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: $706 in Cajamarca versus $1,016 in Lima.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $1,178 in Cajamarca versus $1,623 in Lima.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $1,649 in Cajamarca versus $2,229 in Lima.

Living in Cajamarca costs roughly 31% less than in Lima, driven mainly by Getting Around.

Both cities sit below the global median: Cajamarca 49% lower, Lima 26% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$3.47 PEN 11.66

$4.35 PEN 14.63

-20.23%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$30.10 PEN 101

$32.17 PEN 108

-6.43%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$6.04 PEN 20.32

$7.03 PEN 23.65

-14.08%

Cappuccino

$2.74 PEN 9.22

$3.23 PEN 10.87

-15.17%

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

$0.82 PEN 2.76

$1.13 PEN 3.81

-27.43%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.61 PEN 2.04

$0.62 PEN 2.08

-1.61%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.40 PEN 8.08

$2.68 PEN 9.02

-10.45%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.51 PEN 11.80

$4.53 PEN 15.24

-22.52%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.38 PEN 4.64

$1.64 PEN 5.51

-15.85%

White Bread (500g)

$3.22 PEN 10.82

$2.60 PEN 8.75

23.85%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.30 PEN 4.36

$1.34 PEN 4.51

-2.99%

Eggs

$2.23 PEN 7.50

$3.05 PEN 10.27

-26.89%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$7.80 PEN 26.24

$9.01 PEN 30.31

-13.43%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$6.35 PEN 21.34

$5.93 PEN 19.93

7.08%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$12.95 PEN 43.55

$9.80 PEN 32.97

32.14%

Apples (1kg)

$1.13 PEN 3.79

$2.10 PEN 7.05

-46.19%

Banana (1kg)

$0.78 PEN 2.64

$1.05 PEN 3.54

-25.71%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.29 PEN 4.33

$1.45 PEN 4.89

-11.03%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.11 PEN 3.74

$1.50 PEN 5.04

-26.00%

Potato (1kg)

$0.75 PEN 2.52

$0.93 PEN 3.11

-19.35%

Onion (1kg)

$1.04 PEN 3.50

$0.94 PEN 3.17

10.64%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.76 PEN 2.55

$0.89 PEN 3.01

-14.61%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.76 PEN 2.57

$0.95 PEN 3.20

-20.00%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$8.76 PEN 29.46

$5.82 PEN 19.56

50.52%

Wine (Bottle)

$10.28 PEN 34.56

$9.02 PEN 30.35

13.97%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.61 PEN 8.78

$1.94 PEN 6.52

34.54%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.51 PEN 8.43

$3.23 PEN 10.85

-22.29%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.60 PEN 2.02

$0.69 PEN 2.31

-13.04%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$8.74 PEN 29.38

$27.19 PEN 91.5

-67.86%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.82 PEN 6.13

$3.90 PEN 13.11

-53.33%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.33 PEN 4.48

$2.03 PEN 6.83

-34.48%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$5.32 PEN 17.88

$7.45 PEN 25.05

-28.59%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.53 PEN 5.13

$1.71 PEN 5.77

-10.53%

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

$24.2K PEN 81.4K

$22.2K PEN 74.6K

9.05%

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

$25.8K PEN 86.8K

$26.7K PEN 89.9K

-3.47%

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

$49.37 PEN 166

$71.1 PEN 239

-30.53%

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

$9.79 PEN 32.94

$16.93 PEN 56.9

-42.17%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$29.16 PEN 98.1

$28.29 PEN 95.2

3.08%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$30.10 PEN 101

$33.80 PEN 114

-10.95%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$21.17 PEN 71.2

$19.96 PEN 67.2

6.06%

Cinema Ticket

$4.76 PEN 16.02

$7.23 PEN 24.30

-34.16%

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

$137 PEN 461

$181 PEN 608

-24.13%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$4,411 PEN 14.8K

$13.4K PEN 45.2K

-67.20%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$52.8 PEN 177

$54.0 PEN 182

-2.35%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$29.83 PEN 100

$35.57 PEN 120

-16.14%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$81.1 PEN 273

$85.9 PEN 289

-5.51%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$81.5 PEN 274

$81.0 PEN 273

0.62%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$206 PEN 691

$759 PEN 2,551

-72.90%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$105 PEN 354

$346 PEN 1,165

-69.61%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$542 PEN 1,822

$1,254 PEN 4,218

-56.80%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$313 PEN 1,053

$646 PEN 2,172

-51.52%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$2,339 PEN 7,866

$2,479 PEN 8,338

-5.65%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,391 PEN 4,678

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$740 PEN 2,487

$669 PEN 2,249

10.61%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

10.5

8.94

17.45%

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

Last update for Cajamarca: August 29, 2026

Last update for Lima: August 30, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $206 in Cajamarca and $759 in Lima. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Cajamarca pays 11% more on average while also being the cheaper of the two. The combined effect is a noticeably stronger local purchasing power.

Dining out: $30.00 in Cajamarca vs $32.00 in Lima for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $230 vs $230 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 Clothing & Footwear, Eating Out, Sport & Entertainment, Monthly Utilities & Internet, Getting Around. The 44% gap adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

Average pay runs 11% 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: $206 in Cajamarca versus $759 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 211% less than in Lima. Both cities have functional networks, but the price difference matters if you're watching your budget.

Childcare runs $137 in Cajamarca versus $181 in Lima. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

At $706 in Cajamarca versus $1,016 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 44% less than in Lima. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.