Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Cajamarca and Mexico City

For one person, living is cheaper in Cajamarca: $711 a month against $1,567 in Mexico City, rent and utilities included – about $10,300 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

35

Cost of Living Index in Cajamarca
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Cajamarca Living Index
76

Cost of Living Index in Mexico City
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Mexico City Living Index

Jump to prices

Cajamarca

🇵🇪 Peru

$711

/mo nomad

Mexico City

🇲🇽 Mexico

$1,567

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Cajamarca and in Mexico City

Real prices from locals and on-the-ground checks – rent, groceries, transit and the daily extras. Here's what a month in Cajamarca and in Mexico City actually costs, broken down by who's living it.

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $711 in Cajamarca versus $1,567 in Mexico City.

Cajamarca $711
Mexico City $1,567

Estimated couple costs with rent: $1,189 in Cajamarca versus $2,450 in Mexico City.

Cajamarca $1,189
Mexico City $2,450

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $1,666 in Cajamarca versus $3,333 in Mexico City.

Cajamarca $1,666
Mexico City $3,333

Living in Cajamarca costs roughly 55% less than in Mexico City, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

The two cities straddle the global median: Cajamarca is 47% below, Mexico City is 16% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$3.11 PEN 10.70

$10.75 MX$199

-71.07%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$28.79 PEN 98.9

$50.3 MX$929

-42.71%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$5.88 PEN 20.20

$11.10 MX$205

-47.03%

Cappuccino

$2.88 PEN 9.89

$3.68 MX$68.1

-21.74%

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

$0.77 PEN 2.63

$1.65 MX$30.42

-53.33%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.56 PEN 1.94

$1.30 MX$24.08

-56.92%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.55 PEN 8.75

$3.32 MX$61.3

-23.19%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.49 PEN 11.99

$5.54 MX$102

-37.00%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.35 PEN 4.63

$1.77 MX$32.68

-23.73%

White Bread (500g)

$3.11 PEN 10.69

$3.05 MX$56.4

1.97%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.27 PEN 4.35

$2.01 MX$37.20

-36.82%

Eggs

$2.39 PEN 8.19

$2.77 MX$51.1

-13.72%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$7.25 PEN 24.91

$11.91 MX$220

-39.13%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$7.63 PEN 26.20

$9.33 MX$172

-18.22%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$16.10 PEN 55.3

$15.02 MX$278

7.19%

Apples (1kg)

$0.84 PEN 2.88

$3.08 MX$56.8

-72.73%

Banana (1kg)

$0.91 PEN 3.12

$1.95 MX$35.97

-53.33%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.14 PEN 3.92

$2.03 MX$37.54

-43.84%

Tomato (1kg)

$0.84 PEN 2.87

$2.21 MX$40.92

-61.99%

Potato (1kg)

$0.88 PEN 3.03

$2.02 MX$37.41

-56.44%

Onion (1kg)

$0.77 PEN 2.63

$1.82 MX$33.67

-57.69%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.89 PEN 3.04

$1.52 MX$28.07

-41.45%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.75 PEN 2.57

$1.28 MX$23.65

-41.41%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$7.09 PEN 24.34

$5.27 MX$97.4

34.54%

Wine (Bottle)

