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

Monthly Cost of Living

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

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

A family of three spends $1,552 per month in Cajamarca vs $1,490 in Arequipa, rent included.

Cajamarca and Arequipa have comparable living costs – the differences are in the details.

Both Cajamarca and Arequipa are more affordable than the global median – Cajamarca 51% lower, Arequipa 51% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$3.13 PEN 10.61

$4.07 PEN 13.78

-23.10%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$27.42 PEN 92.9

$27.88 PEN 94.5

-1.65%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$5.71 PEN 19.34

$5.47 PEN 18.52

4.39%

Cappuccino

$2.82 PEN 9.55

$2.58 PEN 8.73

9.30%

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

$0.81 PEN 2.74

$0.82 PEN 2.76

-1.22%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.59 PEN 1.99

$0.37 PEN 1.25

59.46%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.16 PEN 7.33

$2.24 PEN 7.59

-3.57%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.30 PEN 11.19

$6.11 PEN 20.70

-45.99%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.25 PEN 4.22

$1.55 PEN 5.25

-19.35%

White Bread (500g)

$3.01 PEN 10.19

$1.27 PEN 4.29

137.01%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.09 PEN 3.70

$1.29 PEN 4.36

-15.50%

Eggs

$2.17 PEN 7.35

$2.07 PEN 7.00

4.83%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$6.16 PEN 20.87

$5.57 PEN 18.87

10.59%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$5.96 PEN 20.19

$5.27 PEN 17.87

13.09%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$12.10 PEN 41.00

$7.58 PEN 25.68

59.63%

Apples (1kg)

$1.00 PEN 3.38

$1.46 PEN 4.96

-31.51%

Banana (1kg)

$0.69 PEN 2.35

$1.18 PEN 3.99

-41.53%

Oranges (1kg)

$0.90 PEN 3.05

$1.22 PEN 4.14

-26.23%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.05 PEN 3.55

$0.78 PEN 2.63

34.62%

Potato (1kg)

$0.69 PEN 2.34

$0.59 PEN 2.01

16.95%

Onion (1kg)

$0.95 PEN 3.21

$0.58 PEN 1.97

63.79%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.62 PEN 2.10

$0.45 PEN 1.52

37.78%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.71 PEN 2.39

$0.72 PEN 2.44

-1.39%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$8.10 PEN 27.45

$5.05 PEN 17.10

60.40%

Wine (Bottle)

$10.31 PEN 34.94

$5.21 PEN 17.65

97.89%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.42 PEN 8.21

$2.48 PEN 8.39

-2.42%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.39 PEN 8.12

$2.20 PEN 7.47

8.64%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.55 PEN 1.86

$0.27 PEN 0.91

103.70%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$8.17 PEN 27.68

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.71 PEN 5.79

$2.09 PEN 7.08

-18.18%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.21 PEN 4.09

$2.04 PEN 6.92

-40.69%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$4.99 PEN 16.90

$12.92 PEN 43.79

-61.38%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.51 PEN 5.10

$1.62 PEN 5.48

-6.79%

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

$22.5K PEN 76.3K

$18.7K PEN 63.5K

20.30%

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

$24.8K PEN 84.0K

$25.4K PEN 85.9K

-2.23%

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

$46.02 PEN 156

$39.23 PEN 133

17.31%

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

$9.05 PEN 30.68

$10.33 PEN 34.99

-12.39%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$26.71 PEN 90.5

$30.48 PEN 103

-12.37%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$28.68 PEN 97.2

$21.96 PEN 74.4

30.60%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$19.78 PEN 67.0

$8.17 PEN 27.70

142.11%

Cinema Ticket

$4.48 PEN 15.19

$4.46 PEN 15.11

0.45%

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

$131 PEN 444

$59.9 PEN 203

118.37%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$4,137 PEN 14.0K

$6,380 PEN 21.6K

-35.16%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$48.83 PEN 165

$37.74 PEN 128

29.39%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$27.49 PEN 93.2

$22.29 PEN 75.5

23.33%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$74.9 PEN 254

$63.2 PEN 214

18.49%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$77.7 PEN 263

$56.5 PEN 191

37.50%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$203 PEN 688

$244 PEN 826

-16.63%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$97.1 PEN 329

$157 PEN 533

-38.21%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$497 PEN 1,683

$546 PEN 1,851

-9.05%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$294 PEN 998

$390 PEN 1,322

-24.55%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$2,358 PEN 7,991

$2,023 PEN 6,856

16.56%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$994 PEN 3,369

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$704 PEN 2,387

$649 PEN 2,198

8.59%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

10.5

-30.00%

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

Last update for Cajamarca: July 11, 2026

Last update for Arequipa: July 13, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $203 in Cajamarca versus $244 in Arequipa. 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 $27.00 in Cajamarca versus $28.00 in Arequipa. Groceries tell a different story – $211 in Cajamarca vs $171 in Arequipa – 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

Cajamarca vs Arequipa: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

For a comfortable life, plan on about $973 per month in Cajamarca and $977 in Arequipa. 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 $27.00 in Cajamarca and $28.00 in Arequipa. 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 $649 in Cajamarca and $652 in Arequipa, 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.