Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Cajamarca and La Merced

For one person, living is cheaper in La Merced: $558 a month against $712 in Cajamarca, rent and utilities included – about $1,800 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

34

Cost of Living Index in Cajamarca
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Cajamarca Living Index
27

Cost of Living Index in La Merced
Learn more

La Merced Living Index

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Cajamarca

🇵🇪 Peru

$712

/mo nomad

La Merced

🇵🇪 Peru

$558

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Cajamarca and in La Merced

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 La Merced actually costs, broken down by who's living it.

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $712 in Cajamarca versus $558 in La Merced.

Cajamarca $712
La Merced $558

Estimated couple costs with rent: $1,196 in Cajamarca versus $910 in La Merced.

Cajamarca $1,196
La Merced $910

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $1,680 in Cajamarca versus $1,263 in La Merced.

Cajamarca $1,680
La Merced $1,263

Living in Cajamarca is roughly 28% more expensive than in La Merced, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Both cities sit below the global median: Cajamarca 47% lower, La Merced 59% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$3.11 PEN 10.74

$4.38 PEN 15.10

-29.00%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$29.13 PEN 100

$34.86 PEN 120

-16.44%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$5.82 PEN 20.08

$7.01 PEN 24.19

-16.98%

Cappuccino

$2.86 PEN 9.87

$3.18 PEN 10.97

-10.06%

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

$0.71 PEN 2.44

$1.08 PEN 3.72

-34.26%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.61 PEN 2.09

$0.65 PEN 2.24

-6.15%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.55 PEN 8.80

$2.57 PEN 8.86

-0.78%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.49 PEN 12.04

$4.29 PEN 14.81

-18.65%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.37 PEN 4.72

$1.58 PEN 5.44

-13.29%

White Bread (500g)

$3.19 PEN 11.00

$2.07 PEN 7.15

54.11%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.26 PEN 4.35

$1.28 PEN 4.43

-1.56%

Eggs

$2.29 PEN 7.91

$2.35 PEN 8.11

-2.55%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$7.10 PEN 24.49

$7.33 PEN 25.29

-3.14%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$7.87 PEN 27.15

$5.78 PEN 19.94

36.16%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$16.03 PEN 55.3

$8.68 PEN 29.94

84.68%

Apples (1kg)

$0.89 PEN 3.06

$0.92 PEN 3.17

-3.26%

Banana (1kg)

$0.91 PEN 3.13

$0.45 PEN 1.56

102.22%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.13 PEN 3.88

$0.30 PEN 1.04

276.67%

Tomato (1kg)

$0.83 PEN 2.87

$0.71 PEN 2.46

16.90%

Potato (1kg)

$0.83 PEN 2.87

$0.28 PEN 0.96

196.43%

Onion (1kg)

$0.70 PEN 2.41

$0.45 PEN 1.55

55.56%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.83 PEN 2.87

$0.60 PEN 2.07

38.33%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.71 PEN 2.46

$0.87 PEN 3.01

-18.39%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$7.29 PEN 25.16

$5.63 PEN 19.42

29.48%

Wine (Bottle)

$11.73 PEN 40.47

$7.33 PEN 25.30

60.03%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.58 PEN 8.89

$1.90 PEN 6.56

35.79%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.54 PEN 8.76

$3.08 PEN 10.61

-17.53%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.60 PEN 2.08

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$8.85 PEN 30.52

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$2.55 PEN 8.79

$3.43 PEN 11.84

-25.66%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.72 PEN 5.92

$2.07 PEN 7.14

-16.91%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$5.94 PEN 20.50

$7.64 PEN 26.37

-22.25%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.41 PEN 4.87

$1.64 PEN 5.65

-14.02%

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

$22.9K PEN 79.1K

$21.7K PEN 75.0K

5.44%

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

$29.1K PEN 100.3K

$28.9K PEN 99.8K

0.46%

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

$58.4 PEN 201

$66.7 PEN 230

-12.38%

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

$9.25 PEN 31.91

$15.80 PEN 54.5

-41.46%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$20.07 PEN 69.2

$27.06 PEN 93.4

-25.83%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$33.83 PEN 117

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$17.15 PEN 59.2

Cinema Ticket

$3.79 PEN 13.07

$7.14 PEN 24.63

-46.92%

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

$147 PEN 508

$318 PEN 1,096

-53.66%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$4,336 PEN 15.0K

$12.7K PEN 43.6K

-65.73%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$43.83 PEN 151

$53.3 PEN 184

-17.69%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$29.18 PEN 101

$35.12 PEN 121

-16.91%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$72.8 PEN 251

$83.7 PEN 289

-13.07%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$71.3 PEN 246

$79.1 PEN 273

-9.85%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$193 PEN 665

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$117 PEN 405

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$520 PEN 1,794

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$324 PEN 1,119

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$549 PEN 1,892

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

8.78

25.28%

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

Last update for Cajamarca: October 31, 2026

Last update for La Merced: October 31, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Groceries & Markets

Cajamarca

$244 34.3%

La Merced

$185 33.1% 24.3% $59

Accommodation & Living

Cajamarca

$117 16.5%

La Merced

- * 0% 100%

Eating Out

Cajamarca

$102 14.3%

La Merced

$123 22% 20.5% $21

Clothing & Footwear

Cajamarca

$98 13.7%

La Merced

$113 20.3% 15.7% $15

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Cajamarca

$88 12.3%

La Merced

$110 19.6% 24.8% $22

Sport & Entertainment

Cajamarca

$41 5.8%

La Merced

$14 * 2.6% 65.5% $27

Getting Around

Cajamarca

$22 3.1%

La Merced

$14 * 2.5% 38.5% $8.6

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

Cost Breakdown

Dining out: $29 in Cajamarca vs $35 in La Merced. Groceries flip the comparison at $244 vs $185, with La Merced cheaper for home cooking.

Good to know

🇵🇪 Cajamarca

🇵🇪 La Merced

🕒 Local time

18:08 6:08 PM

Same time as Cajamarca

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

218,741

8,000

💱 Currency

Peruvian Sol PEN S/

📈 Exchange rate

1 PEN = 0.29 USD

1 PEN = 0.258 EUR

1 PEN = 0.29 USD

1 PEN = 0.258 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

On the map

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Between locations

Cajamarca La Merced 300 km

From you

Cajamarca
La Merced

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 La Merced: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

La Merced is about 22% cheaper overall, especially in groceries, leisure, and transport. That difference adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

You’d need roughly $1,069 in Cajamarca and $837 in La Merced to live well. The gap comes down to housing and overall price levels. Both cities are liveable on less, but these numbers represent actual comfort.

Childcare runs $147 in Cajamarca versus $318 in La Merced. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Dining out is cheaper in Cajamarca – a meal for two runs $29 versus $35 in La Merced. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

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

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.