Cost of Living Comparison Between Cajamarca and Lima Cost of Living Comparison Between Cajamarca and Lima

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $649 in Cajamarca versus $999 in Lima.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $1,101 in Cajamarca versus $1,561 in Lima.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $1,552 in Cajamarca versus $2,124 in Lima.

Living in Cajamarca costs roughly 35% less than in Lima, driven mainly by Getting Around.

Both cities sit below the global median: Cajamarca 51% lower, Lima 25% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$3.13 PEN 10.62

$4.06 PEN 13.77

-22.91%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$27.42 PEN 93.0

$33.99 PEN 115

-19.33%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$5.71 PEN 19.36

$6.74 PEN 22.86

-15.28%

Cappuccino

$2.82 PEN 9.56

$2.52 PEN 8.56

11.90%

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

$0.81 PEN 2.74

$0.94 PEN 3.18

-13.83%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.59 PEN 1.99

$0.65 PEN 2.21

-9.23%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.16 PEN 7.34

$2.17 PEN 7.35

-0.46%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.30 PEN 11.21

$3.95 PEN 13.39

-16.46%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.25 PEN 4.22

$1.41 PEN 4.78

-11.35%

White Bread (500g)

$3.01 PEN 10.20

$2.72 PEN 9.22

10.66%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.09 PEN 3.70

$1.37 PEN 4.64

-20.44%

Eggs

$2.17 PEN 7.36

$2.94 PEN 9.98

-26.19%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$6.16 PEN 20.89

$7.92 PEN 26.87

-22.22%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$5.96 PEN 20.22

$5.76 PEN 19.54

3.47%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$12.10 PEN 41.05

$10.71 PEN 36.32

12.98%

Apples (1kg)

$1.00 PEN 3.38

$1.98 PEN 6.72

-49.49%

Banana (1kg)

$0.69 PEN 2.35

$1.08 PEN 3.66

-36.11%

Oranges (1kg)

$0.90 PEN 3.05

$1.10 PEN 3.72

-18.18%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.05 PEN 3.56

$1.19 PEN 4.05

-11.76%

Potato (1kg)

$0.69 PEN 2.34

$1.04 PEN 3.51

-33.65%

Onion (1kg)

$0.95 PEN 3.22

$1.00 PEN 3.38

-5.00%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.62 PEN 2.10

$0.87 PEN 2.94

-28.74%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.71 PEN 2.39

$0.86 PEN 2.93

-17.44%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$8.10 PEN 27.48

$5.59 PEN 18.96

44.90%

Wine (Bottle)

$10.31 PEN 34.97

$8.99 PEN 30.51

14.68%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.42 PEN 8.22

$1.77 PEN 5.99

36.72%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.39 PEN 8.12

$3.07 PEN 10.42

-22.15%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.55 PEN 1.86

$0.68 PEN 2.29

-19.12%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$8.17 PEN 27.71

$31.68 PEN 107

-74.21%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.71 PEN 5.80

$3.37 PEN 11.43

-49.26%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.21 PEN 4.09

$2.22 PEN 7.54

-45.50%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$4.99 PEN 16.92

$8.26 PEN 28.00

-39.59%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.51 PEN 5.11

$1.35 PEN 4.58

11.85%

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

$22.5K PEN 76.4K

$19.4K PEN 65.8K

16.10%

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

$24.8K PEN 84.1K

$24.3K PEN 82.3K

2.18%

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

$46.02 PEN 156

$56.4 PEN 191

-18.46%

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

$9.05 PEN 30.71

$12.57 PEN 42.63

-28.00%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$26.71 PEN 90.6

$23.66 PEN 80.3

12.89%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$28.68 PEN 97.3

$31.04 PEN 105

-7.60%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$19.78 PEN 67.1

$18.69 PEN 63.4

5.83%

Cinema Ticket

$4.48 PEN 15.20

$6.83 PEN 23.17

-34.41%

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

$131 PEN 444

$219 PEN 743

-40.22%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$4,137 PEN 14.0K

$8,096 PEN 27.5K

-48.90%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$48.83 PEN 166

$49.58 PEN 168

-1.51%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$27.49 PEN 93.3

$35.59 PEN 121

-22.76%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$74.9 PEN 254

$89.3 PEN 303

-16.12%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$77.7 PEN 264

$88.9 PEN 302

-12.60%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$203 PEN 689

$623 PEN 2,115

-67.42%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$97.1 PEN 329

$344 PEN 1,167

-71.78%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$497 PEN 1,685

$1,027 PEN 3,484

-51.63%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$294 PEN 999

$618 PEN 2,098

-52.39%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$2,358 PEN 8,000

$2,315 PEN 7,852

1.88%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,395 PEN 4,734

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$704 PEN 2,390

$625 PEN 2,120

12.71%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

10.5

10.11

3.86%

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

Last update for Cajamarca: July 11, 2026

Last update for Lima: July 12, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $203 in Cajamarca and $623 in Lima. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Cajamarca pays 13% more on average while also being the cheaper of the two. The combined effect is a noticeably stronger local purchasing power.

Dining out: $27.00 in Cajamarca vs $34.00 in Lima for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $211 vs $222 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 Lima: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Cajamarca is cheaper overall, especially in Groceries & Markets, Clothing & Footwear, Eating Out, Sport & Entertainment, Monthly Utilities & Internet. The 54% gap adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

Average pay runs 13% 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: $203 in Cajamarca versus $623 in Lima. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

A monthly transit pass in Cajamarca runs roughly 288% less than in Lima. Both cities have functional networks, but the price difference matters if you're watching your budget.

Childcare runs $131 in Cajamarca versus $219 in Lima. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

At $649 in Cajamarca versus $999 in Lima, a $1,500 budget is realistic in Cajamarca but tight or insufficient in Lima. The gap between the two cities makes Cajamarca the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

For families, Cajamarca is more practical. Housing and childcare are both notably cheaper than in Lima, and the savings on those two alone free up budget for education, activities, and family trips.

Safety-wise, Cajamarca and Lima 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 54% less than in Lima. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.