Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Cajamarca and Ayacucho

For one person, living is cheaper in Ayacucho: $474 a month against $706 in Cajamarca, rent and utilities included – about $2,800 less a year. Other living expenses account for most of the difference.

34

Cost of Living Index in Cajamarca
Learn more

Cajamarca Living Index
23

Cost of Living Index in Ayacucho
Learn more

Ayacucho Living Index

Jump to prices

Cajamarca

🇵🇪 Peru

$706

/mo nomad

Ayacucho

🇵🇪 Peru

$474

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Cajamarca and in Ayacucho

Real prices from locals and on-the-ground checks – rent, groceries, transit and the daily extras. Here's what a month in Cajamarca and in Ayacucho actually costs, broken down by who's living it.

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $706 in Cajamarca versus $474 in Ayacucho.

Cajamarca $706
Ayacucho $474

Estimated couple costs with rent: $1,185 in Cajamarca versus $766 in Ayacucho.

Cajamarca $1,185
Ayacucho $766

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $1,664 in Cajamarca versus $1,058 in Ayacucho.

Cajamarca $1,664
Ayacucho $1,058

Living in Cajamarca is roughly 49% more expensive than in Ayacucho, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Both cities sit below the global median: Cajamarca 48% lower, Ayacucho 65% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$3.25 PEN 11.20

$1.69 PEN 5.83

92.31%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$29.07 PEN 100

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$5.67 PEN 19.55

Cappuccino

$2.84 PEN 9.80

$1.78 PEN 6.13

59.55%

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

$0.69 PEN 2.40

$0.91 PEN 3.14

-24.18%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.55 PEN 1.90

$0.30 PEN 1.05

83.33%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.67 PEN 9.20

$1.47 PEN 5.09

81.63%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.54 PEN 12.21

$4.38 PEN 15.11

-19.18%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.36 PEN 4.69

White Bread (500g)

$3.12 PEN 10.76

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.25 PEN 4.32

$0.56 PEN 1.94

123.21%

Eggs

$2.28 PEN 7.85

$1.79 PEN 6.18

27.37%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$7.01 PEN 24.20

$2.95 PEN 10.19

137.63%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$7.52 PEN 25.97

$4.27 PEN 14.75

76.11%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$15.82 PEN 54.6

$5.66 PEN 19.53

179.51%

Apples (1kg)

$0.85 PEN 2.94

$1.18 PEN 4.09

-27.97%

Banana (1kg)

$0.90 PEN 3.10

$0.57 PEN 1.96

57.89%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.14 PEN 3.94

$0.60 PEN 2.09

90.00%

Tomato (1kg)

$0.89 PEN 3.07

$0.56 PEN 1.94

58.93%

Potato (1kg)

$0.84 PEN 2.89

$0.30 PEN 1.05

180.00%

Onion (1kg)

$0.71 PEN 2.45

$0.30 PEN 1.05

136.67%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.90 PEN 3.12

$0.28 PEN 0.95

221.43%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.76 PEN 2.61

$0.88 PEN 3.04

-13.64%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$7.41 PEN 25.58

Wine (Bottle)

