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: $2,337 in Barcelona versus $655 in Cajamarca.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $3,468 in Barcelona versus $1,101 in Cajamarca.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $4,599 in Barcelona versus $1,547 in Cajamarca.

Living in Barcelona is roughly 257% more expensive than Cajamarca, driven mainly by Eating Out.

The two cities straddle the global median: Barcelona is 74% above, Cajamarca is 51% below.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$17.08 €14.72

$3.14 PEN 10.69

443.95%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$69.2 €59.7

$28.17 PEN 95.8

145.79%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$13.78 €11.87

$5.98 PEN 20.34

130.43%

Cappuccino

$2.76 €2.37

$2.90 PEN 9.86

-4.83%

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

$2.79 €2.40

$0.80 PEN 2.73

248.75%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.99 €1.72

$0.54 PEN 1.84

268.52%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$4.36 €3.76

$2.25 PEN 7.66

93.78%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.74 €4.09

$3.30 PEN 11.21

43.64%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.29 €1.11

$1.24 PEN 4.22

4.03%

White Bread (500g)

$2.05 €1.77

$2.98 PEN 10.13

-31.21%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.99 €1.71

$1.05 PEN 3.56

89.52%

Eggs

$3.39 €2.92

$2.10 PEN 7.13

61.43%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$18.81 €16.21

$6.14 PEN 20.89

206.35%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$9.36 €8.07

$5.78 PEN 19.64

61.94%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$19.12 €16.48

$12.07 PEN 41.03

58.41%

Apples (1kg)

$2.70 €2.32

$0.92 PEN 3.11

193.48%

Banana (1kg)

$2.34 €2.02

$0.71 PEN 2.41

229.58%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.12 €1.83

$0.83 PEN 2.83

155.42%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.85 €2.46

$1.00 PEN 3.40

185.00%

Potato (1kg)

$1.97 €1.70

$0.74 PEN 2.53

166.22%

Onion (1kg)

$1.80 €1.55

$0.92 PEN 3.12

95.65%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.45 €1.25

$0.63 PEN 2.15

130.16%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.86 €0.74

$0.76 PEN 2.57

13.16%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$6.78 €5.84

$8.34 PEN 28.36

-18.71%

Wine (Bottle)

$7.90 €6.81

$10.22 PEN 34.75

-22.70%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.39 €1.20

$2.41 PEN 8.19

-42.32%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.37 €2.04

$2.38 PEN 8.08

-0.42%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.92 €2.52

$0.53 PEN 1.81

450.94%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$28.69 €24.72

$8.27 PEN 28.12

246.92%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$4.46 €3.84

$1.65 PEN 5.62

170.30%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.05 €1.77

$1.25 PEN 4.24

64.00%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$29.55 €25.46

$4.78 PEN 16.26

518.20%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.82 €1.56

$1.51 PEN 5.14

20.53%

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

$38.8K €33.5K

$22.5K PEN 76.4K

72.86%

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

$33.1K €28.5K

$24.0K PEN 81.6K

37.98%

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

$189 €163

$46.50 PEN 158

306.95%

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

$22.80 €19.65

$8.94 PEN 30.38

155.03%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$37.59 €32.39

$26.56 PEN 90.3

41.53%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$57.7 €49.75

$28.32 PEN 96.3

103.88%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$20.74 €17.87

$19.41 PEN 66.0

6.85%

Cinema Ticket

$10.82 €9.33

$4.54 PEN 15.44

138.33%

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

$728 €628

$129 PEN 440

462.93%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$14.8K €12.7K

$4,152 PEN 14.1K

255.79%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$88.6 €76.4

$47.78 PEN 162

85.50%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$36.85 €31.75

$27.47 PEN 93.4

34.15%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$102 €87.9

$77.1 PEN 262

32.29%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$116 €100

$77.0 PEN 262

50.79%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,569 €1,352

$200 PEN 678

686.29%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,218 €1,050

$98.3 PEN 334

1138.85%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,795 €2,409

$494 PEN 1,679

466.00%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,975 €1,702

$292 PEN 993

576.50%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$7,754 €6,680

$2,326 PEN 7,908

233.32%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$5,176 €4,460

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$2,343 €2,019

$696 PEN 2,365

236.89%

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: June 7, 2026

Last update for Cajamarca: June 8, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,569 in Barcelona and $200 in Cajamarca. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Barcelona pays 237% 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 $319 vs $208 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 257% in total monthly costs ($2,337 vs $655 including rent). Cajamarca is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

Barcelona pays 237% 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: $1,569 in Barcelona versus $200 in Cajamarca. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $728 in Barcelona versus $129 in Cajamarca. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Supermarket bills run roughly 53% higher in Barcelona. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

At $655 in Cajamarca versus $2,337 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 257% less than in Barcelona. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.