Cost of Living Comparison Between Barcelona and Cajamarca Cost of Living Comparison Between Barcelona and Cajamarca

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $2,341 in Barcelona versus $636 in Cajamarca.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $3,462 in Barcelona versus $1,084 in Cajamarca.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $4,582 in Barcelona versus $1,532 in Cajamarca.

Living in Barcelona is roughly 268% more expensive than Cajamarca, driven mainly by Eating Out.

The two cities straddle the global median: Barcelona is 75% above, Cajamarca is 52% below.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$17.61 €15.08

$3.03 PEN 10.67

481.19%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$68.7 €58.8

$28.29 PEN 99.6

142.84%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$13.75 €11.77

$5.67 PEN 19.95

142.50%

Cappuccino

$2.76 €2.36

$2.91 PEN 10.24

-5.15%

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

$2.78 €2.38

$0.75 PEN 2.65

270.67%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.05 €1.75

$0.57 PEN 2.02

259.65%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$4.61 €3.94

$2.24 PEN 7.89

105.80%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.59 €3.93

$3.27 PEN 11.53

40.37%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.28 €1.10

$1.24 PEN 4.38

3.23%

White Bread (500g)

$2.11 €1.81

$3.07 PEN 10.82

-31.27%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.97 €1.69

$1.07 PEN 3.77

84.11%

Eggs

$3.44 €2.95

$2.16 PEN 7.59

59.26%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$18.83 €16.12

$6.17 PEN 21.73

205.19%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$9.45 €8.09

$5.71 PEN 20.09

65.50%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$19.01 €16.27

$12.10 PEN 42.60

57.11%

Apples (1kg)

$2.72 €2.33

$0.98 PEN 3.45

177.55%

Banana (1kg)

$2.37 €2.03

$0.74 PEN 2.59

220.27%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.08 €1.78

$0.90 PEN 3.15

131.11%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.76 €2.36

$1.01 PEN 3.54

173.27%

Potato (1kg)

$1.97 €1.69

$0.75 PEN 2.65

162.67%

Onion (1kg)

$1.79 €1.53

$0.97 PEN 3.43

84.54%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.51 €1.29

$0.68 PEN 2.38

122.06%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.90 €0.77

$0.71 PEN 2.51

26.76%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$6.76 €5.79

$8.41 PEN 29.60

-19.62%

Wine (Bottle)

$7.55 €6.46

$10.21 PEN 35.94

-26.05%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.44 €1.23

$2.52 PEN 8.89

-42.86%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.41 €2.06

$2.37 PEN 8.35

1.69%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$3.03 €2.59

$0.57 PEN 2.01

431.58%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$28.39 €24.30

$8.49 PEN 29.87

234.39%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$4.43 €3.79

$1.64 PEN 5.79

170.12%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.05 €1.76

$1.20 PEN 4.23

70.83%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$29.33 €25.11

$4.81 PEN 16.95

509.77%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.89 €1.62

$1.48 PEN 5.22

27.70%

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

$38.7K €33.2K

$22.5K PEN 79.4K

71.85%

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

$32.4K €27.7K

$24.2K PEN 85.2K

33.69%

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

$189 €161

$45.55 PEN 160

314.03%

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

$22.21 €19.01

$9.22 PEN 32.45

140.89%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$36.82 €31.52

$26.93 PEN 94.8

36.72%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$58.0 €49.64

$28.66 PEN 101

102.34%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$20.99 €17.97

$19.19 PEN 67.6

9.38%

Cinema Ticket

$11.05 €9.46

$4.52 PEN 15.91

144.47%

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

$726 €622

$128 PEN 450

467.90%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$15.2K €13.0K

$4,180 PEN 14.7K

264.27%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$88.3 €75.6

$47.88 PEN 169

84.46%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$36.98 €31.66

$27.30 PEN 96.1

35.46%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$103 €87.8

$77.3 PEN 272

32.76%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$119 €102

$77.0 PEN 271

54.79%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,526 €1,307

$198 PEN 696

671.83%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,218 €1,043

$95.3 PEN 336

1177.68%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,794 €2,392

$499 PEN 1,755

460.33%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,027 €1,735

$296 PEN 1,042

584.60%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$7,094 €6,073

$2,264 PEN 7,971

213.29%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$4,849 €4,151

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$2,404 €2,058

$708 PEN 2,491

239.69%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

3.39

10.5

-67.71%

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

Last update for Barcelona: April 27, 2026

Last update for Cajamarca: April 28, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,526 in Barcelona and $198 in Cajamarca. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Barcelona pays 240% more on average. The extra income cushions the higher costs, though housing choices and lifestyle decide how much of the gap is truly closed.

Dining out: $69.0 in Barcelona vs $28.00 in Cajamarca for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $320 vs $211 per month, with Cajamarca cheaper across the board.

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

Barcelona vs Cajamarca: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Barcelona and Cajamarca differ by about 268% in total monthly costs ($2,341 vs $636 including rent). Cajamarca is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

Barcelona pays 240% more on average, which matters when comparing affordability. Whether that higher income actually nets you more depends on your spending habits and housing choices.

Rent for a central apartment: $1,526 in Barcelona versus $198 in Cajamarca. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $726 in Barcelona versus $128 in Cajamarca. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Supermarket bills run roughly 52% higher in Barcelona. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

At $636 in Cajamarca versus $2,341 in Barcelona, a $1,500 budget is realistic in Cajamarca but tight or insufficient in Barcelona. The gap between the two cities makes Cajamarca the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

Both cities offer a good standard of living with different trade-offs. Neither is objectively better – the right pick depends on what matters most: affordability, career, cultural scene, or climate.

Safety-wise, Barcelona and Cajamarca are on par. Petty crime is typical for cities this size, and most residents feel comfortable going about their daily routines in either place.

Expats usually find Cajamarca gentler on the wallet – expenses run 268% less than in Barcelona. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.