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 $1,456 in Mexico City.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $1,101 in Cajamarca versus $2,361 in Mexico City.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $1,552 in Cajamarca versus $3,266 in Mexico City.

Living in Cajamarca costs roughly 55% less than in Mexico City, driven mainly by Eating Out.

The two cities straddle the global median: Cajamarca is 51% below, Mexico City is 9% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$3.13 PEN 10.61

$13.07 MX$229

-76.05%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$27.42 PEN 92.9

$53.8 MX$940

-48.99%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$5.71 PEN 19.35

$9.68 MX$169

-41.01%

Cappuccino

$2.82 PEN 9.56

$3.74 MX$65.4

-24.60%

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

$0.81 PEN 2.74

$1.62 MX$28.25

-50.00%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.59 PEN 1.99

$1.16 MX$20.31

-49.14%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.16 PEN 7.33

$3.23 MX$56.4

-33.13%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.30 PEN 11.20

$4.74 MX$82.9

-30.38%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.25 PEN 4.22

$1.65 MX$28.80

-24.24%

White Bread (500g)

$3.01 PEN 10.20

$2.75 MX$48.15

9.45%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.09 PEN 3.70

$1.87 MX$32.77

-41.71%

Eggs

$2.17 PEN 7.35

$2.50 MX$43.72

-13.20%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$6.16 PEN 20.88

$10.20 MX$178

-39.61%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$5.96 PEN 20.20

$8.25 MX$144

-27.76%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$12.10 PEN 41.02

$11.82 MX$207

2.37%

Apples (1kg)

$1.00 PEN 3.38

$3.01 MX$52.6

-66.78%

Banana (1kg)

$0.69 PEN 2.35

$1.81 MX$31.67

-61.88%

Oranges (1kg)

$0.90 PEN 3.05

$2.00 MX$34.96

-55.00%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.05 PEN 3.55

$2.00 MX$34.89

-47.50%

Potato (1kg)

$0.69 PEN 2.34

$2.08 MX$36.45

-66.83%

Onion (1kg)

$0.95 PEN 3.22

$2.27 MX$39.72

-58.15%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.62 PEN 2.10

$1.46 MX$25.47

-57.53%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.71 PEN 2.39

$1.08 MX$18.82

-34.26%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$8.10 PEN 27.46

$4.35 MX$76.0

86.21%

Wine (Bottle)

$10.31 PEN 34.95

$16.99 MX$297

-39.32%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.42 PEN 8.21

$1.73 MX$30.31

39.88%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.39 PEN 8.12

$3.58 MX$62.5

-33.24%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.55 PEN 1.86

$0.39 MX$6.77

41.03%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$8.17 PEN 27.69

$18.69 MX$327

-56.29%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.71 PEN 5.79

$1.33 MX$23.18

28.57%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.21 PEN 4.09

$0.28 MX$4.89

332.14%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$4.99 PEN 16.91

$5.25 MX$91.8

-4.95%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.51 PEN 5.10

$1.34 MX$23.37

12.69%

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

$22.5K PEN 76.4K

$19.4K MX$339.4K

16.06%

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

$24.8K PEN 84.0K

$23.8K MX$416.7K

4.01%

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

$46.02 PEN 156

$40.69 MX$712

13.10%

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

$9.05 PEN 30.69

$26.87 MX$470

-66.32%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$26.71 PEN 90.5

$30.51 MX$534

-12.45%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$28.68 PEN 97.2

$52.8 MX$923

-45.66%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$19.78 PEN 67.1

$26.65 MX$466

-25.78%

Cinema Ticket

$4.48 PEN 15.19

$6.51 MX$114

-31.18%

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

$131 PEN 444

$428 MX$7,485

-69.42%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$4,137 PEN 14.0K

$10.5K MX$183.6K

-60.60%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$48.83 PEN 166

$57.3 MX$1,001

-14.71%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$27.49 PEN 93.2

$45.50 MX$796

-39.58%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$74.9 PEN 254

$104 MX$1,819

-28.05%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$77.7 PEN 263

$108 MX$1,885

-27.94%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$203 PEN 689

$1,003 MX$17.5K

-79.75%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$97.1 PEN 329

$623 MX$10.9K

-84.41%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$497 PEN 1,684

$2,109 MX$36.9K

-76.45%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$294 PEN 998

$1,218 MX$21.3K

-75.83%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$2,358 PEN 7,994

$3,885 MX$67.9K

-39.29%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,033 MX$35.5K

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$704 PEN 2,388

$1,038 MX$18.1K

-32.12%

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: July 11, 2026

Last update for Mexico City: July 13, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $203 in Cajamarca and $1,003 in Mexico City. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Mexico City pays 47% 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: $27.00 in Cajamarca vs $54.0 in Mexico City for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $211 vs $292 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 124% gap adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

On paper, salaries run 47% 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: $203 in Cajamarca versus $1,003 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 $131 in Cajamarca versus $428 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 $1,456 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 124% less than in Mexico City. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.