$11.68 PEN 40.30

$5.90 PEN 20.35

97.97%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.53 PEN 8.74

$2.98 PEN 10.29

-15.10%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.66 PEN 9.18

$4.40 PEN 15.18

-39.55%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.61 PEN 2.10

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$8.76 PEN 30.24

$35.47 PEN 122

-75.30%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$2.59 PEN 8.95

$2.26 PEN 7.81

14.60%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.70 PEN 5.88

$1.15 PEN 3.96

47.83%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$5.75 PEN 19.86

$4.31 PEN 14.87

33.41%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.40 PEN 4.84

$1.71 PEN 5.89

-18.13%

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

$23.1K PEN 79.8K

$9,956 PEN 34.4K

132.14%

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

$28.5K PEN 98.4K

$12.3K PEN 42.5K

131.36%

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

$57.7 PEN 199

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

$9.57 PEN 33.02

$11.47 PEN 39.57

-16.56%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$20.41 PEN 70.4

$17.16 PEN 59.2

18.94%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$33.27 PEN 115

$14.48 PEN 49.98

129.77%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$17.16 PEN 59.2

$29.41 PEN 102

-41.65%

Cinema Ticket

$3.76 PEN 12.97

$4.44 PEN 15.33

-15.32%

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

$146 PEN 503

$72.4 PEN 250

101.35%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$4,405 PEN 15.2K

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$42.92 PEN 148

$17.29 PEN 59.7

148.24%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$28.76 PEN 99.3

$26.45 PEN 91.3

8.73%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$71.8 PEN 248

$102 PEN 353

-29.83%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$72.4 PEN 250

$103 PEN 355

-29.64%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$197 PEN 681

$342 PEN 1,181

-42.31%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$114 PEN 394

$88.5 PEN 305

29.04%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$530 PEN 1,830

$861 PEN 2,971

-38.41%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$317 PEN 1,093

$232 PEN 800

36.76%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$1,884 PEN 6,501

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,739 PEN 6,003

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$549 PEN 1,894

$471 PEN 1,626

16.45%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

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

Last update for Cajamarca: October 26, 2026

Last update for Ayacucho: October 25, 2026

Monthly budget structure

Share of the monthly basket for one person, rent included.

Groceries & Markets

Cajamarca

$242 34.2%

Ayacucho

$120 * 25.3% 50.4% $122

Accommodation & Living

Cajamarca

$114 16.2%

Ayacucho

$88 18.7% 22.5% $26

Eating Out

Cajamarca

$102 14.5%

Ayacucho

$56 * 11.8% 45.5% $47

Clothing & Footwear

Cajamarca

$97 13.8%

Ayacucho

$112 23.6% 15.3% $15

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Cajamarca

$88 12.4%

Ayacucho

$29 * 6% 67.3% $59

Sport & Entertainment

Cajamarca

$41 5.8%

Ayacucho

$23 4.9% 42.7% $17

Getting Around

Cajamarca

$22 3.2%

Ayacucho

$46 9.7% 106% $24

Categories marked with * are only partly priced – their share counts the items that do have prices.

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $197 in Cajamarca and $342 in Ayacucho. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Cajamarca pays 16% more on average. The extra income cushions the higher costs, though housing choices and lifestyle decide how much of the gap is truly closed.

Good to know

🇵🇪 Cajamarca

🇵🇪 Ayacucho

🕒 Local time

21:50 9:50 PM

Same time as Cajamarca

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

218,741

99,427

💱 Currency

Peruvian Sol PEN S/

📈 Exchange rate

1 PEN = 0.29 USD

1 PEN = 0.26 EUR

1 PEN = 0.29 USD

1 PEN = 0.26 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

On the map

Lowest

Highest

Between locations

Cajamarca Ayacucho 820 km ≈ 1 h 30 min nonstop flight

From you

Cajamarca
Ayacucho

Distances are measured in a straight line. Your location is detected approximately.

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 Ayacucho: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Ayacucho wins on cost – living expenses run 33% lower than in Cajamarca. Housing and daily spending are where you’ll feel the difference most, making Ayacucho the obvious pick if budget is a priority.

Average pay runs 16% higher in Cajamarca, 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: $197 in Cajamarca versus $342 in Ayacucho. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $146 in Cajamarca versus $72 in Ayacucho. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

A monthly transit pass in Cajamarca runs roughly 75% less than in Ayacucho. The price difference matters if you commute daily and watch your budget.

Either city works on $800 a month, though Ayacucho gives you more room to save. At this income level, the choice is more about lifestyle than financial pressure.

Safety-wise, Cajamarca and Ayacucho are both considered safe, so it’s unlikely to be the deciding factor between them.

It comes down to priorities – Ayacucho wins on affordability, Cajamarca on earning potential. Factor in climate, language, visa rules, and proximity to places that matter to you before deciding.