$11.58 PEN 39.76

$16.12 MX$298

-28.16%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.67 PEN 9.18

$1.95 MX$36.05

36.92%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.58 PEN 8.86

$4.25 MX$78.6

-39.29%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.59 PEN 2.03

$0.31 MX$5.82

90.32%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$8.67 PEN 29.76

$19.85 MX$367

-56.32%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$2.64 PEN 9.05

$2.00 MX$36.93

32.00%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.69 PEN 5.80

$0.53 MX$9.86

218.87%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$5.79 PEN 19.90

$5.62 MX$104

3.02%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.40 PEN 4.81

$1.52 MX$28.07

-7.89%

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

$23.6K PEN 81.2K

$21.0K MX$388.7K

12.38%

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

$28.5K PEN 98.0K

$25.2K MX$465.3K

13.39%

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

$58.0 PEN 199

$62.5 MX$1,155

-7.17%

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

$9.31 PEN 31.96

$28.77 MX$532

-67.64%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$20.16 PEN 69.2

$34.45 MX$637

-41.48%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$32.98 PEN 113

$57.1 MX$1,055

-42.24%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$17.47 PEN 60.0

$24.81 MX$458

-29.58%

Cinema Ticket

$3.73 PEN 12.82

$6.67 MX$123

-44.08%

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

$147 PEN 505

$431 MX$7,964

-65.87%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$4,322 PEN 14.8K

$11.7K MX$216.9K

-63.18%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$42.77 PEN 147

$70.8 MX$1,308

-39.58%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$28.77 PEN 98.8

$51.8 MX$958

-44.49%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$74.0 PEN 254

$109 MX$2,011

-31.98%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$72.5 PEN 249

$112 MX$2,076

-35.44%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$199 PEN 683

$1,051 MX$19.4K

-81.08%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$117 PEN 401

$665 MX$12.3K

-82.44%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$514 PEN 1,766

$2,346 MX$43.3K

-78.07%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$313 PEN 1,076

$1,227 MX$22.7K

-74.45%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,554 MX$65.7K

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,977 MX$36.5K

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$557 PEN 1,913

$975 MX$18.0K

-42.86%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

11.3

-2.65%

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

Last update for Cajamarca: October 12, 2026

Last update for Mexico City: October 11, 2026

Monthly budget structure

Share of the monthly basket for one person, rent included.

Groceries & Markets

Cajamarca

$244 34.3%

Mexico City

$323 20.6% 32.1% $78

Accommodation & Living

Cajamarca

$117 16.4%

Mexico City

$665 42.4% 470% $548

Eating Out

Cajamarca

$102 14.4%

Mexico City

$203 13% 98.6% $101

Clothing & Footwear

Cajamarca

$98 13.8%

Mexico City

$155 9.9% 57.6% $57

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Cajamarca

$87 12.3%

Mexico City

$126 8% 43.7% $38

Sport & Entertainment

Cajamarca

$40 5.7%

Mexico City

$70 4.5% 74.1% $30

Getting Around

Cajamarca

$22 3.1%

Mexico City

$26 1.6% 16.6% $3.7

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $199 in Cajamarca and $1,051 in Mexico City. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Mexico City pays 75% more on average. The extra income cushions the higher costs, though housing choices and lifestyle decide how much of the gap is truly closed.

Dining out: $29.00 in Cajamarca vs $50.0 in Mexico City for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $244 vs $323 per month, with Cajamarca cheaper across the board.

Good to know

🇵🇪 Cajamarca

🇲🇽 Mexico City

🕒 Local time

10:52 10:52 AM

09:52 9:52 AM

1 h behind Cajamarca

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

218,741

9,209,944 Capital

💱 Currency

Peruvian Sol PEN S/

Mexican Peso MXN $

📈 Exchange rate

1 PEN = 0.291 USD

1 PEN = 0.259 EUR

100 MXN = 5.41 USD

100 MXN = 4.81 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

MXN, USD, EUR to PEN – Peruvian Sol Converter

🇺🇸 United States Dollar ($)

🇵🇪 Peruvian Sol (S/)

Peruvian Sol exchange rates as of October 19, 2026: 1 USD = 3.43 PEN (1 PEN = 0.291 USD). 1 EUR = 3.86 PEN (1 PEN = 0.259 EUR).

Mexican Peso exchange rates as of October 19, 2026: 1 USD = 18.48 MXN (100 MXN = 5.41 USD). 1 EUR = 20.77 MXN (100 MXN = 4.81 EUR).

USD to PEN in detail →

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Between locations

Cajamarca Mexico City 3,720 km ≈ 5 h nonstop flight

From you

Cajamarca
Mexico City

Distances are measured in a straight line. Your location is detected approximately.

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 Mexico City: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Cajamarca is cheaper overall, especially in groceries, eating out, and clothing. The 120% gap adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

On paper, salaries run 75% lower in Mexico City. That's worth factoring in alongside costs, though remote workers earning in a stronger currency may not notice the difference at all.

Rent for a central apartment: $199 in Cajamarca versus $1,051 in Mexico City. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

A monthly transit pass in Cajamarca runs roughly 129% less than in Mexico City. Both cities have functional networks, but the price difference matters if you're watching your budget.

Childcare runs $147 in Cajamarca versus $431 in Mexico City. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

At $711 in Cajamarca versus $1,567 in Mexico City, a $1,500 budget is realistic in Cajamarca but tight or insufficient in Mexico City. 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 Mexico City, and the savings on those two alone free up budget for education, activities, and family trips.

Safety-wise, Cajamarca and Mexico City 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 120% less than in Mexico City. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.