95%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.27 PEN 0.91

$0.55 PEN 1.86

-50.91%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$8.17 PEN 27.68

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$2.09 PEN 7.08

$1.71 PEN 5.79

22.22%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.04 PEN 6.92

$1.21 PEN 4.09

68.60%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$12.92 PEN 43.79

$4.99 PEN 16.90

158.92%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.62 PEN 5.48

$1.51 PEN 5.10

7.28%

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

$18.7K PEN 63.5K

$22.5K PEN 76.3K

-16.87%

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

$25.4K PEN 85.9K

$24.8K PEN 84.0K

2.28%

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

$39.23 PEN 133

$46.02 PEN 156

-14.75%

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

$10.33 PEN 34.99

$9.05 PEN 30.68

14.14%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$30.48 PEN 103

$26.71 PEN 90.5

14.11%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$21.96 PEN 74.4

$28.68 PEN 97.2

-23.43%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$8.17 PEN 27.70

$19.78 PEN 67.0

-58.70%

Cinema Ticket

$4.46 PEN 15.11

$4.48 PEN 15.19

-0.45%

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

$59.9 PEN 203

$131 PEN 444

-54.21%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$6,380 PEN 21.6K

$4,137 PEN 14.0K

54.23%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$37.74 PEN 128

$48.83 PEN 165

-22.71%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$22.29 PEN 75.5

$27.49 PEN 93.2

-18.92%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$63.2 PEN 214

$74.9 PEN 254

-15.60%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$56.5 PEN 191

$77.7 PEN 263

-27.27%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$244 PEN 826

$203 PEN 688

19.95%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$157 PEN 533

$97.1 PEN 329

61.84%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$546 PEN 1,851

$497 PEN 1,683

9.95%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$390 PEN 1,322

$294 PEN 998

32.54%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$2,023 PEN 6,856

$2,358 PEN 7,991

-14.20%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$994 PEN 3,369

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$649 PEN 2,198

$704 PEN 2,387

-7.91%

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: July 13, 2026

Last update for Cajamarca: July 11, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $244 in Arequipa versus $203 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 $27.00 in Cajamarca. Groceries tell a different story – $171 in Arequipa vs $211 in Cajamarca – so Arequipa wins on supermarket bills even if dining out costs more.

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 $977 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 $27.00 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 $652 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 $652 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.