Cost of Living Comparison Between Cajamarca and Barcelona Cost of Living Comparison Between Cajamarca and Barcelona

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $655 in Cajamarca versus $2,337 in Barcelona.

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

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

Living in Cajamarca costs roughly 72% less than in Barcelona, driven mainly by Eating Out.

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

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$3.14 PEN 10.69

$17.08 €14.72

-81.62%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$28.17 PEN 95.8

$69.2 €59.7

-59.32%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$5.98 PEN 20.34

$13.78 €11.87

-56.60%

Cappuccino

$2.90 PEN 9.86

$2.76 €2.37

5.07%

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

$0.80 PEN 2.73

$2.79 €2.40

-71.33%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.54 PEN 1.84

$1.99 €1.72

-72.86%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.25 PEN 7.66

$4.36 €3.76

-48.39%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.30 PEN 11.21

$4.74 €4.09

-30.38%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.24 PEN 4.22

$1.29 €1.11

-3.88%

White Bread (500g)

$2.98 PEN 10.13

$2.05 €1.77

45.37%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.05 PEN 3.56

$1.99 €1.71

-47.24%

Eggs

$2.10 PEN 7.13

$3.39 €2.92

-38.05%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$6.14 PEN 20.89

$18.81 €16.21

-67.36%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$5.78 PEN 19.64

$9.36 €8.07

-38.25%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$12.07 PEN 41.03

$19.12 €16.48

-36.87%

Apples (1kg)

$0.92 PEN 3.11

$2.70 €2.32

-65.93%

Banana (1kg)

$0.71 PEN 2.41

$2.34 €2.02

-69.66%

Oranges (1kg)

$0.83 PEN 2.83

$2.12 €1.83

-60.85%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.00 PEN 3.40

$2.85 €2.46

-64.91%

Potato (1kg)

$0.74 PEN 2.53

$1.97 €1.70

-62.44%

Onion (1kg)

$0.92 PEN 3.12

$1.80 €1.55

-48.89%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.63 PEN 2.15

$1.45 €1.25

-56.55%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.76 PEN 2.57

$0.86 €0.74

-11.63%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$8.34 PEN 28.36

$6.78 €5.84

23.01%

Wine (Bottle)

$10.22 PEN 34.75

$7.90 €6.81

29.37%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.41 PEN 8.19

$1.39 €1.20

73.38%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.38 PEN 8.08

$2.37 €2.04

0.42%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.53 PEN 1.81

$2.92 €2.52

-81.85%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$8.27 PEN 28.12

$28.69 €24.72

-71.17%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.65 PEN 5.62

$4.46 €3.84

-63.00%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.25 PEN 4.24

$2.05 €1.77

-39.02%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$4.78 PEN 16.26

$29.55 €25.46

-83.82%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.51 PEN 5.14

$1.82 €1.56

-17.03%

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

$22.5K PEN 76.4K

$38.8K €33.5K

-42.15%

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

$24.0K PEN 81.6K

$33.1K €28.5K

-27.53%

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

$46.50 PEN 158

$189 €163

-75.43%

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

$8.94 PEN 30.38

$22.80 €19.65

-60.79%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$26.56 PEN 90.3

$37.59 €32.39

-29.34%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$28.32 PEN 96.3

$57.7 €49.75

-50.95%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$19.41 PEN 66.0

$20.74 €17.87

-6.41%

Cinema Ticket

$4.54 PEN 15.44

$10.82 €9.33

-58.04%

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

$129 PEN 440

$728 €628

-82.24%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$4,152 PEN 14.1K

$14.8K €12.7K

-71.89%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$47.78 PEN 162

$88.6 €76.4

-46.09%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$27.47 PEN 93.4

$36.85 €31.75

-25.45%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$77.1 PEN 262

$102 €87.9

-24.41%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$77.0 PEN 262

$116 €100

-33.68%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$200 PEN 678

$1,569 €1,352

-87.28%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$98.3 PEN 334

$1,218 €1,050

-91.93%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$494 PEN 1,679

$2,795 €2,409

-82.33%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$292 PEN 993

$1,975 €1,702

-85.22%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$2,326 PEN 7,908

$7,754 €6,680

-70.00%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$5,176 €4,460

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$696 PEN 2,365

$2,343 €2,019

-70.32%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

10.5

3.39

209.73%

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

Last update for Cajamarca: June 8, 2026

Last update for Barcelona: June 7, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $200 in Cajamarca and $1,569 in Barcelona. 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: $28.00 in Cajamarca vs $69.0 in Barcelona for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $208 vs $319 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

Cajamarca vs Barcelona: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

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

On paper, Barcelona earns 237% less. That's worth factoring in alongside costs, though remote workers earning in a stronger currency may not notice the difference at all.

Rent for a central apartment: $200 in Cajamarca versus $1,569 in Barcelona. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $129 in Cajamarca versus $728 in Barcelona. 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, Cajamarca and Barcelona 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.