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 $1,013 in Medellin.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $1,098 in Cajamarca versus $1,602 in Medellin.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $1,547 in Cajamarca versus $2,192 in Medellin.

Living in Cajamarca costs roughly 36% less than in Medellin, driven mainly by Getting Around.

Both cities sit below the global median: Cajamarca 52% lower, Medellin 24% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$3.00 PEN 10.20

$5.99 COP 21.4K

-49.92%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$28.12 PEN 95.7

$32.86 COP 117.4K

-14.42%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$5.85 PEN 19.90

$7.09 COP 25.3K

-17.49%

Cappuccino

$2.93 PEN 9.96

$1.71 COP 6,115

71.35%

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

$0.75 PEN 2.56

$1.10 COP 3,924

-31.82%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.59 PEN 2.00

$0.78 COP 2,781

-24.36%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.18 PEN 7.41

$1.68 COP 5,997

29.76%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.23 PEN 10.99

$3.07 COP 11.0K

5.21%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.24 PEN 4.22

$1.09 COP 3,906

13.76%

White Bread (500g)

$3.12 PEN 10.60

$1.26 COP 4,508

147.62%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.09 PEN 3.71

$1.38 COP 4,922

-21.01%

Eggs

$2.17 PEN 7.39

$2.19 COP 7,827

-0.91%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$6.15 PEN 20.93

$4.40 COP 15.7K

39.77%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$5.85 PEN 19.89

$5.63 COP 20.1K

3.91%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$12.02 PEN 40.88

$8.89 COP 31.8K

35.21%

Apples (1kg)

$0.93 PEN 3.15

$2.34 COP 8,349

-60.26%

Banana (1kg)

$0.75 PEN 2.56

$1.06 COP 3,777

-29.25%

Oranges (1kg)

$0.83 PEN 2.83

$1.50 COP 5,374

-44.67%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.05 PEN 3.58

$1.38 COP 4,924

-23.91%

Potato (1kg)

$0.68 PEN 2.33

$1.15 COP 4,111

-40.87%

Onion (1kg)

$0.94 PEN 3.20

$1.16 COP 4,155

-18.97%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.62 PEN 2.12

$0.89 COP 3,182

-30.34%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.72 PEN 2.45

$0.84 COP 2,997

-14.29%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$8.23 PEN 28.00

$2.28 COP 8,145

260.96%

Wine (Bottle)

$10.20 PEN 34.69

$10.64 COP 38.0K

-4.14%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.50 PEN 8.52

$1.20 COP 4,284

108.33%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.35 PEN 7.99

$2.47 COP 8,824

-4.86%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.59 PEN 2.00

$0.86 COP 3,056

-31.40%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$8.11 PEN 27.58

$41.40 COP 147.9K

-80.41%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.64 PEN 5.59

$1.47 COP 5,264

11.56%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.22 PEN 4.14

$1.96 COP 7,009

-37.76%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$4.90 PEN 16.68

$7.74 COP 27.6K

-36.69%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.50 PEN 5.12

$0.95 COP 3,409

57.89%

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

$21.8K PEN 74.1K

$18.1K COP 64.7M

20.17%

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

$23.8K PEN 81.0K

$26.5K COP 94.6M

-10.06%

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

$46.05 PEN 157

$82.3 COP 293.7K

-44.01%

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

$9.02 PEN 30.68

$9.50 COP 33.9K

-5.05%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$26.75 PEN 91.0

$24.23 COP 86.5K

10.40%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$28.61 PEN 97.4

$25.89 COP 92.4K

10.51%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$19.22 PEN 65.4

$19.00 COP 67.9K

1.16%

Cinema Ticket

$4.68 PEN 15.92

$3.93 COP 14.0K

19.08%

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

$128 PEN 435

$309 COP 1.1M

-58.69%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$4,117 PEN 14.0K

$5,965 COP 21.3M

-30.98%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$48.44 PEN 165

$58.7 COP 209.5K

-17.42%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$27.69 PEN 94.2

$32.35 COP 115.5K

-14.40%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$75.4 PEN 256

$103 COP 366.4K

-26.55%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$77.0 PEN 262

$108 COP 387.2K

-29.00%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$202 PEN 687

$476 COP 1.7M

-57.61%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$97.3 PEN 331

$379 COP 1.4M

-74.31%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$502 PEN 1,707

$838 COP 3.0M

-40.15%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$292 PEN 992

$724 COP 2.6M

-59.72%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$2,356 PEN 8,017

$2,791 COP 10.0M

-15.56%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,211 COP 4.3M

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$707 PEN 2,407

$512 COP 1.8M

38.23%

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: May 31, 2026

Last update for Medellin: May 31, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $202 in Cajamarca and $476 in Medellin. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Cajamarca pays 38% more on average while also being the cheaper of the two. The combined effect is a noticeably stronger local purchasing power.

Dining out: $28.00 in Cajamarca vs $33.00 in Medellin. Groceries flip the comparison at $211 vs $188, 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 56% gap adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

Cajamarca pays 38% more on average, 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: $202 in Cajamarca versus $476 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 410% less than in Medellin. Both cities have functional networks, but the price difference matters if you're watching your budget.

Childcare runs $128 in Cajamarca versus $309 in Medellin. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

At $649 in Cajamarca versus $1,013 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 56% less than in Medellin. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.