Cost of Living Comparison Between Cajamarca and Medellin Cost of Living Comparison Between Cajamarca and Medellin

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $649 in Cajamarca versus $1,031 in Medellin.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $1,101 in Cajamarca versus $1,599 in Medellin.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $1,552 in Cajamarca versus $2,167 in Medellin.

Living in Cajamarca costs roughly 37% less than in Medellin, driven mainly by Getting Around.

Both cities sit below the global median: Cajamarca 51% lower, Medellin 23% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$3.13 PEN 10.62

$6.16 COP 20.1K

-49.19%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$27.42 PEN 93.0

$32.60 COP 106.1K

-15.89%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$5.71 PEN 19.36

$7.34 COP 23.9K

-22.21%

Cappuccino

$2.82 PEN 9.56

$1.72 COP 5,600

63.95%

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

$0.81 PEN 2.74

$1.05 COP 3,420

-22.86%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.59 PEN 1.99

$0.77 COP 2,515

-23.38%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.16 PEN 7.34

$1.69 COP 5,488

27.81%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.30 PEN 11.21

$3.17 COP 10.3K

4.10%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.25 PEN 4.22

$1.05 COP 3,423

19.05%

White Bread (500g)

$3.01 PEN 10.20

$1.30 COP 4,236

131.54%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.09 PEN 3.70

$1.40 COP 4,544

-22.14%

Eggs

$2.17 PEN 7.36

$2.16 COP 7,047

0.46%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$6.16 PEN 20.89

$4.39 COP 14.3K

40.32%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$5.96 PEN 20.22

$5.88 COP 19.1K

1.36%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$12.10 PEN 41.05

$8.64 COP 28.1K

40.05%

Apples (1kg)

$1.00 PEN 3.38

$2.28 COP 7,426

-56.14%

Banana (1kg)

$0.69 PEN 2.35

$1.11 COP 3,604

-37.84%

Oranges (1kg)

$0.90 PEN 3.05

$1.53 COP 4,983

-41.18%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.05 PEN 3.56

$1.35 COP 4,410

-22.22%

Potato (1kg)

$0.69 PEN 2.34

$1.13 COP 3,674

-38.94%

Onion (1kg)

$0.95 PEN 3.22

$1.13 COP 3,692

-15.93%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.62 PEN 2.10

$0.85 COP 2,753

-27.06%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.71 PEN 2.39

$0.91 COP 2,975

-21.98%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$8.10 PEN 27.48

$2.34 COP 7,630

246.15%

Wine (Bottle)

$10.31 PEN 34.97

$12.37 COP 40.3K

-16.65%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.42 PEN 8.22

$1.20 COP 3,909

101.67%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.39 PEN 8.12

$2.49 COP 8,104

-4.02%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.55 PEN 1.86

$0.84 COP 2,728

-34.52%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$8.17 PEN 27.71

$40.57 COP 132.1K

-79.86%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.71 PEN 5.80

$1.42 COP 4,623

20.42%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.21 PEN 4.09

$1.92 COP 6,235

-36.98%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$4.99 PEN 16.92

$7.66 COP 24.9K

-34.86%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.51 PEN 5.11

$0.99 COP 3,223

52.53%

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

$22.5K PEN 76.4K

$18.0K COP 58.7M

24.94%

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

$24.8K PEN 84.1K

$26.6K COP 86.7M

-6.91%

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

$46.02 PEN 156

$80.8 COP 263.1K

-43.05%

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

$9.05 PEN 30.71

$9.95 COP 32.4K

-9.05%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$26.71 PEN 90.6

$24.18 COP 78.7K

10.46%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$28.68 PEN 97.3

$25.08 COP 81.7K

14.35%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$19.78 PEN 67.1

$19.15 COP 62.3K

3.29%

Cinema Ticket

$4.48 PEN 15.20

$3.98 COP 13.0K

12.56%

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

$131 PEN 444

$305 COP 993.5K

-57.11%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$4,137 PEN 14.0K

$6,059 COP 19.7M

-31.72%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$48.83 PEN 166

$58.1 COP 189.2K

-16.00%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$27.49 PEN 93.3

$32.20 COP 104.8K

-14.63%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$74.9 PEN 254

$101 COP 327.9K

-25.68%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$77.7 PEN 264

$108 COP 350.8K

-27.89%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$203 PEN 689

$477 COP 1.6M

-57.38%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$97.1 PEN 329

$376 COP 1.2M

-74.18%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$497 PEN 1,685

$845 COP 2.7M

-41.19%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$294 PEN 999

$730 COP 2.4M

-59.70%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$2,358 PEN 8,000

$3,215 COP 10.5M

-26.66%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,372 COP 4.5M

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$704 PEN 2,390

$617 COP 2.0M

14.21%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

10.5

13.43

-21.82%

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

Last update for Cajamarca: July 11, 2026

Last update for Medellin: July 12, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $203 in Cajamarca and $477 in Medellin. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Cajamarca pays 14% 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 $33.00 in Medellin. Groceries flip the comparison at $211 vs $193, with Medellin cheaper for home cooking.

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 Medellin: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Cajamarca is cheaper overall, especially in Clothing & Footwear, Eating Out, Getting Around. The 59% gap adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

Average pay runs 14% 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 $477 in Medellin. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

A monthly transit pass in Cajamarca runs roughly 397% less than in Medellin. Both cities have functional networks, but the price difference matters if you're watching your budget.

Childcare runs $131 in Cajamarca versus $305 in Medellin. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

At $649 in Cajamarca versus $1,031 in Medellin, a $1,500 budget is realistic in Cajamarca but tight or insufficient in Medellin. 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 Medellin, and the savings on those two alone free up budget for education, activities, and family trips.

Safety-wise, Cajamarca and Medellin 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 59% less than in Medellin. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.