Cost of Living Comparison Between Cajamarca and Mexico City Cost of Living Comparison Between Cajamarca and Mexico City

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $649 in Cajamarca versus $1,467 in Mexico City.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $1,098 in Cajamarca versus $2,371 in Mexico City.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $1,547 in Cajamarca versus $3,274 in Mexico City.

Living in Cajamarca costs roughly 56% less than in Mexico City, driven mainly by Eating Out.

The two cities straddle the global median: Cajamarca is 52% below, Mexico City is 10% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$3.00 PEN 10.20

$13.18 MX$228

-77.24%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$28.12 PEN 95.7

$53.9 MX$932

-47.83%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$5.85 PEN 19.90

$9.42 MX$163

-37.90%

Cappuccino

$2.93 PEN 9.96

$3.55 MX$61.4

-17.46%

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

$0.75 PEN 2.56

$1.62 MX$27.98

-53.70%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.59 PEN 2.00

$1.11 MX$19.27

-46.85%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.18 PEN 7.41

$3.12 MX$54.0

-30.13%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.23 PEN 10.99

$4.63 MX$80.1

-30.24%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.24 PEN 4.22

$1.70 MX$29.43

-27.06%

White Bread (500g)

$3.12 PEN 10.60

$2.72 MX$47.02

14.71%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.09 PEN 3.71

$1.91 MX$33.07

-42.93%

Eggs

$2.17 PEN 7.39

$2.54 MX$43.86

-14.57%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$6.15 PEN 20.93

$10.03 MX$174

-38.68%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$5.85 PEN 19.89

$8.09 MX$140

-27.69%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$12.02 PEN 40.88

$11.62 MX$201

3.44%

Apples (1kg)

$0.93 PEN 3.15

$2.97 MX$51.3

-68.69%

Banana (1kg)

$0.75 PEN 2.56

$1.81 MX$31.24

-58.56%

Oranges (1kg)

$0.83 PEN 2.83

$2.01 MX$34.82

-58.71%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.05 PEN 3.58

$2.03 MX$35.20

-48.28%

Potato (1kg)

$0.68 PEN 2.33

$2.12 MX$36.75

-67.92%

Onion (1kg)

$0.94 PEN 3.20

$2.27 MX$39.25

-58.59%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.62 PEN 2.12

$1.40 MX$24.22

-55.71%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.72 PEN 2.45

$1.13 MX$19.55

-36.28%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$8.23 PEN 28.00

$4.27 MX$73.9

92.74%

Wine (Bottle)

$10.20 PEN 34.69

$15.56 MX$269

-34.45%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.50 PEN 8.52

$1.76 MX$30.39

42.05%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.35 PEN 7.99

$3.60 MX$62.2

-34.72%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.59 PEN 2.00

$0.38 MX$6.62

55.26%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$8.11 PEN 27.58

$19.18 MX$332

-57.72%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.64 PEN 5.59

$1.38 MX$23.79

18.84%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.22 PEN 4.14

$0.28 MX$4.78

335.71%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$4.90 PEN 16.68

$5.45 MX$94.2

-10.09%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.50 PEN 5.12

$1.30 MX$22.55

15.38%

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

$21.8K PEN 74.1K

$18.7K MX$323.2K

16.59%

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

$23.8K PEN 81.0K

$23.1K MX$400.1K

2.99%

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

$46.05 PEN 157

$40.86 MX$707

12.70%

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

$9.02 PEN 30.68

$26.81 MX$464

-66.36%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$26.75 PEN 91.0

$29.96 MX$518

-10.71%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$28.61 PEN 97.4

$52.0 MX$900

-45.00%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$19.22 PEN 65.4

$26.84 MX$464

-28.39%

Cinema Ticket

$4.68 PEN 15.92

$6.30 MX$109

-25.71%

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

$128 PEN 435

$436 MX$7,544

-70.69%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$4,117 PEN 14.0K

$10.4K MX$180.2K

-60.47%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$48.44 PEN 165

$56.7 MX$980

-14.49%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$27.69 PEN 94.2

$44.38 MX$768

-37.61%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$75.4 PEN 256

$103 MX$1,780

-26.78%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$77.0 PEN 262

$106 MX$1,825

-27.05%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$202 PEN 687

$1,022 MX$17.7K

-80.25%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$97.3 PEN 331

$631 MX$10.9K

-84.58%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$502 PEN 1,707

$2,136 MX$36.9K

-76.51%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$292 PEN 992

$1,243 MX$21.5K

-76.54%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$2,356 PEN 8,017

$3,903 MX$67.5K

-39.62%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,064 MX$35.7K

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$707 PEN 2,407

$1,115 MX$19.3K

-36.56%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

10.5

11.34

-7.41%

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

Last update for Cajamarca: May 31, 2026

Last update for Mexico City: May 31, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $202 in Cajamarca and $1,022 in Mexico City. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Mexico City pays 58% 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: $28.00 in Cajamarca vs $54.0 in Mexico City for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $211 vs $288 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 Mexico City: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Cajamarca is cheaper overall, especially in Groceries & Markets, Clothing & Footwear, Eating Out, Sport & Entertainment, Monthly Utilities & Internet. The 126% gap adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

On paper, Mexico City earns 58% less. 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: $202 in Cajamarca versus $1,022 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 136% less than in Mexico City. Both cities have functional networks, but the price difference matters if you're watching your budget.

Childcare runs $128 in Cajamarca versus $436 in Mexico City. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

At $649 in Cajamarca versus $1,467 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 126% less than in Mexico City. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.