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: $691 in Cajamarca versus $2,482 in Barcelona.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $1,181 in Cajamarca versus $3,548 in Barcelona.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $1,672 in Cajamarca versus $4,613 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 50% below, Barcelona is 80% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$3.63 PEN 12.16

$18.42 €15.88

-80.29%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$29.68 PEN 99.5

$69.4 €59.8

-57.21%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$5.82 PEN 19.52

$14.05 €12.11

-58.58%

Cappuccino

$2.64 PEN 8.86

$3.11 €2.68

-15.11%

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

$0.81 PEN 2.72

$2.96 €2.55

-72.64%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.57 PEN 1.92

$1.95 €1.69

-70.77%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.41 PEN 8.08

$3.99 €3.44

-39.60%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.48 PEN 11.66

$4.62 €3.98

-24.68%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.35 PEN 4.52

$1.32 €1.14

2.27%

White Bread (500g)

$3.24 PEN 10.87

$2.11 €1.82

53.55%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.25 PEN 4.19

$1.83 €1.57

-31.69%

Eggs

$2.20 PEN 7.37

$5.16 €4.45

-57.36%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$7.84 PEN 26.28

$17.56 €15.14

-55.35%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$6.30 PEN 21.10

$9.50 €8.19

-33.68%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$13.12 PEN 43.96

$19.93 €17.18

-34.17%

Apples (1kg)

$1.07 PEN 3.59

$3.17 €2.73

-66.25%

Banana (1kg)

$0.74 PEN 2.48

$2.21 €1.91

-66.52%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.22 PEN 4.08

$2.61 €2.25

-53.26%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.08 PEN 3.62

$2.85 €2.46

-62.11%

Potato (1kg)

$0.74 PEN 2.47

$2.17 €1.87

-65.90%

Onion (1kg)

$1.01 PEN 3.39

$2.11 €1.81

-52.13%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.72 PEN 2.40

$1.62 €1.39

-55.56%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.77 PEN 2.59

$0.88 €0.76

-12.50%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$8.67 PEN 29.05

$7.17 €6.18

20.92%

Wine (Bottle)

$10.54 PEN 35.34

$8.33 €7.18

26.53%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.67 PEN 8.94

$1.50 €1.29

78.00%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.57 PEN 8.61

$2.75 €2.37

-6.55%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.56 PEN 1.88

$3.14 €2.70

-82.17%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$8.65 PEN 29.00

$26.25 €22.63

-67.05%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.83 PEN 6.12

$3.22 €2.78

-43.17%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.39 PEN 4.65

$1.51 €1.30

-7.95%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$5.18 PEN 17.35

$35.26 €30.39

-85.31%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.60 PEN 5.35

$1.75 €1.51

-8.57%

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

$23.3K PEN 78.1K

$36.7K €31.6K

-36.43%

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

$26.5K PEN 88.8K

$31.7K €27.3K

-16.39%

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

$49.21 PEN 165

$187 €161

-73.70%

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

$9.41 PEN 31.54

$15.10 €13.01

-37.68%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$28.56 PEN 95.7

$37.60 €32.41

-24.04%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$30.55 PEN 102

$55.5 €47.83

-44.95%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$21.07 PEN 70.6

$16.74 €14.43

25.87%

Cinema Ticket

$4.79 PEN 16.06

$11.71 €10.09

-59.09%

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

$138 PEN 463

$1,011 €871

-86.33%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$4,393 PEN 14.7K

$17.1K €14.7K

-74.26%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$51.6 PEN 173

$91.4 €78.8

-43.54%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$29.19 PEN 97.9

$41.00 €35.34

-28.80%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$81.3 PEN 273

$111 €95.3

-26.49%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$80.2 PEN 269

$126 €109

-36.39%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$205 PEN 687

$1,704 €1,469

-87.97%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$103 PEN 346

$1,299 €1,120

-92.06%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$532 PEN 1,783

$2,588 €2,231

-79.45%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$320 PEN 1,074

$1,929 €1,663

-83.39%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$2,356 PEN 7,897

$7,732 €6,665

-69.53%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$5,384 €4,641

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$740 PEN 2,480

$2,374 €2,046

-68.84%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

10.5

3.16

232.28%

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

Last update for Cajamarca: September 5, 2026

Last update for Barcelona: September 7, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $205 in Cajamarca and $1,704 in Barcelona. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Barcelona pays 221% 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: $30.00 in Cajamarca vs $69.0 in Barcelona for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $230 vs $333 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 259% in total monthly costs ($691 vs $2,482 including rent). Cajamarca is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

On paper, salaries run 221% lower in Barcelona. 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: $205 in Cajamarca versus $1,704 in Barcelona. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $138 in Cajamarca versus $1,011 in Barcelona. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Supermarket bills run roughly 45% higher in Barcelona. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

At $691 in Cajamarca versus $2,482 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 259% less than in Barcelona. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.