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 $649 in Arequipa, rent included.

A couple spends around $1,098 per month in Cajamarca vs $1,065 in Arequipa, rent included.

A family of three spends $1,547 per month in Cajamarca vs $1,482 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 52% lower, Arequipa 52% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$3.00 PEN 10.19

$4.13 PEN 14.06

-27.36%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$28.12 PEN 95.6

$28.09 PEN 95.5

0.11%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$5.85 PEN 19.89

$5.64 PEN 19.18

3.72%

Cappuccino

$2.93 PEN 9.96

$2.54 PEN 8.62

15.35%

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

$0.75 PEN 2.56

$0.82 PEN 2.78

-8.54%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.59 PEN 2.00

$0.37 PEN 1.25

59.46%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.18 PEN 7.40

$2.16 PEN 7.33

0.93%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.23 PEN 10.98

$5.85 PEN 19.90

-44.79%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.24 PEN 4.22

$1.61 PEN 5.48

-22.98%

White Bread (500g)

$3.12 PEN 10.59

$1.28 PEN 4.35

143.75%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.09 PEN 3.71

$1.23 PEN 4.19

-11.38%

Eggs

$2.17 PEN 7.39

$2.15 PEN 7.29

0.93%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$6.15 PEN 20.91

$5.52 PEN 18.75

11.41%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$5.85 PEN 19.88

$5.17 PEN 17.59

13.15%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$12.02 PEN 40.86

$7.76 PEN 26.38

54.90%

Apples (1kg)

$0.93 PEN 3.15

$1.49 PEN 5.07

-37.58%

Banana (1kg)

$0.75 PEN 2.55

$1.17 PEN 3.97

-35.90%

Oranges (1kg)

$0.83 PEN 2.83

$1.19 PEN 4.04

-30.25%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.05 PEN 3.58

$0.77 PEN 2.61

36.36%

Potato (1kg)

$0.68 PEN 2.33

$0.55 PEN 1.86

23.64%

Onion (1kg)

$0.94 PEN 3.20

$0.54 PEN 1.84

74.07%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.62 PEN 2.12

$0.45 PEN 1.51

37.78%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.72 PEN 2.44

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$8.23 PEN 27.98

$4.87 PEN 16.56

68.99%

Wine (Bottle)

$10.20 PEN 34.67

$5.04 PEN 17.12

102.38%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.50 PEN 8.52

$2.46 PEN 8.38

1.63%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.35 PEN 7.98

$2.31 PEN 7.87

1.73%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.59 PEN 2.00

$0.29 PEN 0.99

103.45%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$8.11 PEN 27.56

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.64 PEN 5.59

$2.06 PEN 7.02

-20.39%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.22 PEN 4.14

$2.06 PEN 7.01

-40.78%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$4.90 PEN 16.67

$12.77 PEN 43.43

-61.63%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.50 PEN 5.11

$1.54 PEN 5.24

-2.60%

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

$21.8K PEN 74.1K

$18.6K PEN 63.2K

17.27%

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

$23.8K PEN 81.0K

$25.5K PEN 86.6K

-6.50%

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

$46.05 PEN 157

$39.14 PEN 133

17.65%

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

$9.02 PEN 30.66

$10.57 PEN 35.94

-14.66%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$26.75 PEN 91.0

$31.04 PEN 106

-13.82%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$28.61 PEN 97.3

$21.22 PEN 72.1

34.83%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$19.22 PEN 65.3

$8.34 PEN 28.37

130.46%

Cinema Ticket

$4.68 PEN 15.91

$4.49 PEN 15.27

4.23%

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

$128 PEN 435

$60.0 PEN 204

112.91%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$4,117 PEN 14.0K

$6,277 PEN 21.3K

-34.40%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$48.44 PEN 165

$37.00 PEN 126

30.92%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$27.69 PEN 94.1

$22.10 PEN 75.1

25.29%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$75.4 PEN 256

$62.8 PEN 214

20.02%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$77.0 PEN 262

$56.3 PEN 191

36.83%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$202 PEN 686

$240 PEN 817

-15.94%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$97.3 PEN 331

$158 PEN 538

-38.48%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$502 PEN 1,706

$540 PEN 1,836

-7.12%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$292 PEN 991

$386 PEN 1,314

-24.55%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$2,356 PEN 8,012

$1,956 PEN 6,650

20.49%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$993 PEN 3,377

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$707 PEN 2,405

$650 PEN 2,210

8.86%

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: May 31, 2026

Last update for Arequipa: May 31, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $202 in Cajamarca versus $240 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 $28.00 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 $974 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 $28.00 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 $649 in Arequipa, leaving budget for savings and extras in both cases.

For digital nomads, it depends on budget. Cajamarca costs $649 versus $649 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.