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: $2,482 in Barcelona versus $691 in Cajamarca.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $3,548 in Barcelona versus $1,181 in Cajamarca.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $4,613 in Barcelona versus $1,672 in Cajamarca.

Living in Barcelona is roughly 259% more expensive than in Cajamarca, driven mainly by Eating Out.

The two cities straddle the global median: Barcelona is 80% above, Cajamarca is 50% below.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$18.42 €15.88

$3.63 PEN 12.16

407.44%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$69.4 €59.8

$29.68 PEN 99.5

133.73%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$14.05 €12.11

$5.82 PEN 19.52

141.41%

Cappuccino

$3.11 €2.68

$2.64 PEN 8.86

17.80%

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

$2.96 €2.55

$0.81 PEN 2.72

265.43%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.95 €1.69

$0.57 PEN 1.92

242.11%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.99 €3.44

$2.41 PEN 8.08

65.56%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.62 €3.98

$3.48 PEN 11.66

32.76%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.32 €1.14

$1.35 PEN 4.52

-2.22%

White Bread (500g)

$2.11 €1.82

$3.24 PEN 10.87

-34.88%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.83 €1.57

$1.25 PEN 4.19

46.40%

Eggs

$5.16 €4.45

$2.20 PEN 7.37

134.55%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$17.56 €15.14

$7.84 PEN 26.28

123.98%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$9.50 €8.19

$6.30 PEN 21.10

50.79%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$19.93 €17.18

$13.12 PEN 43.96

51.91%

Apples (1kg)

$3.17 €2.73

$1.07 PEN 3.59

196.26%

Banana (1kg)

$2.21 €1.91

$0.74 PEN 2.48

198.65%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.61 €2.25

$1.22 PEN 4.08

113.93%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.85 €2.46

$1.08 PEN 3.62

163.89%

Potato (1kg)

$2.17 €1.87

$0.74 PEN 2.47

193.24%

Onion (1kg)

$2.11 €1.81

$1.01 PEN 3.39

108.91%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.62 €1.39

$0.72 PEN 2.40

125.00%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.88 €0.76

$0.77 PEN 2.59

14.29%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$7.17 €6.18

$8.67 PEN 29.05

-17.30%

Wine (Bottle)

$8.33 €7.18

$10.54 PEN 35.34

-20.97%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.50 €1.29

$2.67 PEN 8.94

-43.82%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.75 €2.37

$2.57 PEN 8.61

7.00%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$3.14 €2.70

$0.56 PEN 1.88

460.71%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$26.25 €22.63

$8.65 PEN 29.00

203.47%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.22 €2.78

$1.83 PEN 6.12

75.96%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.51 €1.30

$1.39 PEN 4.65

8.63%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$35.26 €30.39

$5.18 PEN 17.35

580.69%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.75 €1.51

$1.60 PEN 5.35

9.37%

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

$36.7K €31.6K

$23.3K PEN 78.1K

57.31%

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

$31.7K €27.3K

$26.5K PEN 88.8K

19.61%

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

$187 €161

$49.21 PEN 165

280.25%

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

$15.10 €13.01

$9.41 PEN 31.54

60.47%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$37.60 €32.41

$28.56 PEN 95.7

31.65%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$55.5 €47.83

$30.55 PEN 102

81.64%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$16.74 €14.43

$21.07 PEN 70.6

-20.55%

Cinema Ticket

$11.71 €10.09

$4.79 PEN 16.06

144.47%

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

$1,011 €871

$138 PEN 463

631.60%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$17.1K €14.7K

$4,393 PEN 14.7K

288.54%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$91.4 €78.8

$51.6 PEN 173

77.13%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$41.00 €35.34

$29.19 PEN 97.9

40.46%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$111 €95.3

$81.3 PEN 273

36.03%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$126 €109

$80.2 PEN 269

57.21%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,704 €1,469

$205 PEN 687

731.24%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,299 €1,120

$103 PEN 346

1159.76%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,588 €2,231

$532 PEN 1,783

386.65%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,929 €1,663

$320 PEN 1,074

502.12%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$7,732 €6,665

$2,356 PEN 7,897

228.21%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$5,384 €4,641

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$2,374 €2,046

$740 PEN 2,480

220.91%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

3.16

10.5

-69.90%

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

Last update for Barcelona: September 7, 2026

Last update for Cajamarca: September 5, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,704 in Barcelona and $205 in Cajamarca. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Barcelona pays 221% 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 $30.00 in Cajamarca for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $333 vs $230 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 259% in total monthly costs ($2,482 vs $691 including rent). Cajamarca is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

Average pay runs 221% 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: $1,704 in Barcelona versus $205 in Cajamarca. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $1,011 in Barcelona versus $138 in Cajamarca. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Supermarket bills run roughly 45% higher in Barcelona. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

At $691 in Cajamarca versus $2,482 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 259% less than in Barcelona. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.