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: $2,359 in Barcelona versus $654 in Cajamarca.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $3,498 in Barcelona versus $1,105 in Cajamarca.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $4,638 in Barcelona versus $1,555 in Cajamarca.

Living in Barcelona is roughly 261% more expensive than in Cajamarca, driven mainly by Eating Out.

The two cities straddle the global median: Barcelona is 77% above, Cajamarca is 51% below.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$17.15 €14.96

$3.14 PEN 10.68

446.18%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$68.1 €59.3

$27.99 PEN 95.2

143.16%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$13.64 €11.89

$5.99 PEN 20.36

127.71%

Cappuccino

$2.78 €2.42

$2.84 PEN 9.66

-2.11%

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

$2.82 €2.46

$0.82 PEN 2.79

243.90%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.96 €1.71

$0.54 PEN 1.83

262.96%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$4.43 €3.86

$2.29 PEN 7.77

93.45%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.61 €4.01

$3.40 PEN 11.56

35.59%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.27 €1.11

$1.26 PEN 4.29

0.79%

White Bread (500g)

$2.13 €1.86

$3.11 PEN 10.58

-31.51%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.99 €1.73

$1.04 PEN 3.54

91.35%

Eggs

$3.37 €2.93

$2.05 PEN 6.99

64.39%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$18.96 €16.53

$6.10 PEN 20.75

210.82%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$9.53 €8.31

$5.66 PEN 19.26

68.37%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$18.73 €16.33

$12.17 PEN 41.38

53.90%

Apples (1kg)

$2.65 €2.31

$1.01 PEN 3.42

162.38%

Banana (1kg)

$2.35 €2.05

$0.75 PEN 2.54

213.33%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.09 €1.82

$0.89 PEN 3.02

134.83%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.73 €2.38

$1.00 PEN 3.40

173.00%

Potato (1kg)

$1.96 €1.71

$0.71 PEN 2.41

176.06%

Onion (1kg)

$1.81 €1.58

$0.98 PEN 3.32

84.69%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.51 €1.32

$0.67 PEN 2.29

125.37%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.89 €0.78

$0.77 PEN 2.60

15.58%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$6.78 €5.91

$8.12 PEN 27.60

-16.50%

Wine (Bottle)

$7.92 €6.90

$10.25 PEN 34.85

-22.73%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.37 €1.19

$2.44 PEN 8.30

-43.85%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.40 €2.09

$2.29 PEN 7.79

4.80%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.91 €2.54

$0.55 PEN 1.86

429.09%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$28.66 €24.98

$8.12 PEN 27.60

252.96%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$4.58 €3.99

$1.69 PEN 5.76

171.01%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.04 €1.78

$1.20 PEN 4.08

70.00%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$28.72 €25.03

$4.73 PEN 16.08

507.19%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.82 €1.59

$1.45 PEN 4.93

25.52%

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

$39.3K €34.3K

$22.3K PEN 75.8K

76.49%

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

$32.5K €28.3K

$23.9K PEN 81.2K

36.07%

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

$187 €163

$45.45 PEN 155

310.63%

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

$22.29 €19.43

$9.08 PEN 30.88

145.48%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$36.37 €31.71

$26.76 PEN 91.0

35.91%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$57.5 €50.2

$28.45 PEN 96.8

102.21%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$20.74 €18.08

$19.19 PEN 65.3

8.08%

Cinema Ticket

$10.77 €9.39

$4.64 PEN 15.77

132.11%

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

$725 €632

$130 PEN 443

456.53%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$15.2K €13.2K

$4,123 PEN 14.0K

267.48%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$87.9 €76.6

$48.73 PEN 166

80.30%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$36.81 €32.09

$27.67 PEN 94.1

33.03%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$103 €90.2

$77.2 PEN 263

33.94%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$119 €103

$77.7 PEN 264

52.51%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,524 €1,328

$201 PEN 683

658.25%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,227 €1,070

$98.8 PEN 336

1141.93%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,727 €2,378

$507 PEN 1,723

438.22%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,984 €1,730

$293 PEN 997

576.65%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$7,469 €6,511

$2,310 PEN 7,855

223.33%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$5,243 €4,571

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$2,393 €2,086

$721 PEN 2,453

231.73%

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: July 27, 2026

Last update for Cajamarca: July 27, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,524 in Barcelona and $201 in Cajamarca. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Barcelona pays 232% 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: $68.0 in Barcelona vs $28.00 in Cajamarca for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $319 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 261% in total monthly costs ($2,359 vs $654 including rent). Cajamarca is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

Average pay runs 232% higher in Barcelona, 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: $1,524 in Barcelona versus $201 in Cajamarca. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $725 in Barcelona versus $130 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 $654 in Cajamarca versus $2,359 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 261% less than in Barcelona. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.