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: $706 in Cajamarca versus $1,716 in Medellin.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $1,178 in Cajamarca versus $2,527 in Medellin.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $1,649 in Cajamarca versus $3,338 in Medellin.

Living in Cajamarca costs roughly 59% less than in Medellin, driven mainly by Getting Around.

The two cities straddle the global median: Cajamarca is 49% below, Medellin is 25% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$3.47 PEN 11.66

$8.03 COP 25.2K

-56.79%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$30.10 PEN 101

$48.26 COP 151.7K

-37.63%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$6.04 PEN 20.32

$9.77 COP 30.7K

-38.18%

Cappuccino

$2.74 PEN 9.22

$2.91 COP 9,149

-5.84%

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

$0.82 PEN 2.76

$1.94 COP 6,110

-57.73%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.61 PEN 2.04

$1.52 COP 4,783

-59.87%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.40 PEN 8.08

$3.09 COP 9,721

-22.33%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.51 PEN 11.80

$5.74 COP 18.1K

-38.85%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.38 PEN 4.64

$1.36 COP 4,287

1.47%

White Bread (500g)

$3.22 PEN 10.82

$2.39 COP 7,505

34.73%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.30 PEN 4.36

$1.70 COP 5,346

-23.53%

Eggs

$2.23 PEN 7.50

$2.87 COP 9,021

-22.30%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$7.80 PEN 26.24

$9.94 COP 31.2K

-21.53%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$6.35 PEN 21.34

$10.78 COP 33.9K

-41.09%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$12.95 PEN 43.55

$14.73 COP 46.3K

-12.08%

Apples (1kg)

$1.13 PEN 3.79

$4.09 COP 12.8K

-72.37%

Banana (1kg)

$0.78 PEN 2.64

$1.57 COP 4,940

-50.32%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.29 PEN 4.33

$2.13 COP 6,682

-39.44%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.11 PEN 3.74

$2.21 COP 6,959

-49.77%

Potato (1kg)

$0.75 PEN 2.52

$2.05 COP 6,435

-63.41%

Onion (1kg)

$1.04 PEN 3.50

$1.50 COP 4,728

-30.67%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.76 PEN 2.55

$1.19 COP 3,740

-36.13%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.76 PEN 2.57

$1.16 COP 3,640

-34.48%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$8.76 PEN 29.46

$3.90 COP 12.2K

124.62%

Wine (Bottle)

$10.28 PEN 34.56

$14.44 COP 45.4K

-28.81%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.61 PEN 8.78

$1.58 COP 4,978

65.19%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.51 PEN 8.43

$2.83 COP 8,889

-11.31%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.60 PEN 2.02

$1.17 COP 3,672

-48.72%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$8.74 PEN 29.38

$77.7 COP 244.3K

-88.76%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.82 PEN 6.13

$1.28 COP 4,038

42.19%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.33 PEN 4.48

$2.09 COP 6,576

-36.36%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$5.32 PEN 17.88

$8.62 COP 27.1K

-38.28%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.53 PEN 5.13

$1.30 COP 4,080

17.69%

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

$24.2K PEN 81.4K

$27.7K COP 86.9M

-12.50%

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

$25.8K PEN 86.8K

$35.5K COP 111.6M

-27.35%

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

$49.37 PEN 166

$176 COP 553.4K

-71.96%

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

$9.79 PEN 32.94

$13.37 COP 42.0K

-26.78%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$29.16 PEN 98.1

$29.89 COP 94.0K

-2.44%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$30.10 PEN 101

$44.76 COP 140.7K

-32.75%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$21.17 PEN 71.2

$17.06 COP 53.6K

24.09%

Cinema Ticket

$4.76 PEN 16.02

$6.20 COP 19.5K

-23.23%

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

$137 PEN 461

$793 COP 2.5M

-82.72%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$4,411 PEN 14.8K

$9,019 COP 28.4M

-51.09%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$52.8 PEN 177

$85.6 COP 269.1K

-38.36%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$29.83 PEN 100

$58.5 COP 183.8K

-48.98%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$81.1 PEN 273

$136 COP 428.4K

-40.47%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$81.5 PEN 274

$103 COP 324.1K

-20.94%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$206 PEN 691

$1,060 COP 3.3M

-80.60%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$105 PEN 354

$680 COP 2.1M

-84.51%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$542 PEN 1,822

$2,012 COP 6.3M

-73.08%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$313 PEN 1,053

$1,169 COP 3.7M

-73.21%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$2,339 PEN 7,866

$4,111 COP 12.9M

-43.11%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,701 COP 5.3M

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$740 PEN 2,487

$665 COP 2.1M

11.17%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

10.5

10.94

-4.02%

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

Last update for Cajamarca: August 29, 2026

Last update for Medellin: August 30, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $206 in Cajamarca and $1,060 in Medellin. 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 $48.00 in Medellin for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $230 vs $303 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 Medellin: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Cajamarca is cheaper overall, especially in Groceries & Markets, Clothing & Footwear, Eating Out, Sport & Entertainment, Monthly Utilities & Internet. The 143% 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 $1,060 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 789% less than in Medellin. Both cities have functional networks, but the price difference matters if you're watching your budget.

Childcare runs $137 in Cajamarca versus $793 in Medellin. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

At $706 in Cajamarca versus $1,716 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 143% less than in Medellin. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.